Ink

Friend, Please

     Natalie and Jennifer were busily planning my wedding with my boyfriend of literally one week. I tried to talk some sense into them by telling them any sort of wedding that may or may not happen was likely to be in the distant future. They weren't having it, so I gave in.

"The bachelorette party is going to be wild," Natalie said.

"Penises everywhere," Jennifer said matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. I was then startled by the sound of my phone ringing. An unknown number flashed on the screen. I stared at my phone for a moment, hesitant.

"Just answer it!" Natalie insisted.

     "Hello?" I answered uncertainly.

     "Hello, is this Samantha Aldaine?"

     "Yes, who is this?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

     "My name is Officer Ross and I have you listed as an emergency contact for a mister Joshua Dun, is this correct?"

     "Yes..." I trailed off, feeling my anxiety flare up immediately.

     "He's been in an accident and is currently being hospitalized."

"Okay."

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears slide down my cheeks. It felt as though I had been sucker punched and had the wind knocked out of me. Time seemed to stand still, and I was suffocating.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Jennifer asked fearfully.

"Hospital," I uttered as a whisper.

That word alone seemed to be enough for them to understand.

"Let's go," Natalie said instantly, jumping up from the couch and grabbing her car keys.

"Did they tell you what happened? What about Jack?" Jennifer demanded, her voice cracking into a sob.

"I don't know. I don't know," I breathed, the suffocating feeling threatening to overtake me.

The tears were falling fast, but with a tug from Natalie I found myself headed for the door. It was almost as if I was in a trance--everyone we passed was nothing but a blur and any words uttered were nothing more than incoherent sounds, fading away into a void.

We bolted into the car and Natalie sped off towards the nearby hospital. A thousand scenarios flashed through my mind, each one more devastating than the last.

I didn't know what state I would find my boyfriend in. I didn't know if his injuries were minor, or if he was fighting for his life. I didn't know if he would be okay, or if the last time I saw him would be the very last.

There was only one thing I knew for sure.

I was scared.