Born To Fly

Fourteen - One More Week

Fourteen

(Alice/Bailey)

  I walked toward the nursing home, and Joel still had my hand in his. Although it was comforting for me, I was pretty sure he was holding my hand to make sure that I didn't make a run for it. Which I had to admit seemed like a really good idea. He opened the door and waited for me to walk ahead of him. A rush of warm air rolled over my skin, and the smell of packing peanuts and christmas cookies came to my nose. I looked back at Joel and he smiled at me.

"Don't worry." A woman dressed in scrubs walked over to Joel.

"She's in the main area. Go ahead in." He took my hand and we walked through the halls, and I was too nervous to actually talk to him, and I think he could tell by the way I was squeezing his fingers. And I pulled away for a moment, and I felt like I couldn't breath. 

"You need to relax." He whispered into my ear and wrapped his arms around me, tightly. And I felt secure, and safe.  He pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

"I promise she will love you. Come on, she probably has cookies." I looked up at him, and he took my hand and we walked into the main area. And people were everywhere visiting for the holidays or just spending time with someone who was lonely. And Joel led me around everyone else, and to a table near the window.

"Hey momma." And the woman turned around in her chair and she gave him a smile.

"Boy, I told you i'm not your momma." And he nodded.

"Of course not. Claire, this is Bailey." He stepped aside and I stepped forward and the women got out of her chair and looked me over, circling me, as much as I was tempted to turn in a circle with her, that would just be my nervous energy being shown.

"Does she like to play uno?" And Joel released a breath that I didn't realize he had been holding.

"I'm not sure, I've never played her with." And Claire looked at me.

"I love Uno." and she smiled, and walked over to a lady at the counter. And Joel leaned down.

"She adores Uno." And I looked up at him and he seemed more relaxed than when Claire had first met me. We sat down and played Uno for a good hour and a half. I found out the Claire use to be Joel's mom's best friend, she had gotten custody of Joel when his mom died. He didn't know who his father was. We stayed for the dinner, which consisted of ham, mash potatoes, gravy, corn, stuffing, and a whole bunch of other really good stuff. After that I watched t.v with her. And I had a great time with Claire she was a funny old lady, who sometimes spoke nonsense, but she seemed like she was there most of the time.  Joel sat next to me and I found my way under his arm and we were watching jepordy, and I must have fallen asleep. Because it couldn't have been more than two minutes before Joel was gently trying to wake me up.

"Bailey, come on we have to go, Claire is tired."

"Don't lie to the girl. You just want to get home and..."

"Clarie!" I rolled away from the conversation that didn't sound like it had very good intentions. He ran his hand over my cheek.

"Bailey, darling. Come on." He pressed a kiss to my temple, and I forced myself to open my eyes and I reached up and brushed his hair away from his eyes.

"Come on darling." He helped me up, and we walked out to the car, well he did. Running through the cold wind. We left around 7:30 and Joel was laughing and telling me a story, and everything was fine, and we were a few minutes from down, I saw the deeer before him.

"JOEL!" I reached for his arm, and he swerved. I remember closing my eyes, and it seemed like it was forever that the car stopped moving. I heard Joel call my name and I remember reaching for him, but I couldn't find him. Then the car ran into something and I hit my head off the window. And I was lost to darkness.

(Joel)

 I woke slowly, and my head was pounding, and looked around, and I reached for Bailey and she was still.  I leaned over and tried to touch her, but my seat belt was in the way. I reached down to rip it off, but my hand burn and the pain my tears come to my eyes. I looked down at my own injuries, glass was everywhere. I saw the deer jumped back into the woods, and I looked at my knuckles. A cut ran along my hand, but nothing seemed to be broken.

"Bailey, look at me." I pushed my door open, running around her side, I pulled the door open and carried her back up to the road.

"Alison look at me!" I called to her and I felt for a heart beat, but my hands were shaking too bad to actually tell if she was alive. I laid my head against hers, and I called her name, and I grabbed my phone and called Randy. I didn't know how else to call.

"Hello?" He sounded like he was sleeping.

"Randy, its Joel, we had a car accident, and I can't get Bailey to wake up?" I felt  tears fall from my cheeks. I killed her I thought to myself.

"Calm down, where are you?"

"Near the entrance to town."

"Alright, I'll be right there keep trying to wake her up Joel." He was there a few minutes later and he gently pushed me away, and I stood pacing, my hands in my hair. This was my fault, I should have been paying attention. I shouldn't have swerved.

"Randy-" He held up his hand and I took steps backwards, and I didn't care about my own injuries, Randy leaned close to her and I watied and the wind was cold on my skin, but the longer he didn't say anything the colder my heart got....