Flashing Lights

Blake spent the week at her grandmother’s house with the lot of her cousins last week for VBS at the church.  While she got to teach kids about God, I was missing her profusely. It seemed the week would never end. She couldn’t talk much during the week either and Blake wasn’t much into texting on her phone. If she had to say something, she would say it out loud. You can bet we talked on the phone a lot, unless we were already with each other.

                She called me last night around ten, said she was on her way home and to meet her at the Kangaroo by Kroger. She sounded exhausted. I could only imagine how tiring third and fourth grade children were, but I was more than excited to see her; I was ecstatic. When I pulled in the gas station, I immediately saw her truck, but it was surrounded by flashing blue lights. My heart hit the floor. I pulled up beside the ambulance and jumped out, leaving the door ajar. The EMT pushed me by the chest when I ran up to the crushed Chevrolet. I completely shoved him out of the way; my baby was in that car. The firefighter closest to her truck addressed me calmly. He must’ve understood who I was.

“What happened?” I asked him.

“We checked the security cameras and they show her truck driving straight for a few seconds before turning until this white Tundra crashes into her side, slamming her drivers’ side into this pole.” His face looks grim. I ignored that and walked over to the truck. I breathed deeply, but when I opened the driver’s door, her limp body followed through.

“Blake?” I was horrified. “Baby, wake up.” I propped her up in the seat. It was difficult due to the door being so crushed. There were scratches on her forehead, blood trickling down her face. Her whole left arm was thrashed with little nicks. Blake looked blue, literally. In that moment, she gasped. Her eyes popped open and her body started thrashing. The EMT’s and police officers pulled me aside. I moved willingly and melted like a pop sickle. The look in her eyes was too much to bear and I had only seen it one other time. That was in the eyes of my dying grandmother two years ago.

                I woke up holding Blake’s cold hand in an uncomfortable hospital chair. My eyes popped open. I jerked my head around and melted when I saw her. She was rubbing my arm, eyes open, smiling at me. I did the first thing that came to mind: kiss her. The heart monitor was very determined to let me know just how fast her heart beats around me. She was so weak it was almost cruel to kiss her. I stopped and did the second thing that came to mind: hug her. I crushed those little bones of hers.

“I love you, too.” She whispered. I stopped and looked at her.

“You have no idea. I thought you were dead.” I slowly sat down, still holding her little hand.

“I’ve come too far to die now. Besides, that wouldn’t be a very peaceful way to go.” She winked at me.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Why are you still here?”

“The doctor is afraid I have a concussion so he’s keeping me until four this evening.”

“Wait, what time is it?” I glanced around for a clock.

“It’s about two-thirty in the morning.” She yawned. “That truck didn’t knock me over, Jared. I fell asleep at the wheel. When my grandmother hears about this, she is going to be livid.” She laughed. How could she laugh at something so serious? I looked back at her to see she had fallen asleep. A nurse beside the bed smiled. She had given her more pain medication. I wouldn’t leave her side for the world.