Passenger

When it started to rain in Baltimore it never stopped. It was the first day of December and the waters of the harbor were wild, rough and frightened. The sky was grey, dark clouds, not hiding a blue sky, no the sky was just as grey.

The hospital was a dreary place to be in, especially with weather like this. For those who inside, starring out, their almost seemed no hope at all- And for those coming in, it was all very much the same feeling.

Michael Phelps, parked his car on the top level of the Medical Center parking lot. He had a hood over his growing hair, his stubble was very much present. He liked it that way, and as did his girlfriend.

He walked down the bridge that connected the hospital to the parking garage, his hands shoved in his pocket, to hide them, they were trembling. His eyes were focused, serious, and his eyebrows set. His lips were sucked in, they were swollen, for the entire drive to the hospital, he had been gnawing on them, out of pure nerves, and hysterics.

Walking into the hospital, he was glad no one asked him for a picture, an autograph, or asked him any questions, they spotted the serious face, and left him alone. The only person he did speak to was a nurse at the front desk of A&E.

“How may I help you?” the nurse asked, trying to keep the star struck she felt to herself, as she pushed her glasses further up her nose, studying the tall man before her, who looked anxious.

“I’m looking for the room for Grant.” he said rushed, and she stared at his hands as he placed them on the counter, gripping a phone and keys, shaking violently.

“Ah yes, they checked in about two hours ago, they’re just up one floor, to the left of the elevators, in 504 and 509.”

Michael gripped the railing of the elevator as it boomed to life, slowly. He stared at his hands, gripping them into a fist as they trembled violently.

He went over the conversation with Ruth, over and over in his head, as he the silver doors opened and he made a sharp turn to his left. An accident... They’re not sure... You should come.

He reached door 504 in a quick strides, and knocked on the door before opening it and staring as he spotted Lisa, sitting on a bedside chair, beside Annie.

“Hi.” Lisa said, standing as the taller man walked towards her, and tears filled her eyes, as he hugged her tightly, petting her long blonde hair, before she pulled away and smiled at the small girl in the bed, who stared at them confused, “I’ll be outside.”

Michael watched the distraught young woman, exit the room with a quick and sharp tick of the door, before he stared unsure at Annie who was rolled onto her side, a moose tucked under her arm, and bruises and scratches adorning every inch of exposed skin from the blankets and hospital gown.

“Hi.” he said softly as she stared at him, with wide, sad and tired eyes.

“Hi.” she said just as soft, “Did Gran call you?”

Michael nodded, leaning his elbows on the bed, leaning closer to Annie, who looked as though she might cry at any moment.

“She did.” he smiled at her patting her head, run a hand through her hair that was exactly like her sisters, as her lips trembled, “She didn’t tell me what happened though.”

Annie said nothing, and quickly averted her gaze and hugged her moose tightly, wincing as the IV drip tugged at her wrist.

“Annie.” Michael said softly, gingerly, and comfortingly reaching to take holding her hand, “Where’s Karren?”

At exactly eight am this morning, Annie and Karren begin their normal routine of breakfast, changing and heading towards the Aquatics Center, on a bike and motorized chair. The tires of Annie’s chair were fixed, and now slightly more water proof- it was a good thing, because it had rained and the path that the two sisters took was full of puddles.

They had traveled at their usual speed, stopping at the same corners, and laughing when the other got wet.

They were two blocks away from the Aquatics Center, when a car pulled across the road, nearly running over the youngest sister, had Karren not screamed out, and out of shear horror, Annie pulled the break.

Karren had ordered her sister to push forward to the other side of the street, as the small car sped off. The two were facing the water, Annie shaking out of pure astonishment that the car had drove on the red light. Karren comforted her sister, yelling at the car that drove off swearing.

Karren wanted to press on, but Annie was scared stiff. Little did the two notice, that up the street, directly in front of them, the car was revving, preparing itself for a final blow.

Karren was the one who heard the engines, breaks squealing against wet pavement, and horns blaring. She had just glanced up, and saw the same car hurtling towards her, and with a swift movement in mere seconds, she hand shoved Annie’s chair our of the way, knocking her over in the process.

“I screamed so loud.” Annie sobbed, “The car turned on it’s side, and hit her! A-And it pushed her into the water, b-before it went too.”

Annie’s screams, had gotten the attention of a couple down the street, who witnessed the whole thing in shock, and they quickly dialed 911, and raced forward the help the little girl, who was screaming and pointing at the broken barricade.

“The ambulance arrived.” Annie cried, gripping the moose in her arms tightly, “And divers brought up the man and Birdy.”

Michael stared at the young girl before him, his hands gripped together, to keep himself from crying in front of her.

“She was so purple.” Annie whispered, before she stopped crying and watched Michael shut his eyes, and squeeze them, “They said she was dead.”

Annie had been sitting on the stretcher screaming, and sobbing, while the paramedics worked with her blood pressure, and heart- while the others pumped at Karren’s and the man’s chest, both their mouths over flowing with water.

“They yelled, and the Doctor near me, yelled to the guy who was helping me.” Annie continued, and Michael opened his eyes, as he felt a small hand on his large one, “They said she had a heartbeat.”

Michael shut the hospital door softly, watching as Annie kept her eyes closed, finally asleep.
He grips his hair and leans against the wall near him, taking in deep breaths, before soft crying to his left, causes him to look up.

Lisa is standing at the windows of a hospital room, a few doors down from where he is, and he watches her.

Her arms are folded, her chin rest on her left arm that is perched up.

Walking towards her, Lisa glanced up at the sound of footsteps and quickly wipes her eyes.

“How’s Annie?” she asks him, stopping him in his tracks, before he reaches her.

“She’s fine. She finally fell asleep.” he said with a yawn, “How’s Karren?”

Lisa’s lip twitched, “She just got out of surgery- she’s not in a coma, but it’s in a sleep similar to it. Do to the medication, if she woke up now, she might not make it.”

Michael nodded, “Medically induced coma.”

Lisa blinked away tired tears, “She’ll wake up, when she wants.”

Michael ran a tired hand over his face, “What do you know, Lis?”

As it turned out; Karren had been leaving voice mails at Lisa’s home. Asking her when she would come back, when they could talk, that she needed her, and that she missed her.
The night before the accident, Lisa’s apartment had been broken in to- by the man who Michael had been helping her with.

He had broken in, the police had told Lisa, just as Karren was leaving a message, informing her, that this would be the last phone call, and that she would be at the Aquatics Center, at the specific time the following morning.

“I didn’t think he would go after my friends.”
“He was a creep, Lis. There was nothing you could do.”

Michael walked away from her, and towards room 509 where Lisa had been standing, the same serious expression adorning his face, as he stared at the girl that was starting to mean so much more to him. She wasn’t broken, she looked small, and sick, and that was what scared him the most. Tubes were coming out of her mouth, her arms, under the gown and her neck was in a brace.

He leaned his head against the window, starring at Ruth who was asleep in the chair next to the bed, her hand gripping her Granddaughter’s.

Walking back to Annie’s room, he spotted Lisa talking with an officer, and over heard the words, ‘He didn’t make it.’

“Where’s Birdy?”

Michael stared, sadly at the small girl in the bed, who didn’t look the lease bit tired, and smiled at her.

“You’re a good actress.” he chuckled softly, “Did you fall asleep?”

Annie shook her head, giving him a stubborn look he had seen Karren give him a hundred times, “Mmm. I heard you and Lisa talking.”

“What did you hear?” he asked her taking a seat in the chair once again, starring at her freckled face.

“That she is in a coma.”

Michael stared at the girl and leaned his arms on the mattress, “Do you want to know why she’s going to wake up, and why she’s going to be okay?”

Annie nodded sadly.

“Because she’s your bird.” he said, watching the girl smile softly, “She’s grounded and she would never ever leave you. She loves you too much, and you need her, and she needs you.”

He smiled as Annie nodded.

And she can’t leave me. Not yet.