A Day's Regret

Chapter 4

            My eyes slowly began to open. Panic rushed through my veins. “What happened to me” Disorientated I began to smell smoke. I shot up in my seat. I had never felt such pain in my entire life. I screamed. Warm blood began to rush down my face. I looked down at my legs and the image was so gruesome I began to feel intensely nauseous. A giant shard of glass from the broken windshield of my car was lodged deep into my leg. I reached down and grasped the edge of the glass and pulled. I screamed out in agony and the glass began to slowly release until it was fully out. Blood rushed out of the gash. My other leg was so broken the bone was partially exposed. In the midst of my suffering I remembered Jacob.

“JACOB” I screamed.  I tried to turn my head but the pain was too severe.

Somehow I managed to twist my aching body just enough to lay eyes on my poor brother.  The image I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. His small body lay limp across the back seat. Blood soaked his orange coat and there was a giant gash in his head. The blood had turned his luscious brown hair into a clumpy red mess.  The roof of the car had concaved and a sharp piece of metal was stuck in his tiny helpless arm. The seat belt that was supposed to provide him with protection was wrapped around his neck making it look as if it was broken and spun around.

I tried to free myself from my seat but I was stuck. The entire front of my jeep had been crushed and my legs we’re shown no mercy.  

“Jacob! Jacob!” I called out. There was no respond. Tears began to rush out of my eyes, mixing with the stains of blood that covered my face. What have I done? Why is this happening to me? I thought. I felt so useless and helpless in that moment. Feeling completely defeated and disgusted with myself I let the pain take over me and I passed out.

The darkness left me a few minutes later when I was awakened by sirens and bright lights. A light shown in my face and I was cut and lifted out of the car.  Still dizzy my ears began to focus on the man in front of my face.

“Can you hear me? Hello can you hear me? What is your name?” The man continuously called out. 

“E-E-Elena” I felt the letters leave my mouth but had no idea if any sound was made. “Please go help my brother” I began to pass out again hoping that the man got my message.

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I felt a sharp pain in my arm as I began to come to my senses.  My body was no longer soaked in red blood; a dreary green hospital gown replaced my pink shirt and blue jeans. I lay limp in the rough white sheets.

“Hello Elena. I am Doctor Goldstein. How are you feeling?”

I turned my head extremely startled by the voice. A wave of pain seared through my body and I winced as a tear trickled down my cheek. My eyes began to focus on a middle aged doctor standing to the left side of me. He looked like typical doctor long white coat, gray hair, glasses, perfect white teeth.

“Wh-where’s my brother? What happened to me?” I stuttered.

“You’ve been in a terrible accident and you have three broken bones, a minor concussion and you had to get stitches in two different places.  But please stay calm we are doing everything we possibly can to help your brother Elena, I promise as soon as you are rested up and stable enough to move, you will be able to see your brother.”

Stunned by what the doctor had just blurted out I began to cry. The tears rushed down my face like water from a faucet. I cried and cried and I couldn’t stop.

In between sobs I once again asked about my brother.

“What happened to him? Please tell me”

“You’re brother has suffered from a severe spinal injury and we have induced him into a coma to prevent any further injury, your mother is with him. I can ask for her to come see you now that you’re awake if you would like?”

            I took a second to take in what he had just said.

“This is all my fault” I sobbed.  My heart felt like it was in my stomach and an eerie empty feeling swept through my body.

“Now Elena there were many factors that caused this horrible accident Jacob should’ve been in a car seat but you can’t blame yourself or carry this guilt”

I was sick of hearing him talk.  Anger burned through my body like wildfire.

“Just leave me alone. And I don’t need my mother, Jake does” I said coldly.

Just like that I was alone and after the doctor left I realized how awful alone felt. It left me to parish in my thoughts and soak in my everlasting guilt.  Eventually after hours of crying and self-pity my eyes became heavy with sleep and at 7:00 I dozed off.

I awoke once again unsure of where I was. I began to recollect what had happened.  The first thing I saw a midst the room of darkness was the gloomy red exit sign glowing above the door, it casted a dark luminous shadow across the floor of my hospital room. The only fragment of light came from the tiny crack underneath the door.   I turned my head and faced the clock on the tiny brown bed side table. It was 10:00. Suddenly an alarm sounded. I covered my ears in reaction to the noise, accidently touching a stitched up cut. I winced at the pain and released my head from my own grip.

“PAGING DOCTOR GOLDTEIN PATIENT ROOM 345 (JACOB) IS AWAKE AND IN NEED OF YOUR ASISTANCE” The words from the announcement left me with my mouth hanging open in utter shock. 

Jacobs awake? This was my chance I had to go see him, no matter of much pain it caused me.