Your Chance

Chapter 12

"Carrie!"

"Harrison!"

"Are you okay!?"

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "Are you?"

He took her hand. "Yeah I'm fine."

The truck beeped. "Authorities notified," it said.

"They must've hit us hard to activate that."

"I know." Carrie looked out, assessing the damage. The front bumper of the truck was totally torn off. As the damage crept closer to the cab, the side was smashed in a few feet, the front wheel pointed in a different direction.

"How'd they even hit us there?" He asked.

She unbuckled, opening her door. "I knew they were going to hit us so I turned to the right a bit so they wouldn't hit us head on. It would be worse if I didn't do that."

Getting out, they made their way over to the drivers side of the car. Harrison agreed with her, the head on collision would've been much worse, especially due to the small size of the car hitting their big truck. In doing that, Carrie saved the drivers life.

He knocked on the drivers side window. No response. He peered in the window to see a man staring straight ahead. Next to him, on the passengers seat, lay multiple beer bottles. "Dude, you alright?" He called.

The driver turned towards him. He smiled, causing Harrison to back up into Carrie. "What?"

Putting a hand on the door handle, he told Carrie, "he's drunk, be careful."

Harrison opened the car door as the driver stood up. "What happened?" He asked, leaning back against his car.

"You drifted into our lane and hit us," Harrison answered. "You okay man?"

"I didn't... hit... you," the man stuttered.

Standing a few feet away, Harrison could smell the alcohol from his breath and clothes. "The police are on their way right now. We'll get you checked out and this mess cleaned up."

The man walked towards the front of his car. "You did this?" He asked.

"No man, you hit us."

"I don't remember that."

Harrison felt Carrie tense up by his side. "Damn guy's trying to blame everything on us," she whispered.

He watched the man walk closer the to wreckage before saying, "it's ok. He couldn't take this all the way to court. There's too much evidence against him. The damage, him being drunk, the beer in his car, and our trucks front collision warning."

Carrie nodded. "Where'd he go?"

Harrison looked around, seeing him running down the side of the road, in the opposite direction. "What the hell?" He muttered, running after the man.

The man didn't get too far before he was caught. Harrison tackled the guy from behind, sending both of them down onto the pavement.

Harrison kept the man pinned down as the police and the fire department arrived. They had an inspector assess the damage, concluding the accident was the man's fault.

He watched the police test the man's blood alcohol content with Carrie at his side. She took his hand in hers. "My parents are on their way. They're going to take us home."

More police cars arrived and 2 tow trucks to tow the vehicles. "What about the kids?" He asked.

"Pam and Terry brought them home. Your parents are with them."

Harrison nodded, pulling Carrie into a hug. "What's going to happen to the truck?"

"I don't know sweetheart."

A police officer came up to them asking for their insurance information. Carrie gave the officer everything before turning back to Harrison.

"You think it's totaled?" She asked, watching as the tow truck loaded Harrison's.

"I don't know. They're going to inspect it tomorrow and we'll see if it's worth fixing or getting a new truck."

"I really like that truck."

He kissed her forehead gently. "I know."

Carrie's parents arrived just as the police drove away, the drunk driver getting his sentence soon.

"Carrie! Harrison!"

She climbed in the back of her parents car, as he loaded some stuff from his truck into the back. "We're okay mom."

"What happened?"

Carrie explained everything as her parents took them home. "And where are your kids?"

"At home with his parents. I'm so glad they weren't with us," she answered.

"Did you call them yet?"

"No, I was on the phone with the insurance company while we were there for a few minutes. Besides we're almost home."

"Is insurance going to pay for the truck?"

"They're going to give us an estimate tomorrow and the insurance company will cover the cost of the truck, or the cost to fix it," Harrison said.

Carrie's dad looked in the rear view mirror. "What was the other guy driving?" He asked.

"I think it was a little 4-door Honda Civic."

"What year?"

"It looked like an '07," Harrison answered.

They pulled into their driveway, both of them with their seat belts already off, ready to rush inside and see their kids. Getting out, Carrie gave both her parents a hug. "Thanks mom and dad."

"We love you," her dad said as she followed Harrison into the house.

"I love you too!"

Harrison opened the door, seeing the kids sitting at the kitchen table playing checkers with Harrison's mom. They looked up, jumping out of their chairs at the sight of their parents.

"Mommy!" Adam shouted, followed by Emma, as Carrie pushed by Harrison, meeting the kids in the kitchen for a hug. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she pulled the two of them close.

She kissed both their foreheads, sitting down on the kitchen floor with both of them clutched to her chest. "I love you guys."

Harrison knelt down next to them. "Daddy!" Emma pressed herself against his chest, as he wrapped the three of them up in his arms.

Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he pictured the other scenario of the two of them here waiting for their parents. Not knowing their parents had died in that crash. That well could've been the outcome if Carrie didn't make that split second decision to avoid the head on collision.

Looking at Carrie, he kissed her as they held their kids. "I love you guys."

"I love you daddy," Emma smiled, giving him another hug.

Harrison smiled, leaning back on the floor with Carrie wrapped up in one arm and the kids on top of him, wrapped in the other.