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“Margret, he’s a grown man,” my dad says. He stands beside my mom and puts his hands on her shoulders.
“How are you feeling, son?” he asks.
“Like shit, Dad.” I close my eyes and wait for the nurse and CNA to leave the room before I continue. When they do, I say, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t drinking. I promise. I was just going to the beach to unwind after my shift at The Oasis. I don’t know what happened.”
My mom squeezes my fingers and pats my leg.
“It’s okay, Jaden. You’re going to be fine.”
“Yes, your mother’s right. All that matters is you.” My dad moves to the other side and places his hand on my shoulder.
“I am sorry.” My head falls to my chest, and I sigh heavily.
I was just going to the beach to unwind, but not from work. No. I needed to think about how I could approach Blaire and try to talk to her about us. My mom has an idea about Blaire, but Dad, well, he doesn’t know anything at all. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about me falling for a woman so much older than me. I hope he’ll be happy for me as long as I don’t fuck up my life and get kicked out of college for pursuing my teacher.
“Ah, Mr. Lugo, it’s good to see you’re awake. I’m Dr. Penn.” A towering older man in a white doctor’s coat walks toward me. He’s followed by my nurse and CNA. He takes the chart from Lynn and asks, “How are you feeling, young man?”
“Like crap. When can I go home?” I ask.
“Well, your vitals are all great, so I don’t see why you can’t go home in the morning. I want to keep an eye on you one more night. From what the emergency staff told me, you’re very lucky to be alive. Your right arm required surgery, so you’ve been drifting in and out from the anesthesia.” He peers at me over his black-rimmed glasses.
My mind spins. “I don’t remember anything.”
“That’s common with some cases of anesthesia. I’m sure you’ll get your memory back soon. But to focus on your arm, you’ll have limited use of it for three months. Don’t try to hurry the healing process; it will only set you back. If you follow my discharge instructions and go to your physical therapy when the cast comes off, you’ll recover just fine.” Dr. Penn tips his glasses down his nose and gives me a hard stare.
“Yes, sir.” I sigh and glance at my mom.
“Oh, he will follow every instruction you tell him to. I’ll make sure of it.” She puffs out her chest, and I let out a quiet laugh. My mom, the tough gal.
“Good to hear.”
“I need to know what happened.” I hesitate, then swallow.
“Was anyone else hurt in the accident?”
“Unbelievably no. Just you. The driver who jumped the green light, according to the video footage and the emergency crew, walked away from it all with only a few scratches. He was treated and released early Saturday morning.” Dr. Penn stands at the end of my bed, his arms folded across his chest.
“I wouldn’t race through a yellow light again, son.” He looks at my parents, then back at me.
“I won’t, promise.”
“Good. Now try to get some more rest, and I’ll have Lynn and Mary check on you a bit later.” He turns and leaves my room.
I look at my mom, then my dad, sitting in the chairs by the window. Mom’s eyes are closed, and she’s shaking her head. Dad stares past me. I’ve let them down, and I feel like shit for it. But at least the accident wasn’t totally my fault. Note to self: never rush to beat a yellow light again, no matter what.
I’ll need to work twice as hard to catch up on my classes. Thankfully, the year is almost over and there’s not much left to do. Looking at the table beside my bed, I don’t see my phone.
“Hey, Mom?”
“Yes, dear?” She tries to smile as she stands and walks toward my bed.
“Do you have my phone? Or did it get totaled too?”
She pulls the drawer open and hands me my phone. The screen is cracked, but when I look at it, the facial recognition still works.
I sigh when I don’t see any messages from Blaire. My heart slows, and my vision blurs. I smile weakly and look at my mom.
“Thanks. And I’m sorry for everything, Mom.” I turn away from her and close my eyes.
