Survivor

*Savannah POV*             Sirens blaring, red and blue lights flashing all around me. It is raining. I can feel the rain dropping on my face. My head is ringing. All I can hear is the sound of my own heart beat in my ears and my ragged breath as I try to breath in. As I try to sit up a paramedic kneels next to me and holds me still. He is shouting at someone, but I can’t make out what he is saying.The pain I feel is so unbearable. I just want to close my eyes until it goes away but every time I try he shakes me a little so I stay alert. I can’t tell what they are doing but the next thing I know I have a neck brace on and am being lifted into an ambulance. I try to ask what happened but my voice wont work. Nothing comes out, I start to panic and ultimately pass out from my efforts. **** I slowly open my eyes, all I can see is colorful blobs. I hear all different machines beeping and my own breath as I painfully breathe in. I try to turn my head, but something prevents it. I blink a few times to clear my eyes so I can see where I am and maybe get some idea of what happened. When my vision finally clears, I can see my father at the end of the bed. He is crying, my father never cries he is a strong man never fazed by anything. Something horrible has happened but I cannot get my mind clear enough to remember. I try to speak but again nothing comes out. I can’t take it and slip back into a deep dreamless sleep. As I start to wake, I can hear voices. They are too low to make out, I blink a few times to clear my eyes again. This time I am alone in the room. I can still hear the low beeping above my head, and I can see that I have an IV in “yuck I hate needles” I thought to myself. I try to move to sit up but I can’t move anything. This scares me why wont my body do what I am telling it to do. I try to yell, to get anyone to come in so I can get answers but all I get is a sore throat and a sad squeak. I think to myself “okay stay calm what do i know, I know my name is Savannah Sullivan I am 22 I go to college in Georgia but I went home early for break to spend time with my kid brother and mom and dad we..” my train of thought was dropped when the door to the room opened. A young nurse walks in, she is in funny scrubs with snoopy all over the top. Her Auburn hair is up in a neat bun. I must look a sight I thought although I couldn’t see myself. I stare at her hoping she will see that I am awake and help me I don’t want to be alone in here. She looks over and puts her phone away running over to the bed. She checks me over and then runs out of the room. A tear slips down my cheek into my ear. I am so scared and don’t want to be alone, but she just left me I try to move again but I can’ t so more tears come. Then the young nurse returns, and she had the doctor with her. The doctor was an older man just a little taller than the nurse, with wide framed glasses.   He makes his way over to the side of the bed “Savannah I know this is frightening and a bit disorientating, but I need you to try and keep calm. Can you do that for me? Shake your head if you understand me.” I shook my head that I understood and tried to calm myself.  I took a shaky breath but the next one was easier, and I started to feel less panicked. “That’s it, you’re doing great. My name is Dr. Utter, do you know where you are?” I shook my head no  “that’s okay your in Rhode Island Hospital but your safe now we will take good care of you here. This is Britney she will be your nurse today if you need anything let her know and we will be here for you. Now you may have a scratchy throat for a little, try not to talk and drink lots of water. I’m making my rounds so ill check in on you again, try to get some sleep it will help you heal. Ill give you something now to help”  As he said that he pulled something out of his pocket and put it in the IV line. I felt warm and then I drifted off to a light sleep. My dreams took me back to the last day I remember. ****Start of fall break I was super excited to be headed home. Mom and Dad were not expecting me so early this was gonna be a great surprise. I took a cab from the airport in Providence and headed up to the house. I opened it with my key and let myself in. I see Joey with his back to me playing a video game.  "Boo little brother" he jumped half out of his seat. "Sammy! he grabbed me in a small bear hug and I couldn't help but laugh. Mom and dads shocked faced rounded the corner. "Joey are you alri....moms concerned voice stopped when she saw me.  "My baby's home ! she also enveloped me in a hug. " your home early, we were not expecting you till next week!" I laughed again " I know, I got done with midterms early and thought I'd surprise you."  **** The next day we decided on a picnic in the park, however the weather had other plans and rained on us. It was the most fun even if we had to eat in the car and wait it out. Once we finished eating the rain had not let up so instead of just going home we made the best of it. Running through the puddles, splashing each other. We were happy, my dad hugged my mom around her waist kissing her. Joey is 12, my parents miracle baby because they thought they could not have more after I was born. He takes after my dad same blonde curls I have red hair but both my parents are blonde, Mom just laughed it off as someone in their family had red hair and that is where I got it from. After the park I remember getting into the car but then nothing else, its all fuzzy. ****Samantha POV hospital “Dad” I managed to croak out as I came to again, ignoring the pain in my throat. He stands and comes over taking my hand in his. He looks like he has not slept in days.  He kisses the back of my hand “Savannah, I am so glad you are awake, I am here now everything is going to be okay.” I look at him and cant hold back the tears “dad what happened” He sighed and grabbed the chair, I saw that he had a metal brace on his leg. He scooted the chair closer and took my hand again.  “Do you remember anything after the visit to the park in the rain?” he asked looking at my hands. I shook my head no; I didn’t trust my voice just yet. “after we got into the car we headed for home. We were driving along then out of no where this black car slams into us. He paused and got a tissue from a near by box. “Your mother and Joeys side of the car was struck first” his voice broke a little, I could see that he was trying to keep it together “they both died on impact. They never caught the driver, I don’t remember much after the impact, I was stuck under the dashboard and hit my head”.  I looked down at the metal brace on his right leg. I had not realized tears were flowing down my face until my cheek stung a little. He took a kleenex and whipped my face for me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, my beautiful mother and Joey both gone. My heart hurt so much, and I found it hard to breathe. I got up the courage and asked him about what happened to me. Before he could answer a knock at the door of my room interrupted us. “How are you feeling Savannah? It was Dr. Utter; he walked in and grabbed my chart from the end of the bed. “I shook my head but tried to answer. “My throat still hurts but I don’t feel pain anywhere else". Hmm he placed his hand on his chin then moving the blanket he uncovered my feet.  “I want to try something Savannah, tell me if you can feel this? He took a pen out of his pocket and ran it along the underside of my right foot. My eye widened as I realized that I didn’t feel the pen. I shook my head no. He went to my other foot and did the same but again nothing. Panic began to rise in me as I realized I couldn't make my toes wiggle. I was trying but even when I looked at them willing them to move nothing happened. Dr Utter stood and looked at my father and I, “I was afraid of this when we saw her scans but I had hoped that the emergency surgery she had would have prevented this but it looks like it was unsuccessful.  Wait surgery? “what surgery what does he mean dad?” I looked over at my father who had is face in his hands. “how long have I been in the hospital?”  Dr utter was the one to answer “you have been in a coma for 3 weeks, we had to do surgery to release the pressure on your spine. You were thrown from the car when the accident happened. We will run more test and will move forward with treatment from there. I have a few friends who specialize in spinal cord injuries and will consult with them. Just remember your in good hands here”.  He gave a reassuring smile, but I was shell shocked so I just stared off not really looking at anyone. Our lives were never going to be the same. I laid back and just let the tears flow, I didn’t care anymore.