Beautiful Tradgedy

Chapter 1

"Okay Mr Tedder, that's all normal" The police officer smiled as he read the alcohol readings on Ryan's breath test "So what exactly happened?"

"Erm I'm not sure really, my front wheel hit a pot hole and threw the car across the other side of the road" Ryan was distracted "Have you figured out her name yet?"

"Not yet, but we have managed to contact a number in her cellphone and leave a message" The officer half smiled "You'll be pleased to know the baby is fine"

"Oh that's great" Ryan sighed "What about her is she...?"

"I'm afraid we won't know anything until she gets to the hospital" the officer frowned "That'll be all Mr Tedder, make sure you get that cut on your head checked out"

××××××

Ryan was taken to the hospital by an ambulance just for some monitoring as he hit his head pretty hard and the medics were worried he could have concussion. He was taken into a side room and checked over properly.

Ryan asked about the woman and baby again when he got to the hospital. A nurse decided to ease his mind and went to find a doctor "Mr Tedder?" The doctor assumed and Ryan nodded.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could tell me how the woman is?" He asked.

"I'm not meant to give any information out to non relatives bit under the circumstances...The injuries are a little more complicated than we'd like. She has a fracture in her skull and some bleeding on her brain" The doctor explained "We have taken her into theatre, I won't know more until..."

"Thanks for letting me know I appreciate it" Ryan half smiled, his mind was still on the little baby he had pulled out of the car "Erm what will happen to her" He gestured towards where the baby girl was.

"The children's services will come and collect her until a family member steps forwards" the doctor tried to reassure Ryan.

×××××××

Zach, Brent, Drew and Eddie rushed into the family room "Oh shit Ryan thank god you're okay. When the hospital rang we thought...They didn't tell us much" Zach blurted out frantically.

"Yeah I'm fine" Ryan replied "the woman I hit isn't doing do good though"

"Woman?" Drew seemed confused.

"Yeah the other driver, she has a kid...a baby, she was in the car too" Ryan looked at his hands.

"Erm shall we get out of here?" Eddie asked and Ryan shook his head.

"No man" Ryan looked up at the guys and inhaled deeply "I want to stay here, make sure the woman's okay"

"Dude you could be here for hours" Eddie frowned and Ryan threw him a death glare.

"It's my fault she is in here, a few hours of my time won't kill me" Ryan snapped and Eddie nodded.

"Okay dude do what you have to" he patted Ryan's shoulder gently "Do you want us to wait with you" Ryan didn't reply he just shook his head and continued to look at his hands again.

×××××××

"Here I've brought you some tea" A gentle female voice spoke from the left of him. As Ryan looked up he saw a red porcelain mug in front of him.

"Thank you" Ryan took the tea and the nurse hesitated.

"Can I sit" she asked and Ryan nodded.

"I bet you think I'm weird waiting around like this?" Ryan sipped some tea, it wasn't the greatest cup he had tasted but he was polite enough not to show it.

"Not really" The nurse held Ryan's gaze "I think it's sweet, I mean most people would have left some insurance details and bolted"

"Yeah well I'm not most people" Ryan took another sip from his mug "I don't know I get the feeling...nah its stupid"

"What is?" The nurse looked confused.

"I kind of get the feeling, this was fate. I mean you called her family what almost 2 hours ago and no-one has come in, she has a baby but carries nothing with her name or details on?" Ryan continues "I honestly don't think she has anyone in her life"

"Well I don't know about the fate part, but you're right about the alone part. The person we contacted hasn't replied to our messages, she has no bank cards only a bag in the trunk full of cash" The nurses voice was cautious "And a suitcase, I get the feeling she was starting a new life somewhere"

The more Ryan heard about this woman the more curious he became. Leaving now wasn't an option for him. What if she was in trouble? What if she had no-one else in he world to talk to? No his first instinct was right, this woman came into his life for a reason.

"Oh you're still here" The same doctor from earlier had returned.

"Yeah" Ryan stood up to greet the man in a blue theatre uniform "How is she?"

"She is in recovery" The doctor smiled "We have stopped the bleeding, but there is still a small amount of swelling, which we are hoping after a few days of sedation it will reduce..."

"So she's going to be okay?" Ryan asked and the doctor nodded.

"It's very early days and we won't know the extent of the damage, if any, until she wakes up" The doctor replied and Ryan shook his hand gratefully.

"Thank you so much" Ryan turned his attention back to the nurse "Hey I know this is a long shot, but what are the chances of the baby staying here. With me I mean?"

××××××

"It's not healthy him staying with her like that" Drew finally voiced his concerns to the rest of the band "She doesn't even have a name"

"Of course she has a name Drew" Eddie seemed a little put out "It's just no-one knows it, but we will when she wakes up"

"If she wakes up" Brent interupted "And who's to say if she does wake up, that she is going to remember her name or even be able to talk?"

"Well we have to hope she will, for Ryan's sake" Zach finally joined the conversation.

"Why, It's not like he knows her" Drew scoffed and Zach's glared him down.

"Isn't it obvious? You call your self's his good friends but none of you know a thing about him...its like Callie all over again" Zach triggered a memory for all the guys. Drew instinctively put his hand on Brent's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah, but he knows that wasn't his fault" Brent shook his head "Even the police said it could have happened to anyone, they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time..."

"You try telling him that" Zach exhaled deeply "Ryan will never forgive himself for letting her drive that night"

"It was a freak accident" Brent's heart raced as he remembered what happened that night "He didn't know that horse would come running out, neither of them did"

"Yeah but Ryan thinks he could have handled it better, Callie was too inexperienced to manoeuvre around it" Zach continued even though he could sense Brent was getting upset.

"It wasn't his fault then and it isn't his fault now" Brent suddenly stood up "And him staying with that woman isn't gong to bring Callie back...It is what it is and there's nothing we can do about it" Brent yelled before storming out of the room slamming the door shut behind him...

The other three guys were left staring at the space where Brent was sitting, Callie's death was still a difficult subject for everyone...