No Better Heaven Than You.

Wasted Time

A I R I O A N N A•

Rushing into yet another hospital, I held my breath as they wheeled Carmen by.

"C-Carmen!" I sputtered, watching her look up. Her arm was bandaged , her right leg and half of her face was shrouded in bloody gauze. Her lips were swollen and pieces of glass strayed lodged in her bruising face.

"Oh my god y'all." She cried, her tears mixing with the blood still on her face.

"Okay, okay we can do reunions in a bit but for now I have to transfer my patient and get her better situated okay?" I wanted to pry and ask about Corey but I just pushed the stroller forward and sat with Tray and Nique. Not a moment later Chris arrived in a panic just like us. It was comforting that everyone could be here, but the fact that King had yet to reply to any of us freaked me out to no end. He didn't even make an appearance when we went to Carmen's room. She was okay, aside from a shattered femur on her right leg, a sprained left wrist. Other than that her left eye suffered some abrasions from shards of glass but they removed the glass from her eye and face stitching and bandaging where they needed to.

Now we all just sat and waited.

"What happened?" Helping her hold Cj and interact with him, I waited impatiently as she gathered her thoughts.

"Ah..we was on the highway and he was trying to get over and boom! This fucking 18 wheeler just slammed into us from behind. Corey was trying to slow down and control the car but we just kept spinnin and spinnin till bang! We hit the wall, flew over the median into oncoming traffic and we just kept getting hit until we didn't no more. The car is totaled y'all, there was blood everywhere and glass everywhere. The car was on it's side and Corey was just laying there and I tried to get to him but I couldn't cause my leg and my arm. There was so much blood and glass I couldn't even make out his face. His eyes were open though, but he wasn't moving or reacting to nothing I did." Pulling Cj from her lap when she broke down crying, I cradled him to my chest to calm his cries. He shouldn't have to see her like this.

This was not good.

"Knock, knock." Turning to the door as a surgeon entered, I noticed King straggling behind her silent.

"The family of Corey Pritchett's Jr?"Approaching the Doctor as she flipped through the clipboard in her hand we awaited to hear the worst.

"He has a herniated disc in his back, a fractured pelvis that'll require reconstructive surgery later on and currently he's experiencing swelling as well as a bleed in his brain." After a brief pause to allow us room to digest what she was saying, she sighed softly and continued. I would hate to have her job, I doubt this is what she envisioned having to do in medical school. She probably daydreamed about saving lives, and helping people.

"The ligaments in his right arm and hand were nearly destroyed and were not sure if he'll ever have full range of motion in his right hand and arm again. As far as the brain bleed, we're transporting him to neurology now. But it's important that you all understand that Corey is in an extremely critical condition. Even if we manage to fully physically rehabilitate him, he may never be the same mentally. It's just a possibility so please don't panic just..yet." She pushed, her face full of worry.

"So he's going to die?" Turning to Carmen when her voice raised an octave, I handed Cj to Tray as I sat with her. She needed all the comfort in the world right now, even though it probably wouldn't help much. Especially not coming from Corey.

"It's...a possibility yes. When he's out of surgery he will be transported to our ICU unit. I suggest you call his close family and friends urgently, and have them arrive immediately. We will do all that we can, but I must inform you that his rate of survival is fairly low right now." Standing rigid, she turned away when Carmen began to scream. The doctor tried to talk over Carmen's cries but left to go retrieve Carmen's attending nurse and doctor as the heart monitor freaked out.