The Catch

Chapter 23

STEPHANIE'S POV

I open my eyes slowly and flinch from the blinding light above me. I'm lying down and the ceiling above me is white.

I sit up and look around. I'm in a hospital room and there are machines everywhere. I try to move my arm but a shooting pain shoots up my arm, causing me to gasp.

I look at my arm. It's wrapped in a tensor bandage and swelling.

I sigh and lean back.

What happened?

The last thing I saw was a car coming towards West and I and then I hit my head against something and blacked out.

The door suddenly swings open and two nurses walk in.

"Oh good! You're awake." One of them says and walks to the end of my bed.

She picks up the clipboard on my bed and flips through it.

"What happened to me?" I whisper barely loud enough to hear.

The other nurse speaks up this time. "You were in a car crash. You have a broken arm, a broken leg, a concussion, and many cuts and bruises."

I stare at them.

"Do you remember what happened that night?" The first nurse says.

She has dark brown hair and glasses. Her face is narrow and she looks quite short.

"Yeah. West and I were driving and a car started coming towards us. West tried to dodge it but it hit us." I answer.

"How long have I been out?" I ask.

"Just a few hours." The dark-haired one replies.

"We're just going to do a couple tests to make sure you're as healthy as you can be right now." The other one says.

I nod and look at the clock hanging on the wall opposite me.

After about twenty minutes the nurses both stand up to leave.

"Wait!" I blurt out.

They look at me and then at each other.

"Where's West? West Johnson I mean. He was in the car with me. Where is he?" I ask frantically.

The panic has finally set in.

He might not have made it and I can't handle losing someone else I love.

The nurses exchange a glance before the dark haired one sighs.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could to to save him but he didn't make it. The car hit his side pretty hard. If he didn't try to steer away neither of you would be here." She sighs.

I feel my world crumbling down around me.

"No. Please no!" I cry.

I feel tears streaming down my face but I don't bother wiping them away.

The nurses leave and I just keep crying.

I mumble "No." Over and over again until it loses all meaning.

This can't be happening. I love him and the world ripped him away from me.

3 weeks later

The hospital finally released me and Emily came to drive me home.

When I got home I just stood at the bottom of the stairs.

I have a cast on my leg and crutches.

It takes me about ten minutes to struggle up the stairs. I hop over to my room and sit down gently on the bed.

I look at the wall with tears in my eyes. I take a breath and whisper, "I'm never going to forget you West. I promise. Okay?"