She Was Brave (8th Part)

“You have twenty-eight messages…” God, apparently it was going to be a HUGE fight. Traci took a deep breath and played the first message.

“This is Jane with Gentle Valley Hospital, uhm…I am trying to get hold of Mrs. Davis. There has been an accident and…” The phone fell from her hand. An ACCIDENT. The word seemed to float in front of her eyes and she felt her stomach knot before she retched. Twenty-eight messages…Twenty-eight of them! They had been trying to reach her for a while. While she was out having a drink and thinking about divorce! The guilt made her limbs feel heavy and filled her chest with an awful aching.

She couldn’t even think about hearing the rest of the message, couldn’t. It took everything in her to hang up the phone and dress to head to the hospital. She was sure they would explain there. Where was Don? Was it the kids? God, she needed to listen to the rest of the messages but, couldn’t. She heard herself sobbing as she drove down town but, she couldn’t feel anything at that point. Whatever happened…it was her fault.


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Thank God, for parking attendants. She had been against the hospital using them because of the cost but, at this moment they were keeping her from having her car towed.
She could now fill the tension building. Traci knew instinctively it was bad…She always knew. Her pace turned from a mild rush to a full force run through the doors up to the front of the check in line in the ER.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to interrupt but, I got a call. Something about an accident, I…didn’t get all of the message. I’m…I’m Mrs. Davis. Can you send me to where I need to be? Please…” It was the note in her voice that kept the registration nurse from sending her to the back of the line. Traci waited patiently as the nurse checked the computer. It seemed like an eternity though; it only took a few seconds before the nurse looked up at her with a grim face.

Traci’s heart beat stopped and her breath caught. The nurse told her to go up to CCU on the Third floor. That they would explain everything to her when she got up there and they were waiting for her.

Even the elevators took too long and seemed to take years off of her life as well. It wasn’t even a relief when the doors slowly opened and she saw her In-laws sitting in the CCU lobby outside the locked doors. They immediately noticed her get off the elevator. And how could they not? The doors practically opened to throw her on their lap. And to her horror she didn’t see the children. Things were building to a horrific pitch in her mind as things started adding up. Then, even better, Don’s Mother rose and took a step towards her.

SMACK!

Traci was totally caught off guard as her Mother-in-law slapped her cheek, HARD.
“You stupid little whore! We aren’t allowed in to see Tamara and because of you Don and Matthew are GONE!” She started shaking and nearly fell. Probably would have if Don’s father hadn’t been right there helping her to her seat.

Gone. Gone? She’d used the word gone. Surely she was over playing the drama of the moment just like she always did. Matthew? Where’s Tamara? Traci looked at the doors to CCU and knew that’s where. Mat couldn’t be gone. She wouldn’t believe it. Don’s family was the kind to exaggerate to get the point across. They were manipulative bastards but, Traci couldn’t see even how her Mother-in-law would say something like that about her “precious” son. But she wouldn’t allow herself to think about them, him. She wouldn’t let panic rule her, not just yet anyway. Not until she knew for certain what had happened.

Her breathing was tight and short as she punched the intercom and was escorted through the doors. She didn’t turn to see but, she could feel the heated stares on her as she walked through. It was almost like a dream. It had to be a dream, a really horrible nightmare and she would wake up. Wake up, damn it! She would wake up and have to tell Dana and Tyrone about this horrific dream.

As she approached the front desk an elderly nurse came around to Traci’s side and motioned for her to sit. The nurse pulled up a chair and sat next to her with such compassion and sorrow that Traci knew it was bad. She knew this wasn’t a dream and she could hear herself screaming in her mind.

“Mrs. Davis, I’m not sure how to tell you this. I wanted to sit down with you before we go any further and explain what’s happened. I’m Jane Travis, the charge nurse. Did you get my messages?” Somehow Traci knew it was the lady on the phone. Traci didn’t respond for a moment and tried to gather enough strength to speak. Her would was shattering.

“I got as far as the word accident…and, then I rushed right over.” She felt herself go pale and her stomach was turning again. She had to ask though, she had to know.

“I saw my Mother-in-law in the waiting room.” She met the nurse’s eyes as her own were brimming with tears and continued. “She said that Don and Ma…Matthew were…” God, help her. She couldn’t even finish the question as a sob wrenched through her whole body and she had to fight hard to not to throw up again.

The nurse put a hand on her shoulder.

“Why don’t you let me explain?” Traci only nodded afraid to make eye contact.

“Your husband and children were involved in a car accident. Apparently there was a drunken driver who ran into a semi. The truck-driver tried to correct but, ended up tipping over…” Her gaze washed over Traci with such deep anguish and compassion that Traci knew what was coming next. Her chest was aching like part of her soul was being torn from her. “It nearly flattened two cars. One of them was your husbands…I’m sorry to say that he and your son died instantly. Your daughter was trapped until rescuers were able to tear her out. She’s in pretty bad shape but, she is alive. I want you to look at me. She is alive. She’s breathing on her own but, we have her on oxygen. The ordeal threw her into shock and we’ve not been able to get her out of it. We’re afraid she might slip into a coma.”