“Oh, Charlotte, thank God. Thank God,” she sobs, kissing my hand and pressing it to her wet cheek.
“What’s going on?” I slur in a daze.
“You…You were in an accident.”
Someone places a cool rag over my eyes, bringing comfort and the stinging down.
“An accident?” I reply in confusion. What the hell is she talking about?
She doesn’t answer me, leaving a stark silence that my short painful breaths barely break through. After a few minutes, she removes the rag, bringing in a clearer picture. Her face is swollen from crying and furrowed brows and a painful smile greet me.
“Thanks. My eyesight was blurry for some reason, but I can see a little better now.”
“Yes, they said that would happen. They put some antibiotic gel on your eyes to help with the swelling and to prevent infection.”
“What happened?” I move to sit up and regret it immediately as sharp stabs riddle through my side and crack into the side of my skull.
“D-Don’t move, Charlotte. Stay still.”
“Why? Why am I in so much pain?” I rest back, tilting my head on the pillow to face her.
“Well, you have a couple of broken ribs, and some of the plastic vizor from the helmet was lodged into the skin on your face. Your left leg is also broken, but it’s not completely shattered. Otherwise, there’s nothing life-threatening, thank God.”
My reality sinks in, triggering a wave of panic.
“Where’s Ben?” I ask, full of dread.
She looks down and bites the inside of her cheek as a tear falls, wetting her skin further.
“Mom, where is he?” I shout before yielding to the severe ache in my rib.
With my arm bracing my side, I ask again, albeit quieter. “Please tell me he’s okay. Mom. Please. Please…” Tears flow down my cheeks, mounting the severe pain in my head and eyes from the tension. A weight settles on my chest and dread wraps its cold embrace around me, taking what little air I can get away.
He has to be okay. I can’t live without him. I need him. This can’t be the end of our story. It’s just beginning. There’s so much love that hasn’t been shown or experienced yet. I need him to be okay.
My silent prayers repeat, begging God to spare him from whatever I’m about to hear.
“He’s alive…” she whispers quietly, still holding my hand.
“Oh, thank God,” I cry harder. “Thank you, God.”
My chest aches from all the pain and the agony of our situation, but a small amount of the weight lifts knowing he’s alive.
“But…he’s in an induced coma. It was necessary to prevent further brain damage. They were able to stop the internal bleeding but he’s going to have a long road to recovery, Charlotte.”
“I don’t understand. How is he in such bad shape and I’m not? How did this happen? No one was even on the road! I need to see him. Take me to him. Right now.”
I will my body to move, flinging the covers off and ignoring the splint on my leg and the pain that’s so blinding it’s about to make me pass out.
“Charlotte, you need to stay in bed! Please lay back down.”
“Tell me what happened!” I yell at her, my ears now ringing loudly.
She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Only if you lay back and calm down.”
Begrudgingly, I listen. I hiss through my teeth as I extend back to the pillow, keeping my splint leg bent over the edge in defiance.
“When you were found, he was covering you. They believe he pulled you up toward him in the instant before impact and shielded you by wrapping himself around you.”
