As I held Ford, we hurried behind the paramedic, weaving around the people who had pulled over to watch or help along with the firemen and police.
When we arrived at the back of the ambulance, a paramedic was standing there, gripping the doors.
He asked, “Who’s going with her?”
“I am,” Ford replied. He looked at me. “Meet us at the hospital.”
The hospital.
I tried to find my breath, my chest pounding. “How? What hospital?”
“Cedars-Sinai,” the paramedic replied.
He helped Ford into the back of the ambulance, and the doors shut, the vehicle pulling away.
I couldn’t take a deep breath.
The flashing lights were now blurred from the wetness filling my eyes.
“The hospital,” I exhaled. “Will someone take me?”
“I will,” I heard.
I didn’t know I had even asked the question out loud.
I didn’t know who had agreed.
But when I turned toward the voice, there was the woman.
“Come on. My car is right over here. We’ll follow the ambulance.”
I said nothing as her arm moved around my back, taking some of my weight, helping me to her car. She opened the passenger door and set me inside, closing it once my feet were in.
Once she got in the driver’s seat, she wasted no time, pulling out and catching up to the ambulance.
“Oh God,” I cried as the rear lights flashed across my face. “I can’t believe this happened.” My chest felt like it was going to cave. “We were just on our way to get ice cream.”
A hand was on my back, rubbing circles over me. “She’s going to be all right.”
My brain was spiraling.
Fear was filling it.
In a way that was almost paralyzing, causing a wave of nausea to rush up my throat.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach, rocking back and forth.
“Is there someone you should call?” she asked.
I looked at her.
“Your parents? Your husband’s parents? So they can meet you at the hospital?”
She was right.
I needed to call his family.
I needed to let them know what had happened.
“Yes.” I forced the bile down. “Yes, I’ll do it right now.”
I reached into my back pocket, where I always kept my phone.
Thank God it was there, that the accident hadn’t caused it to fall out.
I stared at the screen, telling myself to pull up my Contacts.
I needed to phone his family.
They all needed to know.
But who should I call first?
His mother was the first number I came across, and I held the phone to my face, listening to it ring.
Please answer.
Please.
“Hello, Sydney—”
“There’s been an accident.” I flattened my hand against my chest, holding it there. Pushing. “A car hit us, and Everly and Ford are on their way to the hospital.”
“What?” Her voice rose as she said, “Are they injured? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” I leaned into the door, needing something to hold me. “Something is wrong with Ford’s arm. I think it’s broken and …” My throat tightened, my face soaked with tears. They dripped onto my lips as I said, “I don’t know about Everly. They took her away on a stretcher. Something isn’t right.”
“Oh God,” she gasped. “What hospital?”
“Cedars-Sinai.”
“I’m on my way. You don’t have to notify the boys. I’ll tell them. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me, and I hung up.
The phone dropped onto my lap.
And I kept my eyes on the ambulance, only closing them to wipe my face, until we were pulling up to the Emergency Department. The ambulance went to the left, around the building, and the woman drove me to the right.
She stopped by the front doors.