Down The Road

Chapter 1

It was a perfect football night. The weather was perfect, seventy-five and not a cloud in the sky. The breeze was barely blowing through the mountains and trees where the leaves were starting to turn their fall colors. Wyatt Buckley sits with his younger brother Dallas at the top of the bleachers with the rest of the band waiting for her to walk up the steps. After what feels like forever Dallas finally elbows him in the side and says, "Really Wyatt this is just pathetic. Can't you hide it any better than that?" Wyatt waves him off with his drumsticks and says, "Shut up I think I see her." "Do you have to do this every game? If she's any later you're just going to have to let it go this one time." Wyatt shakes his head and says, "No. We lose if we don't. We only missed it once last year and we lost by 40." Dallas rolls his eyes and just says, "Whatever dude. When are you going to admit you love this girl? You're sitting up here like a lost puppy waiting for her. It's been 6 years, it's time to tell her" Wyatt shakes his head and says, "It's better to have her in my life as a friend than telling her and risk losing her for good." Mr. Amedeus, the band director, starts to pick up his arms to lead them into the first school song of the night. Wyatt sighs as he and Dallas start the drumroll knowing there's no way she'll be able to make it in time now. Her empty spot in the cheer line below makes him start to worry she's never been this late before, she has always made it before they started the pregame lineups. He finishes the school song and sits back down pulling out his phone to message her, but he gets interrupted by a call from Mia mid-message. He answers and all he can hear is screaming and crying and sirens in the background. He plugs his other ear with a finger and says, "Mia hold on I can't understand you what's going on where are you? The game has started." Between sobs, she croaks out, "We wrecked, the car is flipped they're having trouble getting Ella out she won't wake up. Wyatt, please hurry we're in front of Frosty Café." His stomach drops and he runs a hand down his face. He says, "I'll be there in five minutes." He shoves his phone back into his pocket hauls Dallas up by the collar of his shirt and runs down the bleacher steps taking them two at a time. Dallas tries to grab Wyatt's hand to slow him down and says, "What is going on?" Wyatt shakes him off and says, "I'll explain in the truck we have to go now." He cuts through the middle of the school track to the parking lot on the other side jumping in his truck and slamming the door yelling at Dallas to hurry up. He turns the key and once Dallas is in with his door shut he throws it in gear and floors it out of the parking lot. Dallas grabs the handle on the roof of the truck as the tires squeal when Wyatt pulls out of the school, "Dude what the hell is going on?" Wyatt finally explains what Mia said and Dallas goes white-faced. "Are they ok? What do you mean Ella won't wake up?" Wyatt just shrugs and says, "Dude I don't know that was all Mia would say. She said the car was flipped and they couldn't get Ella out. They're supposed to be in front of Frosty Café." Dallas gets a better hold of his handle and says, "Floor it." Wyatt upshifts again and floors it again focusing on the RPMs to keep himself from thinking the worst. When they turn the last curve before the restaurant they can already see the lights flashing from the ambulance, police, and fire trucks around the car that is flipped in the ditch Mia is sitting green-faced on the back of the ambulance while the firefighters are still standing by the passenger door they had just finished prying open. He pulls in beside the firetruck on the end and throws his door open not even looking to see if the door shuts behind him and runs to where Mia is sitting and tries to look around the group in front of the door but can't see anything other than the backboard they have beside them ready for Ella. Dallas sits beside Mia and wraps an arm around her shoulder trying to calm her down as she sobs into his shoulder. Wyatt pushes his way through the crowd around the car trying to get to Ella when he finally sees them sliding her onto the stretcher with a c-collar on and still not fully conscious. His head spins and it feels like time slows when they roll her by him, he falls in pace behind them. He finally gets a look at her; Ella's leg is swollen up to at least three times its normal size and bending the wrong way at the knee. Her arm is crooked at her forearm, her wrist is already five shades of purple and her head is bleeding from the cut above her eyebrow. When they finally get her loaded into the ambulance he jumps up by her head, her eyes barely open and when she sees him she tries to reach her hand up to him and winces. She tries to talk but only manages to say, "Wyatt" he reaches down to her good hand and hesitates but brushes her knuckles softly with his lips, only realizing he is crying after seeing the little water drops on her hand. She shuts her eyes tight causing more tears to stream as the EMTs go to brace her leg, but she cries and whimpers with every touch. Mia squeezes in by her head on the other side. Wyatt just keeps smoothing her hair and rubbing her hand and arm trying with everything in him not to cry with her. She squeezes his hand harder when they lay her leg straight and bites her lip to keep from crying again. Mia shushes her comfortingly and pats her head smoothing her hair quietly saying everything will be ok. They finally get her leg in the brace and the paramedic gives Wyatt and Mia an apologetic smile while telling them which hospital to go to. Wyatt runs to his truck Mia jumps in the passenger side scooting Ella's boots out of the way and Dallas jumps into the bed with a thud. Wyatt throws his phone to Mia as he throws it in gear and says, "Call her mom and let her know where they're going." She nods and dials the number with shaking fingers, Ella's parents and grandparents were out of town and he knew they wouldn't be able to leave but needed to know. When her mom finally answers the phone he can see tears already streaming down Mia's face and gets the phone from her to make it easier. "Sarah, it's Wyatt. Me, Mia, and Dallas are on the way to the hospital. Ella and Mia got in a wreck on the way to the game, the car flipped. Ella is on her way to the hospital; I know for sure her leg is broken in 2 places but that's all we know as of now." Ella's mom stays silent for a few seconds before saying, "What happened?" Wyatt simply answers, "I'm honestly not sure. Like I said before, she and Mia were on the way to the game and Mia called me to come help. The fire department and ambulance were already there by the time I got there from the school. I've got her don't worry I know that probably doesn't mean a lot right now, but I promise I won't leave her side." He hears her take a shaky breath and says, "That helps more than you know. Thank you keep me updated. I'll call the hospital and let them know it's ok to give y'all updates on her." Wyatt says, "Yes ma'am I will I'll make sure you know everything. She can stay at the house with me until y'all get home don't worry a bit you know she'll be safe." Her dad gets the phone from Sarah and says, "Just take care of her we'll be home as soon as we can." Wyatt nods making sure he stays as close to the ambulance as he can and says, "Yes Mr. Bennett of course we're about to pull in behind the ambulance now so I promise I'll call as soon as they tell us any kind of update." The ambulance cuts around the back of the hospital and Wyatt pulls into the parking spot as close to the door as he can find. He hangs up with her mom and dad grabbing all their stuff out of the truck and hurrying through the doors. They look around for anybody who would be able to answer their questions or at least tell them where to go. His shoulders slightly relax when he sees a familiar face, he calls for his Aunt Charlotte who thankfully picked up a shift on her day off. Her head snaps up and the group rushes over to the nurses' station where she stands. They all start talking at the same time and she raises her hand like she did to Wyatt and Dallas when they were little and being loud. All 3-stop talking as soon as she does and she says, "Now I already know why you're here I just got off the phone with the young lady's mother," She looks over at Wyatt as she points and says, "As soon as I saw her name I knew you'd be here as fast as that old truck could bring you. She's getting prepped for surgery on her leg and arm; she could be a while." Wyatt swallows hard and Dallas puts his arm around Mia, rubbing her shoulder gently. Charlotte walks from behind the counter and hugs her oldest nephew trying to reassure him Ella is in good hands with the doctors and then says, "Follow me honey, I'm about to go on lunch anyway I'll find you 3 some coffee and something to eat. I'll sit with you as long as I can." She leads Wyatt into the cafeteria with Mia and Dallas following close behind. Charlotte brings two cups of coffee for Mia and Wyatt and a sandwich for Dallas. Wyatt zones out completely staring at the liquid in his cup running over every worst-case scenario possible. He can hear Charlotte talking and telling them why she has to go into surgery but all he was thinking about was how he'd give anything to be with her. He looks up when Charlotte pats his shoulder and she says, "Wyatt honey they have an update." He looks over at Mia and she grabs his hand, the nurse tells them Ella is ok but then she tells them Ella's leg broke in two places, and a fracture in her arm that will take weeks to heal after the surgery. Mia squeezes his hand and Charlotte says, "Follow me, I'll take you all to the waiting room so you can try and rest." Mia nods and says, "It could do us some good it's getting late, and it could still be a couple of hours before she's out." Wyatt nods too but he knows he won't be able to sleep. Charlotte takes them up to the small waiting room they have put aside for the families and Mia and Dallas pull different chairs together to make makeshift beds and they stretch out and within minutes they're sleeping soundly. Wyatt pulls a chair over and stretches his legs out but can't sleep no matter how hard he tries. He pulls his phone out and spends a few minutes looking at his background of Ella smiling and laughing back at him while on his back at the beach when their families went on vacation together this past summer. He can feel a few small, hot tears slide down his cheek, but he just rolls over on his back and wipes his face quickly. He lays his arm across his face and shakes his head trying to get the image of her lying on the stretcher crying out of his head. He finally dozes off an hour later, but he only gets 30 minutes of sleep before the same nurse from before comes in to let him know Ella is finally out of surgery. He wakes the other two up and they follow the nurse to Ella's room to see her lying in the hospital bed. Wyatt drops into the chair directly next to her and grabs her hand. Her dark curly hair is spread out on her pillow, dark red lipstick is faded to a dusty pink color, and the gold on her eyelids is smudged. They got the blood wiped off her face and the gash above her eyebrow is bandaged. Mia sits opposite him while Dallas takes the small couch by the window. Mia gives Wyatt a small smile and eventually says, "She looks so small lying there." Wyatt chuckles and says, "She's always small." Mia rolls her eyes and adds "Smaller than normal then, I don't think I have ever seen her actually look helpless like this." Wyatt nods thinking about how Ella has the attitude of a 6'5 bodybuilder. He smiles a little remembering all the times he has had to step between her and full-grown men and says, "She might be the least helpless person I know." Mia looks up at Wyatt and sees him watching Ella's chest rise and fall as she breathes; he wraps her hand in his and brings it up to his face slowly rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. She smiles and shakes her head at how both have missed every clue of how the other feels. She says, "Why haven't you told her Wyatt?" He shakes his head and says, "What's the point if she doesn't feel the same it would just ruin everything and then I'd lose my best friend and the love of my life." She looks down at her hands and answers, "Wyatt nothing would be ruined." He doesn't say anything back and when she looks back at him he has finally fallen asleep, Ella's hand still tightly wrapped in his like it's something he has to protect with his life. She looks over at Dallas who is snoring on his couch. She lies back in her chair and dozes off a little bit later.