Joey

It was like everything was going in slow motion. Gia lifted her head as much as she could to look around her. They hadn’t flipped, thank God, but the car was pinned up against a pole…on Joey’s side.

“Joey…” She croaked out but it hurt.

She heard him groan. “I…can’t…”

“It’s okay, Joey. Don’t move. Help will be here soon and we’ll be okay.” She urged.

He shook her head slowly and then turned his head to look at her. “Baby…I’m not…”

She felt tears well up in her eyes, but not from pain. “No! Don’t talk like that! We will be okay! They are going to take us to the hospital and then we’ll be okay.”

He groaned again. “Baby…I love you more than anything in the world. I need you to know that.” He spoke slowly but surely.

“Joey don’t talk like that. You’re going to be fine.” Gia told him.

But he didn’t listen. “Tell my parents…I’m sorry.” It came out as a whisper.

When felt tears rolling down her pained face as her boyfriend and best friend went limp next to her, his last breath weak but loud. In the distance she could hear sirens wailing and coming closer.

Gia could barely move but she out her head in her hands and bawled her eyes out. Then she felt her whole world go dark as the doors of the car were torn open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Landon raced through the halls of the emergency room when he had heard that there were two teens coming in after a major car accident, yet it was to help. He was not aware that it was his daughter and godson.

However when he got to the room, a nurse stopped him. “There are strict orders not to let you in, Dr. Carter.”

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Why is the head of the hospital in there and not me?”

She just walked past him and he was about to go in but a sturdy hand stopped him. He turned around and saw his father, a surgeon at the hospital. “We need to talk son.”

Landon followed him to a chair and they sat. “They won’t let me in either.”

Sudden worry crept up inside his gut. “Why won’t they let us in?”

“Landon…the crash. They wanted me to be the one to tell you.” He looked sad as he took in a deep breath. “It was Joey and Gia.”

Landon’s face went pale and his ears started ringing. “No.”

His dad nodded. “They were hit by a drunk driver. Gia should be fine. I talked to her doctor and he said she will be able to leave tomorrow. They are running test now. But you need to do something that isn’t going to be easy, son.”

Landon looked up at his father. “What?”

“You need to call Dean and Tracy.” He said and Landon shook his head.

“I can’t. I can’t tell them that their only child’s been in an accident. Tracy will freak. Why can’t the doctor on call do it?” He spat.

The older man sighed. “Landon they want you to do it because Dean’s your best friend. They need you to tell him because…”

Landon’s eyes grew wide. “No…”

“Joey died, son. He was killed almost instantly. His side of the car hit the pole. He’s gone Landon.” He pulled his son into a hug as he cried.

A few minutes later Landon stumbled to a desk and a phone. He dialed a few numbers and finally he heard his friend on the other end of the phone. “Hello?”

“Dean?”

“What’s wrong man. Is Gia okay?” He asked worriedly.

Landon sighed. “Gia’s going to be fine but…you need to come down to the hospital. There’s been an accident.”