Chapter 2-Shani

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As I finally pull into the driveway, I take notice of exterior, it's definitely looking better than when I left last year after my weekend in my hometown. Dad must be finally moving on from Mom. As I finally stepped out of my red Chevy Impala, I could feel the cool air blow onto the back of my neck sending shivers down my spine and throughout my body. A tear slipped from my eye and onto my cheek as the memories of mom enjoying this time of year as I was growing up. Im brought out of my thoughts when I hear the cheering echo down the roads and over the house tops from the football field. Dad must be at the game still and by my guess they just won and are going to the first round of playoffs.

More thoughts and unwanted feelings come flooding back from that night that changed my life. I push them back down as I remember where I am, standing in the wide open and not wanting to be spotted.  I walked towards and opened my car trunk and grabbed my duffle with my few weeks worth of clothes.  I finally take a few steps when I hear the a sound similar to vechiles racing down the main road. "Stupid teenagers," I mutter under my breath walking towards the front door.

As I my fingertips graced the doorknob and am about to open the door.  I hear the dreadful sound of metal crunching, brakes squealing and laced with screams filled pain and fear. I drop my bag and take off running towards the sounds. My time as an EMT is finally paying off.  When I arrive at the scene it feels like Deja vu from not only mom's accident but even very accident I helped with. I take a deep breath and analyze the situation; one vechile is flipped over and the other mashed in on the side with a driver passed out.

I can hear the sirens in the background quickly approaching.  My hope of keeping a low profile in this town was slowly dissipating as everyone started realizing theres a mystery woman in town. Since I left I changed my hair and was in the best shape of my life, dad could hardly recognize me last year.  Another scream finally brought me out of my thoughts and fear of being recognized.

I start running to the sports vehicle that is flipped over. The kid, male approximate age 16-17 passed out with seatbelt on while dangling upside down. I look past boy and  see his presumably girlfriend or play thing and realize she's gone. A 15-17 year old girl was sent through the windshield, blood pooling from the abdominal neck area. I feel around in my pockets for my belt cutter before remembering where I am. I grab the next best thing, a shard of glass, quickly and swiftly cut the belt. At the same time cutting my left hand, thankfully superficially only. I pull the boy out realizing his pants were pulled down and unbuttoned. He was very close to getting lucky but ended up with a not so happy ending.

As he's laying down flat I check for his breathing thankfully he is. A paramedic on shift came up behind me saying something but I can't tell what from the adrenaline. The boy is put onto the stretcher and taken to the back of one of the ambulances and taken away.  I turn back to the mashed in vehicle, and that's when I hear the pain and fear filled feminine scream. I run towards it realizing it's another teenager but with her hand pinned into the door.  As I look further into the truck I thankfully see that she wasn't gonna meet the same fate my mom did all those years ago. I manage to get it out with some slight wincing on the girls side and  at that moment she passed out.

I grab a knife that was thrown out of a vehicle and onto the ground nearby and cut the seat belt.  When I started to pull the girl out, a hand is placed onto my shoulder, "babygirl lemme help," a familiar male voice smoothly requests next to me. I don't bother turning my head as there is something much more important to deal with than look at some weirdos face. When we finally get the girl out, she stops breathing.

"Fuck," I yell and get on top of her and start doing compressions. The paramedic manages to get me off of her, at least just long enough to get her onto the stretcher. After she's placed, I immediately get back and start again with the compressions. Before I know it I'm in the back of the ambulance with the paramedic getting in and shutting the doors. "Chris let's get her to the fix it station," the paramedics voice says as I move off of the girl and start cutting the school t-shirt open. The paramedic places the defibrillator pads on her chest "Clear."

Her body jolts at the shock. Still nothing. "Clear." Again her body jolts at the shock. I take a deep and much needed breath as her heart beat is back to normal and start to relax. I finally take in my surroundings after a few moments. We are already almost to the hospital on the engage of town. I finally look at the paramedic in the back and realize why his voice was so familiar before, it was Derrick. He was the quarterback my senior year, the first year that I wasn't involved in the team. I don't think he fully recognized me, thankfully.

"Shani," he pauses. "Is that you?" He questions while tilting his head to the side. Examining my face and my build.

The patient finally starts to stir, " w...hat happened?" We hear weakly. I turn my attention back to her. "Honey, what's your name? Do you want me to call anyone?" I rapid fire the questions.

She pauses, "My brother, Matthew. I'm Teresa." I freeze in shock, I didn't think she was old enough to drive yet.

"Derrick can you make that phone call? I don't feel like I can do it. I need to get out of here." I start feeling claustrophobic and everything goes dark very quickly after that.

When I finally come to after my mini nap, I look around trying to analyze the situation. Hospital curtains, laying on the ER beds, the smell of bleach burns my nostrils and hushed familiar voices echo throughout the otherwise quiet ER. When I suddenly hear his elderly voice, "where is she?" The elderly male voice booms throughout the Emergency Room. I quickly jump off the bed and loudly say, "Dad?" I was mainly trying to get his and the ER's occupants and staff attention.

As I move towards the curtain I come face to face with Matthew's face, who is less than an inch away from my face. My dad in the background scared to death that I was involved in the wreck and not the fact that I was able to save two lives. I walk past Matthew almost pretending that he didn't almost just kiss me and hug my dad. I start tearing up again.

"Honey, what have we talked about?"  Dad's voice cracks holding back the tears.  I can't help but to hold him tighter to make sure he knew I was ok.

"Don't run towards danger when I'm not on duty. If I die while involved, it's my fault and you'll never be able to live with yourself and then you'll have to quit coaching and the entire town will hate me." I drone on with the phrase that got drilled into me throughout my college school days and probationary period for when I was an EMT.

Suddenly I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders and am quickly turned to face the mysterious figure behind me. As I stop moving Matthew hugs me suddenly and is quickly joined be Derrick and Caleb (the nurse in the ER). I never knew that me leaving town for the most part and then returning to save a few lives would warrant this reaction.  I don't know how long we stood there but I'm starting to feel claustrophobic again and start trying to push the boys off while saying, "Boys, I get it. But I can't breathe," the latter two finally release me from their embrace but Matthew not so much. I mean I did just save his baby sister who still doesn't feel old enough to drive.

I put my hand on his head, "Shani?" I hear coming from behind the closed curtain. I finally wiggle myself out of the hug with Matthew and walk towards the curtain that is hiding the meek voice.  As I open the curtain I see a smiling Teresa, who still looks a tad banged up.  When I sat down in the edge of her bed checking her vitals and we talk for a few minutes.  As time ticked on Teresa asks, "Thank you for saving me but since your home can you now get back together with my brother-." His voice suddenly interrupts Theresa before she could continue with her speed talking

"Hey don't be trying to do that," I hear from Matthew who was peaking around the curtain to assumably check on his sister.  One thing I did miss about him was that he also had a caring heart for those close to him.

"Theresa there are some things that need to be taken care of before that happens.  Overall, we will see what happens," I finally turned my head towards him and ask him "did you miss me?"

I made sure I had a smile on my face trying to not give Theresa any disappointment and I wanted to see his reaction.  I may have ended things with him rather shitty but deep down I knew I wanted him but also knew I was not mentally or emotionally able to after losing my best friend as well as my now ex cheating piece of shit boyfriend.  On top being a mom, my child will never come second.  I mean Darc is the reason why I quit my illegal activities and went to just being an assistant coach and being a part time paramedic.

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