From Chapter 2 -- A River of Words

Zoe had Camryn by the shoulders. “Mom! Wake up! Wake up! Mommy!”

She was shaking her hard. Zoe’s eyes searched frantically outside the car. “Oh God! Oh, my God. Somebody help us!” Zoe screamed. Her face was red and puffy. Her tears dappled the front of her tee-shirt.

Zoe jumped out of the passenger side of the car. A white car had pulled in front. A man walked over to Zoe. “I saw the whole thing,” he shouted. “I’ve called 911.”

“Are you all right?” the man said.

“Yes, yes, I think I’m fine. I was sleeping--”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Camryn opened her eyes. A blinding headache clouded her vision. There were two figures. They were talking. “Daddy is that you? What are you doing out there talking to Zoe?” she thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“--when we got hit.”

“Let’s check on your mother.” The man from the white car walked quickly over to the driver’s side. Zoe rushed over to the passenger side.

“Mom! You’re awake! Are you all right?”

The man instructed Camryn to sit still, to not get up.

A river of words rushed by. She tried to grasp a few of them, but they moved on so quickly. The paramedics arrived. They fired questions at her that she couldn’t answer. There was a whirlwind of activity. She wanted to return to the nothingness.

Some time elapsed. Some decisions were made. She was in an ambulance. Zoe was next to her.

Then she was at a hospital. David was there. “How’d you get here? How long have I been here?” she thought she’d spoken, but no one answered her.

Then Zoe was gone. David was gone, too.

There were X-rays and questions and doctors. She’d begin to speak, but they didn’t wait for her answers.

Trying to piece together the events which swirled around was impossible.

Her eyes closed. She was drifting back to that place, the empty place where it was still and unhurried. She thought she remembered talking to her father, but Ken had died some years ago.

Finally, sleep came, but it was restless. She woke herself up each time she moved.