The Choice

Chapter One

                     © 2013 by tore56789 (GOS) All rights reserved.    

                                               THE CHOICE

Kevin stood by the beds.  Two beds which were not too far apart.  But which held all that he cherished in the world.

His wife of 28, named June, his daughter of 7, named Sandra.  Each attached to various tubes for life support.  It tore into his soul.  He didn’t even recognize them anymore –looking down at them now in an I.C.U. room of a city hospital, with the time quickly approaching 9 in the evening.

Twenty minutes before, he was given more bad news.  A doctor informed him on arriving at the hospital, as he was being accompanied in by two police officers, that his son Paul, of three, had also sadly been announced as a DOA, on arriving.  And he was most regretfully sorry.

The same Indian doctor had also told him, the person who crashed into them, had had a blood alcohol level away above the legal limit, but that man, unlike his family –the two that survived, had since been wheeled in as a DOA. (Dead On Arrival)

“How was such a person on the road?  Doesn’t make sense?  She only was going down the road to a shop.  She said she would be back in 10 minutes max?”

The doctor had looked at him with regret, “I’m sorry Mr Collins.”  To which he had nodded his head, lost.

All he knew of their condition, they were both in a coma, due to the severe head trauma they had endured; as the doctor had put it.  And as of then the only news he could give him.  Only time would decide their fate.  As the next few hours were critical.

Only some hours before, they were a normal, happy, family.  His wife had said she was going to head down to the shop, to buy invitation cards, for their son’s fourth birthday.  He had laughed at such words, replying, “How many friends is our son –soon be 4, thinking of inviting? All of his Junior Infants, perhaps?”

“Don’t be silly,” she had replied softly, with fun in her voice, enjoying his humour, “But I still want to make it a nice day for the little guy.”

He nodded, “Gee, I’d go, put I’m so damned knackered finishing this project.  You know these people.  They scream get it done.  And I got to jump.”

Then with a hug, holding him from behind, as he sat by the computer, she gave him a final kiss on the cheek with the words, “It’s no biggie Love.  We’ll be back in about 10 minutes max.  Then I’ll put Paul and Sandra to bed.  And then we can relax and cuddle for a spell.  As that will give you some excuse to break away from that confounded contraption.” Her smile was teasing, when she said that.

“Really look forward to that,” he had laughed, giving a long stretch, as he saw his daughter had already put on her light blue summer’s coat, all excited about the short drive down the road? (He guessed, because sweeties might be on offer when they got there)  Even the soon to be 4 year old looked happy about the adventure ahead, he saw.  But as a dad, he could spot the signs of tantrums –out of a fatigue nature on the forecast, if his son wasn’t put to bed on their return. But he reckoned June knew of this possibility.  So he had waved them good bye.  As his daughter likewise, copying her mother, had hugged him, with the cheery note, “Bye, Bye Daddy.”

He cursed his life, asking why?  Aware the simple truth was there was no answer.  They were just an unlucky statistic.  As statistics showed most accidents occurred close to home?  He knew as a programmer, change the variables, and the outcome could have been different.  Say, if she left some minutes later, or earlier.  All it took was that.  And that drunk would have sailed right on by –without touching their beautiful lives.  He couldn’t help thinking also, this all occurred for the silliest of reasons: His wife driving down to a shop to get invitation cards for a 4 year olds birthday party!

The thought made him sick.  And angered him more: Why the hell hadn’t he gone?  He was sure again if he had, the outcome would have been entirely different.