Recollections

The Time Elena Had An Accident

The Time Elena Had An Accident
(song of the chapter: Oceans // Hillsong United)

There's an annoying beeping sound coming from the earpiece in my phone, it's disturbing my conversation with Seth. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I inspect the screen and realize I have an incoming call.

"Seth, hey, sorry let me call you back I have an incoming call." I tell him before disconnecting our conversation.

My thumb thinks by itself and swipes the screen to answer the incoming call. "Hello?"

"Erin!" It's Austin's voice, and he sounds frantic. "Erin, are you there?"

"Yeah, Austin what's wrong?" My heart is hammering in my chest, what could be going on that he needed to call me about?

"It's Elena." He blurts and my hammering heart stops cold in my chest. Austin never calls her Elena, always Laney.

"Austin." I breathlessly call into the receiver.

"She was in an accident, Erin. I need you to get to the hospital now. I'm parking."

He doesn't have to tell me anything else, I'm hanging up the phone and whipping the car in--what I'm sure is an illegal--U-turn. My foot has the gas pedal pressed down and my car sputters to accelerate at such a demanding rate. I was on my way to Seth's place and that put me a little further out than I would've been had I just been at home. Dammit Erin, dammit.

When I park at the hospital, I'm in such a rush that I almost forget to turn my car off. I'm sprinting into the reception area of the emergency room and I make a bee line straight towards the counter. Before I even reach the receptionist, Austin's hand is pulling me away.

"She's going in for an emergency surgery." He tells me.

My hands can't keep still, they shift between picking my nails, scratching my jeans or gripping Austin's hand. "What happened?"

He shakes his hand and runs his hands through his hair. "I'm not entirely sure. From what I understand someone rear ended her but they hit with such a forceful impact that Elena hit the car in front of her. The paramedics found Elena unconscious and they think she might have some spinal injuries, that's why she's going into surgery."

I'm pacing back and forth, blinking furiously to keep my tears at bay. Austin's words are replaying through my head. Accident. Spinal injury. Surgery.

"What about your Mom? Does she know?" I turn to ask him.

"I left a voicemail but she won't get it for another three days because she's on a cruise to Aruba."

My body is trembling, my legs are weak and I'm afraid my knees may buckle at any time. An emotion I can't seem to decipher is glued on Austin's face and I do something entirely uncalled for. Moving closer to him, I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly. Austin's arms squeeze me back and I clench his shirt in my fists.

With my face pressed against his chest, I take the opportunity to breathe in his scent. It feels like home, like a safe haven and I never want to leave. Much too soon, we untangle our arms from around each other and find a place to sit while we wait for any news from Elena's doctors.

Neither of us talk, but after a while I reach over and grab Austin's hand in mine. It's more for my benefit, so that I know I'm not alone, but I can tell that he appreciates the gesture too.

**

Four hours. That's how long we waited until Elena's surgeon came out to speak with us. His face showed no expression and I though for a nanosecond that we'd lost her. The surgeon informed us that she was alive and well but they've slipped her into a medically induced coma in order for her body to recover faster. He says they're wasn't much spinal damage that they weren't able to repair so Elena shouldn't have much difficulty after they bring her out of the coma. They will bring her out of the coma in three days and then they'll have her stay overnight for another day, then Elena can return home.