Why Even?

Chapter One

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Sandy offered to drive me home. Of course I said yes, I only lived a few miles out of town. With my hands trembling I opened the door to her red 2000 Mustang. Cool car, I thought. I got in. The seats were black and soft with stuffing sticking out in a few places from the wear. Sandy started the car and turned the radio to my favorite station. I barely noticed though. Millions of things were running through my mind, good and bad. "What if she's lost, unconscious, sick, in the hospital.....DEAD!" I kept thinking. No. No no no no. No! She's perfectly fine. She's just outside and didn't hear the phone. But she didn't come pick me up like she promised. Okay. Freak out mode again. I directed Sandy to my house, trying to hide the tremble in my voice.

Six and a half miles later we were pulling into my driveway. I felt like screaming. My moms car was parked in the driveway where it was this morning. I fumbled in my backpack for the bulky keychain bearing the sky blue house key I've had since I was seven. The paint was chipping in places but it worked just the same. I asked Sandy to wait in the driveway for a few minutes while I unlock the door. It took me a couple tries to get the key in the keyhole, my hands were trembling so bad. I twisted the key with all the strength I could muster at the moment. I heard the lock turn and I pushed open the navy blue front door. I enter my house carefully and quietly. My legs are wobbling and feel nearly numb. This can't be good. My mother didn't say anything as I entered.

I walk across the living room and down the hallway into my moms room. And there she was. Just lying there on the bed. Motionless. I ran over to her grabbing her ice cold hand. I scream and begin to sob so loudly that Sandy gets out of her car. I can hear the car door slamming as she says, "Nikki?" as if she's unsure if that's even my name anymore. She jogged up the cement front steps and carefully stepped inside my house. She questioned. "Is everything alright?" I was sobbing so loudly now that she knew something had to be wrong. Sandy followed the sound of my cries and walked in on me clutching my moms hand to my chest. With tears streaming down my face I choked out, "Call 911....NOW PLEASE!!" Sandy pulled out her flip phone and began dialing. Then moments later I hear Sandy telling a 911 operator what was going on. I began whispering into my moms hand, "No no no no no please Mom stay. Stay with me please! I can't handle this. Not after Dad please." I heard faint sirens in the distance. They were growing louder with each passing second. Soon enough a huge ambulance was in my driveway with cop cars bolting in after it. In seconds a paramedic was busting through the doorway to the bedroom. She began checking my moms pulse seeing if she would respond. I could tell she must've been gone for at least an hour now. I couldn't watch it anymore. I ran out of the room into my bedroom and kneeled at my bedside. I began praying that my mother and father were together, that they were with God. After a couple of minutes of calming down a little bit I stood up, still my face wet with tears and left the room. Sandy tells me when I come up behind her that she was going to follow the paramedics up to the hospital. I get in her car and we take the silent 30 minute drive to the nearest hospital.