I ended up eating a couple of the pastries as I sipped coffee, jittery and worried. The minutes seemed like hours, and I remembered why I told myself to never get involved with a woman.
Marie’s phone chimed, and she reached for it as I stilled. Her brows furrowed as she read the message and I watched her bite her lip. “Robin said that she saw her. Elena has a few injuries, and she’ll be at the hospital for a few more days to be looked over. She is going to be okay, though. Robin told her to call you.”
I turned my head and stared at my phone. It hadn’t sounded at all, and I wondered when Robin saw her. Was Elena busy with doctors and nurses and just too busy to call? Was she done with me? “I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”
“At least we know that she’ll be all right,” Marie assured me with a small smile. “She’ll call you. She might be in a lot of pain or tired…or something.”
Elena
I stared at the pale pink walls of the hospital room blankly. The pain in my head was easing with whatever medicine was in the IV, but my body was still sore.
I learned that I’d been hit by a car that ran the red light. The passenger side of my old car was destroyed, and it would more than likely be totaled out, but that was what insurance was for. I had medical insurance thanks to my parents, but that might be handled by the other driver’s insurance as well.
It was a teenage girl on her way home from a friend’s house. She was texting and glanced down just as the light was changing and never even saw me.
I thought about the last day and sighed. The pretty nurse Robin told me that Liam was worried and wanted me to call him, though my phone didn’t make it through the car accident. It went through the window and shattered on the street, and that was where all my numbers were, which was ridiculous. I would get it replaced in time, but I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.
I was dealing with the fact that I might not make it back to school next week, possibly changing my entire life plan. I knew that I was going to be sore for some time and was already informed that I was going to see a chiropractor and maybe a physical therapist.
I didn’t have a car nor money to replace mine, and everyone knew that they low balled you when they gave you what they deemed it being worth. I would end up with a piece of junk, not that my old car was much more than that. But, it was mine.
There was movement at the door, and I glanced over to see the pretty blonde nurse smiling as she walked in. She looked a bit like Gwen Stefani, and I took a slow breath as she came over to the bed. “I spoke to your parents. They’re out of the country right now but wish for you to get well soon. They’ll call your room as soon as they can.”
My parents, the world travelers. They wrote for a popular travel magazine and were always gone. I wasn’t surprised that they weren’t coming to see me at all. This was my whole childhood. They might send me some money to help me out if I was lucky.
“Thank you,” I told her gratefully as I looked back at the window.
“How are you feeling?” She asked as she sat down in the chair. “Is the medicine working?”
“Yeah. It takes the edge off,” I told her as I looked seriously at her. “How much did you tell my parents?”
“Sweetie, you’re an adult, so they only know about the accident.” She frowned and leaned back against the thin cushion. “Are you going to tell them anymore?” She’d been with me when the doctor told me everything, checking on me and holding my hand during the harder parts. I felt closer to her than anyone else at this moment, and I sighed.
“There are things that I don’t want to tell anybody,” I admitted as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.
“You have to talk to somebody. I haven’t seen a single person visit you yet, nor heard about it. Who can I call for you?” She pressed, and I thought for a moment. I knew Ginger’s number off the top of my head, and I could talk to her. I told the nurse the information, and she jotted it down, which was when I remembered her name.
Gwen. That was ironic.
“I am going to call her and let her know where you are. You need someone to visit, and I have too many other patients to stay in here too long,” she told me regretfully as she glanced at the door. “I am always here
if you need me though. Just press the button.”
Gwen left, and I tried to get into the sitcom on TV, though my mind kept wandering. I knew that life was forever changed now and I didn’t have any idea where to go from here.
Liam crossed my mind, and I closed my eyes. There was no way in hell I was going to contact him yet. He wouldn’t want me this way.
A couple of hours had passed before a nervous redhead rushed through the door, making me wake out of my light sleep as she gasped. “Elena!! Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
I blinked, and she sat down beside me. “I was taking all of this in. The nurse asked me who to call since my phone was broken in the…accident.” I swallowed thickly as she reached out to hold my hand. “Everything was. The car, the phone, and my body for a while.” I explained who had hit me and Ginger cursed her as I gave her a soft smile. “I forgive her, Ginger. She must feel awful, and everyone is okay. I’m sure she’ll get in a lot of trouble at home, but I’ll never look at my phone while driving again.” Tears filled my eyes, and she leaned forward instinctively.
“What else is wrong?” Her eyes searched mine as I gave in to the emotions that were building up in me. “You’re going to be okay, aren’t you?”
“I…yes. I am. I just found out more coming here.” I didn’t know how to say it since my mind hadn’t completely accepted the truth yet.
“Tell me, Elena. I can’t stand you crying in front of me and not knowing why? Are you dying or something?” She reached an arm around me as I thought for a moment that might be a better ending to this. I snapped back and laughed bitterly.
“No, nothing like that.” I sighed. “I’m pregnant, Ginger.”