Chapter Ten--A sight to remember---Angels Among Us/The Blessing
Chapter 10
A sight to remember
Poor Elizabeth. Poor, poor Elizabeth. She hadn’t imagined that Josh would look like this. She and Josh had known each other for so long. But the effect that the sight of Josh would have on Elizabeth’s life would affect everything she would do, including her career after high school.
There must have been a dozen machines around him. Maybe more. The show ER on the NBC network had portrayed the Emergency Room scene very efficiently. The I.V’s, the machines, everything. The heart monitors, the donated blood. ‘God’, Elizabeth thought, ‘And the show is so interesting. Yet, when it is happening to someone you care about, it is scary.’
She approached Josh with caution, as if she was afraid to be near him. She touched his hand, which was seemingly smaller than she had remembered previous to the accident. She could feel tears coming; they felt hot behind her eyelids. She squeezed them shut and a tear fell onto Josh’s hand. It only took one tear for Elizabeth to start sobbing. And as she sat on the bed next to him, she wondered why; like so many people who found themselves in the same situation as Elizabeth. Why? Why had this happened? On what had seemed like a simple, normal day, this just had to happen. But it was the cause of Josh’s extensive injuries that plagued Elizabeth the most.
The truth was, she had been the cause. Not necessarily because she had been the driver of the truck that had hit the car that Josh had been in, but because Josh had saved her life. He and Elizabeth had been sitting in the back seat of his mother’s car when a truck being driven by a drunk driver had hit their car.
They had been driving home from school on a Friday afternoon. The buzz of the upcoming football that evening was getting to them and Josh was buzzing, either from the caffeine from the recent cappuccino, or the excitement, no one knew. ‘He must have seen the truck first,’ Elizabeth thought. He had yelled and Elizabeth had turned around, only to see the truck advancing upon them like a shark ready to strike on unexpected prey. Then, she had felt something. Something heavy on top of her.
When she had regained conscience, she had thought about the heavy feeling she had experienced and wondered why she was still alive. Surely the truck, or part of the vehicle, had landed on her. But yet, she didn’t have one scratch on her. What had happened that had caused this miraculous event, not even the doctors could figure out. And then, something hit her. What if the heavy thing that had landed on her had been another human being? And when she told the doctors about her suspicion, they knew that was what had happened. The reason Josh’s injuries were worse than the doctors had predicted was because he had thrown himself on top of Elizabeth.
The fact that someone had almost died trying to save her sent Elizabeth down the road of confusing emotions, including mental questions to herself that began mental debates with herself that would keep her up for hours at night. And this went on for the next week, while she was being kept at the hospital for tests and observation. But the one question that had stumped her was if she would ever have a friendship in which, if she had to, she would sacrifice herself for a friend.
That question was still on her mind as she sat next to Vanessa and Chad in the waiting room. Would she ever be as selfless as Josh had been; to almost die for a friend? It was then that it occurred to her, why were Chad and Vanessa here? They had acted like such good friends, and yet she and Chad had only met earlier on that same day. Turning towards them, and wiping the tear streaks from her face, she asked the question.
“Chad, Vanessa, why is Mike here?”
At first, she looked at them both. And they looked very unsure about it.
And they were. Vanessa was worried about telling Elizabeth about it because Chad was right there. On the contrary, Chad was terrified of telling Elizabeth that he had been the cause for Mike being in the hospital, because he didn’t want to come across as someone who had done something unspeakable. Imagine what kind of influence that would have on their friendship. But he knew that it would have to be done. She wouldn’t be told by a reluctant Chad until much later. For now, she just sat there, not caring whether or not Chad or Vanessa would reply. Anyway, she had taken the hints from the silence that it was pretty personal.
Oh, but Elizabeth would have a good enough friendship to try to save her friends life later on. It would happen a year later, after experiencing a tragedy of her own. But she still had Josh on her mind when she made up her mind that, if the time ever came, she would try to save a friends’ life. The doctor approached her asked her,
“Would you like to see Josh now?”
Elizabeth jumped to her feet.
“Yes. Yes, right now.” Then, she turned towards Chad and Vanessa, “Would you guys like to come also?”
They looked at each other and then back at Elizabeth. Vanessa shook her head and spoke for the both of them. Chad nodded in acknowledgment of Vanessa’s decision. Elizabeth shrugged and walked towards Josh’s room.
Vanessa knew, and later explained to Chad, that it would be much easier for Elizabeth to talk to Josh and not feel awkward with them not in the room. However, Chad couldn’t understand, so she had to put it in lay-man’s terms for him.
“Think of it this way, Chad, would it be strange if we had a person we had just met in the room when we would visit Mike? Wouldn’t it be better and the atmosphere more relaxed if it was just you and him or just me and him?”
The light-bulb clicked on in Chad’s head and he nodded.
“Yeah, I can see now what you mean. It would be kinda strange if someone was just sitting in the room. I wouldn’t be able to have a ‘normal’ conversation without feeling self-conscience.”
In Josh’s room, Elizabeth was trying to regain her composure long enough to hold a simple conversation with him; but she couldn’t. She walked in and Josh asked her a question. The question was a normal one to ask, but when Josh asked it, it seemed ironic, because of the situation he was in.
“Elizabeth, are you alright?”
And even though Elizabeth knew that the question was meant to make her feel better, and that it was just a common courtesy question, she burst into tears. Josh had a strange look upon his face, as if he didn’t quite have a reaction to Elizabeth’s reaction. She had something to say, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to bring up the topic during the present situation. But then, her mouth opened, as if not controlled by her brain.
“Josh, how can you ask such a question at a time like this? I know that question was meant to make me feel better, but it makes me feel guilty. You’re the one who almost died trying to save my life and yet you are asking me if I am alright? I should be worried about you not vice-versa.”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty, Elizabeth, just think of it this way… I didn’t have to think about one thing before saving you.”
“So you mean you didn’t have to think about? You just did it because-.”
“Because you’re my friend,” Josh began, “And that’s what friends do for each other.”
Elizabeth turned and looked at Josh, bit her lip, and tried to smile. Then, she nodded,
“Yeah, I guess. I just never thought that I would go though something like this and that I would be experiencing all these really weird feelings.”
Josh nodded and then changed the subject.
“Elizabeth, who were those people who were in the room with you when you came in earlier?”
“You were awake?”
He nodded,
“Yeah.”
Elizabeth stuttered,
“O-Oh. Well, I met them this morning. Do you want to meet them?”
“Well, I guess.”
“Ok, I’ll go and get them, okay?”
Josh nodded and Elizabeth gave him a light hug before leaving. She had been dying to throw her arms around him since she had found out that he hadn’t died. But she didn’t want to cause any more pain than she already had. So, for now, a light hug would have to suffice.
A sight to remember
Poor Elizabeth. Poor, poor Elizabeth. She hadn’t imagined that Josh would look like this. She and Josh had known each other for so long. But the effect that the sight of Josh would have on Elizabeth’s life would affect everything she would do, including her career after high school.
There must have been a dozen machines around him. Maybe more. The show ER on the NBC network had portrayed the Emergency Room scene very efficiently. The I.V’s, the machines, everything. The heart monitors, the donated blood. ‘God’, Elizabeth thought, ‘And the show is so interesting. Yet, when it is happening to someone you care about, it is scary.’
She approached Josh with caution, as if she was afraid to be near him. She touched his hand, which was seemingly smaller than she had remembered previous to the accident. She could feel tears coming; they felt hot behind her eyelids. She squeezed them shut and a tear fell onto Josh’s hand. It only took one tear for Elizabeth to start sobbing. And as she sat on the bed next to him, she wondered why; like so many people who found themselves in the same situation as Elizabeth. Why? Why had this happened? On what had seemed like a simple, normal day, this just had to happen. But it was the cause of Josh’s extensive injuries that plagued Elizabeth the most.
The truth was, she had been the cause. Not necessarily because she had been the driver of the truck that had hit the car that Josh had been in, but because Josh had saved her life. He and Elizabeth had been sitting in the back seat of his mother’s car when a truck being driven by a drunk driver had hit their car.
They had been driving home from school on a Friday afternoon. The buzz of the upcoming football that evening was getting to them and Josh was buzzing, either from the caffeine from the recent cappuccino, or the excitement, no one knew. ‘He must have seen the truck first,’ Elizabeth thought. He had yelled and Elizabeth had turned around, only to see the truck advancing upon them like a shark ready to strike on unexpected prey. Then, she had felt something. Something heavy on top of her.
When she had regained conscience, she had thought about the heavy feeling she had experienced and wondered why she was still alive. Surely the truck, or part of the vehicle, had landed on her. But yet, she didn’t have one scratch on her. What had happened that had caused this miraculous event, not even the doctors could figure out. And then, something hit her. What if the heavy thing that had landed on her had been another human being? And when she told the doctors about her suspicion, they knew that was what had happened. The reason Josh’s injuries were worse than the doctors had predicted was because he had thrown himself on top of Elizabeth.
The fact that someone had almost died trying to save her sent Elizabeth down the road of confusing emotions, including mental questions to herself that began mental debates with herself that would keep her up for hours at night. And this went on for the next week, while she was being kept at the hospital for tests and observation. But the one question that had stumped her was if she would ever have a friendship in which, if she had to, she would sacrifice herself for a friend.
That question was still on her mind as she sat next to Vanessa and Chad in the waiting room. Would she ever be as selfless as Josh had been; to almost die for a friend? It was then that it occurred to her, why were Chad and Vanessa here? They had acted like such good friends, and yet she and Chad had only met earlier on that same day. Turning towards them, and wiping the tear streaks from her face, she asked the question.
“Chad, Vanessa, why is Mike here?”
At first, she looked at them both. And they looked very unsure about it.
And they were. Vanessa was worried about telling Elizabeth about it because Chad was right there. On the contrary, Chad was terrified of telling Elizabeth that he had been the cause for Mike being in the hospital, because he didn’t want to come across as someone who had done something unspeakable. Imagine what kind of influence that would have on their friendship. But he knew that it would have to be done. She wouldn’t be told by a reluctant Chad until much later. For now, she just sat there, not caring whether or not Chad or Vanessa would reply. Anyway, she had taken the hints from the silence that it was pretty personal.
Oh, but Elizabeth would have a good enough friendship to try to save her friends life later on. It would happen a year later, after experiencing a tragedy of her own. But she still had Josh on her mind when she made up her mind that, if the time ever came, she would try to save a friends’ life. The doctor approached her asked her,
“Would you like to see Josh now?”
Elizabeth jumped to her feet.
“Yes. Yes, right now.” Then, she turned towards Chad and Vanessa, “Would you guys like to come also?”
They looked at each other and then back at Elizabeth. Vanessa shook her head and spoke for the both of them. Chad nodded in acknowledgment of Vanessa’s decision. Elizabeth shrugged and walked towards Josh’s room.
Vanessa knew, and later explained to Chad, that it would be much easier for Elizabeth to talk to Josh and not feel awkward with them not in the room. However, Chad couldn’t understand, so she had to put it in lay-man’s terms for him.
“Think of it this way, Chad, would it be strange if we had a person we had just met in the room when we would visit Mike? Wouldn’t it be better and the atmosphere more relaxed if it was just you and him or just me and him?”
The light-bulb clicked on in Chad’s head and he nodded.
“Yeah, I can see now what you mean. It would be kinda strange if someone was just sitting in the room. I wouldn’t be able to have a ‘normal’ conversation without feeling self-conscience.”
In Josh’s room, Elizabeth was trying to regain her composure long enough to hold a simple conversation with him; but she couldn’t. She walked in and Josh asked her a question. The question was a normal one to ask, but when Josh asked it, it seemed ironic, because of the situation he was in.
“Elizabeth, are you alright?”
And even though Elizabeth knew that the question was meant to make her feel better, and that it was just a common courtesy question, she burst into tears. Josh had a strange look upon his face, as if he didn’t quite have a reaction to Elizabeth’s reaction. She had something to say, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to bring up the topic during the present situation. But then, her mouth opened, as if not controlled by her brain.
“Josh, how can you ask such a question at a time like this? I know that question was meant to make me feel better, but it makes me feel guilty. You’re the one who almost died trying to save my life and yet you are asking me if I am alright? I should be worried about you not vice-versa.”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty, Elizabeth, just think of it this way… I didn’t have to think about one thing before saving you.”
“So you mean you didn’t have to think about? You just did it because-.”
“Because you’re my friend,” Josh began, “And that’s what friends do for each other.”
Elizabeth turned and looked at Josh, bit her lip, and tried to smile. Then, she nodded,
“Yeah, I guess. I just never thought that I would go though something like this and that I would be experiencing all these really weird feelings.”
Josh nodded and then changed the subject.
“Elizabeth, who were those people who were in the room with you when you came in earlier?”
“You were awake?”
He nodded,
“Yeah.”
Elizabeth stuttered,
“O-Oh. Well, I met them this morning. Do you want to meet them?”
“Well, I guess.”
“Ok, I’ll go and get them, okay?”
Josh nodded and Elizabeth gave him a light hug before leaving. She had been dying to throw her arms around him since she had found out that he hadn’t died. But she didn’t want to cause any more pain than she already had. So, for now, a light hug would have to suffice.
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