Chapter Seven: Tragic News

Chapter Seven: Tragic News


I woke up in a nice cozy bed. I looked up and saw a lady hovering over me.
“Hey,” she said. “You’re okay after all.”
“What? Who are you? You’re not my mother,” I said.
“I know I’m not, but she is.”
The stranger lady pointed to the side of me and I looked. I saw my mom and dad kneeling next to me.
“Hey, Mom, hey Dad,” I said. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital,” Mom answered. “That lady is your nurse.”
“Could she leave? I want to talk to you alone.”
My dad looked at the nurse and she left.
“So you probably heard what happened,” I guessed. “I’m sorry.”
“People say that you were driving irresponsibly and crashed,” Mom said. Great! I thought to myself sarcastically. Just what I wanted them to hear.
“Where’s Matt?!” I suddenly remembered he was in the car.
“Honey, I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Mom said.
“I don’t care if you know what I’m talking about!” I snapped. “Where’s Matt?!”
“Son,” Dad butted in. “You hit your head, maybe you’re remembering wrong.”
“Fine!” I yelled. “You guys don’t know, I’ll ask the doctor.”
I sat up and started to climb out of my bed, but my dad put his arm around me.
“Daniel! You can’t get out of bed. You need to rest.”
“Don’t tell me what to do! I’m fine!”
I threw his arm off of me and climbed out of bed. I figured that that wasn’t the best way to greet my parents since two years, but I need to find Matt. I found the doctor and walked up to him.
“Excuse me doctor,” I said. “Can you help me find a patient?”
“Name?” he asked.
“Matthew Brown,” I said.
The doctor looked at me troubled like he didn’t know what to say.
“So,” I said. “Where is he?!”
“Son, the day of the crash… Matt came to this same hospital…” he paused. “He didn’t make the night.”
The doctor walked away without saying another word. He could at least have said sorry. He was so uncompassionate it made me want to punch him in the nose. For the first time in a long time, I found myself crying. Tears ran down my face as if someone poured a bucket of water on me. I slowly walked back to my room and sat down on my bed where my mom and dad still were.
“Daniel, what’s wrong?” my mom asked.
I sat there wondering how I could explain this.
“Daniel!” my dad yelled. “Answer your mother.”
“I…” I started. “My friend, Matt, was in the car with me. He… he died last night. It’s all my fault Mom.”
“Dan,” my dad said. “It was your fault, you’re right; but you don’t have to feel guilty about it. It was an accident… accidents happen.”

Two days later, I was released from the hospital. The first thing I did was find out where Matt’s parents lived. I drove there and rung the doorbell. A man opened the door who I suspected was Matt’s father.
“Sir, I’m Daniel Evans, you must be…”
“Hello, Daniel,” he cut me off sounding angry. “I hope you’re having a lovely day.”
I knew he was being sarcastic.
“Because my day,” he continued. “Totally stinks right now! Do you want to know why? Because you crashed a car that my son was in, and now he’s DEAD!”
“Sir,” I said. “I came over to apologize. If you don’t accept it, I totally understand.”
“Well, I don’t! So get out!”
He slammed the door, but I stopped it with my hands. I pushed it back open.
“Just one thing I need to say before I go,” I said. “I wish that I wasn’t irresponsible, because Matt was the nicest friend that I have ever had; if it wasn’t for him… I wouldn’t be a college graduate right now.”
“Well, I’m proud of him that he helped you,” he said. “But I’m not proud of you.”
He shut the door again, but this time didn’t slam it. I walked away and pulled out my car keys. As soon as I opened my door, the house door opened back up. Matt’s dad was standing there.
“Daniel,” he stuttered. “I… I forgive you.”
He shut the door again and I felt happy that he forgave me. Now I must head out to Chicago.