Chapter 42: The Ache in Heartbreak

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This chapter will be told from Parker's point of view!!! 

~~~ 

Mr. Robinson is sitting in one of the trauma rooms of the ER. He's completely fine, according to my parents. I received a call from them just half an hour ago. I was at home with Ty, doing my homework, so I could go with him to look for Jackie later tonight.

Ty's standing right next to me, staring at him.

Mr. Robinson coughs a little bit. His eyes shift over to us.

"Parker? Tyler?" he says. "Hey, kids. I've got some pretty awful news." His voice is shaking. His eyes are filled with tears. "Jackie ran our van off the road this morning. We don't know where she was going or what she was thinking when it happened. They found her in a ditch on a dirt road a little off the interstate." he chokes. "She's- she's dead."

~~~

According to psychology, a person goes through five stages of grief when they lose someone close to them.

Stage 1. Denial:

Ty looks at me.

What did he just say?

Ty puts his hand over his mouth. "Oh, my God."

Mr. Robinson blinks. "Parker, are you all right?"

I start laughing. I can't help it. Something just bubbles up inside of me. I'm laughing so hard that tears are streaming down my face.

Ty keeps looking at me and nudges me, "Dude! What the hell is wrong with you!? He just told you that your girlfriend's dead."

He can't be serious. "Am I being punked right now? Where's the camera?" I ask. "Very funny, sunshine. Now, come out here, and tell me he's wrong."

Mr. Robinson wipes his tears off of his cheeks. "God, Parker, I wish I was kidding."

"Do Andrew and Noah know?" I ask. She was fine. I saw her Friday night. She was fine...

He shakes his head. "You beat them to the punch. They're actually right outside." He points at the window.

Marissa is very pregnant now. I haven't seen her in a while. Noah is rubbing her back. Andrew is talking to another doctor.

Andrew comes in. "Hey, Dad," he says. "Doc said you're okay, but they won't tell me where Jackie is."

Tyler shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I can't hear it again." He runs out of the room.

I'm frozen. I have to see Andrew's reaction. 

"What does he mean?" Andrew asks. His eyes are hungry. "Noah, get your butt in here now!"

Noah comes in. "What the hell, man?"

Mr. Robinson shakes his head. "Jackie was in a car accident this morning after she got back. She... She didn't make it, boys."

Andrew coughs. "I'm sorry, what?"

Noah is wide-eyed.

"Her funeral is Sunday." Mr. Robinson continues. "We'll have a service here so her friends can say goodbye. Then, we'll fly her body to New York so she can be buried with your mother."

Noah shakes his head and shuts the door. "Dad, she really...died?"

Mr. Robinson looks at Noah intensely. "Yes. She suffered some serious injuries and they said her being alone out there for too long was what killed her. I'm sorry you both had to lose your mother and your sister."

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