Why me?

Chapter 10

"She took a pretty nasty spill, but everything is stabilizing, she should be waking up soon."

I didn't know why I couldn't see the person who was talking but I could hear them.

"Oh thank you doctor."

Now I recognize that voice, those are the voices of my new parents. Wait, what happened, why are they talking to a doctor?

That's when it all came flooding back to me. The drinks, the driving, the accident. Where is everyone else? Are they ok? What is going on, how long have I been out?

"Hun, look I think she's waking up."

My eyes fluttered open to two smiling faces my adoptive parents.

"Jake..." Was the first thing that came from my mouth, my eyes fluttering trying to gather what was going on around me.

My parents looked at each other with a worried look in their eyes. Jenny fiddled her fingers together and Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

Jenny came and sat next to me and grabbed my hand. Everyone was silent for a minute. When she turned to look at me I saw tear marks streamed down her cheeks.

"Sweetie," she started tracing small circles on the back of my hand, "Jake didn't make it, he passed before they even got to the hospital. I'm so sorry sweetheart."

I didn't know what to say so I just stared at her with a blank expression in my eyes and my mouth slightly open.

"What." Was all I could manage to say. I just lost a friend, a brother, but they just lost their son.

Jenny got up and walked over to Jonathan who held her and they cried for a while together.

You know the feeling when you're falling in your dream and it feels so real but at the same time you know it isn't? That is what it felt like, except it was real. My mind kept telling myself no, you're just passed out on the couch and you're dreaming. I couldn't bring myself to believe that this happened.

This was my fault. If I hadn't invited Luke to come over, Jake wouldn't have had to drive him home and he would still be here. His smart-ass would be sitting on the couch watching red-neck racing.

Luke. What happened to him? Did he die too? Am I the only one who lived??

I heard a light knock on the door and a tall man with a wiry beard and bushy eyebrows walked in. He was wearing a white lab coat, so I suspected he was the doctor.

"Hi Callie, I'm Dr. Rosenfeld. How are you feeling?" He had real sincerity in his voice, as he walked past Jenny and Jonathan he patted Jonathan on the shoulder and kissed Jenny on the cheek. I take it he has worked with their family for a while.

I still hadn't answered him. I tried to form words but nothing came out. I was mute. No matter how hard I tried my brain wouldn't allow my voice to appear.

"Callie? Are you ok?" Dr. Rosenfeld walked over to me and shined one of those lights in my eyes to check my vitals and said "She seems to have gone Into some sort of shock. Did you tell her about..." He trailed off and waited for an answer.

"Yes, shortly before you came in." Jonathan answered him with sharp pain in his voice.

"Her mind is still trying to process. It's going through the different stages if grief, this is normal, she is stable and fine, to a point. Nothing is internally injured, but depending on how she copes with this she could go into a depression or she could bounce right back and try to hide her feelings and pretend it isn't real." Dr. Rosenfeld looked at both Jenny and Jonathan, "we will keep her a few more nights to make sure she is stable." With that he walked out of the room and shut the door.