My phone beeped, Mrs. Cahill was calling. “Coop your mom is calling, I’ll call you back.”
I took the phone away from my ear to slide the answer button across the screen. It took me a few tries - I was shaking like a bitch. “Hello?”
“Hunter! Oh thank God. Is my baby girl with you?” Mrs. Cahill asked, sounding worried.
“No. She never showed up for the appointment. I’m out looking for her now.”
I heard her gasp and then there was a loud thump in my ear. She’d dropped the phone and I could make out that she was wailing uncontrollably.
I heard Mr. Cahill in the background shushing her, followed by a bunch of shuffling noises. “Hunter. Hey son, where are you?”
“What’s going on?” I couldn’t even answer him. I just needed answers and I needed them now.
“Are you by a TV?”
“No. I’m sitting in traffic, trying to get onto 295 so I can go look for CC.”
Sighing into the phone he said, “There seems to have been some kind of accident and from what we can see, it looks like MacKenzie’s car.”
I rested my head on the steering wheel and took a few deep breaths. This can’t be true, CC was too careful. “Where’s the accident at?”
Please don’t say 295.
“On the south bound side of 295, right near exit 32.” he answered.
As soon as I heard the words, I dropped the phone, threw open the truck door and took off down the ramp on foot. If it was her I would be able to see from where I was.
There were fire trucks, cop cars and ambulances everywhere. I saw two cars, one was smashed into the guard rail and the other was facing the wrong direction on the highway. Neither car was CC’s. There was an EMT walking back to the ambulance so I jogged over to him.
“Excuse me sir, are these the only two cars that were involved?” I asked slightly out of breath.
He kept walking, so I followed him. “Please sir, my fiancé never showed for her doctor’s appointment.”
That finally got his attention. He grabbed a bag from the back and slung it over his shoulder before finally acknowledged me. “Does she drive a White Mazda 3?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed down the lump in my throat. Then I nodded. “Her car rolled down the embankment. She’s still alive, but we need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. They’re landing a helicopter on the golf course and taking her to Cooper Hospital. That’s all I can tell you.” He hustled back towards the embankment.
I was frozen. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. I stood there until the sound of a helicopter taking flight brought me back to the horrifying situation. I looked around; there was no way I could get out of here with all this traffic. I ran back to my truck. I was getting to CC one way or another. I would push a car out of my way if I had to.
Thankfully, there was just enough room for me to turn the truck without hitting the car in front of me. I hopped the curb and turned the vehicle around, then drove passed all the cars trying to get on the ramp. I fumbled around on the floor for my phone. I needed to call Mason and Cooper and tell them to meet me at the hospital.
Finally finding it by my right foot, I grabbed it and dialed Mason’s number. He answered on the first ring, “Was it her car?”
I took a shuddering breath, “Yeah. She’s alive but they’re air lifting her to Cooper University Hospital. Can you meet me there?”
“I’m on my way.”
I dialed Cooper and he picked up before it even had a chance to ring, “Dude, please tell me that’s not her car.”
“I’m sorry Coop. They’re air lifting her to Cooper University. I need you to call your mom and dad and have everyone meet over there.” I couldn’t call her parents, not unless I had some useful information.
“Do you think she’ll be ok?” I heard Jaylinn crying in the background.
“She has to be.”
“Alright, we’ll meet you there in a few minutes. I’ll have Jay call your mom.”
“Thanks.”
Cooper took a deep breath, “Hunter?”
“Yeah?”
“Be safe. Everything’s going to be ok.”
“It has to be Coop, I’ll see you soon.” I hung up and for the first time that I can remember, I cried.
Everything has to be ok. CC and the baby will make it through this. They have to. As I drove I did something that I didn’t do nearly enough, I prayed. I prayed all the way to the hospital. Things were finally perfect, almost too perfect for us, and now this had to happen.
2
I was the first to arrive at the hospital so I rushed over to the admissions desk to see if CC had made it there yet.
“Excuse me, can you please tell me if my fiancé, MacKenzie Cahill, has arrived yet?”
“Sure, let me take a look.” She began typing away on her computer. “It looks like she just came in. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll see what I can find out for you.”
“Please, as soon as you know anything, let me know. She’s nine months pregnant and was involved in a car accident a little while ago.”
With sympathy in her eyes she nodded and began typing again. I walked away from the counter so that the next people in line could be helped. I reached in my pocket and took out my phone to check the time; two hours had gone by since I left the scene of the accident - that was two too many for me. I was pacing nervously back and forth in front of the vending machines when Cooper and Jaylinn appeared. As soon as she set eyes on me Jaylinn’s sobs came fast and heavy, and she threw her arms around me in a tight, heaving embrace. I squeezed her waist for almost a second, then let go and raised my eyes to Cooper. I couldn’t comfort my sister right now; I was barely holding on myself.
“Any word?” Cooper asked, giving me a slap on the shoulder.
“No, nothing yet. They’re going to call me as soon as they find something out.” I said, returning the uncomfortable but friendly slap.
“Everyone’s on their way here. Maybe Dad can get them to give us more information if we haven’t heard anything by then.” Cooper said as he and Jaylinn went to sit down.
“Hunter? Come sit down, you’re making me more anxious.” Jaylinn asked. I took a seat next to her and hung my head in my hands, resting my elbows on my legs. Things had only really ever got this intense for me once before; but I couldn’t let the memories of my father surface. I’d spoken about him to Mason and Cooper, and CC knew of him but that was it.