Text-A-Demon

TEXT 1-800-CRASH

Valerie Matthews was a smart girl generally.  She didn't smoke or drink, she wasn't a daredevil, she was safe, normal, even.  So it was considered odd that she was texting while driving.  It happened fast, in retrospect.  A loud PING, a sigh and then she was whirling.  Colors were mashed together in a kaleidoscope of glass and metal, twisting with blood and sky.  Her body was wracked with pain, she couldn't breath.  She felt her seatbelt biting into her chest, her airbag crushing and hurting her nose.  She heard screams and sirens, but they were distant, as though far away or though a staticy tv. She felt warmth in her head and in her chest, and then all was silent.

When she woke up, she felt numb.  Eyes wide and faced toward the ceiling, she tried to move only to feel dead weight.  There was a beep from off to her left and she started to panic, beeps growing louder and more frantic. She heard her name and her head turned, tears springing to her eyes as her mom came into view.  

Her mother was frozen in the door way, eyes dark with lack of sleep, her hair wild and greasy, clothes creased.  Her mom stared for what seem like forever before throwing herself forward, slamming past the nurse that was trying to calm her.  "Valerie, oh my baby, oh you're awake!"  Her mom was sobbing, her keening cries ringing through the room.

"Mom..?  What happened..? Why am I in the hospital? Why can't I move?" Valerie's voice was rough and there was a trace of fear in her voice.

A throat was cleared, and her mom smiled down at her shakily, tears dripping off her chin.  "I'll answer that Ms. Mathhews.  My name is Dr. Ferdinand.  You were in an accident, and don't worry about being able to move, that's only the morphine.  It is a miracle that you're awake though."

Valerie blinked slowly, her eyes flicking toward her mother and then back to the doctor.  "Why is it a-" the word stuck in her throat.

"Why is it a miracle? " His voice cut through her own and she gave a stiff nod.  "The crash decimated nearly all of your internal organs, Ms. Matthews.  We had to put you in a medically induced coma until you were mostly healed."  Valerie gulped and stared at the doctor.  "Th-there's something wrong, isn't there?"   Dr. Ferdinand took a step forward, and held his hands out placatingly. "There was an issue with your surgery.  Some of the debris from the crash lodged in your chest and we weren't able to remove it.  It's currently moving toward your heart." Her mom stared at him uncomprehendingly.  "I'm afraid you've got about a month to live."

Valerie felt as though she'd been struck, and she laid her head back on her pillow.  Her mom started to sob, and she felt fingers curl into her arm and her hair.  She closed her eyes, feeling the sting of salt as she tried to hold in her tears.  "Oh."