His Memories of Her

21st

The lady looked at him, but he quickly shifted his gaze towards the ambulance doors that are about to close at the very same time. He did not know what happened when he suddenly stood up, run towards the ambulances that are park side by side. He looks at them in turns as he walks to them, seems to be deciding to whom he should walk towards to but that did not take that long, as he walks straight towards Michael, where he looks at him, hold his hand. Michael is usually so loudly annoying is now so quiet, quietly lying with his eyes closed like when he is sleeping, but right now, he has blood running from the side of his forehead and some wounds.

“Sorry, but who are you?” is what he vaguely heard when someone came to his side.

He is not in the right state of mind to answer it by words and so he handed his phone to them which the call is still going on which only just a moment ago did the police woman have realized that it was not the noise in the background that somehow confused her when she also heard it on the other end and by that she found out that there is someone among the crowd who is related to the victims of car collision that she started searching until someone caught her eyes at the corner, a man who is sitting on the road on his knees whom she approaches and chase because he started to walk.

After Henry got a good look of Michael who seems to be not in critical condition, only by this he started walking towards the other side, the ambulance which he feels so sure that Irene will be put in since she is already half way to it so Henry run as fast as he could so he could catch up and called “Wait!” that the paramedics waited for him before they close the doors. Henry climbs up only to fall on his knees once again beside the stretcher where Irene is lying just like Michael.

It is just that she got it a lot far worse than Michael that Henry felt so weak making him fall on his knees. Seeing Irene who is bathing in her own blood while a lot of glass shards everywhere on her and the thinking he could see after looking at her from toe to her head is the hand of one of the paramedics on her head that somehow gave him the strength to slightly stood up, and got a help from another paramedics to make him sit on the chair beside Irene whose hand have never left his and only then he got a good vision of what is doing of that hand on her head. Putting pressure to her head where a piece of glass shard has stuck in her head, it is not so big but big enough to make it visible even with the fact that is almost crystal clear.

Seeing this, finally the tears on Henry’s eyes started to roll down after a long time of processing what is going on. He knows that Michael has never been a reckless driver that is the solely reason why he entrusted her to him and just by this fact he knows who is clearly to be blame in here.

“Sir,” Henry said answering the phone which he did not know is already sitting on his lap.

“I received the call, where are you now?” The man whom he called sir said.

“I am with her.” Henry said in between his sob, his sob that has been going on after seeing how severe could be Irene’s situation is.

“Be strong. I will see you in a bit.” The voice said which is pretty shaken up as well. Noticeable even with the kind of voice he has.

Henry hum “Hmmm.” And nod like the person he is talking is currently in front of him.

He hung up the call and dialed another number which did not ring that much, after just one ring he already said “Dad, Call Michael’s parents.” And gave the name of the hospital who owned the ambulances that are running in a fast speed one behind the other, the one he rides with Irene being the one in front.

Henry just continued crying and crying, in a silent way as he did not make any sound it is just that his tears have rolled down continuously, just like his heart beat that he feels like if he opens his mouth even in just a second, he would throw up his own heart on its own will. He did nothing but to hold Irene’s hand until they came to the hospital where he climbs down on the same time of the paramedics pulls out Irene’s stretcher without letting go of her hand until to where he was stopped by the doctors as they needed to bring and prepare her for brain surgery.

Henry looks and watched Irene being pushed inside the operating room, leaving him outside with sore eyes, face that is red and just staring to the doors of the operating room even though he is sure that it would not open anytime sooner.

“Honey!” a woman’s voice came in exclaiming tone that stopped Henry in his tract of walking back and forth instead of sitting to the waiting lobby where the other patients’ families are staying to wait for the news just like him.

Henry turned his head and he sees so many people running, charging towards him, everyone wearing worried expression. His mom, his grandma and father and the one who is ahead of everyone is the last person he wants to see right now. He decided to run towards the man, meeting him in between and quickly said “I am so sorry, I should have gone to pick her up, so I could have done something to prevent everything. I did not mean any of this to happen.” With more tears running down his cheeks.

“Honey, it is not your fault.” His mother said as soon as she came beside him and hug him sidewards.

Only then he started sobbing, he sobs, screaming silently on his mother’s chest like a kid who has been bullied and got hurt by other children in his own peaceful time alone.

Henry just continues to lay on his mother’s chest sobbing uncontrollably that Irene’s brother did not really find the right time to have a word with him until his mother lets him go and so he did go towards him where they stood in one corner, sitting next to each other with Henry who thankfully calmed down, even though it was only his sobs that stops, and tears still rolling down, it is still better than nothing.

“You do not have to worry, I have talk to the police and told me what really happened, but sadly, we could not have anyone to take responsibility.” Irene’s brother said, after giving Henry’s back a light pat and look at him with sympathy before he looks away.

Henry raised his head up which has been down, staring onto the floor. His expression that was seems so weak changed. His gaze towards her brother became intense and his jaw that stiffens for a moment before he opened his mouth and said “Why?” with his eyes widen and fingers from both hands intertwined to each other.

“The drunkard was announced D.O.A. he died even before they pulled him out of his own car.” Irene’s Brother said in solemn voice.

“Am I evil if I tell you that I am happy for whatever happened to him?” Henry blurted out.

Irene’s brother looked at him straight into his eyes, took a deep breath before he said. “I could not say that I do not agree with you, sharing your opinion is something normal for the victim’s family, but I just hope you would not say that ever again, special when she wakes up and ask what happened after she has passed out. She will not like that.” And smile weakly.

Henry looked away and sigh before he buried his face on his palms and did not say anything anymore, he agrees with him. Knowing just how kindhearted Irene is, a misfortune will never be something to celebrate. But he just could not help to feel this way specially when he is not sure of how this operation would go and what will be the result.

After waiting such a long time that felt like so long leaving them hanging which only took four hours in reality while continuously approaching continuously the door every time they would hear a sound from the other side, hoping that Irene’s doctor would come out and tell them the news. And thankfully this time around, it is her doctor.

“Who is the family of the victim?” the doctor said.

“We are.” Henry’s mother said, it should have not done, but he could not blame his mother, she likes Irene too much and the happiness they shared earlier before he went out that finally he could ask her out just proves that she wants no one but her for him.

“I am her brother; this is her boyfriend and his family.” Irene’s brother said. That shocked everyone but did not have enough time to make their reactions obvious because the doctor walks up towards her brother.

“I need to tell only to you the situation and let you decide if you would tell them or not.” The doctor said.

No one argued from Henry’s family, even him. Everyone knows this kind of hospital protocol. Only blood related are the ones who are allowed to know the situation and by that, Henry’s mom hug his waist and pulls him away from her brother and the doctor with his grandma and father as Irene’s brother and the doctor took few steps away as well.

“Mom, is she going to be, ok?” Henry said weakly as they sit on one of the chairs.

Henry’s mom rubs his arm and said “She is a joyful and strong girl; she will make it. So, I need you to clam down so when you face her later, she will not worry that you have cried your eyes out.” His mother said making a weak joke at the very end.

Henry wiped his tears for the first time, but his eyes will just let you know just how much he have cried. “That is true, I could already hear her scolding me.” Henry said with a weak smile on his face.

Soon they hear footsteps, Henry and his mother stood up seeing that it is Irene’s brother who is approaching them, seems that he is already done talking with Irene’s doctor.

“How are you holding up?” he said towards Henry who seems to be better, but they all could feel that there is something else behind his words towards Henry. They all could tell the saying of ‘the samurai who is testing the wind to know how fast he could cut’.

“Just please tell me. I do not need anything else right now but facts.” Henry said in pleading tone.

Irene’s brother looked at him for a moment before he took a sigh and opens his mouth and said “they said that the part of the glass hits her hippocampus, part of the brain which holds the memory. They wanted to do everything they could to fix the damage, but at the end, the surgeon decided not to and just put a remedy for the meantime as he is afraid that instead solve it, he might do worse.” Which everyone listened attentively.

“So…” henry said only to be cut off by Irene’s brother when he started talking once again.

“I hate to say this, but I need to transfer her overseas. I got an ok from the doctor and I already made a call to arrange everything.” He added.

Henry looked at him and said “When? When do you plan to move her? We have jet planes. We have countless right dad?” Henry said in somehow desperate tone specially when he asks his father who nods to his son with his whole heart in sympathy.

“Later as soon as the sun is up. And no, the doctor said he is not sure of how much damage she took and gave me advice that the more secluded things are when she wakes up, is better. That is why we are leaving without you and just wait for my fathers’ friend’s medical chopper so she could have her post ops needs while in the way.” Irene’s brother added.

“What do you mean, without me?” Henry said in disbelief.

“The doctor said, the fewer people from the past and mostly those who have known her for such a long time would be the better choice to have when she wakes up.” Her brother replied.

“Is three years not long enough?” Henry said desperately as he just could not comprehend why he could not go with them specially right now.

End of flashback