Road Doc
Chapter 40
AJ awoke alone. He had known that Suzy’s flight was to leave early, but he’d hoped to have at least told her goodbye. Two days without her was going to seem like an eternity. They had spent the early morning making love and had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. He looked at the clock, it read 11:30 a.m. He rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head. She hadn’t even been gone an hour and he already missed her.
Deciding to shower before hopping on the bus for Denver, AJ got up, turned on the
television and hopped in the shower. He sang softly to himself as he washed her scent from his body. He was in love and he felt amazing. So what if he’d only known her a few days, he thought to himself. Some things are just meant to be. He wrapped a towel around his waist and flung himself onto the large, empty bed. He flipped through the channels, past the home shopping network which made him laugh to himself, past a news channel that was showing pictures of a plane crash, past MTV that was showing an Nsync video, past another news channel showing a plane crash.
“Damn” he said to himself. “Look at that”
“Reports are sketchy as to what caused the small commercial jet to go down. It is
unknown at this time whether any of the twenty-five passengers on board have survived”
“Ugh” AJ said and changed the channel.
“The flight, which took off from McCarren airport in Las Vegas at 10:45 this morning, was only off the ground approximate two minutes before it exploded.”
A’s heart skipped a beat. He switched to another channel.
“The explosion was seen by witnesses on the ground, who say the small aircraft was flying unusually low....”
*click*
“The flight, which was in route from Las Vegas to Denver Colorado exploded only
minutes after take off....”
*click*
...it is believed that there are no survivors...”
*click*
“....reports are that none of the passengers survived...”
AJ turned the television off. His mind was reeling, his heart pounding, his stomach
turning. “No” he said, quietly.
He stumbled across the room and fumbled through his things for his cell phone. He
frantically pressed the buttons until he found Doc’s number, and he pressed send. The phone rang and rang, and just as he was about to give up, Theresa answered.
“Doc” AJ said, but that was the only word he could get out before he started to sob.
“I know AJ” Theresa said. “I’m on my way to the airport.”
“I’m going too” AJ said, determined. “Come get me, please.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes” Theresa said and hung up the phone. She couldn’t think straight. The day before, Suzy had been boasting about 1045 being her lucky number, as she had won $1045 dollars playing slots, her room number was 1045 and her flight home left at 10:45. She had joked that the flight time was actually unlucky, no matter what its time, as she truly didn’t want to go home.
Theresa took a cab to AJ’s hotel while Howie stayed behind to stay by the phone and to watch the television for updates. It seemed to take forever to get across town and by the time her cab arrived at AJ’s hotel, she was so distraught she simply threw the fare at the driver and sprinted inside. She ran through the lobby and onto the first available elevator. Once she reached his floor she was in tears. She raced down the hall and pounded on the door. AJ opened it quickly and stood there, his eyes wet from tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Why?” he asked, as he pulled Theresa into a heavy hug.
“I don’t know” Theresa said, sobbing herself. “Let’s just get to the airport and see what they can tell us”
“What about her family? Should we call someone?” AJ asked, grabbing his bags.
Theresa shook her head. “Her parents died a long time ago. She’s got her ex-husband and her two....kids....” Theresa’s heart fell when she thought of Suzy’s two children. They had left a week before to spend their summers in Spain with their father. They were so young, and now they’re mother was gone.
They scanned the room quickly, to be sure they had all of his belongings and they went next door to wake Marcus. Marcus, already up and dressed, said little as they explained what was going on. He took AJ’s bags and said he’d make sure AJ’s bus was waiting for them at the airport when they finished there.
Marcus hugged Theresa and said he was sorry about her friend. Theresa could only stand there, her mind was numb. AJ pulled her sleeve and they turned to leave. The stood waiting for the elevator, neither able to speak. When the door opened, they both gasped. Standing in the elevator was Suzy, white as a sheet and shaking.
“I missed my flight” was all she could say.
41