“What happened? Where’s Sara?” he demanded.
“Sara was the driver of your car, right?” she asked.
“Yes. She’s my girlfriend. Tell me she’s all right.” It was more of a plea than a request.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Carter,” she said solemnly. “I’m afraid she died on impact.”
“No, that can’t be right,” he replied. Suddenly, the room began spinning, and sobs racked his body. “She’s dead?”
“I’m sorry,” she said empathetically.
“Dammit! I tried to convince her to let me drive! I begged her not to!” he cried. Everything in the room seemed to disappear for a few moments until the nurse brought him back.
“Would you like to tell me what happened, Mr. Carter?” she inquired.
“Ugh!” he groaned. He told the story slowly. “We were at a club, and she had had a few drinks. I insisted we leave because I know that if she gets even the slightest bit drunk, she gets a terrible hangover. When we got outside, she insisted that she could drive, and I finally gave in. My girlfriend is…was…a very stubborn person. She was very difficult to argue with. The road to our house is usually pretty deserted, so I figured there was no real risk. We were driving on that road when she got sick and began to puke. She wasn’t feeling all that well to begin with, and the alcohol just made it worse. I was just falling asleep, and before I could wake up and grab the wheel, I saw headlights, and we collided with another car.” He paused. “Oh my God! What happened to the people in the other car?”
“There were three girls in it. Two of them were eighteen, and the driver was twenty-two. One of the eighteen-year-olds died, and the other has a concussion and internal damage. She should be okay, but she’s staying in the hospital for a few weeks so we can watch her. The driver is fine.”
His stomach lurched. “Oh, my God. We k-killed someone. A young girl, at that.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Carter,” Michelle said gravely. “The least I can offer you is that your girlfriend wasn’t over the limit, so you’re in no legal trouble. I know that doesn’t help much, but it’s all I can do.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Nick replied numbly. “Have you talked to my family or my friends?”
“We got hold of your parents, and they’re on the way with your brothers and sisters, but we weren’t able to reach any of your friends,” she answered.
“Thank you,” Nick mumbled. He sat up, but immediately fell back down as his head lightened.
Michelle stood up. “Just lie down. You’re pretty drugged up. I have to go tend to a few other patients. If you need anything, just press the call button.”