Chapter 12: Collision
The light turned green and Zane hit the gas, glancing over to scold Evan for stealing his charger. A yellow blur caught his attention, but it was too late to act when he realized what it was. He swerved as the car entered the intersection, but the deafening crunch still rattled his bones. He heard a scream, hands locked to the steering wheel as they spun to a stop. The radio had gone silent, and he desperately turned to check on his two friends.
"F—-ing bastard! He ran the red light!" It was Evan who yelled angrily, clutching his arm in pain. A tiny cry from the back seat took both their attention, and Zane felt sick as he turned.
"Rylee!"
Recklessly, he scrambled over the center console, knocking bits of glass to the floor. The force had thrown the girl sideways, her saving grace the fact she sat in the middle, and not directly behind Evan. The entire back of the pickup truck was smashed like a tin can, the interior a maze of metal and shards of glass. Zane wasn't sure how he even managed to maneuver beside her, but multiple cuts promised it hadn't been easy.
"Ry, hey, Ry look at me."
"Someone call an ambulance," bystanders were rushing over. Zane felt blood on his hands, but couldn't tell who it was coming from. Evan kicked his own door open, stumbling free of the car. The yellow SUV that hit them was smoking from its crumpled hood.
A dazed woman stepped out, unhurt save for a small cut on her cheek. "It was green! Why the hell were you in the intersection? Oh my god, my car..."
"Evan! I can't get her out, she's pinned!"
Evan circled around to the other door, yanking it open and ducking inside. Zane had managed to lift Rylee's torso onto his lap, but her legs were trapped by unidentifiable car debris. Her face was ashen, her ponytail loose so her hair tangled on the wreckage. Cursing, Evan helped his friend push on the collapsed metal, ignoring the devastating pain in his arm from the movement. By the time the ambulance arrived, she was free, and the three of them collapsed to the ground outside the door.
So much blood... Evan felt like throwing up. Zane had used his hoodie to compress a wound on Rylee's hip, and then the paramedics took over. Eric found himself pushed into another stretcher, the sensation of shock making him dazed and numb to his own injuries. He knew the sound of sirens would play in his memory for years. He would never forget the taste of blood, the stench of gas, the crunch of metal, and a girl's scream that cut off too fast, echoing in his mind.
Hospital Room 379 // 2:11pm
"You got lucky." Evan wanted to punch the man who said that, but his right arm was already set in a sling. Nothing about this incident was lucky in his mind. "The break should heal fast, and I don't think you'll need surgery. You just have to limit the use of your hand for a bit."
It was easier said than done. It wasn't like Evan's career depended on his hand, after all. Bitterly, he escaped the doctor's care, and insisted on checking on the others. When he was finally escorted to Rylee's Room, Zane was already there. The guilt in his expression was evident.
"Hey," Evan greeted. Zane clenched his jaw and didn't respond.
"How's your friend?" Evan tried again. He looked at the girl, tiny fingers wrapped around a blanket, long eyelashes shut tightly over her eyes.
Zane lost some of his composure, Adam's apple moving with the effort not to break down. "She might need surgery in her leg. She had to have a blood transfusion. They have her on some heavy pain meds for now. The cops already came to talk with me... they're reviewing the cameras from the intersection," he said listlessly.
Evan sat next to him, frowning. "It was a green light, man. Stop kicking yourself. That idiot hit YOU, and if you hadn't turned when you did, who knows what would have happened."
"It saved you, but look at Rylee!" Zane pulled at his own hair, shaking his head. "I saw it coming and I turned...if I slowed down before crossing, maybe she would have missed us completely..." he slumped forward, broken. Evan awkwardly patted him on the back.
"They call it a car accident for a reason. We all got out. Just let it go."
Zane sighed and paused, looking over through heavy eyes. "And what about your hand? Damn it Evan, you have deadlines! Don't give me crap about letting it go, there is so much crap to worry about now. How's Rylee going to work, huh? I dragged both of you to come play a stupid game, and look..."
Zane stood up rubbing at his eyes in irritation, then slumped for the door. "I need to make some calls... her roommate, work... I'll be back in a few. Maybe stay with her for a bit, okay? If she wakes up, tell her I'm sorry." Before Evan could object, Zane was gone.
The room was horribly silent. Evan looked at the monitors, feeling out of place. He barely knew this girl, but surviving the accident had created an invisible link between them he couldn't avoid. But did that mean he had a right to sit by her side? He felt more uncomfortable sitting in that chair than he remembered ever being in his life. His arm felt hot and scratchy inside his sling. The urge to throw up hit again.
"Ugh, I feel like I got punched by the Hulk...."
The remark made Evan laugh. Maybe it was the anxiety, or just his surprise at her choice of words, but it lessened some of his nervous energy as he met her gaze. Her eyes were only half open, and she seemed confused to see him there.
"More like you survived a crash landing. And you have a beat up blue truck to thank for saving your life."
"We crashed?!" She tried sitting up, quickly grabbing her side in pain. "Ughh, and Zane...?"
"He's fine. Just has a few scratches. The SUV hit our side of the car."
Rylee shut her eyes, but if it was to remember, or forget, he couldn't tell. "Who have you told?" She finally asked.
"I think he used your phone to contact your roommate... you had her as your in case of emergency. Uh, I think he was having her let your parents and your bosses know what's going on."
She seemed to accept it all in stride, but he watched her fingers grip the blankets tighter, revealing deeper emotions.
Evan started to stand, "Maybe I should find Zane. I think he just—"
"No, stay."
She looked over at him with more clarity, and he was forced to listen. Her gaze was intense, and she had the deepest blue eyes he could ever remember seeing. Obediently, he took his seat, feeling a little mesmerized.
"Evan, isn't it? Why don't you remind me a bit more of this crash landing..."
Without hesitation, he did as she asked.
Weekly Power Status
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