The Day Death Died

The Day Death Died - Chapter 5

"Hi, honey. Are you okay? What happened? Does it hurt?" Mom's voice was shaky, her face pale with worry as she hovered near the hospital bed, hands wringing the hem of her cardigan.

"Angie, calm down. The girl just woke up," Dad said, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at me, but there was a tightness in his face that betrayed his concern.

"I'm okay," I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position. My movements were stiff, but surprisingly, there was little pain. "It doesn't even hurt. Much."

"What happened?" Dad asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

I tried to piece it together, but the memory was fragmented, fuzzy around the edges. "I'm not even sure," I admitted. "I just remember a car jumping the curb... and it was heading straight for Emily. I—I pulled her out of the way, but... I guess I was the one who got impaled."

A sharp intake of breath came from my mom, and she clutched my hand. Before anyone could say more, an older man in a long white coat walked into the room, holding a clipboard. His face was calm, professional. "Hi, Maddison. How are you feeling?" he asked, glancing briefly at my parents.

"Uh, hi." I tried to sit up straighter, but something tugged uncomfortably in my side. "I'm okay. I think."

"Sorry, I'm Dr. Eagle," he said with a kind smile. "I performed your surgery."

"Oh. Okay," I said, feeling a bit more at ease. There was something reassuring about the doctor's calm demeanor, as if he'd done this a million times before and everything was completely under control.

"So, we were able to remove the metal that impaled you—obviously. Your bloodwork is normal, and you're going to be just fine."

"When can I get out of here?" I asked, cutting straight to the point. There was too much going on this weekend. The thought of staying stuck in this sterile room filled me with an anxious energy. "I've got so much to do."

He chuckled lightly, unfazed by my impatience. "You should be able to leave tomorrow. Just take it easy, alright?"

"Tomorrow?" Relief washed over me. "Okay, good."

The doctor nodded, then beckoned my parents toward the door, whispering something to them that I couldn't quite hear. Their expressions grew tense, and my heart sped up a little. Were they hiding something from me?

I tried not to dwell on it as I turned my gaze toward the window. The parking lot outside was mostly empty, save for a few cars scattered here and there. Beyond that, a line of trees stood like silent sentinels, their leaves a golden green in the late afternoon sun. The sight was oddly calming, even though my insides were buzzing with a hundred unanswered questions.

The door clicked shut behind the doctor, and my mom returned to the bedside. Her face was tight, her lips pressed into a thin line as she sat on the edge of the bed and clasped my hand in both of hers.

"Maddison..." Her voice wavered, and for a second, I thought she might cry. "Do you understand how serious your injury was?"

I shrugged, uncomfortable with the intensity in her eyes. "I mean, it was serious enough to land me in here, but I'm okay now. That's what matters, right?"

She glanced at Dad, who stood behind her with his arms crossed. His eyes were dark with unspoken concern.

"Honey," she said softly, her grip on my hand tightening, "you should have died."

The words hit me like a slap. I blinked, my mind reeling. "What?" My voice came out as a whisper.

"The metal..." Mom's breath hitched, and a tear slid down her cheek as she pulled me into a tight hug, almost squeezing the air out of me. "It pierced several of your major organs. The doctor said—he said there's no logical reason you're still here."