Exhale

Good Things Always End

Derek stands before me as I continue to listen to the man on the other end. "Ma'am? Hello, are you till there?" He asks. "Yes, yes I'm still here." I say. "Ma'am we need you to come Atlanta Medical Center, Your mother is in surgery as we speak. There's not much more I can say over the phone. How soon can you be here?" He asks. "An hour, we live in Milledgeville. We'll be there." I say and he hangs up.

"What's going on?" Derek asks me. I quickly call Leah and ask her come watch Alaina, She'll be here in a few minutes. I walk into the living room and Derek grabs my arm, "Maggie, what's going on?" He demands. "Mom and Ian were in an accident and mom isn't doing good. She's in surgery right now. We have to go, now." I say heading upstairs.

I hear Derek's footsteps behind me, "Maggie, How's Ian?" He asks. "I don't fucking know, Derek! All I know is my mother is being operated on as we speak!" I shout at him. Derek's eyes widen, "Maggie, calm down, everything is going to be okay." He says.

"No, no. You don't say that. The last time you said that my father died. So don't you dare say everything is going to be ok." I yell as I lose control of my tears. Derek rushes to me, as my knees buckle, and catches me. I sob onto his shoulder, "Derek, I can't lose her. I can't, I can't go through this again." I cry. Derek holds me tight as he rubs my back with small circular movements of his hand. "I know baby. I wish I could take away this pain you're feeling right now." He says into my hair.

"Maggie! Derek!" I hear Leah shout. I wipe my face and Derek helps me up. I grab my purse and put on my shoes and we head downstairs. Leah sees me and hugs me, "Maggie, what's wrong?" She asks. Derek informs her of mom's accident, Leah covers her mouth. And hugs me once more. "Maggie please keep me updated." She says as we head out the door. Derek left her instructions for Alaina's medication, and told her if anything goes wrong to call Jennifer.

We drive to Atlanta in complete silence. I just keep thinking of dad and that day at the hospital. I don't ever want to experience that again. I can't lose my mom, she's my best friend, I can't be me without her. I stare out the window and feel Derek's hand rest on my knee. "Maggie, do you think they'll let us see Ian?" He asks. "Why wouldn't they?" I ask.

He's about to say something when we run into traffic, I see red, blue and yellow flashing lights. I sit up in my seat and look as we pass slowly. I cover my mouth as I see mom's Santa Fe in a mangled mess, upside down against the guard rail. "Derek, there's no way they're going to survive that." I say through tears as the tow truck loads the tangled SUV on it's bed. He doesn't say anything, he just stares ahead as we pass the debris of the wreck.

When we reach the hospital I rush in and ask for mom and Ian. "Honey, slow down. Now say it one more time." The nurse asks. "My mother and her boyfriend were in an accident, she's in surgery. I would like to see Ian Kennedy and Rita Bower. Please." I say.  "Ok, let me see where Mr. Kennedy is. And who are you to him?" She asks me as she types. I slam my fist on the counter, "Look lady, that man is going to be my stepfather!" I shout at her.

"Maggie! Calm down! She's looking." Derek says to me. I nod and back up and let Derek finish asking the nurse about Ian and mom.

Several minutes later the nurse hands Derek a piece of paper, and he grabs my hand, leading me to the elevators. "He's on the third floor ICU. Room 3145." He says squeezing my hand. "What about mom?" I ask him as the elevator opens to the third floor, that familiar hospital smell fills my nose and it only brings me back to Dad and Derek and all the bullshit I've been through.

We walk into Ian's room and see him all bandaged up. He broke his right leg, his left arm and has a five inch laceration on his head above his left eyebrow. I walk over to his side, "Ian." I say as I grab his free hand. He opens his eyes, "Maggie? You're here, visiting me?" He says. "Of course, Ian. What happened?" I ask him. "I don't know, Maggie. We were heading to a nice dinner and the next thing I know we get rear ended and I hit the guard rail and that's all I remember." He says as tears well in his eyes.