“Open your mouth, baby.”
I did and the second I felt the straw on my lips I sucked, drinking it all down in one, long gulp. I couldn’t fight the drowsiness even though the last thing I wanted to do was sleep. I felt like I had been sleeping for years. I heard voices, questions being asked, and felt hands stroke my face, arms, and chest. Before I could give it anymore thought or fight it off any longer…
I passed the fuck out.
I had no idea how much time had gone by when I woke up next. I felt better but groggy and disoriented as all hell. The doctor, which happened to be Aubrey’s mom, asked me so many damn questions that it made me want to go back to sleep to keep from answering them.
“You’ve suffered severe trauma to your brain, Austin,” her mom reminded.
“No shit?” I sarcastically replied, wanting the hell out of this bed and hospital.
“Austin,” Mom reprimanded.
“You have several broken ribs, burns, and deep cuts on your face and all over your body. Some will heal, but most will scar. You flew out the windshield. They found your body almost seven feet away from the car. God, Austin, you’re lucky to even be alive. If it hadn’t been for the grass and damp dirt from all the storms we’ve been getting lately…there’s no doubt in my mind you would have died.”
My mom bowed her head while my dad took a deep breath.
“We had to operate on your brain to stop the bleeding and put you in a medically-induced coma to reduce the swelling.”
My hand subconsciously went up to the side of my head where I felt the bandage. My hair shaved around it.
“I guess that explains the killer headache,” I said.
“You’ve been in a coma for week. That’s normal. But, Austin, it’s going to take some time for you to heal. We haven’t tested your physical skills yet. There’s a chance that you may need physical therapy. You have several fractures in your back and on your legs. Your motor and mental skills seem to be okay, but that could also change as the days go by. We will be watching you closely for the next few weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Yes. You won’t be medically discharged for a while, so you might as well get comfortable. You’re not going anywhere.”
I took a deep breath, hating that she said that, and immediately touched my ribs.
Fuck that hurt.
She walked over to my bed and handed me what looked like a controller.
“You’re on a morphine drip. At least for the next few days until we’ve figured out where your pain is centered and how high your tolerance is. Then we can switch you over to doses throughout the day. When the pain is too much, you press this button. Okay?”
I nodded, tucking the controller at my side.
“I’m serious, Austin. No playing Mr. Tough Guy. You just had a dosage not too long ago so that’s why you’re feeling somewhat stable. But I promise you once the pain kicks in, it will be unbearable, you—”
“I got it.”
She nodded again, giving me a worried look.
“Do you remember anything? The accident? Do you remember what happened?”
All eyes fell on me. I couldn’t tell if their expressions were hopeful that I would or optimistic that I wouldn’t remember.
Drinking with Charles all day.
Finding Alex on the pier.
Dragging her to his party.
Dancing.
Laughing.
Drinking some more...
Driving drunk.
Racing Jason.
Woods…
Driving faster and faster and faster.
A shortcut.
A tree.
“Half-Pint?” I stated as a question.
She lowered her eyebrows. “Austin, do you remember?”
I peered around the room and then it hit me like a ton of fucking bricks.
Almost. Killing. Alex.
I swallowed hard, trying to control my breathing. My emotions. The machine that I was hooked up to suddenly started making a lot of noise.
“Austin, it’s alright. She’s okay, she’s—”
“Right here,” Alex broke in.
I blinked a few times. I wondered if it was just my dazed and confused mind playing tricks on me. She was in a wheelchair, Lucas standing behind her. Her hand firmly placed on her lap. She looked so tiny in that chair, her beautiful face covered in nothing but bruises and cuts. The hospital gown did nothing to hide more of the same on her body.
I sucked in air that wasn’t available for the taking. My eyes now wide, my body now shuddering.
It took everything inside me not to breakdown.
“I’m fine,” Alex coaxed as if she knew what I was thinking, what I was feeling.
What I needed to hear.
“Answer the question, Austin,” Lucas demanded, bringing my attention to him. “Do you remember what you did?”
“Bo, that’s—”
“I’m sorry,” I found myself saying. “I don’t. I don’t remember anything,” I lied.
Not because I was scared of the consequences.
Not because I was afraid of facing the boys, my parents or even the cops.