I stared at Isaac through the window, my hands shaking. "I should--I should say something." I said to my mom. My mom grabbed my shoulder as I attempted to get out of the car.

"This may not be the best time, Cecilia." She told me quietly.

I shrugged her hand off of me. "Not the best time? Look at him! His dad could be dead, for all we know!"

I swallowed hard, not wishing to imagine something so terrible.

How horrible could one life get?

Just as I went to open the door again, a police officer and a paramedic walked up to Isaac. They started speaking, but Isaac was shaking his head.

Curious, I cracked my window open, hoping to hear something.

"--to the hospital, son." The officer was saying. Isaac shook his head frantically, still gripping his father. He started saying something, but I couldn't quite here him. I rolled my window down a little more and stuck part of my head out of it.

"--call me son, don't call me son, don't call me SON!" He screamed the last word, his face taking on a terribly angry look. "DON'T EVER CALL ME SON. EVER. BECAUSE I'M NOBODY'S SON ANYMORE, DAMMIT!"

I closed my eyes, trying to push back the tears that were threatening to spill over. It had happened. Isaac's father had died.

He was an orphan.

I wanted to help him, I wanted to be there for him so badly, but I didn't know how he would react. Would he lash out at me, or accept my comfort?

I didn't open the door. I just watched a scene unfold before me, a terrible, tragic scene.

"Kid, listen," the paramedic said, trying to speak patiently. "We don't know if you're okay! We need to check you out, make sure everything is going to be alright!"

Isaac blinked, more tears falling out of his eyes. "I'm not alright. I'm never going to be alright again. I won't be alright until I'm dead. I want to die. Just leave me here to die."

My brain seemed to stop working. Isaac...wanted...

I couldn't take this. I rolled the wind back up. "Drive away." I whispered to my mom, clutching my phone in my hands.

"Cecilia..."
"Drive away."
"I'm sorr--"
"DRIVE AWAY!"

My mom stared at me for a moment, then hit the gas and sped away down the street, leaving Isaac and the car wreck behind.

Leaving the car wreck behind.
Leaving Isaac behind.
Leaving my nightmares behind.