"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.
This waiting area is filled with several empty green chairs. If I had the energy and counted them, I bet there are almost one hundred. The walls are white and have paintings hanging on them of nature. I guess the people in the hospital put the pictures of beaches, trees, and mountaintops up to calm the anxious family members as they wait to hear whether or not their loved ones are going to make it or not.
As I look at the wall furthest from me, I notice the clock on the wall reads one o'clock, and I am exhausted. I want to go home, and I'm confused. I begin to overhear mumblings about my dad, and it is not until I go outside for some fresh air with my mom and she asks me to play some music on my violin that it hits me my dad is hurt. David walks outside and says, "I can take Andrea with me, Rena, if you want me to, and I can take care of her while you stay here and be with Andy."
"That would be great, I mean I want her to be here with me, but she is not allowed in ICU, and she doesn't need to be in this environment anyway," she tells him and then turns to me, "I love you, Andrea. I will talk to you after I know more. I promise."
I walk up to her and hug her tightly. I don't want to leave my mom. I want to see my dad."I love you too, Mama."She kisses me, and I walk with David to his Suburban. I climb in and buckle up.
"My wife is going to take you to school in the morning. You need to try to get some rest. I know you have had a rough day."
I don't understand why I have to go to school when I don't know how bad my dad is hurt, but I do know he is in ICU, so it must be bad. I don't fight David about going to school.I'm too exhausted. My thoughts keep me up as I try to doze off. I will not tell anyone at school about this accident. I have no reason to tell anyone. It may just give the kids another reason to make fun of me. I really want my mom.
"We should be home around five," I hear David tell his wife over the phone as I pretend to be asleep, "He is in ICU, and they do not know if he is going to make it. They told me the truck got hit by someone going across three lanes of traffic going eighty to eighty-five miles per hour. He was leaning over the edge of the truck when the car hit him. The truck flew up onto its nose and flung Andy in the air before it landed back on the ground. He then hit the windshield. I know, I told Rena we would watch Andrea.No, she doesn't know all of this; she is sleeping. I will drive safe. I love you, Dana."
