A Day in My Life

911

DYLAN POV:

I stood there, watching as Talen got up from the couch and angrily shoved Blake.

"How could you do that to her?" he shouted.

Talen rarely ever got mad, and I had never seen him this angry. I momentarily saw him as the strong young man he was becoming, and no longer the young-at-heart child we all took for granted.

Blake stumbled backwards, but did not push back. Stunned, he looked down at his hands as if they had hit Dakota against his will. "I..." he began.

Before any of us could say more, a sound pierced through the silence.

A scream.

Then, as if on cue, there was the enormous sound of a crash and tires screeching across the ground.

I looked up, locking eyes with Blake.

We all knew that scream.

I turned on my heel and raced out the same door Dakota had gone out of only moments before. Blake, Nick, and Talen were only a second behind me as we rushed to save our sister.

"Oh god," my mind raced as I reached her. It was even worse than I had imagined.

I crouched down on the asphalt, were Dakota lay unmoving.

"No no no! Kota, oh my god Dakota. Somebody help," I whispered. Coming to my senses, I spoke up, yelling, "Call 911!"

The other three caught up to me and looked down at Dakota, their faces ghostly white and their eyes wide. I'm sure I looked the same.

"Call 911!" I repeated, trying to snap them back to reality.

"Right!" Blake said nervously. Shakily he pulled out his cell phone and began to dial the police. "There's been an accident..."

I grabbed Dakota's shoulder and began to shake her. "Wake up wake up wake up!"

"She's gonna be okay, right?!" Nick asked frantically.

"She will be." Blake replied, shutting his phone and rushing to her side.

Of course, none of us could guarantee that.

A voice broke through our thoughts. "I don't know what happened! I didn't see her. It was so dark... and she just ran out!"

We all looked up to see the driver of the car, stumbling out of the driver's seat and clutching her arm. She looked hurt too.

"It's okay," I reassured her, seriously. No sense in throwing blame at someone right now. "Are you hurt?"

"A little..." she said, moving her arm to reveal a gash. She had probably had her hand out the window, feeling the breeze before the accident occurred. "But I'm fine."

I nodded and looked back down at Dakota. I gently moved her hair out of her face, only to reveal a bloody head wound.

I flinched and removed my hand, wiping my bloodied fingers on my shirt. I looked up at my brothers.

None of us meant for this to happen.

~ ~ ~

After what seemed like eternity (it was probably only a few minutes), an firetruck arrived with an ambulance directly behind.

"Thank god," I muttered, as the others sighed in relief.

The paramedics quickly got out of the ambulance and came over to the scene, bringing a stretcher.

Reluctantly, we stepped away from Dakota's unconscious body as they lifted her onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. Another EMT treated the gash on the arm of the driver.

Only Blake was allowed to ride in the ambulance with them and the rest of us had to meet them at the hospital.

Silently and worriedly, we got into the car and began to follow the emergency vehicles to the hospital.

The car ride there was silent and tedious. I used all my efforts to try and concentrate on the road ahead so that we didn't end up in an accident as well, but my mind was on Kota.

"This is all my fault," I kept thinking. What was the big deal about her going to a party anyway? I could have just let her have one night of fun, no questions asked. My fault... my baby...

We arrived at the hospital about ten minutes after Blake and Dakota, since we actually had to stop at red lights.

When we ran through the double doors of the emergency room, we found Blake at the reception desk in a heated argument.

"No," he persisted, "I am her legal guardian! No, I don't have documentation with me! Just let me— you have to let me see her!"

The nurse mumbled something and he shook his head and rubbed his temples.

"No," he said in a more defeated tone. "You don't get it. I have sole custody of her. There is nobody else. Please, you have to let me in there."

Giving in, the nurse directed another nurse to lead him to Dakota's hospital room. None of us were allowed in until after.

We sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours.

Finally, Blake came down the hall, his eyes glimmering with tears and his face slightly red.

He wiped a tear as he approached us and sniffled.

I put my hand on my chest. I could feel my heart beating. His next words meant everything.

"She's in a coma," he sputtered.