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“Just my car?” I asked.
“Your car versus a concrete barrier,” she said. “The concrete won.” She smiled sadly. “Do you want me to call family?”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “I don’t have family.”
“Okay, would you like me to call a friend for you?” she asked. “We couldn’t find any contact information,” she said and patted the back of my hand. “The doctor will be in soon. You’ve been through all kinds of tests. I’ll hunt down Ramsey and Lily. Sit tight.”
Minutes felt like hours as I lay in the hospital bed, my mind filled with worry and a nagging sense of helplessness. The uncertainty gnawed at me, making every passing second feel excruciatingly long. Finally, the door to my room creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. It was Ramsey, his face etched with concern and exhaustion. Relief washed over me at the sight of him, knowing that he held the answers I desperately sought.
Before I could utter a word, he rushed to my side, his voice filled with both relief and trepidation. “Thank goodness you’re awake,” he said, his voice trembling slightly.
“Lily?” I asked.
“Lily… she’s sore, but she’s fine. She’s going to be okay.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of gratitude and overwhelming emotions flooding through me. “Thank god,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. =
He nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of love and concern. “We’ll get through this,” he assured me, his voice steady. “Lily wants to see you. Are you up for seeing her?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Just a second,” he said.
The nurse came in. “The doctor says we can remove the neck brace,” she said. “I’m going to take it off, but I’ll warn you, your neck is going to feel weak and sore. I’m going to put some pillows behind you. Try to relax into them.”
“Okay,” I murmured.
I held still as she took off the brace. A moment later, she was raising the head of my bed. A soft pillow was slid in behind me. I took a deep breath and immediately regretted it. “Ow.” I coughed.
“You’re going to be sore,” the nurse said. “You have a lot of bruising on your ribs. The doctor is just writing up the order and then he’ll be in.”
Lily burst through the door, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Dee!”
She bumped the side of the bed in her attempt to hug me. Pain shot through every inch of my body. I winced but didn’t cry out. I tried to hug her but my arms were as useless as tree stumps.
“Be careful, Lily,” Ramsey said gently. “Dee needs to get better.”
“Are you okay?” I asked Lily, my hand going to the side of her face.
“I’m okay,” Lily replied. “You screamed so loud.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m so sorry I scared you.”
“Do you hurt?” Lily asked me with concern in her eyes.
It would be stupid to lie to her. I couldn’t imagine what I looked like, but I was pretty sure I felt blood crusted to my mouth and nose. “A little bit,” I answered.
“Sir, your sister is here,” the nurse said.
Ramsey looked at me. “Izzy is going to take Lily home,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“No.” I tried to shake my head but remembered not to when pain shot up the side of my neck. “Take her home, she needs you.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said firmly.
The nurse fussed around my bed, pushing buttons on one machine and then tapping on the little computer that wheeled around. “I’ll go see what’s keeping the doctor.”
I closed my eyes and tried to remember the accident. It came back in flashes. I remembered driving and then suddenly the car spun around and I was facing oncoming traffic. I tried to turn the car, but it was pointless. I thought I heard Lily scream, but maybe it was me. Maybe I was the one who screamed. I didn’t remember the impact. I remembered Lily crying and flashing lights.
