Wicked, Young Thing - T. Seguin

Chapter Nine

We were driving through Austin on our way to dinner. It was my seventeenth birthday and I had chosen to go out to eat at the new steakhouse across town. My dad was driving and my mom was sitting next to him on the bench in the truck. I was in the passenger seat and we were all singing along to an AC/DC song on the radio. We crossed Sixth Street and a car slammed into the driver's side. There  were the sounds of crunching metal and the of shattering of glass and the world was spinning as the truck rolled over and over before it came a stop with us upside-down. There was smoke and the blaring of sirens in the distance and something was running down my forehead. The dashboard was swimming in and out of my focus and I couldn't find my voice to call for help.

I woke up in the hospital hours later, not knowing what had happened. The nurses told me that I was very lucky to have survived. 'Survived what?' I asked.

'There was an accident.'

'Who else was there?' I was still a bit hazy from the pain medication swirling in my veins.

'Your parents and a boy named Jake Elliot Ryan,' the nurse informed me.

That cleared my daze, 'Oh, God, what happened to them?'

'I'm sorry to inform you that your father died and your mother is in critical condition. Ryan is in a condition similar to yours, both of you will recover,' the nurse looked sad, but she had no idea what I was feeling. My mind was whirling as things started coming back. It was my birthday and I had asked to go out. I could have asked Momma to make fried chicken like I usually did, but I hadn't done that and now Pops was dead and she was in critical condition.  And Jake and I would be fine. Why was Jake even there?

'How was Jake hurt?' I asked.

'He was the other driver. He isn't conscious yet, they're currently pumping the alcohol out of his body.' Jake was drunk.

After everything I'd told him. I'd asked him and begged him over and over again not to drink, but he never listened to me. And now this happened. I felt tears prickling at my eyes and I didn't want to talk to this nurse anymore; I wanted to see Momma. 'Can I see her? Please?'

'Of course, dear,' she helped me up and led me down the hall to another part of the hospital and opened the door to room 394. Momma was lying on a bed, strapped to a bunch of machines, all beeping and buzzing. She had tubes coming out of her all over the place and bandages everywhere; I wasn't even sure if it was her.

'Momma?' I squeaked.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, a small smile on her face, 'Hi, baby. I'm glad you're okay.'

'Momma how are you? I'm so sorry, this is all my fault.'

'No, sweetheart, it isn't your fault. God just wanted your father and I to come home a little early, that's all,' she took one of my hands in hers.

'But I don't want you to go home early,' I sobbed.

'I know, sweetheart,' she stroked my hair, 'I don't want to go either, but He needs me.'

'I need you, Momma.'

'You'll be okay, sweetheart. You're a strong, independent, young woman. He will guide you. Just promise me that you'll stay out of trouble.'

'I promise, Momma.'

'Good. Pops and I will be looking out for you, don't you worry. And Tay and Jake will help you through this,' she said and I started crying harder. Jake couldn't help through this; he'd caused this. But I couldn't tell Momma that.

'I love you, Andi,' she said. 

'I love you, too, Momma. Please don't go.'

'God needs me, Andi. He needs me up there and you down here. He will help you through this. Trust God, and stay out of trouble. Be happy, Andi. Pops and I love you.' The beeping on the machine slowed and then stopped and her grip on my hand weakened. I started screaming and sobbing and doctors and nurses came running in. They forced me back to my room where I curled up on the hospital bed and cried.

I was crying now, too. Tyler reached over and wiped the tears off my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, darlin'. I wish there was something I could do to help you feel better."

I just leaned back into him and he wrapped his arms around me again. "I-it w-was h-his fault," I said through a hiccuping sob. Tyler rubbed my back, silently encouraging me to continue the story.

"There was a, a car accident. My parents and I w-were going out to dinner for my b-birthday and he hit us. He was drunk, and, and my Pops died in the crash and my, my Momma died later in the hospital; she t-told me to stay out of t-trouble. Jake and I were okay, but I c-couldn't stay with him after that. I-I knew I'd always blame him for what happened," I sniffed.

"It is his fault, Andi; it's okay to blame him. He shouldn't have been driving drunk."

"He was drunk again today. I-I swore off alcohol forever that day. I di-didn't want anybody hurting the way I did. I didn't want to be like him."

"He shouldn't have said those things to you today," Tyler held me near him and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thank you for protecting me today," I whispered.

"What are friends for?" He replied weakly, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I was grateful that he had come to help and I was glad that I had a friend like him. He wasn't everything everyone said he was; he was kind, charming, funny, and caring. We stayed there in each other's arms, lost in our own thoughts, until we fell asleep.

Author's Note

Hey, hey, hockey fans! I'm sorry about all the feels, but now you know more about Andi's past. Please vote and comment to let me know what you thought. Thank you!