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“Listen, Al, Dad was going out for lunch and while he was driving, he had a heart attack. He lost control of the car and crashed into a telephone pole. We’re at the hospital with him now. He’s having emergency surgery to remove a blockage in his heart and then they‘ll work to fix the damage from the accident.”
I slid down the wall inch by inch as Ben explained the situation. I hit the floor and nodded my head against the wall, hearing, but barely processing the words. Mental images of horrific wrecks and my dad’s face twisted with pain and fear assaulted my senses and I lost track of my surroundings. So, when I was suddenly swarmed by co-workers, it took me a second to remember where I was.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I told Ben, fighting back the tears that were pooled along my lashes.
“Do you need a plane ticket?”
I shook my head, forgetting that Ben couldn’t see me.
“Allie? I can book something right now.”
“No!” I found my voice and it burst out a lot stronger than I’d intended, startling the people gathered around me. All I could think about was getting on Cherry Bomb and hauling ass to Kansas. “I don’t want to fly. Ben, I’ll be there soon, just tell Daddy—tell Daddy I’m coming.”
I clicked off the call and let my co-workers scoop me off the floor. “I have to go. It’s my dad.”
I didn’t wait for a reply before turning and racing towards the elevators, only stopping to swing by my office to grab my purse.
* * * *
By the time I got back to my apartment, Cooper had called half a dozen times. I called him back, propping the phone against my shoulder as I laid out extra food for Sam and then went to my bedroom to start packing a small bag of clothes.
“Where are you?” Cooper asked in lieu of a ‘hello’ when he answered my call.
My mind was busy calculating routes and a plan of action and couldn’t formulate an answer to his question.
“Allie! Where are you? What’s going on?”
At the jolt of his voice, my thoughts shifted, rearranging as I began to piece together a route and a plan. If I stuck to the highways and avoided major cities, I could be home in a day and a half. “I’m at home, Cooper. But just for the next five minutes. My dad had a heart attack and got in a car wreck. I’m leaving to go see him.”
“Oh my God, Allie, I’m so sorry. Did you book your flight? I know people at the airlines—they can get you on the next flight out. I’ll hire a charter, whatever you need.” There was an edge of panic to Cooper’s normal cool, controlled tone that I appreciated.
“Uhm…no, thank you, but…I don’t fly, remember?” I clicked the speaker button and laid the phone on my bedside table to begin packing. I grabbed my duffel bag from the closet and jammed handfuls of clothes into it without really stopping to consider what I was putting together.
“Allie, that’s ridiculous. It’s an emergency. You have to take a plane,” Cooper countered, his authoritative tone back.
I glared at the phone. “No, I don’t.
On Cherry Bomb I can be there in less than two days.”
“You can’t take your bike there! Let me arrange a flight, for God’s sake, Allie, think about this,” Cooper gritted out each word and without even seeing him, I knew the expression he was wearing.
I slammed another stack of shirts into my bag and then turned back to the phone. “I can, I will, and unless you have something helpful to add, I have a lot of things to do.”
“Allie,” his voice was pinched. “I know you’re freaked out, but slow down and think about this. A plane will get you there in what, two hours? It’s safer, faster—”
“I don’t fly.” Just the idea of being on a plane churned my stomach and gave me the shakes. I’d only been on a plane once in my entire life, and it had been one of the worst experiences I’d ever experienced. I’d spent the entire trip clinging to the arm rests so hard I’d broken off two fingernails. I knew it would take longer to ride to Kansas on my bike, but at least I’d have fresh air and an open road. Something about continually moving was soothing, even though I knew it would be less than charming a few hours in.
My mind was made up and Cooper would just have to deal with it.
He seemed to realize this around the same time and after a growl of pure frustration, asked, “How can I help?”
As I was about to answer that I had it all under control, a brush of fur tickled my ankles. I looked down into the big blue eyes of Sam, my cat, and already missed him. I’d never been away from him for more than a night, and knew he wouldn’t understand my sudden absence. “Take care of Sam. I set out extra food, but he’ll need someone to check in on him while I’m gone. There’s an extra key wedged in the liner of the welcome mat.”
I could practically hear him rolling his eyes, but after a tense beat of silence, he sighed, “All right. But call me, every time you stop. Don’t go to truck stops after dusk, stick to the main roads, and make sure you have the credit card I gave you.”
I rolled my own eyes in response to his list of instructions, but couldn’t help but smile. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Allie. Please be safe.”
