Starry Nights

Chapter 14: Alex

March 21, 2012

"Who the HELL do you think you are saying something like that?"

"Natalie, dear, please calm down."

"No, do NOT tell me to calm down right now. I need to leave, now."

Alex felt his heart sink. "What do you mean? Like, forever?"

"Of course not you idiot, I'll be back soon. I just need to get you off of my mind."

He watched her walk out the door, slamming it behind her. He suddenly felt a small surge of anger rise up from inside him. Whatever, she can be pissed all she wants, he thought. She'll be back, and she'll apologize for over-reacting. She'll be all, 'oh my God I'm sorry Alex I didn't mean it.' See if I care, she was being, well, quite frankly, she was being a bitch. He suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Oh, God. What am I thinking? Why would I think that, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry, Natalie. Why am I apologizing though? It's not like I actually said it to her, and I know she'll never know anyways. I'm being crazy.

The thoughts rushed through his head like a train plowing through his brain. He suddenly wished that she hadn't left. He calmed down and laid down on the couch. He switched on the TV and started scrolling through the channels. He'd always hated the news. All the talk of wars and other things made his heart hurt. He saw that there had been a police chase and the criminal was driving down the roads like a maniac. God, why do people do this kind of stuff? he thought to himself. 

He finally found Psych playing some re-runs from the second season. He set the remote on the table next to him and grabbed the blanket that was laying on the edge of the couch. He threw it over himself and started to feel his eyes closing. He finally felt himself slip into sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When he woke up the room was dark. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. Holy crap, it's already 8:30? I slept forever, and now I'm never gonna fall asleep tonight, great. He walked to his and Natalie's bedroom. When he walked in, he saw that the bed was the same as it was when they'd woken up this morning. "Natalie? Are you home, babe? Listen, I'm really sorry about this morning, I was an idiot, so please forgive me." No matter how much he called out, he didn't hear her respond. He checked his phone to see if she'd texted him, and he saw that the hospital she worked at had called him multiple times. Oh, she must have gotten called in or something, he thought.

He called them back, and someone immediately picked up.

Hello?

Hey, can I talk to Natalie? I think she called me earlier.

Is this Alex?

Yeah, just let me talk to her for a second, she's not busy, is she?

Alex, I don't know if you've watched the news today, but Natalie's been in a car wreck. There was a police chase an--

Alex closed his phone and ran out of the apartment. He ran outside, yelled for a cab, and told them to hurry to Gracie Square Hospital. He felt tears begin to stream down his face. Oh, God. The last thing I was thinking about her is that she was being a bitch. God dammit why am I so stupid. It's going to be okay though. I'm going to get there, and she's just going to have a few scratches and she just needs someone to come check on her. God, I can't even remember what we were fighting about. This is so stupid, why do we have to fight? 

"That'll be e--"

"Keep the change", Alex said as he handed the driver a fifty dollar bill.

He ran inside and when he got to the front desk they immediately recognized him and pointed to the door to the back. "Room 153", the secretary shouted. 

He ran to the room. She's going to be okay. I'm going to get back there, and look at me like I'm crazy. I probably look frantic and worried as hell right now. Ha ha, isn't this going to be funny. As soon as he got back there he saw a doctor walking out. "DOCTOR, please can I see my wife? Is she okay? She's okay, right? Of course she is."

The doctor looked at him with a grim face. "Alex, I'm sorry to inform you of this. You're wife was in a cab near the scene of the police chase. The man they were chasing was in a cement truck. He was driving all over the road, and eventually he hit Natalie's cab. We did everything we could."

"No, she's okay though, right?"

"Alex, I'm sorry, we couldn't save her. Natalie is dead."