"TOLD YOU you would like Animal Style fries!" Dylan exclaimed as they headed back to the freeway, the rain continuing to pour as they travelled their way home.

  Valerie could only shake her head with a chuckle accompanying the action. "Yup, I do have to admit they were good." she then stared out the window, smiling to herself at how the dreary weather made her feel content with life.

  "Get off my ass, you stupid cunt!" Dylan shouted, honking the horn as the driver behind them kept tailing their vehicle. It was one of the things the twenty-four-year old man hated about driving. The driver behind them wouldn't budge, so Dylan had to pick up the pace and push a bit harder on the gas pedal.

Valerie absolutely hated it when he did this --- it only made her tense and afraid that something might happen to them. If she had said anything, the reality of the imaginary accident would come true, and the twenty-year-old woman did not want that to happen at all.

  After only a few minutes went by, everything went back to normal. Dylan discreetly snuck his hand on top of Valerie's, silently reassuring her that she no longer needed to feel tense; that she was safe.

  "I'm sorry babe," he finally said, merging into the next lane. "other drivers can be complete jackasses. You okay?"

  Just as Valerie was about to respond with yes, a semi hit their vehicle harshly; causing Dylan to lose control of the wheel, everything appearing to be in slow motion.

  Valerie screamed, but it seemed like no sound was escaping her terrified lips. She clutched onto the handle of the door, the other hand on Dylan's shirt. In a matter of seconds, the car crashed.

  Valerie hit her head against the dashboard.

  Everything went black.

…

                They carried her onto the gurney, her face and arms scraped with glass. Dylan watched as the paramedics took his wife in their vehicle. The officer adjacent to him was talking to him, but all Dylan could do was watch his wife slowly slip away.

   Once they closed the doors, the young man turned to the officer.

  "You're lucky you survived that," he said, "I'm surprised you're not scratched up and bleeding your lungs out."

  Dylan was bleeding though. In his heart, that is. He hated the fact that he didn't have the strength to stop the car, he regretted merging into the next lane. All he wanted was to hold his wife, feel her small, tiny hands warmly slip in his. Keeping them both warm in this dreary, diasterous weather.

  "I don't feel lucky," Dylan replied. "the person who should be going into the ambulance is me! My wife should be the one safe, damn it!" he pounded his fist onto the now busted up car.

  The officer sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. He felt sorry for Dylan. He didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say.

  "I'm sorry, son." he finally said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure your wife is going to be okay." He then turned around and started to drive off into the opposite direction of the accident.

  Dylan raced over to the ambulance, meeting one of the paramedics there.

  "I need to see my wife," Dylan said, the paramedic who was about to go to the passenger's side of the ambulance sighed in annoyance, then opened the back of the van and allowed Dylan to enter.

         Normally Dylan would have called the person who took care of the paramedic's pay for how the employee treated him, but he was too concerned about his wife to even care. He'd deal with that later, when Valerie wasn't a bruised woman laying in the hospital bed.

  It killed him to see his wife covered in cuts and pieces of glass. She had dry blood resting on her forehead, eyes closed in an almost death-like state.

  Sighing, he clutched onto her hand gently, then placed a soft kiss to her fair skin.

  "I'm sorry baby." he whispered to her. He didn't realize it then, but a few teardrops had fallen loosely from his eyes.

  "I'm sorry that I couldn't stop the car, love. I really wish I could have. If I did, you wouldn't be here." he couldn't stop apologizing. He truly thought it was his fault. Dylan kissed the tip of her nose, giving it a slow nuzzle. He closed his eyes, and let the ambulance drive in motion.

  "I'm sorry. . ."