I haven’t seen Mrs. Amber’s phone number pop up in over a year.
She was crying and the only words I could make out were “coma,” and her son’s name. She put me on speaker and bought a ticket for the next flight to MN. Assuming I’d want to be there.
“He will want you here, he’ll want to see you when he wakes up, he… he’s. Your flight leaves tonight honey, from Omaha. I can get you some clothes here so don’t worry about packing. Austin will get you an Uber to drive you to the airport. I don’t want you driving… “
Austin and N got in a car accident. A serious one.
Austin was driving, they were listening to music. It was late, around 1:00 am. They go to Colorado and snowboard with the guys every year and they were on their way home.
The doctors weren’t sure if he would wake up, and if he did, if it would be the normal him.
They hit head-on with a drunk driver. After a few 360s and slamming straight on with another truck they were both unconscious. Debris from multiple cars broke the sunroof and came crashing in on them. Austin’s Tesla upside down, he woke up hanging by the seat belt. N was thrown out of the car and found laying on the concrete twenty feet away. He was covered in blood and unresponsive when the ambulance got there. Austin said he saw flashing blue and red lights almost instantly after waking up. He was in so much shock, he couldn’t hear anything the medics were saying to him.
I didn’t know how to tell her, I pretty much have a restraining order against her son. He broke my heart. So, I asked if I could pray with her. It wasn’t the time to tell her about the beef between us. Or, that I have a boyfriend that literally hates his guts and doesn’t want me to ever see him or go near him again. I can’t get on that flight.
Austin was physically okay. He had a glass shard from the side mirror cut his lip and a concussion from hitting his head on the steering wheel. N broke three ribs, the nurses were pulling out hundreds of glass shreds in his arms, legs, and back. His head injury and coma is the concern, everything else will heal.
I heard Austin in the background…
“It’s all my fault, I can’t live with myself if I killed him! The car came out of nowhere I swear!”
“Honey, it’s not your fault,” she said.
“We were going to stay another night and drive back in the morning but I didn’t want to. We were just talking and…he, he unbuckled to reach something in the back seat and then that truck just appeared. It’s like he was trying to kill us. I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry Mrs. A,” he sobbed.
He had been unconscious for 12 hours.
Mrs. Amber was a mess without her husband. He was flying in from out of the country on a friend’s jet. He wasn’t waiting two days for a flight.
I hung up. I sat in the garage at work. What the heck am I supposed to do!? I have to go. I know I do. I’ve got to call my boyfriend and explain everything.
Situations don’t matter when people die. History, drama, misunderstandings, or whatever, it goes away when people get hurt.
Of course I should go, I knew I needed to be getting on that plane. What am I thinking? This is Nathaniel, one of my absolute best friends. He’s in the hospital and his family and best friend want me there.
Anything that happened between us doesn’t matter anymore and my boyfriend would understand. I love my boyfriend more than anything and Nathaniel knows that.
But who even cares? He’s on his death bed.
I was still sitting in the garage, arguing with myself. My phone rang.
“He woke up!” Austin nearly yelled into the phone.
I heard the nurse in the background. She threw her arms up in the air squealing with joy, running out for the doctor. He didn’t say anything, he just laid there looking confused and sleepy. But, he was awake.
I heard Ms. Amber crying still, but now with relief, “my baby, you’re going to be okay.”
The nurse came beside his bed, she pointed a little light in his eyes and clicked it on and off. “Hi there. How are you feeling?” He didn’t say anything. “Can you try and say something honey? You’re doing great, but I need you to talk for me.” He didn’t say anything. The nurse looked back to his mom. “It’s okay if he doesn’t talk right away, but it’s very important that he does soon.” She left the room.
“I’m so sorry Nate.” Austin said. “I’m so glad you’re alive. You had me sacred there for a minute.” He squinted his eyes and touched the wrap on his head in pain.
“Don’t touch that honey!” His mom said.
He looked up, focusing on Austin.
“Can you tell me what’s happening?” I asked Austin who was still on the phone with me.
“He woke up but he isn’t talking. The nurse said that if he doesn’t soon…”
“Is that her?”
Austin started laughing. Praise the Lord, the man speaks! Mrs. Amber ran to tell the nurse. Austin sobbed hugging him.
“Where is she? Why are you talking to her?”
“Here, ask her yourself,” Austin said handing him the phone…
-E
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