Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-5-

Black Sabbath ^^
"I can't make it to the damn hospital, I- my truck's stuck out in the rain and the sumbitch won't start!"

Ryan paced back and forth in the front room with images of Riley laying passed out in a hospital bed in critical condition running through his racing mind. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and sighed heavily.

The thunder clashed, sending shivers up Ryan's spine. If he left the house the same damn thing that happened to Riley could happen to him. He sort of felt like her crash was his fault. What if she wanted to turn back, but she couldn't? What if he was the reason she was driving so fast, and he was the last thing on her mind before she blacked out? He felt horrible.

"Take Sabbath then, that big black Ford. You ain't driven that one yet, and it's got a helluva big lift kit." Patty Lynn finally spoke up, her eyes drifting up to her oldest son.

"Yeah.. but.. it's almost brand new, I don't wanna ruin it." His tone of voice sounded like a pouty toddler in need of a nap, but he honestly couldn't care less.

"Fuck the truck being new. If you cared about Riley you'd go to her regardless of your truck." Austen glared at his brother, "you can buy another one."

"Y'know what? Fuck it. I'm leavin'."

Ryan pushed the thoughts of wrecking his own truck because of the storm to the back of his mind while he hugs his mama. "If I don't make it back.. I just want you to know, I love you, mama."

Austen glares at his brother, his eyes burning holes into the side of his head. "What about me?"

"Yeah, I could definitely do without you." Ryan chuckles, meanwhile Austen was about to smack the shit out of him for the little "joke" he made. "No, I love you too you little shit."

Delilah keeps staring down at her hands, not expecting a single word from Ryan because, well, she didn't know him well.

"And Delilah, love you too."

Her head shot up the second he said the L word and her name in the same sentence.

"What?" She mumbled under her breath, eyes widening. She knew he meant it as a friend, but rarely has anybody told her that. "Oh.. love you.. too?"

Ryan ignored the slight hint of anxiety that laced her sweet voice and smiled at her, swinging his keys around his index finger. "Bye."

"Bye sweetheart."
"Drive safe, Ry."
"Bye dipshit."

Black Sabbath was parked right up by the door, backed in so Ryan could just drive the beautiful truck out whenever he wanted, which was perfect for today.

The storm was even worse than it was earlier, with lightning striking more and more frequently and the heavy rain had turned into freezing rain. The dark midday sky poured down heavy sheets of rain that froze over as it fell.

Ryan had his coat pulled tight around him with a Carhartt beanie on his head that covered his ears and gloves on his hands. Sure, they were mechanic's gloves but they were all he had.

He unlocks the truck and starts it, Sabbath's ground rumbling sound mixed with the sound of rain hitting the roof. Out of all his trucks, Black Sabbath was one of his absolute favorites. It always started, never gave him a single issue, and looked stunning.

As soon as Ryan opened the garage door his truck was bombarded with heavy, freezing rain that clung to Sabbath's black paint. He already knew it'd be a pain in the ass to clean once all of this was over.

"Fuck.."

He slowly pulls the truck out into the deep water, the formerly dry tires getting absolutely soaked once they came in contact with the water.

Ryan switches the F-250 into neutral, then into 4-wheel low so he could make it out of his shitty dead grass driveway that was mostly a mess of sloshy mud and water. He really should've gotten all of this paved.

It took a lot longer to make his way out of his driveway than he thought, but once he made it to the main paved road he was almost golden.

Scenarios of what could happen once he got to the hospital kept running through his mind while he drove as carefully and fast as he could.

The man on the phone refused to give Ryan many details, which only made his anxiety more potent.

Once Ryan got to the hospital he was out in the pouring rain, mud covered boots smacking against the water on the pavement while he ran.

He was breathing hard through his nose while his heart raced. "Hi, I'm- I'm here for Riley Myers, she's my girlfriend." He adjusted his coat and then his hat and stood there awkwardly while his hands dropped to his sides. Rainwater dripped from his soaked clothes and onto the slick tile floor.

The receptionist fiddled with the keyboard for a minute before looking back up at Ryan with an annoyed look on her face she had caked up with way too much makeup.

"Im sorry sir, but you can't go back with her yet. She's in the ICU." She said. She looked down at her manicured nails, then plopped her hand back down onto the table beside her keyboard. The sound of her obnoxious, loud chewing of her probably bland by now gum and nails tapping on the table was almost enough to make him gag, but he didn't.

"Shit.." he mumbled. "When's the soonest I can get in to see her?"

"Seems like she's in pretty bad condition, so I have no idea. I'm sorry." She looked absolutely fed up with his questions, even though he hadn't asked many.

Ryan could feel the tears creeping up but he blinked them back. Not now, Ryan. Don't you fucking dare cry, bitch.

He mumbled a quick 'thanks' to the receptionist and took a seat in the waiting room, letting his blue eyes fall down to his tattooed hands in his lap. He studied the ink there, purely using it as a distraction from the situation at hand.

I knew I shouldn't have let her go.

He knew something like this was going to happen but he let her leave anyway.

—
"Sir?"

His head shot up, icy eyes meeting those of an older man, possibly in his early fifties, adorned with clothes that a doctor would wear with his hair untamed, left to be its supposed usual unruly black curls. "Yes?"

"I have an update on Miss Myers, but I'm not sure you'd really like to hear it."

"Is she okay?" Worry was practically dripping from his voice, overpowering his southern drawl.

"Miss Myers is still in fairly bad condition, as her wreck was a horrific scene, but she is slowly but surely making a recovery."

He's been sitting there for five hours in that uncomfortable ass hospital waiting room chair and this is the first time he's gotten an update of any sort on Riley and her condition, and it obviously wasn't what he necessarily wanted to hear but at least it was good news. This is better than nothing, right?

"How.. how much longer until she's out?"

"Seven weeks."

"Seven?"

"Yes sir. I'm sorry, but we have to keep a close eye on her and monitor her. I don't want these issues getting any worse."

"I understand." He said, attempting to keep himself in check. Sure, he wanted her home today but it's something he can't change-something he has absolutely no control over. "Thank you."