10:37 PM
   The silence was thick and heavy. Nearly pulsating with the heartbeats of the hospital's staff and the patients. Blips and bleeps echoed in the quiet rooms, and televisions put on low so that their roommates could sleep in peace while the other battled for the sleep they were being denied.
   It was one room that caused the volunteer nurse to alert others over the intercom on her station desk. "We have a code blue in room three-nineteen. Code blue in three-nineteen."
   Rushing back into the room, she started checking for pulse rate and jumped back when a hand came flying her way.

   10:44 PM
   Rubbing her eyes, Emma stared blearily out the front windshield and threw up a thankful prayer to whatever higher being was listening to her tonight. The Exxon sign was a beacon. Welcomed like the light of a lighthouse finally found by a ship in the storm.
   She could get coffee, food, caffeine pills, and stay awake while driving.
   About to turn into the driveway of the gas station slash mini mart, Emma refused to crank the steering wheel when she noticed that there were just one too many trucks and guys standing around the pumps and talking for her to feel comfortable.
   Groaning and waiting for another sign, Emma tried hard to keep her eyes open. Even went as far as rolling down her window and blaring her sound system with some backwoods radio station preferences.
   Catching the highway again, she nearly wept in relief when she noticed that the exit, 15 miles down, there was a Shell.
   Pressing down a little harder on the accelerator, Emma dreamed of having a Hostess pie a large coffee, and two small little pills.

   10:50 PM
   "You okay?"
   Nodding slowly, Grace tried to calm down some. The shock of waking up in a darkened room only to have the lights turned on abruptly and the room filling up with a crowd of people was still unnerving.
   Turning her head and looking around at her parents she smiled slightly and relaxed a little more against the square pillow behind her. "Is Tay and Em coming in the morning to see me?" She giggled, "I wanna tell them about the fuss the hospital just made because I knocked my IV out."
   Concern and shock wafted over Mrs. James' as she looked at her husband who had the same look on his. Cautiously, she took a step closer to her daughter and brushed her hair farther away from her face. "Honey, do you know why you're here?"
   Grace bit her lip and tried hard to remember what it was she was doing in this bed. "Nooo. Why am I, Mama?"
   Mrs. James cleared her throat and looked to her husband again, "I think we should let the doctor explain." She murmured gently, trying to smile down in her daughter's upturned face.
   When she saw a hint of panic sparkle in her eyes, Ms. James rushed to explain. "We just don't know everything ourselves, dear. You haven't been in here all that long, and we think the doctor could tell you a lot more than we could."
   Seeming to accept that answer, Grace grinned again. "I hope Tay doesn't mind that I've been in here, we were gonna go to the movies Saturday night."
   She missed the look that passed between her parent's as she tried to decide what it was they'd see, what she'd wear, and when she and Em could hang out again. Whether it be before or after her date Saturday night.

   11:12 PM
   Cursing, Emma tried to brush the hot coffee from the inside seam of her pants as she kept a hand on the steering wheel.
   The scalding pain in her inner thighs and now her fingers was making her eyes tear up, and she bit her lip to keep from whimpering. Grabbing the stryofoam cup she tossed it out her window, managing to spill more on her left arm. Making the pain all the worse.
   Looking up and nearly being blinded in the high beams of the truck on the other side of the road, Emma started banging the wheel with her right hand angrily again and again in frustration.
   Suddenly doubting her wisdom in picking up and moving, and buying that coffee she gave the steering wheel one last good thump. Over estimating herself, Emma's hand clipped the top of the wheel, throwing it to the left and into the passage of the pick up truck with it's blinding high beams.
   Screaming, Emma grabbed the wheel with both hands and jerked roughly before pain exploded in her body and then nothing.