Chapter 10

The windshield was broken through, and she must have flown out. Samantha pushed her door open with all of her might, while screaming Megan’s name the whole time. She ran over to Megan, but as she shook her and tried to turn her over, she knew Megan was already gone. Samantha hoped she was just unconscious. Samantha sat down, crying hysterically, rocking herself back and forth.

She finally tried to stand up again, but she was very weak, She managed to hobble back over to the car. It was then that she noticed she had blood on her arms and her legs from all of the broken glass. She figured she probably had a sprained foot from the way her right foot was throbbing. She searched the car for her purse, and pulled out her mom’s cell phone, dialing the first number that came to mind, Nick’s.

Samantha sobbed as she heard the phone ring and ring. “Please pick up Nick, please,” she cried as she finally heard a fumbling noise in the background.

“Hello?” Nick said, out of breath.

“Nick?” Samantha said, crying.

“Sammy? What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“Nick, there was an accident. Someone hit us, and Megan’s lying out on the street, and…” she cried, as she began to cry so hard that she couldn’t speak.

“Sam, listen to me,” Nick said, “Are you listening? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” she said in between sobs.

“Look out on the road, where are you? Is there anything around there? What mile marker are you at?” he asked her.

“Umm, I don’t know,” she said. “Nick, I think Megan is dead, I killed her Nick,” Samantha said, as she began to cry again.

“Sammy, listen to me. Calm down. Are you on I-4? Is that where you are?” he asked her.

“Yeah I’m heading west on I-4,” she said.

“Ok, hang up right now and dial 9-1-1. I’m coming there to get you. I’ll be there soon,” Nick said, as he hung up his phone and ran back into the hotel restaurant to tell the guys, and to find a car to go and get her.

Nick ran up to the table where everyone was sitting. “Guys, Sammy was in an accident. Rok, let me borrow your car so I can get her,” he said nervously.

“No way,” Brian said, “I’ll drive you, you’ll kill yourself.”

“Let’s go, right now!” Nick said, as he grabbed Brian’s arm, pulling him out of the booth.

Brian drove on I-4, as Nick sat there biting his nails and shifting around in his seat. “Fuck Rok, drive faster!” he yelled, as Brian looked over at him.

“Dude I’m going 90, we’ll get there. Calm down, Samantha is going to need you to be calm. Breathe. Breathe, Nick,” Brian ordered.

“You’re right, sorry. I just want to make sure she’s ok. I feel like I’m going to be sick, just ugh” Nick said, as he rubbed his hands over his face.

“I know bro, you love her, and you’re scared. I got it,” Brian said as he sped up.

“I just want to see her,” Nick said.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick and Brian saw the flashing lights at the accident scene ahead. Brian stopped the car and Nick ran up to the police cars screaming Samantha’s name.

“Sammy!” Nick screamed, as she turned around and saw him.

“Nick!” she said, as she dropped the blanket around her shoulders and ran up to him. They embraced each other, and her tears began to fall again. “Oh my god Nick, she’s gone, she’s dead,” Samantha sobbed into his shoulder.

Nick put his hands on her face and looked into her eyes. “Are you ok? Anything hurt?”

“Nothing major, it’s just Megan…..” she said, starting to cry again.

“I’m so sorry Sammy, I know you loved her. I’m so sorry baby,” he said, as he hugged her again, and she cried into his chest.

Nick and Samantha stood there for a long time, and she cried her heart out. Nick was about ready to cry himself. Part from relief, and partly because he knew his best friend’s heart was breaking. As she cried harder, he tightened his arms around her, and let her get it all out.

“Uh Nick,” the paramedics want to take Samantha to the hospital to get her checked out and all,” Brian said, coming up to them.

“What about Megan?” Samantha asked, as she lifted her head up to look at Brian.

“They’ve um, already taken her,” he said, as Samantha turned around and cried again.

“I killed her Nick, I was driving and she was sleeping, she flew through the windshield,” Samantha said, as she began to sob.

“Sammy, it was an accident. It wasn’t your fault,” Nick said, as he brushed his hands over her hair.

Samantha finally stopped crying for a bit, and held on tighter to Nick, just trying to catch her breath.

“Come on, let’s get into the ambulance over here,” he said, as he led her into the truck.

“Okay Samantha, you just have a few abrasions, and your foot is very swollen, nothing is broken or sprained. You will be fine with a few days bed rest,” Dr. Marks said, as he made some notations.

“Thanks,” she said weakly.

“I will call your friends to come back here, and get the paperwork ready to discharge you. Here is a prescription for pain,” he said, as he handed her the paper and then walked out the door.

Samantha looked up when she heard Nick come into the room. “Hey, everything ok?” he asked.

“Yeah I’ll be fine, just a few scratches is all,” she replied.

“Well, I called your folks, they are on the way,” Nick said.

“Did you find out what happened?” she asked him.

“The driver was drunk, and he drove over the median in the road and hit you,” Nick said.

“Nick I swear, I just looked away for a second, and Megan was sleeping in the seat. She was smiling, we had such a good time……” Samantha said, as her voice cut out, and she looked down.

“Sammy, I’m so sorry about Megan. But this is not your fault. That other guy was drunk and he hit you. You did not kill Megan,” Nick said, as he rubbed her back.

“But she’s still dead,” Samantha said, as she looked up at Nick, tears streaming down her face.

Nick looked at her, and started to cry as well. They sat there on the hospital bed with their arms wrapped around each other until they were both cried out.

Maggie walked into the hospital, with the rest of Samantha’s family behind her. “Oh my god, are you alright Sammy?” her mother said, as she fussed over her.

“Yeah, I’m okay, nothing broken. I just want to get home,” she said.

“Ok baby, let’s go,” her father said, as Nick moved off of the bed and helped her up.

They all walked out to the parking lot, Samantha’s father making sure to thank Nick for all of his help. He just smiled, saying he wouldn’t have been anywhere else. Nick hugged Samantha goodbye, telling her to get some rest and to call him later.