Dr. Liam Larson
“You're going to be fine,” I tell the limp girl in the passenger seat as I drive carefully through the mountain roads. The black pavement is slick and deadly under the wheels of my BMW, and I clench my jaw as I slow down for the sharp turns. It wouldn't be very heroic if I crashed my car in the middle of rescuing my girlfriend from her accident, now would it? My eyebrows are narrowed in concentration as I drive with near-surgical precision, but I know I need to keep talking and being cheerful to distract her from the pain.
“From now on, things are going to be different, Winter. We need to stop talking about all the phenomenal things we could do, and actually do them. I’m tired of waiting. This has been a really big wake-up call. Let’s promise that once we get through this, we’re going to stop being such workaholics. I want to live.” I try to speak with enthusiasm while focusing on the treacherous roads. It's easy to see why she crashed. Even a skilled driver with perfect vision, in perfectly bright daylight conditions, could make a fatal mistake in conditions like this.
Putting a woman behind the wheel is like giving a toddler a machine gun.
I grimace at the memory of one of my father’s favorite phrases. He managed to intimidate my poor mother so much that she never gathered the courage to learn how to drive. I never wanted to treat Helen that way. Driving is a risk, but it’s also freedom. It’s power and independence.
Helen is so quiet that I’m worried she’s in an excruciating amount of pain. I know that I put her through a lot of emotional suffering in the past few hours, and all of this is my fault. She was never meant to hear the things she heard. I was supposed to be the one person she could trust. And on top of that, for her to be forced to see the things that she has seen? I wish I could take it all away somehow.
“I can’t wait to check out this cabin of yours, Winter,” I tell her gently. “I bet it’s spectacular. You’ll need some time to recover from your injuries, and I’ll take care of you to the best of my ability. But before long, I’m sure you’ll be feeling strong enough to go on walks with me in the forest. What do you say? That sounds great, doesn’t it?”
I hear our puppy yipping softly, and I know that she’s afraid. A quick glance reveals that Snowball is sitting in Helen’s lap and shaking like a leaf. I wish I knew what to do or say to comfort my two girls, but it’s impossible to find the words in a situation like this.
“Snowball will enjoy going on walks with us,” I say softly. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you girl? Getting to explore the fresh air of the mountains instead of my cramped apartment in New York City?”
Snowball responds with a tiny, timid bark. She sounds nothing like the vibrant, energetic puppy that I once fell in love with. Seeing Helen get hurt has really affected her. I can tell, because it’s also bothering me. I feel the need to keep talking to coax my girlfriend out of her emotional fortress. If only I could make her smile, or feel hopeful about anything at all...
“We could go on that vacation that we've been talking about,” I say in a falsely upbeat voice. “What do you think, Winter? You can choose the destination. I think you were talking about France or Italy? I've always wanted to travel, and I would love to have you by my side. We should put those shiny new eyes of yours to good use and actually go take a look at everything the world has to offer. I know that you’re excited enough about being able to see the brochures, but there’s something really magical about actually being there. Something really sexy too. Maybe we can try to make out on at least a dozen historic landmarks?”
She doesn't laugh or react in any way to my stupid joke, and I am beginning to wish I had the boyish charm of my best friend Owen. I truly believe that Owen could wake the dead with his jokes and force their decaying corpses to laugh one last time. This thought gives me a little chill as I gaze down into the deep ravine to the left of the road.
When our puppy begins to whimper, I turn to the side and notice that Winter’s eyes are closed. She looks deathly pale and completely still. “Winter? Winter!” I shout frantically. “Wake up! Helen? Dammit, you can't fall asleep now.” Slamming on the brakes of my car, I reach to the side rapidly and place two fingers against her neck. I can't feel her pulse for a few seconds, and I hold my breath in fear. Then I realize that it's probably because my fingers are half-frozen. I bring my fingers to just below her nose and check for breathing.
Nothing. There's nothing.
Is she... ?
Then—barely. Just barely, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings. I exhale anxiously as I place my palm against her heart to check for a heartbeat. She's weak, but alive.
I have to face the truth. I'm not going to be able to take care of her on my own. She didn’t want me to take her to a hospital, but I’m going to have to go against her wishes if I want her to live. There’s a little trail of blood dripping down her forehead and cheek, and I know that she’s experienced significant head trauma. This could be a concussion... or worse. I feel a little jealous at the thought of other doctors being the ones to help her injuries, but I simply don't have the expertise or equipment required.
“Just hang on,” I tell her with a deep breath as I begin driving again. I simultaneously use my car's GPS to search for the nearest hospital. “You're going to be fine. I promise.” When the GPS has finished mapping the route, I realize that I need to turn sharply to the right in a few seconds. I tightly grip the steering wheel and slow down to prepare for the turn.
As I pick up the pace and drive faster, I grit my teeth together so tightly that I feel like I could crush iron between my molars. How did we get here? Just yesterday, things were fine between us. How did I go and hurt Helen so much that she ended up risking her life to try and get away from me? Images course through my mind of all the decisions and indecisions that led to this point.
It was my greed. My insatiable ambition and lust for material things I didn’t need. I let it control me. I can only pray that my actions haven’t caused me to lose the only woman I have ever loved.