A Beautiful Lie
Chapter 6
Matt, Tam and Celia ran through the foyer of the hospital to the counter, both the girls’ faces wet with tears and Matt pale as a ghost. Tam and Celia seemed incapable of speech at that moment, so Matt did the talking. They gave the receptionist the names and listened desperately to the information she gave. When told about Penne, Tam swayed dangerously; the two had been best friends. Matt quickly supported her to a chair where she broke down hysterically, and it took a few minutes before the three were ready to hear any more. None of them had been particularly close to Dom, but knew that he and Jared were practically inseparable.
When the receptionist had given them all the necessary details, Matt and the girls caught the lift to level 5, then split up; Celia hurried left towards Tomo’s room while Tam and Matt headed right to see Jared. When they reached his room, Tam took a deep, unsteady breath and pushed the door open. They found Jared asleep, his leg in a cast and a drip in his arm. Tam gave a small sob and rushed across the room to his bed, gently touching her boyfriend’s cheek, stroking his forehead and running weak fingers through his hair.
Slowly, Jared stirred, his eyes flickering open to look at Tam, then Matt, who was standing just behind her. Tam gave him a watery smile, “Hey baby, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck… are you two ok?”
Matt stepped forward, “Yea. Your mum called me this morning to tell me what happened, she’s flying over.”
Jared nodded, looking around him. “How are the others, is Shannon ok?”
“He had a broken rib which pierced his lung, he’s in surgery now, but he should be fine.”
Jared swore, burying his face in large hands, and Tam rubbed his chest soothingly.
“And the others?” Jared continued, “Penne… we couldn’t do anything, it might have been instant.” Tam’s eyes filled with tears again and Jared took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, “I’m so sorry Tam… but Tomo and Dom are alright, aren’t they?”
Matt and Tam looked at each other. Matt started, “Tomo’s fine, a few stitches and a sore neck, nothing too serious…” The two looked at each other again, hesitatingly.
“What?” Jared stared from one to the other, a feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. “Is something wrong with Dom? Tell me, please.”
Tam gripped his arm tightly, “Jay, Dom… there was nothing they could do, I’m so sorry…”
Everything hit Jared all at once: the crash, Shannon in surgery, Penne… Dom, until he was gasping and crying in agony. Matt, looking uncomfortable, mumbled something about going to see Tomo and left Jared and Tam alone together. Tam immediately gathered up Jared’s tense, shaking form and held him tightly, allowing the 22-year-old to sob into the bare skin on her shoulder. How long hey stayed like that, neither of them knew, but finally Jared broke away and lay back in the hospital bed, his eyes red and puffy. Tam brushed jet black hair off his face and gently kissed his forehead.
Jared stared at Tam for a few seconds before whispering in a choked voice, “This is all my fault.”
Tam shook her head, “Of course it isn’t, don’t even-”
“Dom was drunk. He told us he forgot about being designated driver. And I let him drive. We had no money for a cab and we couldn’t have walked, it’s too far. And we didn’t want to risk Matt getting caught so we didn’t ask to stay the night. I was so stupid, like getting caught is worse than this.”
Tam cupped Jared’s face in her hands and told him firmly, “Sweetheart, you can’t blame yourself for this, maybe you weren’t thinking straight last night, but blaming yourself isn’t going to help.”
The two talked about the crash for a while, Jared telling Tam exactly what had happened, “There was so much smoke, I literally couldn’t breathe, but Tomo got me out pretty quickly so I could get some fresh air”… “Shannon kept telling her she would be fine, like he just wouldn’t believe she was gone”… “Then I blacked out, and woke up in here.” When he finished, Tam just shook her head, “You poor thing, you were so brave.” Jared brushed a tear from his girlfriend’s cheek and pulled her down next to him, kissing her softly on the lips. Tam rested her head on Jared’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, letting it fill her with its warmth; Jared slowly stroked the back of her head with one hand, the other interlocked with her own, long after she fell asleep.
When the receptionist had given them all the necessary details, Matt and the girls caught the lift to level 5, then split up; Celia hurried left towards Tomo’s room while Tam and Matt headed right to see Jared. When they reached his room, Tam took a deep, unsteady breath and pushed the door open. They found Jared asleep, his leg in a cast and a drip in his arm. Tam gave a small sob and rushed across the room to his bed, gently touching her boyfriend’s cheek, stroking his forehead and running weak fingers through his hair.
Slowly, Jared stirred, his eyes flickering open to look at Tam, then Matt, who was standing just behind her. Tam gave him a watery smile, “Hey baby, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck… are you two ok?”
Matt stepped forward, “Yea. Your mum called me this morning to tell me what happened, she’s flying over.”
Jared nodded, looking around him. “How are the others, is Shannon ok?”
“He had a broken rib which pierced his lung, he’s in surgery now, but he should be fine.”
Jared swore, burying his face in large hands, and Tam rubbed his chest soothingly.
“And the others?” Jared continued, “Penne… we couldn’t do anything, it might have been instant.” Tam’s eyes filled with tears again and Jared took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, “I’m so sorry Tam… but Tomo and Dom are alright, aren’t they?”
Matt and Tam looked at each other. Matt started, “Tomo’s fine, a few stitches and a sore neck, nothing too serious…” The two looked at each other again, hesitatingly.
“What?” Jared stared from one to the other, a feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. “Is something wrong with Dom? Tell me, please.”
Tam gripped his arm tightly, “Jay, Dom… there was nothing they could do, I’m so sorry…”
Everything hit Jared all at once: the crash, Shannon in surgery, Penne… Dom, until he was gasping and crying in agony. Matt, looking uncomfortable, mumbled something about going to see Tomo and left Jared and Tam alone together. Tam immediately gathered up Jared’s tense, shaking form and held him tightly, allowing the 22-year-old to sob into the bare skin on her shoulder. How long hey stayed like that, neither of them knew, but finally Jared broke away and lay back in the hospital bed, his eyes red and puffy. Tam brushed jet black hair off his face and gently kissed his forehead.
Jared stared at Tam for a few seconds before whispering in a choked voice, “This is all my fault.”
Tam shook her head, “Of course it isn’t, don’t even-”
“Dom was drunk. He told us he forgot about being designated driver. And I let him drive. We had no money for a cab and we couldn’t have walked, it’s too far. And we didn’t want to risk Matt getting caught so we didn’t ask to stay the night. I was so stupid, like getting caught is worse than this.”
Tam cupped Jared’s face in her hands and told him firmly, “Sweetheart, you can’t blame yourself for this, maybe you weren’t thinking straight last night, but blaming yourself isn’t going to help.”
The two talked about the crash for a while, Jared telling Tam exactly what had happened, “There was so much smoke, I literally couldn’t breathe, but Tomo got me out pretty quickly so I could get some fresh air”… “Shannon kept telling her she would be fine, like he just wouldn’t believe she was gone”… “Then I blacked out, and woke up in here.” When he finished, Tam just shook her head, “You poor thing, you were so brave.” Jared brushed a tear from his girlfriend’s cheek and pulled her down next to him, kissing her softly on the lips. Tam rested her head on Jared’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, letting it fill her with its warmth; Jared slowly stroked the back of her head with one hand, the other interlocked with her own, long after she fell asleep.