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“What happened? Is she okay?” I ask, my voice diminishing.
“She is in a coma right now. Police can fill you in when you arrive. Do you live nearby?”
“No, ma’am. I’ll catch the next flight out.”
“We’ll call if we need anything from you before you get here. I’m sorry about the circumstances. Fly safe.”
My sister’s in a coma? Dallas isn’t the right place for her to be living. I lift myself off of the floor and throw on a pair of sweats and an old college t-shirt. Sitting at my desk, I turn on my desktop computer and get the next flight out. It leaves in two hours. $746! I bite the bullet, snatch my credit card, and schedule it.
Should I call my boss? He will understand if I call once I’m in Dallas. Company policy states there must be a two-week notice, but this is an emergency.
I ponder calling my parents, but talk myself out of it. There is a reason why I am her emergency contact and not them. A moving van would show up to move her back to Utah if my parents found out.
A duffel bag sits in the bottom of my closet and I begin throwing in some clothes to take with me.
An UBER arrives to take me to the airport. How early are you supposed to arrive before flight time? This will be my first flight. I’m afraid of heights and never planned on doing this, but my sister is in trouble. Lacey needs me. I try pulling myself together and keep my mind from visualizing the jet going down into a fiery crash. The satchel sits on my shoulder as I head downstairs.
The man from UBER clutches my suitcase to store it. “Flying out? Vacation?”
“No. My sister’s in the hospital in Dallas.”
Before taking off, the man curves his body. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me. I hope she’s okay.”
The taxi driver drives through incessant traffic until the terminal is straight ahead. He steps out of the car to grab the suitcase.
With no time to waste, I charge inside to the American counter to check my bags and receive my boarding passes.
“Window or aisle seat?”
“First time flying. Aisle seat please,” I reply.
“Okay, 14 C, aisle seat,” she says, handing me my boarding pass. “You’ll go up those stairs and get in line for the security checkpoint.”
After getting through security, I board the plane. I’m fine until the flight attendants start their presentation of what to do in case of an emergency and then my nerves sky rocket again. Please let me make it to Dallas.
The situation with Lacey distracts me from the takeoff. The last time I talked to her on the phone, she gave me details about the guy she is dating.
After the safety demonstration is over, I take a drink of water to wash the pill down that I take to keep my brain from roaming and let it take its course. It’s the only thing that will keep me calm.
When the jet hops from the landing, it startles me awake. The comfort from seeing us on the tarmac washes over me.
“Welcome to Dallas, everyone. We are making our way to the gate. Keep your seatbelts on until we turn the sign off.”
When my phone powers up, I have no voicemails. Once we arrive at the gate, I sit still, letting everyone else around me get off the plane because they are pushing and shoving.
The satchel is waiting on the carousel, and then I catch a taxi to the hospital and head to the front desk after the automatic doors open. The hospital is desolate and chilly.
“Is Mandy here?”
“Come with me. I’ll take you back to her.”
We stop in front of a door. “There is a lot of swelling and bruising. Draw a deep breath,” Mandy voices, as she opens the door.
The bruising on her face alone causes my eyes to swell. She lays powerless on the bed, and no one knows who caused this. I need answers.
“What happened?” I beg, pointing to her battered body sleeping there in the bed.
“The doctor will tell you more about her injuries. I’m sorry,” she counters, leaving the room and closing the door.
