After Us

Chapter Seventeen

I've always been instinctive and extremely sensitive to things that would pass others by. Almost like a sixth sense that I have, giving me a twisted burning knot in the middle of my stomach. My body's way of telling me that something was wrong. It was during lunch with Miles and his family when my phone buzzed to alert me of a text. She had always told me to never look at my phone at the dinner table because it was rude but I immediately knew that something had happened and couldn't wait to finish eating just to check my messages. At the end of the meal, my heart skipped a beat. Mom had texted that Austin was in the hospital and Dad was stuck in traffic and she needed help. I quickly called her the phone rang a couple of times and kept going straight to voicemail.

"Ann, you okay?" Miles asked.

"One sec-" I replied stepping outside trying to call again. Finally, she picked up.

"Ann," she said, "are you alright?" her voice sounded panicky and sharp.

"Am I alright? Is Austin alright?" I ask quickly.

The phone goes quiet, "He was in a car accident." She tells me. "Once again had alcohol and then decided to drive home. He crashed into three cars and was rushed to the hospital. They have told us he has broken his left arm and a couple of ribs but, Ann, oh my God, it could have been so much worse. He's so lucky to be alive." She cried tearfully down the phone.

I was speechless, "Mom," I could hardly catch my breath with the urgency of the situation, "should I come back down? I want to see him. Is dad there?"

"Dad is here, yes, he's waiting outside to hear more from the Doctor. I wish you were here Annalise."

I decided at that moment that I needed to be home. I would come back to be with Miles later on but for now I just really needed to go and see if my brother was okay. Miles drove me as fast as he possibly could without getting a speeding ticket on the way. As we drove, I explained everything to him. Five hours later when we arrived at the hospital, mum runs out to me and we hug. Dad also comes out and hugs Miles.

"Ann, you really didn't need to come all this way. Miles, you too." She says.

I grab onto Miles's hand, "We wanted to. Can we go and see Austin?"

"He's asleep right now but you can probably go see him," Dad says.

I look at Miles to see if he wants to come with me but instead, he says, "I'll get us some water, we were thirsty on the way down." Mom went to go show him where it was, while I went inside the hospital room. I smelt so much like a hospital. Sour, old, and sick. There Austin was with bruises on his face, a cast on his arm, and sheets of blankets over him. He manages to open one eye since the other one was swollen shut.

"Ann?" He whispers hoarsely. I rush up to him to give him a gentle hug. I know he hates hugs and attention so this was probably really his worse nightmare but I just had to hug him.

"I was so worried about you!" I cried. "Don't ever touch alcohol again."

The pain Austin was in was bad but thankfully it didn't stop him from smiling or being sarcastic. "Yeah like that will happen." I hugged a little tighter and then eventually let go.

"Why did you start drinking?" I asked.

He laid still, "Jodie and I broke up." he muffled, "my boys knew some people that said they could help me take the pain away and they hooked us up. It just got worse and, now, looking back, it was stupid."

"Does mom and dad-" I begin."They know Ann, I told them. I'm going to be fine."

"Alright," I said putting a hand on his right foot towards the end. Austin was definitely a difficult one to talk to. His whole life was based what his friends thought or did. He never does anything for himself and it's hard to understand what he wants.