“Nothing to serious,” the doctor says as he clicks off his flash light that he was shining across my eyes just a minute ago. “You’re a very lucky boy.”

All I can think about is what happened . . . It’s been a few hours and yet it feels like I just got pulled out of my broken car.

“What about the . . . Girl?” I ask, swallowing as her face flashes across my mind. I saw her as my car ate hers, her face the pain that I saw in her eyes. “Is she . . .” I trail off looking down at my hands that are covered in a few cuts from the shattered window.

The doctor looks at me, his eyes warming with sadness. “She’s . . . Not awake.” He tells me.

Not awake? Does that mean she could die? That means that I could have killed— Wait! There was another person in the car, the girls mother!

Panic floods through me as the blood drains from my face. “What about . . .” I swallow again my hands trembling in my lap. “What about her mother?”

The doctor sighs, looking at the tiled ground. “She was gone when we got there.”

Everything freezes. I can’t breathe, I can’t move. _She was gone when we got there . . . Gone . . . She was gone . . . _

__

__

__

I let out a shaky breath, as tears sting my eyes. “I killed her.” I whisper to myself. Everything feels so wrong, like a movie. A nightmare. I want to wake up! I need to, I need to fix this!

“No,” the doctors warm voice brings me back to reality. I look into his warm green eyes. “This is not your fault.”

A tear escapes my eye burning the cut on my cheek as it blends into it. “Then whose fault is it?” I ask, my voice small and weak.

The door swings open, a familiar face filling my vision.

“Dave!” Tommy rushes to my side, his cold hands wrapping around my face as he looks deep into my eyes. “You okay?”

I nod once, as more tears pool out of my eyes. Tommy’s eyes are so worried as he licks his chapped lips. “I’m fine.” I mutter.

Tommy sighs with relief as he pulls me into a tight hug. I burry my face into his shoulder, the bitter smell of smoke still clinging to his clothes from his long day of burning “stuff” at his job. I’ve never actually found out what it is that Tommy does, but I trust him.

. . .

After Tommy has a long talk with the doctor he leads me to a truck that’s parked pretty far from the hospital.

I don’t have the energy to ask him where he got the truck. It’s probably just one of his buddies that he borrowed when he found out that I trashed the car.

“I think I’m gonna walk,” I tell Tommy as he unlocks the truck.

Tommy gives me a worried look. “You sure?”

I nod, looking over my shoulder at the trees that start the huge forest behind the town. “Yeah, I just need to think.”

Tommy gives me a quick nod, opening the truck door. “I’m not going to fight you on this.” He says, climbing into the car. “Just don’t get hurt.”

I almost want to smile at his response. Don’t get hurt. I don’t think any cut or break could hurt me as much as what I’ve done to the girl.

. . .

I walk along the side of the road until the old bus stop bench comes into view. It’s rusty and has wet leaves stuck to the metal bench but nothing could beat the feeling it gives me.

I collapse onto the cool metal, Dad’s leather jacket keeping me from feeling the cold wind that’s blowing my hair. I shut my eyes, taking in the warm scent of leather, it reminds me of Dad. I just wish he was here to help me get out of this mess.

I sigh, staring up at the dark, cloudy sky._ I need to go back_. I think as rain drops down onto my face. I need to go back to the hospital, I need to see _her. _