Until I Met You

31: Until I Met You

Chapter 31

I was on the verge of hyperventilating as Cason was doing his best to sooth and assure me that everything would be okay from the driver’s seat. None of his attempts, however, were working as it felt like the space inside the car was decreasing as the walls caved in around me.

Back on the boat, I could tell by the look on Cason’s face that something bad had happened but, when he gave me the phone and I heard Diana explain to me through her tears that my mom had gotten into an accident and was currently being transferred to the hospital, I physically felt sick with worry.

Cason immediately started the boat and quickly made his way back to marina, throwing the ropes and anchors lazily onto the dock before looking at me frantically. Even though the boat had zipped through the waves and I could now leave, I hadn’t moved a step since I hung up the phone and stared blankly ahead, looking at nothing as impossible harsh images ran through my mind.

“Jessa!” Cason had shouted as he waved his hand in front of my face a couple of times to try and get my attention. “Jessa, we have to go now!”

Maybe it was his voice, maybe it was the fact that this was truly happening and maybe, it was just a coincidence but, I suddenly snapped out of my daze seconds later and didn’t give Cason a second look as I hopped over the side of the boat and sprinted down the beach.

It didn’t take Cason long to catch up with me but, with my adrenaline running extremely high, I didn’t think of slowing down until Cason latched his hand onto my upper arm and pulled me to a stop to face him.

“Jessa, just slow down a minute so I can catch my breath.” he said, wheezing slightly as his grip loosened.

“No!” I replied frantically, “I don’t have time to catch my breath because right now, my mom might be holding on to her last breaths and I need to get to the hospital!”

I saw his eyes widen in shock as my voice grew progressively louder before he nodded and took a hold of my hand tightly. “Then come on,” he said, nodding up the beach. “The car’s about a minute that way.”

When we reached the car, after Cason took a couple of seconds clumsily pressing the unlock button on his keychain, we both bustled into the car before he pulled out of the lot, leaving nothing but clouds of dust and showers of rocks in the rear-view mirror.

As we hit the main roads in town Cason slowed down to just above the speed limit and cracked my window slightly to give me some fresh air to get my head straight.

Looking out the window, I was lost in thought at what could have happened to my mom tonight. I know that Diana said there had been an accident but, how bad was it? Did the paramedics arrive right away? Who caused the accident? Was she alone in the car? My thoughts were running wild; from she had just a few cuts to her lying in her death bed, it was killing me not knowing much about her condition.

  

“How far away is the hospital?” I asked almost robotically. If not for the ounce of worry in my voice I probably could have pulled off a new-aged R2D2.