The Call Read online

  “Abraham, no! Don’t do this again. I can't stand the confusion. What’s happening? What’s going on?”

  “It's okay, sweet girl. It's okay.”

  He fades away, as does little Adriana, and I groan loudly at the frustration. Then the pounding head and aching body returns. “Abraham?” Blackness.

  »»•««

  Devon

  Racing inside the ER where I saw them unload Reagan and Abraham, I skid to a stop at the front desk. “My name is Devon Winters. You just brought my sister and best friend in here, the crash victims. I need to talk to a doctor. Right now!”

  “Sir, calm down. Can you fill these forms out for your sister?”

  I chuck the forms over her head. “No! Don’t tell me to fucking calm down. I’ve lost too much already. I need to know what’s happening right now! You know my sister. She works in Radiology. I want someone from that floor down here. Now, lady!”

  She grabs the phone in front of her and pushes a few buttons. “I need Tommy down here right now please… Yes, thank you. Someone is on the way. Please sit down. I don’t want to have security escort you out of the building.”

  I’m pacing back and forth when I see Reagan’s gay friend, Tommy, come through some doors in neon pink scrubs. “Tommy!” I rush over to him. “It's Reagan. Reagan and her boyfriend. I need you to go back there and find out all you can.” Fresh tears start to form in my eyes again, managing to piss me off because I can't control them. “Please, Tommy. Please.”

  “I’ll find out everything that I can, I promise. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.” He runs through a set of double doors and disappears.

  I keep picturing her lifeless, bloody body crumpled in my lap in the middle of the intersection. I drop my butt into a cold, stiff chair and put my head in my hands.

  I can't lose that girl. She’s my life. And if she loses Abraham, she’ll wish she was dead. I’m not so naive to think that if only one of them makes it, the other won’t have emotionally died with them. It looked so bad. I’m just not sure how either of them is still going to be breathing after that.

  The image of the two of them, rolling through the air and then crashing into the pavement, will haunt my nightmares, especially the site that I happened upon when I made it to them..

  A hand touches me and I shoot up.

  »»•««

  Reagan

  It doesn’t take Abraham being weird for me to realize this isn’t real this time. A little girl who looks like me, but has Abraham’s green eyes, is running around with Dozer and a slightly gray Thor. When I look over, Abraham is looking at me.

  “What’s happened, Abraham? Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Why am I here?”

  His hand grazes my cheek but I don’t feel it. He doesn’t answer my question, he just stares at me.

  “Abraham? I’m scared. I don’t understand what’s going on or how we got here.”

  “Don’t be scared. I’m here. It's okay. I’m here. Just wake up. Baby, please wake up.” He fades out again. When I look at the little girl, she’s gone too.

  Damn it! Oh, my head.

  »»•««

  Damon

  When Sam and I run through the doors of the ER, Devon is sitting with his head in his hands. When I grab his shoulder he shoots up.

  He engulfs me in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Damon. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I was too far away.”

  My arms won’t move to hug him back, but my lip starts to quiver. “Devon? How bad was it?”

  He pulls away and just stares at me. Tears spill over my eyes onto my cheeks. “They were airborne before they landed upside down taking out a streetlight. By the time I got to her—” He pauses and I die a hundred deaths waiting for him to compose himself enough to finish. “She had cut herself from the seatbelt and cut him down.”

  “Was he lucid?” Sam is next to me in tears. I wrap her in my arms as she bawls.

  “No. I think he was out on impact. But he was still alive when they loaded him up.”

  “Dev, how bad?”

  “She collapsed in my arms and passed out.”

  Shaking my head back and forth I back up until my body hits the wall. I slide down it and thrust my hands into my hair. “I can't, Devon. I can't. No.” Sam sits beside me. I pull her head into my chest and she cries.

  Abraham is the only one in her immediate family who gives a damn about her. Reagan is my twin and the only woman Devon and I ever cared about and needed to protect. The thought that we may have failed our parents consumes me. Tears slowly and quietly continue to roll down my cheeks.

  Mickey and Kate burst through the doors holding hands. Kate’s in tears. This type of emotion can't be good for the baby. Maybe I shouldn’t have told them until I knew something more solid.

  »»•««

  Reagan

  “Abraham, why are we here?” We’re sitting at his Uncle Peter’s house. Aunt Kathy comes around the corner laughing and kissing Peter. Well that’s new.

  “Because Adriana wanted to stay with them instead of at Devon and Sara’s while we wait for Brandon to finally make an appearance.”

  I look down to find that I am, indeed, pregnant again. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, Abraham.”

  He gives a small chuckle. “I know, sweet girl. I can't make the call to tell you.”

  “Well, make it your fucking call, Abraham. I’m tired of the games.”

  “It's not up to me, Reagan. It will be okay. Just remember that I love you.”

  “Damn it.” The whole scene fades from view and my head starts to pound. Or maybe it has been all along and I’m just noticing it now.

  »»•««

  Voices, I hear voices. I can't open my eyes. I try to move my limbs but they feel like lead.

  For the first time, I can feel something, someone’s skin on mine. It's much warmer than mine—almost uncomfortably so.

  It's wrapped around my hand. “Just stay with us. We still need you, Reagan.” I can't place the voice. It doesn’t matter— I couldn’t do anything to answer it anyway. Blackness again.

  »»•««

  Devon

  Two hours later, Tommy comes through the double doors, a little after Uncle Peter shows up. He has changed from his neon pink scrubs into a pair of lime green ones. He walks up and wraps me in his arms. “Tommy? Please.”

  He holds me at arm’s length. “Elijah’s out of surgery. The doc says that it's going to be touch and go for a while. But because he was rendered unconscious upon impact, his body was limp when they rolled. It helps when your body is relaxed.” It’s still weird for me to hear anyone call Abraham by his given name, Elijah, since we gave him the nickname nine years ago. Sam and Peter have stepped closer and are heavily listening to every word that comes out of his mouth.

  “I was given permission by Doc. Johnston to tell you that it’s seventy/thirty with him. He should pull through but I’m not giving you a definite yes or no. Things could still turn. He would be here to tell you himself, but he is still monitoring your sister and Elijah very closely.”

  “Tommy,” Damon has joined my side. “Reagan?”

  He gives me a somber look. “Dev, I…”

  Kathy rushes in. “Boys! How is she? What happened? Can we see her? Is she awake?”

  Tears start rolling down her face and she backs up into a chair right before her legs give out. “Tommy, you gotta give me something!”

  “She’s critical. She had some internal bleeding. We got it to stop. Girl’s tuff. She shouldn’t have even been lucid. Especially enough to run down the EMTs. I don’t know if it was shock, adrenaline, or the need for her to get to Elijah that kept her conscious.

  “She’s out of surgery and in a room up in ICU. I got them both in the same room. She’d kill me when she woke up if she couldn’t get to him. And he’s a pretty big guy, I don’t need that pounding on me.” He gives a small laugh.

  “Is she going to make it?”

 
; His look is grim. “Her injuries were more extensive than Elijah’s. Her percentage is considerably lower than his. It's pretty much their call. It depends on how hard they fight to get back to each other. If she makes it through the night, her chances increase a good amount.”

  Sam grabs hold of Damon’s and my hands. “Can we go to them, please?”

  “Everyone here knows and loves Reagan, she gets special privileges. But I can't allow all of you in the room at the same time for safety reasons. You can go in groups of two. Devon and Damon, since you’re siblings you go first.”

  “Sam is Abraham’s…uh, Elijah’s sister.”

  “Okay, the three of you can follow me. Only one of you can stay overnight in the room though. The rest of you can either go home or sleep on the chairs out here. Come on, I’ll take you to them.”

  »»•««

  Reagan

  “Do you think that it will be like this forever?” Abraham looks at me while I sit on the floor playing Barbies with Adriana. He’s got Brandon wrapped in a blue blanket, and he’s rocking him back and forth while standing.

  “Like what, sweet girl?”

  “Living in this dream world. Do you think this is heaven? I don’t know if I like it if it is. Tiny moments of what life could have been before I died. Not knowing how I died.”

  “Don’t think like that. You’re—”

  “Still needed, I know I know. By who though? By you? By our children? I don’t understand any of this, Abraham. And you’re no help.”

  He smiles. “I love you, sweet girl.”

  “I love you too, Abraham. See you again soon.” He laughs as he fades out with my son and daughter.

  “I’m so over this crap.”

  »»•««

  Damon

  The three of us follow Tommy through some doors and up an elevator. When we stop at a door he turns to us and says, “I’ll wait here.”

  Taking a deep breath, we all enter. I wish I could erase the image from my mind immediately. Their beds are on opposite sides of the room. There are tubes and wires everywhere. Beeping echoes off of the walls. I look at Abraham first. I need to prepare my heart before I see my twin sister in the same state as him.

  He’s got a cast on his left wrist and stitches above his eye. It’s in the same spot as when I caused it to happen after I found out about him and Reagan. There’s dried blood around his nostrils and around his hairline. You can tell that they cleaned him up a little bit, but that thought only further worries me.

  Even his hospital gown has some blood stains on it. Sam goes to the side of his bed and grabs hold of his good hand. As much as I want to go and comfort her, I have to force myself to look at my sister.

  When my eyes land on her bed, I drop to my knees. She’s got a tube down her throat and a large gash near her hairline on her right side, with stitches holding it together. There’s dried blood everywhere—her nostrils, her ears, her arms, what I can see of her mouth around the breathing tube. It's everywhere. It's even in her hair.

  She’s battered and bruised all over. Devon is clenching the end of her bed so hard his knuckles are white. I force myself to stand and go to her. Taking her cold hand in mine, I whisper, “Just stay with us. We still need you, Reagan.”

  Sam’s hand grabs my shoulder. I kiss Reagan’s hand and set it back down. I can't stay in here anymore right now. My brain needs time to process all this. “Dev. Come on. Let them see her.”

  We walk back into the ER waiting room and watch as Kathy and Peter leave the room to take our place. Kate and Mickey are sitting and watching us approach. “Dev?” Kate is looking to him.

  “I can't.” He falls into a chair and covers his face.

  Sam turns her face into my shoulder and sobs. I’ve gone numb. Stroking her short blonde hair and telling her it's going to be okay is the only thing that’s happening in my body. Reagan.

  Chapter Two

  Abraham

  Fuck I hurt. What the fuck happened? My arms won’t lift to cradle my head like I want them to. When I try to open my eyes, they fight me and win. I’m trying to make sense of all of this, but it's like someone stuffed cotton in my brain.

  Who’s crying? Is that Sam? Why’s Sam crying? Think, Stone. Think. I can't remember anything but the angel. The angel. Her face. It's what I imagine bliss is like. She's got impossibly big brown eyes that match the color of her long hair. Her lips are perfect and her cheekbones are high. She’s just gorgeous.

  She’s talking to me. What is she saying? I can't make it out. My cheeks feel wet. Am I crying? The angel seems to be important. At least I think she is. Her smile makes some of the pain go away.

  She seems sad. Why would such a sweet girl be sad? Sweet girl… My sweet girl…

  Reagan!

  »»•««

  Devon

  The cot that the nurses brought me went unused. I sit on the floor against the wall, between Abraham and Reagan’s beds. A new nurse comes in with a big cup. She’s average height and a little on the heavier side, but built. Her mocha-colored skin heightens the honey color of her eyes. Her smile is full of gleaming white teeth, and it’s both warm and welcoming. “Here cher. Names Maggie. They tell me you’ve been here and up all night. How ya doin’?” There is no doubt in my mind that she has grown up in the French Quarter here in New Orleans. Her French/Creole accent gives her away while also drawing you to her and making her seem like a loving mother hen.

  “I’m doin’. Thanks.” She hands the cup to me with a couple packets of sugar. I toss the sugar on the cot and take a sip of the coffee. “When’s the doc gonna be in?”

  “Uh, should be here in about a half hour. He’s coming in early for ya, darlin’.”

  “And I’m grateful for it. How long have you worked here?”

  She looks at me with a sad, knowing smile. “Long enough to know better than to tell you what I think about these two’s outlook. They turn good or bad quick, honey. Car accidents are tricky business. And from what I hear, theirs was no accident.”

  My head drops. “I know, I was there.”

  “Oh, child.” She squats down and rubs my back. “Your brother and the little girl have been asking to come in. Do you want me to send them in?”

  “Are they the only ones out there?”

  She shakes her head. “They’re all still here. They stayed all night. The older guy went for pillows and blankets but that was the extent of leaving the waiting room. We moved them up here to the reception area where there’s carpet.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Everything I can do, cher. It's why I’m here.” She checks the machines and switches out one of the IV bags from both of their poles. “You want me to send them in?”

  “Only if they can stay when the doc comes in.”

  She smiles, nods, and then walks out. A few minutes later, Damon slides down the wall to the floor on one side of me and Sam does the same on the other side. “Any change?”

  “Abraham’s been twitching here and there throughout the night. Nurse said it's probably a good sign. And you heard Tommy, she made it through the night.”

  “Yeah, when’s the doc comin’ in?”

  “Nurse Maggie says within the hour.” Speak of the devil. The doctor comes walking in. “Doc.”

  “I figured the earlier I got here, the better. Reagan’s one of the good ones.”

  “Thanks.”

  He walks over to Abraham first. He shines a light in his eyes, and then listens to his heart and lungs. After checking the monitors and IV, he turns to us. “I’m going to have him taken for an MRI. If that’s clear, then I think it's safe to say that he’s out of the woods.”

  Sam laugh/cries and I put my arm around her. The doc turns his attention to Reagan. He does the same to her that he did to Abraham. He also checks a few bags that hang from her bed and the respiratory machine that’s breathing for her.

  Damon and I sit stark still. “I’m going to order one for her too. Whereas I don’t feel comfortable telling
you that she’ll pull through just yet, I can tell you that her outlook has risen since last night.”

  The hope I thought he would bring is snuffed out. I’m so sick of not knowing. I’m so done with waiting. Standing, I look at Damon. “I can't. I fucking can't.” I walk out of the room and leave them there. My mind goes numb.

  »»•««

  Abraham

  I look over to the woman lying next to me. My sweet girl…angel…it’s a reflex to call her that. She has long, dark-brown hair and big brown eyes to match. I think her name starts with an R. I can't put my finger on it. Why won’t my mind let me go there? Ugh. This is so fucking frustrating. “Angel? I miss you. I know that I know you. I just can't find it. Please, what’s your name?”

  She smiles and again it takes some of the pain away. “Oh, Abraham. You can do it. I have faith in you. You have to make it through. For me. I still need you. Try. Try. I love you, Abraham.”

  “Wait! Where are you going?” She’s already faded into the white surrounding her.

  I know that I know her, share my home and my heart with her. My sweet girl… sweet girl…

  »»•««

  Damon

  “Dev?” He’s already out the door.

  Sam puts her hand in the middle of my chest to stop me. “He needs a moment. Let him have it. Besides, if she wakes up, one of you needs to be here.”

  She’s right, but I feel like my world is crashing in around me. “Yeah, okay.”

  The doctor puts a hand on my shoulder. “It's okay, son. His mind needs time to absorb what’s happening. He did the same thing when it was your parents. At least this time I’ll know where he is.”

  “You were here for my parents’ deaths?” Chills run down my arms and legs, then double back.

  “I was. I was just an intern then, but yes, I was here. You were what, ten?”

  “Yeah, I can't believe you remember us.”

  “To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t work with your sister every time she’s in.”

  Ah, there it is. “So you can't give us anything new?”