Take Me Away

Chapter Sixteen

The night goes by slow, and cold. My dad doesn't come back. I look through the fridge for dinner, but shut it because i'm not actually hungry. 

I flick on the tv, but then turn it off because I don't even want to watch it. I wonder for a while if Andrew will come back, and see how i'm doing. Maybe I should be the one seeing how he's doing, but I don't even know where he lives. I grab my keys, and head out a little past ten. 

I drive around aimlessly for about an hour, and then I head to the gas station that Andrew works at in hopes to find that he had work tonight. I park, and fix my mascara a bit, so that my eyes don't look so dead. Then head inside. I look around, and try to peak at the register to see if he was working, but don't actually see him till turning the corner. "Erin." He says, and continues  putting cans in the fridge. "Come for an Arizona?" He smiles shyly, but I can see the anxiety written on his face, and in his shaky hands.

I nod without saying a word, and he hands me one. "I'll ring you up one second." 

"Take your time. I, uhm," I watch him carefully putting cans away, "I wanted to apologize. I know you were worried." 

He stops, and looks at me. Standing up straight he walks towards me, and kisses my cheek. "I understand the feeling. I forgive you. Here. Just take it. You'll just owe me one day." He smirks, and I laugh. Suddenly the worry in his smile goes away. 

"I guess i'm okay with that." I smile, and go to head out. Whether I go home or not tonight though. That is a different question. That gets answered as soon as I get in my car. My eyes drift on my way home, and the road slips from view. I slam on the breaks, but I look around to see nothing but grass in view. As I start to reverse out of the field, a cop pulls up to me as I start to continue on my journey. "Ma'am, are you alright? Have you been drinking?" 

"Yes, officer. I just, i'm a little overtired. I have not been drinking." 

"Are you sure? Do you want an escort? My lights will probably keep you awake." He offers generously. 

"That's not necessary, but thank you so much." I smile, and he smiles back while nodding and heading back to his car. As soon as he passes me, and turns off my road I start to drive back home. My eyes stay wide open on the way home, and I notice my father passed out on the sidewalk about a few houses from ours. I park beside the sidewalk, and rush out to him. "Dad?" I say, and shake him. "Dad! Daddy!" I cry, and pull him onto my lap. "Dad, wake up!" I checked for a pulse, but failed to find one, and started to give him CPR. Nothing worked. I picked him up by the shoulders, and tried bringing him to my car when my neighbor came out. 

"Erin? Is that your father?" He asked me, and I looked to him helplessly and nodded. "Please, help me." I cried, and he rushed over to me as quick as his old legs would allow. He helped me get him in my back seat, and I ran to the drivers side. I started my car, and my tires squealed on my way to the nearest hospital. I parked my car in the front ignoring any sign saying not to. I frantically ran out of my car and opened the back door. 

"Uh, miss, you can't park-" he stopped when he saw my fathers body in my hands. "Get me a stretcher!" He yelled, and grabbed the man from my arms. I fell to my knees, and let out a scream. EMT's ran out with stretchers, and one picked me up off my knees. The world was in slow motion, and the pain rang through everything. I can't lose them both. I'm losing everything. Right in front of me. 

"Ma'am, we have to move your car." The EMT tries speaking to me, and I point to my keys on the ground. He guides me inside, and sits me down. I stare into nothing as they work on my father to get a heartbeat back. The nurses rush in and out of the room he's in with multiple things in hand, and machines being transferred into the room. 

I think the hardest part is that I think I know he's already gone. 

I stare at nothing until nothing becomes something. Andrew kneels in front of me, and sets aside the coffee carrier he had. "Erin,  are you okay? I went to stop by your house after work, and your neighbor told me you took your dad to the hospital unconscious? What happened?" 

I searched his eyes for a minute, mute. "Erin?" A guy in dark blue scrubs walks over to me. Andrew stands beside me while I sit, and stare up at the doctor about to tell me my fathers fate.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Erin." He says, and I get up finally. I never got to say goodbye. I was an asshole because he was in pain. I was selfish. Now I will never get the chance to say i'm sorry. Ever. 

"Erin, are you okay?" Andrew asks, but I walk right past his question and him. I hear the EMT tell him to take me home, and that they will bring my car there but I tune them out. Andrew follows me out of the hospital and guides me to his car. 

I let him take me back to my house, and he walks me to my front door. I stare at the door handle, and the look at him. He hands me my coffee, and I smile at him. "Thanks for taking me home." I said, and went to go inside. 

He stops me, and looks me in the eyes. "Are you sure you're going to be alright alone tonight?"

I nod, and shut the door behind me. I did want to come back here. I did choose to leave Neverland. It seems like wherever I go bad things happen. I slowly walk to my room, and pass my fathers room. My mothers side still made up the way it was when she left, and his messy side. I slip into my mothers side, and let myself doze off to the only place this hurt can't touch me anymore.