Four Roads

Chapter 15: Turning Point

Chapter 15

I have found that Lindsey, Bridget, Kendall, and I have fallen back into a normal hangout groove. I feel ashamed at how happy I am to just kickback and watch a movie because of the accident. The truth is Lindsey can't really do much else but sit at home, and doesn't want to be around a lot of people. Even Miller and Jaden. I get her frustration. Miller didn't visit her much while she was in the hospital, and Jaden didn't go at all. I called and confronted him about it, which is totally out of my character to confront anyone. Especially Jaden who still makes my stomach flip when he smiles at me. But wrong is wrong so I told him that. He said "Audrey how can I go and see her knowing that this is all my fault. I planned the party, I got the alcohol, and the weed. She could have died because of me." I didn't really know how to respond when he said that. Maybe it was partially his fault. Maybe we all are to blame to some extent, because none of us stopped it. There are times when I silently cry knowing Lindsey is struggling to regain mobility in rehab every week and that car was actually meant to hit me.

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For about a week and a half Lindsey was in the hospital. It had been a true blessing that she had gotten through surgery and woken up with full speech and memory. She awoke feeling drowsy and confused but her mother was there waiting by her side. Lindsey's mother explained about the accident and the memories came rushing back to Lindsey, but when the doctor did tests on her reflexes and nerves she found she couldn't move her legs and hands the way she used to. Her fingers would twitch and tremor uncontrollably. She tried to write her name and it would come out a scribbled mess that resembled the writing of a first grader. Lindsey was used to making perfectly crafted strokes with her hand. Typography used to be simple and now plain script was hard. The artist was stunted without use of her most important tool, her hand.

Then when her father showed up all Lindsey wanted to do was get out of her bed and run away. But she couldn't. She had to sit there and accept his presence which was greatly unwanted. She didn't waste time in letting him know it either.

"What are you doing here?!" Lindsey growled coarsely, making sure her face conveyed her disgust since it was one of the only body parts she could control. She also didn't ask it much as a question but more so daring him to stay.

"I called him last night and told him about the accident." Her mother tried to explain, but Lindsey cut her off.

"I asked YOU!" Lindsey emphasized her question again to her father, ignoring the fact that she had basically just cut off and sassed her mother.

"Well," Mr. Mack began. He cleared his throat to regain himself.

He had not been expecting such a hostile greeting. Well he wouldn't have been surprised if his ex-wife had been slightly unwelcoming, but from his daughter it completely had him caught off guard.

"I hopped on the first flight I could get Lindsey. I had to make sure you were alright."

"So basically I have to die for you to care about me." Lindsey was not sparing any disdain. Her loss of her faculties was hitting her hard and now her father being here was like a direct blow to the face. She had not spoken to him in months. That call with Anthony and the hang up did not count. It had been even longer since they had seen each other face to face. His beard had grown in covering much of his face like a mask. But Mr. Mack didn't need a mask to be unrecognizable to Lindsey. Very simply Lindsey did not know her father and he did not know her either. So she felt no need to put on pleasantness or fake politeness.

"Lindsey!" Her father said with a gasp, but falling silent.

At this point Audrey and Bridget decided to creep out of the room. They had been awkwardly and uncomfortably watching the whole exchange. They were shocked. They had never met Mr. Mack. He had always been an elusive creature to them. They pretty much didn't acknowledge his existence and now here he was in the flesh.