Collide

ound her uncle in the ICU waiting room. He looked defl

As his big arms enveloped her, she c

him and looked up into his bloodshot eye

rl. They said she...she might not walk or talk again. Can yo

, hugging him forcefully. "They don't

y the beeping of monitors and her aunt's breathing which seemed loud

acquired didn't seem important anymore. Not her coveted ICU nurse job, not her high-rise condo, not her accomplished surgeon bo

loose on the pillow and not in her normal, hard-sprayed updo. She fought back tears as she

*

wall. Then she heard Melanie, her babysitter, scream. She jack knifed up in bed, held her covers up to her chest, and froze, scared to move. She listened hard but after that scream, all she could hear were low mumbles and crying. She gathered her courage, slipped on her bunny slippers, and crept down the hall to the top of the stairs. Sh

nightgown. "Dani, honey? I'm Officer Garrett." She just stared into h

d Daddy always said if she needed help, she should

n go see some people outside that

er her face. Melanie was always laughing. Dani had never seen her cry. Maybe she did need help. Dani glanced at her bunny slippers, then nodded. Mama wouldn't want

her Aunt Lu had knitted that was on the back of the couch and wrapped her in it.

bulance with more lights and even a fire truck. It was all too much for a little girl woken from sleep in the middle of the night. She hid her face in Officer Garrett's shoulder and tried to block out all the noi

and then he was putting her down on a skinny bed

the vehicle. The rain was loud as it continued to pound on the roof of the ambulance. She

lady was in a different kind of blue uniform. She wondered what shock

iceman. "Is the babysitter going to be ok? Can she talk to us about alle

as her in the living room. I'll go see what I can

, sitting on a bench next to her, "this is Amanda. She's going to take good care of

ound her. More bright flashing lights. They hurt her eyes. Crackling static and talking from police radios

k here. I think I may even have a tedd

metal and black things hanging from the wall as she

y handed her the stuffed animal and let her lie down on the bed, she closed her eyes tight. She felt her bunny slip

nny – like the time she had fallen off the monkey bars and broken her wrist. Mama and Daddy had taken her to a hospital then and she had gotten a purple cast. It had hurt a little but the cast was pretty neat. Mama had mad

her Aunt Lu and Uncle Eustace standing by the bed in full, dazzling color

about nothin'. You're gonna come home with us and everything is gonna be just fine." He ran a h

k up and down, smiling at her. "You're gonna be fine, Dani Lynn, just fine. W