Laney:
I woke up to a frantic knock on my front door. I realized then that I hadn’t left the couch since Riley left. It was nearing 2 am when I jumped up from my spot on the couch with my phone in my hand. I read my new text message as I opened the door. Riley had texted me around midnight saying he was sorry. I opened the door and Addie appeared in front of me with tear stained cheeks. She pulled me into a hug and rubbed the back of my neck. I didn’t know what was going on. I pulled away and broke the silence. “What the fuck is wrong Addie?” my voice was shaking and loud. “Riley” was all she said as we climbed into her car and drove away from the still houses.
We pulled up to the entrance of the hospital I was born in and I turned to Addie who was still crying and in a panic. I repeated the last words I said “What the fuck is wrong?” I was as scared as I’d ever been. We walked through the glass doors and up to a counter. Through her tears Addie asked for Riley’s room number and the lady led us down countless hallways.
When I appeared in the doorway I didn’t expect to see what I saw. There were machines beeping and tubes all over Riley. His face was smashed up and so was his arm. Immediately the tremble lip crying my friends all knew too well started. Riley’s mom was sitting by his bedside asleep and we pulled two chairs up to his other side. There was a doctor in the room typing something into a computer. “What happened?” I asked with a whimper. The doctor turned to face me and with a completely straight face he began to talk.
“Your friend here was driving and texting on the highway at around midnight, and a drunk driver in a pick up truck hit him. We’re doing all we can to fix him up. As far as we can tell he was pretty lucky.” Both me and Addie let the tears pour silently. I knew it was the text he sent me that had put him in this state, it was my fault that he was hurt. “Addie?” I whispered once we both calmed a little. It was 4 am and we were both clearly exhausted. She looked up at me with her green eyes that were fashioning a pair of bags underneath them. “He was texting me.” The tears returned to my eyes and I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. I didn’t have to say anything else and Addie reached an arm over my shoulder.
One of the machine’s that was beeping consistently started to slow. I grabbed one of Riley’s hands and played with his fingers. “Riley! Rile! Wake up honey!” his icy blue gray eyes opened slowly and he turned his head to face me. I watched a small smile appear across his lips that were blood stained. I apologized as I kissed his hand and let my tears roll quickly down my face. The doctor was in the room now and he looked like he brought bad news. I didn’t even want to hear them. “Can I hug him?” the doctor nodded with his hands folded in front of him as I leaned in and wrapped my arms around my best friend’s middle. The beep was slowing and I squeezed tighter as I whispered into his chest. “Don’t go Riley, I love you.” I felt his weak hand land on my back as I uttered the words.
Minutes later the beep was loud and continuous. I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as I could and just held him in my arms. The room was silent except for the beep as I felt his body grow colder. Someone lifted his hand off of my back and I looked up to see the doctor. Addie and Riley’s mom were both asleep in chairs as I found myself squeezing and hugging a doctor I’ve never met until this day. Riley was gone.
