Later that evening Dad called Oma and Gramps to come pick us up.
"See you soon. Love you too. Bye," he said, hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Dad," I whined. "That's not fair! Why do we have to give up so many things?!"
He looked at me skeptically. "Mia, you do too many activities as it is, and your mother's going to need you two to help out around the house more often."
"Ugh!" I stomped away and slid down the wall until I sat on the floor with my legs folded and my back against the wall.
My phone had died, so all I could do was sit and watch the people pass by. There were surprisingly few people in the halls for mid-afternoon, and they all walked at leisurely paces. I looked to left, hearing rushed footsteps, and saw a nurse jogging down the hall.
"Everybody clear out!" She hollered. "We've got four people coming through here with extreme injuries, so clear up!"
I stood immediately, ducking into Mom's room and watching through the doorway as several nurses burst around the corner, a few beside each patient as they ran through the corridors.
"I thought Emergency was on floor 1?" I asked a nurse who had ducked in the door beside me to get out of the way.
"They seem to be in pretty bad shape. I'd say they're going straight to Surgery," he said. I nodded. "I'm Moses, by the way."
"Mia."
After they had passed Moses bid farewell and continued on his way as I stepped out into the hall to watch the quickly retreating party. There was a girl on the last bed who had a beautiful face. She looked to be of Indian and Asian decent, with long black hair and I didn't see it until the last second; a small scar ran from the corner of her left eye to her ear in a jagged line. She had a gold chain strung around her neck, which glittered under the fluorescent lighting. I almost smiled as her eyes fluttered open to show me her violet irises. I glanced at a paper that had fallen to the ground, which had a list of names, ages, and birth dates scribbled in dark, scraggly writing:
Crash Site-3 Dead, 4 Injured
December 14, 2014
Dead:
Harvey Marcus Novitta-Age 87-DOB August 16, 1927
Karma Melusine Novitta-Age 83-DOB September 11, 1931
Koby Kaito Forrest-Age 3-DOB March 27, 2011
Injured:
Maya Irene Forrest-Age 39- DOB November 4, 1975-Survival chance:71%
Angelo Silas Forrest-Age 40-DOB April 7, 1974-Survival chance:56%
Devin Joel Forrest-Age 9-DOB January 15, 2005-Survival chance:73%
Jaidan Violet Forrest-Age 5-DOB July 31, 2009-Survival chance:79%
Note to Lead Doctor:
It's happened again. A collision. 3 dead and 4 injured again. A family of 5 traveling on Tulip Drive slamming into an elderly couple passing on Maple Boulevard. I and others too fear that we will have to close the intersection. Too many deaths. 2 always die in surgery, and of course we have begun to fear more deaths. There is always somebody of Indian or Asian descent, in this case both. I am afraid, Doctor. I fear I will be next. Please help them.
Signed,
Tulip Maple, Head Nurse.
I looked up, seeing the party of nurses gone. I carefully folded the paper, tucking it in my pocket to give the front desk later.
"Mia!" I turned at the familiar voice and smiled, running to hug Gramps.
"How are you, dear?" Oma asked when Gramps released me to hug July.
My smile almost faltered. "I'm good! What about you?"
"I've been doing great. Now let's go see those lovely twins before we go." She walked through the door slowly.
"I'll just wait out here, Oma," I called after her, sliding down the wall to sit and watch the people pass again.
"I'll wait here," I whispered.