It's Not an Existential Crisis

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

*****DAN'S POV*****

I stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do.

"Dan," Phil placed his hand in my shoulder, "We don't have to see her-"

"No," I said sternly, "I want to."

We walked closer to her bed. She looked different- so young...so helpless...

I examined her face, her eyes relaxed, but shut. Her face had a few scratch marks along with her minor head injury.

"Oh Ari," I whispered, "What happened?"

I wanted to hug her so badly right then an there, to have her be awake instead of this horrid coma. It killed me on the inside to see her all hooked up to the machines surrounding her to the point where it was all too overwhelming.

I shook my head as I stepped back and forced myself to look out the window. I had to look at something other than her before I could have to chance to lose it again.

I glanced back to see Artie grabbing Ari's hand, how limp and pale it looked compared to hers. Artie let out a quiet sob as she looked at her friend's expressionless face.

"Come here," Phil pulled her into a massive hug, "It will be alright."

I went to the other side of Ariella's hospital bed to find her right hand in what seemed like tons of gauze.

"Oh my god," I muttered.

"What?" Artie looked at me, her cheeks glistening from tears.

"Her hand- something happened to it." I said.

The two joined me and observed it.

"Should we ask what happened?" Artie looked at both of us.

"Uh- sure," I walked into the hallway to see a nurse looking at some files on a clipboard.

"Excuse me," I asked.

Her head popped up, "How can I help you?"

"I had some questions about the patient in room 4 on the right,"

"Walk with me," She placed her hand on my back. We entered Ari's room.

"We were wondering why is her hand bandaged up like that?" Phil asked keeping his voice low.

"When the paramedics found her in the turned over car on Lark Avenue, her hand was crushed between the middle console and her seat, causing multiple bones in her right hand to be broken." The nurse said.

"So why isn't it in a cast?" asked Artie.

"Well we have to basically reconstruct her whole hand if she ever wants to use it again, so she will be having multiple surgeries for it soon," The pager in her pocket started to beep, "I'm sorry but I need to go."

She quickly left the room.

I turned back to Phil and Artie, "Wow, that was a lot to take in."

"Yeah," They let out a deep breath.

"What now?" I asked.

"We just hope for the best. Ari is a fighter and we know that she will make it through this." Phil said.

"I want to know what happened...." Artie stated.

"We just heard her say that the car got turned-"

"I know but Ari is the safest driver I know and Lark Avenue is not a popular street. I don't know what I'm exactly thinking but I just want to see if there is a witness that can tell us what exactly happened."