IFORGOT TO TURN off my cell phone at volleyball practice. Coach shot me a dirty look as I jogged over to my backpack to turn it off.
Caller ID showed it was Eden. I panicked for a second. She knew better than to call me in the middle of practice. Then I remembered God was in control.
Let her be OK, God.
I missed two perfect passes and failed to set the ball for the hitters. My fingers felt like Jell-O.
Of course, Vicki pounced on me. “Get your stuff together, Liv.”
“Vicki, step in for Olivia,” Coach shouted.
She smirked as she walked to my position.
I seethed as I took my place on the bench. I took the opportunity to grab my phone and run to the bathroom. Once out of sight I read a text from Eden.
Call me ASAP! Greg and Toby have been in a car accident. Meet me at Lord’s Memorial hospital as soon as you can.
I stared at the lockers, wondering if the guys were dead or alive.
I dialed my mom’s cell phone immediately. “Mom, come get me. I have to get to the hospital. Greg Monahan has been in a car accident.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Mom and I rode in silence on the way home after practice. As soon as I was home I burst into the kitchen to find my dad.
“I need to borrow the car, Dad. Do you mind? I want to go right away.”
“Sure.” Dad walked over and gave me a bear hug.
“Thanks, Dad.”
I grabbed the keys from the peg by the back door.
Mom merely stood beside him and watched me leave, yet said, “Call us as soon as you know anything.”
Mom wasn’t always quite as nurturing as Dad. But I knew she cared. I knew she prayed for me. Mike told me so. For that I was thankful.
Since she did not make the effort, I decided I would. I gave her a hug before I stormed to the garage and jumped in the car, jamming the keys into the ignition. I could still see the shocked look on her face in my mind’s eye as I drove to the hospital.
I tried not to drive too far over the speed limit, even though my hands were trembling and I was feeling lightheaded. I wondered what I’d find when I got to the hospital. Would Greg even be alive?
I’d only met his friend Toby once at school, then saw him the night of the concert. He didn’t hang out with us much. But I’d heard from Christina that he was as bad as Greg when it came to driving really fast. Whenever they hung out together, they were even worse.
Arriving at the hospital, I grabbed a pack of tissues from the glove compartment and ran across the parking lot.
I waited impatiently for the doors of the ER to open automatically. People in green scrubs rushed up and down the hallway. I went to the check-in counter. The nurse behind the window handed a file on a clipboard to a doctor, who grabbed it and then disappeared out a small door.
I braced my hands on the edge of the counter. “I’m a friend of Greg Monahan. Is he OK?”
The nurse turned to me. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait until the family arrives.”
The last thing I wanted to do was wait. But seeing no choice, I said, “Thanks,” then headed into the large, empty waiting room. Where was Eden?
I sat in one of the blue upholstered chairs, put my elbows on my knees, and covered my face with my hands.
God, help Greg and Toby to be OK. I’m not sure if they’re Christians or not. Lord, give them the chance to decide. I bet You can work through near-death experiences, comas, visions. Could You do that now?
A flurry of voices shouted out medical orders. I looked up and saw the automatic door open. Eden walked in, her eyes red and swollen. “I’m sorry I’m late. I had to wait till Dad got home so I could use the car.”
I stood and embraced her.
“How are they?” she asked.
“I don’t know. The nurse won’t release any information until the family gets here.”
“Oh gosh. I can’t stand not knowing.”
I wiped tears from my face. “Do you know if Greg’s a Christian?”
“No. At the concert he looked pretty intent when the youth pastor was inviting people to ask God into their hearts. But he never talked about it after. Not to me, anyway.”
Then the thought hit us both at the same time, and we both said, “Christina.”
“Oh, no.” I dialed her number. No answer.
More commotion at the ER entrance caught our attention. Greg’s parents sped past the waiting room toward check-in. I heard his mother wail, “Where’s my son?”
I peeked around the corner and saw a man in a white coat motioning for Greg’s parents to be seated on chairs in the hallway. As he spoke with the Monahans, Greg’s mom cried and blew her nose over and over.
Greg’s dad looked emotionless.
I turned back to where Eden sat in the waiting room. Her lips were moving. I couldn’t hear any words, but I knew the Holy Spirit was giving her words to pray, like He had that night on the football field.
The doctor placed a hand on Mrs. Monahan’s shoulder. Then he disappeared into a room down the hall. I wished I could hear what he said to them.
I felt Eden come up behind me.
Mrs. Monahan spotted us. “Girls!” She elbowed Greg’s dad, motioning in our direction. “Honey, its Greg’s friends from school.”
We rushed to her side. I couldn’t think of a single word to say. Pat answers would sound empty. All I had to offer were my presence and my prayers.
Comfort them, Lord. No matter what the outcome is with Greg.
Mrs. Monahan rocked back and forth, blowing her nose on a well-used tissue. I reached into my purse, pulled out the mini pack of tissues I’d grabbed from the car, and handed it to Mrs. Monahan.
“Thank you, dear.”
A nurse approached us. “You can go in and see your son now.”
The Monahans shot to their feet.
“How is he?” Greg’s dad asked.
“Unresponsive but stable.”
The Monahans followed the nurse, and Eden and I followed them.
We entered a small room with stark white curtains and walls. Greg lay motionless on the bed, his eyes shut. His left cheek was bruised, and a three-inch swab of hair had been ripped from his head on the same side. His lips were swollen and purple. A nurse stood beside the bed, adjusting his IV drip. Bruises covered his hands and arms. Blood seeped through the bandage on his head, where I assumed was a deep gash.
His mother hurried to his bedside, letting out a whimper. His dad removed his baseball cap and stood next to the bed, his hand on his wife’s shoulder. Eden and I lingered in the doorway.
A doctor brushed past us and approached the Monahans. “I’m Dr. Howard. I’m so sorry you have to see your son this way. He will be admitted. There’s swelling on his brain. If it doesn’t go down within the next seventy-two hours, there won’t be much hope that he’ll recover. If he does, there could be serious long-term damage—we won’t know until he wakes up.”
Mr. Monahan’s shoulders shook, and he hugged his wife.
Dr. Howard gave Greg’s mother a squeeze on her forearm. “Again—I’m so sorry. We’ll do everything we can to keep him comfortable. In the meantime we must monitor him and wait. Come next door with me, and I’ll show you his X-rays.”
When they turned, I asked, “Is it OK if we stay for a minute?”
“Of course,” the doctor responded.
As everyone else exited the room, one of the nurses gave us a warning look. “Keep it short. His family may need some privacy with him when they get back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “Thank you.”
The clamor that had filled the past hour stilled.
I felt like I was in a TV soap opera. All of this seemed surreal.
Eden went to the foot of the bed. I walked up to Greg’s side and touched his hand. “Greg,” I whispered, “If you can hear me, I want to encourage you to choose God. It’s never too late.” I started to cry. But I’d given all my tissues away, so I wiped my nose with the back of my other hand. “Jesus died to forgive you for everything you’ve done wrong. It all died with Him on the cross. Accept His sacrifice. Have faith. Ask Jesus to be Lord of your life.” Eden handed me a tissue she’d found from the box at his bedside.
The words sounded cheesy to me. Greg wasn’t used to hearing all this churchy language. But it was the only way I knew to express it. I prayed Greg would be able to comprehend it—if he could hear me. And I hoped he would make the right choice.
Suddenly a vision flashed into my mind. I saw Greg standing in the corner of the room, watching me talk to him in the bed. As fast as it came, the image faded. Was this a sign from God that Greg was listening?
“He’s still here,” Eden said in a shaky voice.
“You feel it too?”
“Yes.”
I heard wailing outside the room. I peeked out the doorway and saw a nurse escorting a crying couple down the hallway. Another nurse came into the room.
“How is Toby?” I asked her.
“Toby was pronounced dead on arrival. I’m sure his parents are getting the news right now.” She then walked over to Greg to check his IV and pulse.
I could not imagine being his parents and getting that kind of news.
Eden and I went into the hall. I heard the doctor and the Monahans in the next room discussing X-rays. I poked my head in the door. “We’re going to leave now so you can spend some time alone with Greg. Could you please call me whenever you get a moment and let me know if he improves?”
“Of course,” said Greg’s mom. “They gave me Greg’s cell, so I’m sure I can find your number.”
Eden gave them both a hug. I did too. When I did I thought I smelled alcohol on Mr. Monahan’s breath. I wasn’t surprised. Perhaps that is what caused him to go into rages and hit Greg.
At two o’clock in the morning my cell phone rang. I grabbed it from my bedside table, where I’d left it before going to sleep.
“Greg passed away a half hour ago.” Mr. Monahan sounded drunk. He slurred his words.
“I’m so sorry,” I offered.
He sniffled.
“OK. Thanks. Bye.” He hung up.
I dropped the phone on the bed.
Greg is dead. My mind swirled that phrase ’round and ’round, trying to grasp the truth of it.
I couldn’t imagine how it felt for a parent to lose their child. How would my parents feel if I died? It made all the problems in my life pale in comparison.
I dialed Christina’s cell phone number again. No answer. I called her home number. Busy.
I couldn’t fall asleep for an hour. I tossed and turned. Then a hand touched my head.
Mike. I drifted off into a sound sleep.
When the alarm went off I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for the day, even though it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I wondered how I had been able to sleep—although fitfully—for the past few hours. Then I remembered Mike. He’d put his hand on my head as he’d done many times before. I must have gone to sleep right after that.
When I walked into school the first person I saw was Christina, standing by her locker. I could tell from her slumped shoulders and red-rimmed eyes that she’d heard the news. I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s OK. I know he’s in heaven.”
I drew back, my hands still on her arms. “How do you know?”
“I was lying in bed last night after Greg’s dad called me in the middle of the night. After that I shut my eyes to pray. I suddenly pictured Greg floating above his bed. You know, like you hear about when people tell about their near-death experiences.”
“I saw that too!”
“You did? When?”
“I went to the hospital and saw him before he died. I talked to him, hoping he could hear me even though he was sedated or just unconscious. I told him how to be a Christian and encouraged him to make the right choice. I have peace that he did.”
We smiled as tears flowed down our cheeks.
Christina dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she had in her hand. “The Monahans asked Eden’s dad to do the funeral. They told me last night when they called. In a way I’m glad I wasn’t there last night to see how Greg looked. I saw several missed calls on my cell after I checked it this morning. My phone had lost its charge, and I never got them. Good thing my mom picked up the house phone in the middle of the night and was able to let me talk to Mr. Monahan.”
“Well, it’s good to hear about Eden’s dad doing the funeral.” I knew he’d preach the gospel. That’s what people needed to hear when they stared death in the face.
We parted to head to our classes. I clutched my books to my chest, trying to get rid of the weight in the pit of my stomach. Even though I knew Greg was in heaven I still missed him. And I felt bad for the people who loved him who were hurting even more than I was.
I felt Mike’s presence, but I didn’t look for him or speak to him. My mind was too focused on the loss of my friend. But when I sat down in homeroom I felt Mike’s hand on my hair and I felt comforted.
I remembered reading in the Bible that the Holy Spirit was called a Comforter. So I asked Him to help me get through this. I needed all the comfort I could get.