Second Chances

Chapter 1

The tires screech as I'm thrown through the windshield and fly through the night air. I hit the ground with a thud. Then it all goes dark.

I wake up, drenched in sweat. But I can't move. Why? Because I'm in a hospital, my leg in one of those sling things. I press the red call button and a nurse comes in.

"May I have some water?" I ask. She leaves to go get me some. I glance at the clock. 4:00 AM. I have a meeting with my doctor later today about my leg and how soon I'll be able to play basketball. My parents will be there too.

"Thanks." I say when the nurse returns. She leaves and I finish my water. Setting my cup down, I try to fall asleep in this uncomfortable position.
********

"Aubrey. Wake up. Your doctor is here with your parents." The nurse says. I open my eyes and sit up.

"Hi." I say.

"Hello, Aubrey. I have some news on your leg." He says. My parent take a seat in the extra chairs in my room.

"When you landed, you landed on your leg. But the impact and the force of getting thrown from the car made you tear your ACL and PCL, as well as dislocating your kneecap. You'll be able to walk again. And probably run. But it is very unlikely that you will be able to play basketball again." He says, pausing to let it sink in.

It takes a moment before I realize what he's saying. No basketball. My life. For me, that's saying I might as well not live.

"Wait. So I never gonna be able to play, again?" I ask.

"Well. It's not certain. It depends. But the WNBA and college ball are most likely out of the question. You'll probably be able to go to the gym and work out and shoot around. But competitively, there is a very low chance of you playing." He says.

"Well, Aubrey. We should just be grateful that you're still here today. Alive." My mom says.

"No. We shouldn't!!!! Not being able to play ball again?? I might as well be dead. Basketball is my life. Without it, I'm a big fucking blob of nothing." I yell. Then I start crying. The doctor says something else, then leaves. But I don't pay attention.

The rest of the day, I stare aimlessly at the wall. I don't speak to anyone and refuse to eat. My best friend, Cole, comes by. But I don't even look at him. The only time I look anywhere but the wall is when my medication comes.

Since I've done nothing today, the nurse leaves the pills for me. Grabbing a bag on my tray, I put the pills inside and put that in my overnight bag. I pretend to swallow when the nurse comes back, so that she thinks that I took them. I do it every time I get my medication. Soon, I have a pretty full bag of pills.
*********

"Aubrey. We can take you home today." My mom says a few days later. The nurse helps us lower the sling with my leg. I grab my bag and zip it up so no one will find the pills. They help me into a wheelchair and clutching my bag, I get taken outside to the car.

It takes a while to get in. But I still stay silent. I haven't talked or eaten since the doctor told me. Once we get home, it takes a while to get me upstairs to my room. But they do it. They help me into my bed and prop my leg up with a bunch of pillows.

Everything is fine and dandy for the next week. Then one Saturday morning, my parents go out to get groceries or something. Leaving me alone. No one to stop me. I take the pills out of my bag and get my crutches. Hobbling to the bathroom, I don't bother shutting the door. They won't be home for a while. I take the pills out and organize them. I fill up a cup of water and swallow the first, then another, then another.

After my 6th pill, someone swipes all of the pills off of the bathroom sink. I turn around to see Cole standing there.

"What the fuck, Aubrey?" He yells, then he starts crying.

"Why didn't you let me do it? I'm nothing anymore!!! Nothing!!!" I scream. Cole crouches down and picks up all the pills then throws them in the toilet and flushes them down.

"What the fuck?? Why'd you do that?" I yell.

"Do you really think I'd let you kill yourself?" Cole asks.

"No. But if you were really my friend, you would've." I say. I know, I sound crazy. But I can't help it. I collapse to the ground, sobbing. It hurts my leg a lot. But my head hurts and I don't feel well. Maybe it worked. Maybe Cole got here to late. Cole takes out his phone and calls someone.

"Um yeah. My best friend just tried to overdose on her pain killers for her leg. Her name is Aubrey Miller." Cole says, he listens for a moment.

"Thank you." He says, hanging up.

"Why?" I sob.

"Because I'm not going to let you kill yourself. I almost lost you when that fucking bastard hit you. I will not lose you again." Cole says. Then he calls someone else. My parents, I assume. Before I can say anything, the world goes black again.