It is almost seven, according to the clock in the police car and it is dark now, and I am thankful we're leaving, especially since I need to use the restroom.
We make it to this gas station. I didn't catch the name, but there aren't a lot of people here. I find the restroom quick. It is a single restroom, so I close the heavy door and lock it. The walls are covered in green tile and the floors are white. The toilet paper is sitting on top of the toilet paper holder. I walk to the sink to wash my hands. I do it out of routine and I don't even bother looking in the mirror. I grab a drink and I walk up to the register to pay with the five-dollar bill I found, but the lady tells me to keep my money. She is just getting off her shift when she asks me if I want to help her count the money from the register, and I accept the invitation. I grab a stool and stand on it so I can sit up on the white countertop and help the nice lady count the money.
I take a huge drink from my cherry Icee when I hear my grandma's voice. I jump down and run as fast as I can into her arms."Hey baby girl, are you okay?" Her eyes are tearing up as she asks the question.
"I am fine Grandma. I love you," I say, as I hug her tight. I get into the car, and my grandpa, Aunt Pat, and Uncle Jim are waiting for me. We head to the hospital. As we approach the emergency room area, I see my mom and sister Nikki, my dad's boss David, and his coworker Frankie.
"Andrea," Mom cries out as she sees me. I run into her arms and hug her."Are you okay, sweet pea?" She examines me by turning my head from side to side and then says, "Oh, my goodness, you need to be checked out." I don't remember looking in a mirror in a long time, I wonder what she is looking at. "No, your eyes are black and blue, and you look hurt."
Death is something that can happen at any time. If I laid my head down on that old microwave that was in the middle of the truck seat, I could have been seriously injured and possibly killed. The edges of that microwave were sharp. If I decided to take a nap, at that point in time, when the truck went on its nose and then landed back down, it could have slit my neck and caused me to bleed a lot. I am thankful, I was not hurt physically from that accident, but the emotional toll of the accident still hurts to this day.
"I promise I am fine. I have been crying, and I am tired." She hugs me again and trusts my judgment. I walk with her over to my sister and David. My sister is crying as she hugs me. We are in this huge waiting room, and I'm not sure what exactly we are doing here. David is going to be mad about his truck, but I'm not going to be the one to tell him about it.
