I found myself in a dimly lit room.

Beeping.

Tubes.

Darth Vader hissing sounds.

My eyes struggled to open and my mouth was too dry. I looked around slowly. Where was the water? Surely there was some here.

I spied Mom asleep in the corner, her head resting on her chest, slumped over in a chair. What time was it? I had no clue; the room was too dark and there was no window. I lifted my hand. It felt like it wasn’t even there.

Numb.

Freaky. I tried to wiggle my toes. I wasn’t sure if I did or not. It almost felt like my feet were just too cold to tell. I opened and closed my mouth. Had they stuck cotton balls in there? Where was my spit? I reached up to touch my lips.

Rose.

It all came rushing back. Like I was standing by train tracks. Hurtling towards me, flying past, too fast for me to make out each car. Only flashes. Rose walking to my car. My arms on her waist. Watching her across the table. Kissing her.

Kissing her.

Glancing at her across the car.

“What the—!!”

My mom shot up. “Aaron! You’re awake!” She rushed to my side.

My eyes were wide now. I couldn’t think. Where was she? Was she okay? I had to get to her.

Now.

I started to swing my legs over the side of my bed. Mom’s confused face was too close. I tried to push her away. She was speaking, but I couldn’t hear.

I kept seeing her face. Seeing her sitting next to me in the car.

What the crap? What was going on? I couldn’t get my stupid legs to move.

C’mon. I’ve gotta go.

Annoyed now. I reached down with my hand to tug at it. It was like lead. A dead weight. I looked up into Mom’s eyes, a question on my lips.

She was still talking. What was she saying? Didn’t she know I didn’t care? I wanted to scream Shut up! Get out of my way, woman!

Her hands on my chest brought me back. “—lay back. Stop struggling. Aaron!” Her forehead crinkled more than it already was. Her eyes searched my face.

“Now listen to me! Do you know where you are?” Her cold hands gripped mine.

She waited. For something. From me, I guessed. I thought I’d been paying attention, but apparently I hadn’t.

“What?” Why hadn’t she told me where Rose was?

“Do you know where you are?” Her tone softened. She leaned down closer to my face.

“Well, I guess I’m in a hospital somewhere. Where’s Rose?” I looked around the small room for someone else. This woman was getting me nowhere.

She nodded. “So you remember the accident?” Her eyes stayed on mine.

“Yeah, I remember. Where’s Rose?” I looked back to her, hoping she’d finally answer the question. I’d asked a hundred times already.

“She’s fine. I just got off the phone with Jack.” She kept talking, but I didn’t hear anything past the word Jack.

Jack.

It echoed in my brain. Please, no. Was I being punished? “Jack? What about him? I asked about Rose. Where is Rose?”

Her eyes avoided mine for a few seconds. She bit her lip and moved to pull a chair closer.
“Rose is in the hospital in Alexander. We’re in Rockdale. She’s fine. She’s got a broken leg, some broken ribs, and a cut on her head.” She sat and moved her hands to the rail on the bed.

I would’ve gasped at the description of her injuries, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t breathing. No oxygen entered my lungs. It was supposed to be an involuntary action, but my brain stopped functioning too.

And I was fine with that. If there was no chance with Rose, I was ready. Come and take me now, God. I’ll go.

I blinked a few times. Really concentrating on it. I forced myself to inhale. But, maybe I shouldn’t have. Did I want to hear the answer to my next question?

“But…you said Jack. Why did you say that?” I held her gaze with my eyes. They were on fire. No longer blue. I’d managed to turn them fiery red, I was sure.

“Well…Jack is with her. At the hospital.” And she kept talking again. Didn’t she realize I didn’t care? Did she just hear the words that left her mouth? They were a contradiction. It wasn’t supposed to be Jack and Rose. It was supposed to be Aaron and Rose.

Aaron. Not Jack.

Aaron. Got it? Remember it.

Her hands were on my chest again. Pushing. Why did she keep doing that?

“Aaron, you can’t get down. You’re hooked up to a catheter. You’ve got an I.V. You’ve been unconscious since you got here almost two hours ago.”

I closed my eyes and laid my head back. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I didn’t care. About anything.

Screw it.

Screw them.

Both.

Ok…so I’ve been editing and I came to this chapter again. I can’t help but love it. I can really feel Aaron here and he’s not even the MC. But…I know it can be better, so I’m open for suggestions.

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