Chapter 14—CAR CRASH.

BREA

My phone kept ringing.

The persistent sound had been bothering me for several seconds, but with my attention fixed on the road, I had no intention of reaching for it. I placed the phone in the small compartment beside the driver's seat earlier, and whoever was calling seemed determined not to give up.

It rang again.

Then again.

I glanced at it briefly, wondering who could possibly be calling me repeatedly

“Who is this?” I muttered to myself, keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel. “Why would someone keep calling when I haven't answered the first few times?”

The phone continued ringing.

With a sigh, I reached down carefully, trying to pick it up without taking my eyes completely off the road. My fingers brushed against it, but instead of getting a proper grip, I accidentally pushed it farther away.

“Oh, come on,” I murmured, stretching my hand toward it again. “Don't do this to me now.”

I finally managed to pick it up, but before I could properly bring it to my ear, the vehicle ahead suddenly slowed.

My eyes widened.

“Wait!”

Everything happened at once.

I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and slammed my foot against the brake, but I was already too close. The car swerved violently beneath me, and I struggled to regain control as the tires screeched against the road.

A scream tore from my throat.

At the same time, the person on the other end of the phone screamed my name.

“Brea!”

The phone slipped from my hand.

I tried to straighten the car, but it was too late. The vehicle veered off the road, and before I could do anything else, there was a deafening crash.

My head struck something hard.

The world spun violently around me and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I felt a dull, throbbing ache that spread through my head, while something uncomfortable tugged at my arm. For several seconds, I could not understand where I was. I stared blankly at the white ceiling above me, listening to the faint beeping of a machine beside the bed.

Then the memory from the crash returned.

Blake.

My heart immediately began pounding.

“Where's my son?”

I tried to sit up, but dizziness swept over me so suddenly that I had to grip the mattress.

“Where is Blake?”

I looked down and noticed a drip attached to my arm. Without thinking, I reached for it and pulled the needle out.

Pain shot through my hand.

I barely noticed. All that was on my mind was Blake.

I pushed my legs over the side of the bed, determined to get up, but before my feet touched the floor, the door opened.

A nurse walked in carrying a stainless-steel plate filled with medical supplies. The moment she saw me trying to stand, her eyes widened.

“Please, ma'am, you need to lie back down,” she said, quickly placing the plate on the bedside table before hurrying toward me. “You have just regained consciousness, and you shouldn't be trying to get out of bed yet. You were involved in an accident, and your body needs time to recover.”

“Where's my son?” I demanded, gripping the edge of the bed. “Please, don't tell me anything else until you tell me where Blake is. I need to know that my son is safe.”

The nurse placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Your son is fine, ma'am. He's safe, and he's being taken care of, so please try to calm down before you hurt yourself.”

“I said where is he?” My voice broke as fear tightened my chest. “If he's fine, then bring him to me. I need to see him with my own eyes. I won't be able to calm down until I know exactly where my son is.”

“All right, ma'am. I'll bring him to you right now, but please stay in bed and don't try to stand again. You've only just regained consciousness, and we don't want you fainting or injuring yourself.”

She hurried out.

I sat there anxiously, staring at the doorway while my mind raced through every terrible possibility. I couldn't remember what had happened after the car went off the road, and that frightened me more than anything else.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

“Mommy!”

The sound of Blake's voice nearly broke me.

He came running toward me, and I opened my arms just as he threw himself against me.

“Mommy, you're awake!”

I held him tightly, pressing my face against his hair as tears filled my eyes.

“Oh, my baby,” I whispered, squeezing him as though I could somehow make sure nothing bad ever happened to him again. “Thank God you're okay. I was so scared when I woke up and couldn't find you. I didn't know what had happened to you.”

Blake pulled away, and my eyes immediately caught sight of the plaster on the side of his head.

My heart dropped.

“What happened to your head?”

I held his face between my palms, examining him carefully.

“Are you hurt? Does your head hurt anywhere else? Are you feeling dizzy or sick? Please tell me the truth because I need to know that you're really okay.”

“I'm fine, Mommy,” he assured me, touching the plaster. “It's only a small cut. They cleaned it and put this on it, but it doesn't really hurt anymore.”

I turned his face gently from one side to the other, examining him as though I could find every injury simply by looking hard enough.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice softer now. “You know you can never hide something from me just because you don't want me to worry. If something hurts, you have to tell me, even if you think it's small. I need you to tell me because you're my son, and nothing is more important to me than knowing you're safe.”

“I promise I'm fine,” he said. “The doctors checked me, and they said I'm okay. You were the one who stayed asleep for a long time.”

I pulled him into my arms again and kissed the top of his head.

“Oh, my boy,” I whispered. “You scared me so much.”

I finally looked toward the nurse.

“What happened to us?” I asked. “I remember driving, but everything after that is gone. How long was I unconscious, and who brought us here?”

“You were brought here by an ambulance,” she explained. “You were unconscious when they arrived, while your son was awake. The emergency team treated both of you immediately.”

I looked at Blake.

“You were awake?”

He nodded.

“I called the ambulance, Mommy.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“You did?”

“Yes,” he said proudly. “I found my phone after the accident and called them because you weren't waking up. I told them where we were, and they came to help us.”

Emotion tightened my throat.

“Oh, my boy.”

I pulled him against me again and kissed his cheek.

“You were so brave,” I whispered. “I'm so proud of you. You shouldn't have had to handle something like that by yourself, but you did exactly what you needed to do, and you helped both of us.”

After another moment, I turned toward the nurse.

“There was someone else,” I said slowly. “I think I hit someone.”

Her expression changed.

“Was the other person brought here too?” I asked. “Please tell me what happened to them. I need to know whether they're alive.”

“Yes, ma'am. The other person was brought here shortly after you, but their condition is critical.”

My stomach tightened.

“What happened?”

“They suffered a serious head injury during the accident,” she explained. “There is internal bleeding in the head, and they need surgery as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we don't have a neurosurgeon available at the moment. The doctors have contacted other hospitals and requested assistance, but the surgeons they've reached are already busy with other cases.”

I stared at her.

“Internal bleeding in the head?”

“Yes, ma'am. The patient needs surgery urgently.”

My mind immediately shifted into the part of me that had been trained to think like a doctor.

“How long have they been waiting?”

The nurse hesitated.

“They need an operation as soon as possible.”

I looked down at my injured arm before looking back at her.

“Where is my phone?”

The nurse's expression became apologetic.

“I'm sorry, ma'am, but your phone was destroyed in the accident. We couldn't recover it.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

“I need to contact someone,” I said. “There's a neurosurgeon I know who could help, but I don't have his number memorized.”

“If you want to call someone from your family, I can help you find a phone,” the nurse offered.

I looked at her.

Then an idea came to me.

“You know what? I can help.”

She frowned.

“Help with what, ma'am?”

“With the patient.”

The confusion on her face deepened.

I took a slow breath.

“I'm a doctor from Beacon Crest Hospital,” I explained. “I'm a neurosurgeon. If you don't have another neurosurgeon available, I can operate on the patient.”

Her face brightened immediately.

“You're a neurosurgeon?”

“Yes. I know I was involved in the accident, and I know I was unconscious when I arrived, but I'm awake now, I'm fully aware of where I am, and I understand the situation you're describing. That patient needs surgery, and you don't have a surgeon available. If I can help save their life, then I want to do it.”

The nurse's excitement faded.

“But, ma'am, you were just in an accident,” she said cautiously. “You could have a concussion or another injury that hasn't been detected yet. If you operate in this condition, you could put yourself at risk.”

“I understand the concern,” I replied calmly. “But I know my own condition, and I am capable of making this decision. Please don't waste valuable time worrying about me when someone else is lying in another room with internal bleeding. If I am capable of saving that person's life, then I need to try.”

The nurse still looked uncertain.

“If something happens to you during the operation, who will take responsibility?”

I held her gaze.

“I will,” I said firmly. “I understand the risks, and I'm willing to accept responsibility for my decision. Please get the head doctor and let him assess me himself. If he believes I'm incapable of operating, then I'll accept that, but don't decide for me before I've even been examined.”

The nurse nodded reluctantly.

“All right, ma'am. I'll inform the head doctor immediately.”

She hurried out.

I looked at Blake and reached for his hand.

“Stay close to me, sweetheart,” I told him gently. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.”

A few minutes later, the door opened.

A man in a white coat walked into the room with the nurse beside him.

“I'm Doctor Jason,” he introduced himself, extending his hand. “It's nice to meet you. We've been told about your qualifications and what you're offering to do. Let us know what you'll need.”