The Accident: Based On A True Story

Chapter Thirty-Two

I woke up to a ton of text messages from Leah, Sam, Keegan, Liam and Carmen.

(Text message from Leah) "Hey Casey. I saw what was posted. I'm here if you need anything."

(Text message from Sam) "U okay?"

(Text message from Keegan) "I see your not here at school again. I'm worried. Call me when you're up. I'll find out who did this."

(Text message from Liam) "Hey."

(Text message from Carmen) "Dude you left the party. Is everything okay???"

I chose to only text one person back.

(Text message to Carmen from Casey) "Wanna come over?"

(POV SARAH)

This hospital has become my first home. If I'm not working, I'm with David. And I realize that I haven't been me lately but I'm trying my best, for David and Casey, to not go in a downwards spiral of grief.

"Hey.", I said to David with a slight smile.

With a raspy voice, he said "Hey."

The breathing tube was pulled out today.

"Don't talk to much.", I told him. As a nurse, I know that IRS not a good idea.

With his hands he motioned writing. I grabbed a pen and paper and handed it to him.

"Where are the kids?", he wrote.

As a tear streamed down my face, I looked for the words to tell him the truth about what happened.

He began writing again.

"Are they okay? Summer?", he wrote.

It took a minute but I nodded my head " no" as I began crying.

I didn't know what to do. David looked straight up at the ceiling, his eyes red, and didn't write or try to say anything.

"We lost Summer and Ryan.", I struggled but got out. As I sat next to him in the chair, David reached out and opened his hand. I put my hand on top of his when he then grasped it. A comfort and a connection I now had again that I thought I had lost with nearly everything else.

"Casey?", he said, barely audible.

"She mad it.", I replied.

David squeezed my hand and had an almost bitter-sweet smile for a moment. Grateful that at least one of the girls lives were spared.

"Sarah, you have a call.", Nurse Linda announced at the room door.

"Okay.", I said and she left.

"I'll be right back.", I told Eric as I wiped my face off with my hands.

(END OF SARAH'S POV)

"I wish I had known you were leaving.", Carmen said as we sat on the couch.

"Yeah. Someone just posted something online saying really shitty things about me. And pictures.", I replied.

"People can suck. You good now?", she asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you know who did it?"

"Nope.", I replied.

"Damn. Well Karma will come around", she said.

Yeah, I know. All of this is my Karma.

Suddenly, the front door flies open.

"You, leave.", Sarah tells Carmen. " You, stay.", she says to me.

"What? No.", I reply.

"I should go.", Carmen tells me as she gets up. "Want me to wait in the car?", she says under her breath. I nodded "yes".

"Who are you?", Sarah asked Carmen on her way out.

"Carmen. Nice to meet you.", she said with a smirk. Sarah didn't care for any of it. " Okay then. See you later, Case."

I followed Carmen to the door, behind Sarah, who was doing the same thing. As I was about to walk out, Sarah closed it and turned towards me, blocking my way out.

"I don't have time to figure out who that was. Do you want to tell me why your counselor called the hospital?"

"Excuse me.", I told her. Almost looking through her to the front yard.

"Casey, answer me.", she said but I chose not to say anything.

"Dammit Casey!", she yelled as I took a step back. I don't know if I could control myself if she were to grab me again. "Where have you been?"

"Where have you been?", I asked.

"You have no right to ask me where I've been. You know where I've been everyday. If you ever went Casey, you could have seen for yourself.", she replied.

"It's not like you ever invited me either."

"Now you need an invitation to visit family in the hospital. He's awake and if you had bothered to ask, you would have known."

He's awake. It was a relief to hear. But it was terrifying too. If Sarah feel let me this towards me, I can only imagine what David is going to feel or say.

"Good. I'm happy to hear that.", I said. But it didn't change how I felt now or in general when it came to life and Sarah.

"I'm changing. Then we can go to your school and figure this out. She wants to talk to both of us.", she said as I remained standing to leave but she hadn't moved.

"Go sit down."

Ignoring her, I remained.

"Now!", she said raising her voice.

I turned around and plopped on the couch until she went upstairs. Quietly, I grabbed my bag and walked out the door to Carmen's car where she was waiting.

"Casey!", Sarah yelled while stepping out the door but it was too late. We drove off and out of sight.