One By One (editing)

Chapter Twenty Three

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Fading in and out of the chaos surrounding me, I slowly came-to when I was being wheeled into the hospital. People in white coats surrounded me and I couldn't find where Natalie was. It was all yelling orders and rushing.

"We've got you, Carter Mason. You are in good hands," reassured a doctor with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Where's Natalie?" I asked, almost in a whisper. There's nothing wrong with me, you have to help Natalie.

She peered up over the heads of the other doctors, "She's right behind us. She is also in good hands, there is no need to worry."

I murmured an, "Okay," and leaned back into the portable bed. Throughout the whole time they wheeled me into a CT scanner, assessed me through a couple other tests, and brought me into a room with a bed, I was just praying and praying she was okay. I knew I was fine, I wasn't the one who was hit, I wasn't the one that whoever was in that car wanted to hurt.

"Well, you were right," smiled the doctor with the brown hair, her nametag actually said Dr. Meyers. Ha, told you. "You are going to be okay, you can be released tonight in fact, once your parents arrive. No concussion, any internal injuries, just some bruising on the face."

"Where did all that blood come from, though? It was a lot."

"At the time, it probably seemed like a lot. But it came from a cut on your nose, but we've bandaged it up, and you're just fine."

"And Natalie?"

Dr. Meyers stuck her hands into the pockets of her white coat, "She is doing just fine. She is in surgery right now and she is in very-"

"Yeah, I know, very good hands," I rushed impatiently, anxiously pinching and folding the rough hospital gown between my fingers. "But what's wrong with her? What are her injuries?"

Her face twisted into an apologetic frown, "I'm sorry. I can't tell you due to patient confidentiality."

"Patient confidentiality? I came in with her! She's my family's babysitter, no, she is my family, and we got into a bad car accident. Just tell me how she is."

"I wish I could, but I can't. There are patient confidentiality laws that I can't break as a doctor."

I huffed, "Then can you at least tell me if she's going to make it or if she - um - if she won't?"

Dr. Meyers sighed, folding her arms in front of her coat. "She's going to make it. Now please do me a favor and stop stressing yourself out. Your belongings are in that bag on the chair when you need them. But for now, rest and when your family arrives, I'll send them in.

"Thank you," I nodded. See, that wasn't that hard, was it?

The door shut with a soft click and muted my isolated room from the hospital bustle. Despite what she said, I couldn't possibly think about resting. I needed to know what was happening with Natalie. I needed to talk to my mom. I flipped back the covers to rummage through the bag for my phone.

Fifteen missed calls from Mom. Five from Gabe. Does he know? Twelve from Granma Jo. Two from Dad.

I called Mom back, padding over to the little bathroom to check out my bandage. It seemed to cover up half my face, and I could see it by looking cross-eyed at my nose.

"Carter?" Mom's panicky voice answered.

"I'm here. I'm okay." I scrubbed the smeared mascara from my cheeks and stole back to the bed to curl up under the covers.

"What happened?"

In a low voice, I replied, "It was the guys in the black car behind us. When Natalie snuck in behind me, we stopped at a red stoplight. They were gone and then all of a sudden, they were there, crashing into the back of us. Natalie got it really bad and the front of her car lurched into the back of mine, which is why I'm here. I think they just got mad because after that they left."

She tried to cover up the speaker on the other end but the colorful stream of profanities was still extremely audible. When she came back on the line, she was calmer, "We can't tell the police. They have to stay out of this. Just say that it was an accident."

"Okay."

"Look, I have to go, but I'll be there very soon. I'm hoping that within five minutes I will be there. Um, call Granma Jo. I just left there but she's very worried."

"Alright, I will. See you in a few."

"Love you."

I called Granma Jo and before it could ring once she picked the phone up, "Hi Granma Jo."

"Carter, what in the world are you doing? Out with boys? Car crashes? You're going to give your old Granma Jo a heart attack."

I laughed, "Sorry 'bout that."

I moved the phone away from my ear when the door opened for Dr. Meyers to duck her head in, "Carter, you have family here that will be in in a minute."

"Thank you," I nodded and to Granma Jo, I said my goodbyes, "Mom is here so I should go."

"Okay, hun. Love you."

"Bye Granma Jo, love you too."

We hung up and the door opened to reveal....Dad.

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thanks for reading!! this is really short, I know, but I'm writing another chapter right now!! 

-Scarlett Wilson