The scorching late summer sun reflects off the windshield as a car
skids around a bend. The rubber of the tires vibrates as they bounce,
screaming across the sizzling pavement. Loose gravel is kicked up and
tossed across the road, striking other cars as Sara slides around the turn.
“MOVE IT!” Clifford loudly bellows, just before grasping his side, grimacing
in pain.
“We’re almost there! Just hold on!” Sara says, concerned for her friend.
She fishtails around another bend, spraying a thick cloud of dust and debris
into the air. She accelerates and dodges the other drivers.
“Excuse me! Sorry!” Sara exclaims, as they blare on their horns and
extend their middle fingers while driving on the double-lane highway.
Clifford wails in pain as he grasps his side again. “Oh, God! C’mon,
HURRY!” he cries.
“Just another minute!” Sara quickly exclaims back. She swerves, finds a
wide-open lane, and punches the gas. She swiftly takes an exit and speeds
down the ramp to a side street near the urgent care facility, which is conveniently
tucked into a shopping center with a large grocery store lot.
She cruises into the parking lot, dodges a pedestrian, and swoops into a
parking space.
“Hang on, we’re here!” she says to Clifford, who’s moaning in pain.
“Have someone come get me! I’m in too much pain to move!” Clifford
says in a pained voice.
“Okay, sit tight. I’ll get someone,” Sara calmly says as she throws the
car in park. She swings the car door open, slams it shut, and bolts through
the parking lot, into the office of the small urgent care facility. The light
breeze through the trees and bushes blowing into the car window offers
Clifford no comfort as he doubles over in the passenger seat in great pain.
Strangers shoot him a concerned look as they walk past with shopping
carts while he lets out several painful cries.
Clifford sits up, looks over, and can see Sara talking with the staff of
the urgent care center. Through the large front window, he watches as she
shifts her weight from her toes to her heels and runs her hand through her
hair. Clifford closes his eyes and groans as another painful wave hits him.
He is filled with extreme nausea from the pain, but he grunts and continues
to apply pressure to his side.
He opens his eyes again and watches as she jogs toward the car with a
slight smile on her face.
“What’s going on?” Clifford grunts.
Sara smiles again, “Okay, they can’t see you. We have to go to the ER.”
“WHAT?! WHY?” Clifford cries in shock. “I’m fucking DYING!”
“I’m sorry, Dee, it’s only a few blocks away. You’ll be okay,” Sara says
calmly as she starts the car.
She pulls out of the parking lot and takes a side street toward the hospital.
A woman jogging up the sidewalk starts to head toward the crosswalk,
and Sara slows and waves her across.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Clifford cries. “GO!”
“There’s someone in the crosswalk, Dee,” Sara explains.
“I DON’T CARE, JUST GO!” Clifford cries again.
“Calm down. That isn’t helping,” Sara says.
“SHIT, I’M GOING TO DIE!” Clifford yells back at her wavering, much
calmer demeanor. Sara, concentrating on the road, quickly passes a car.
“You’re gonna be okay. You’re not going to die. So, just shut up!” Clifford
smacks the side of the car and grimaces in pain.
“You know, we could be on route seven. The traffic really sucks today!”
Sara says, trying to make casual chit-chat while hastily maneuvering
around more cars.
“Just fucking GO!” Clifford says through his teeth and closes his eyes
while clenching his fists in pain.
The car comes to a slow stop and Clifford opens his eyes. “WHY?
Stopping?” He begins to question. “NO STOPPING! Why? Why are we
STOPPING?!” Clifford cries while looking around.
Sara sighs, “We’re at a red light. I can see the hospital. It’s another
block away.”
“RUN THE LIGHT!” Clifford yells, still in excruciating pain. “RUN
THE LIGHT!”
“No!” Sara says calmly. “Jesus! You’re going to be alright. Two more
minutes. Okay? Unless you want to walk the rest of the way.”
Clifford, now sweating from the pain, starts grunting and dry heaving
violently.
“Don’t you dare throw up in my car!” Sara says as she starts to drive
through the intersection. Clifford starts to cry as he grabs his lower abdomen
and leans up to put his head out the window. Sara quickly pulls up to
the front door of the ER and the car comes to a jolting stop, tossing Clifford
back into the seat.
“Here! Let’s go!” Sara says as she swings open her door. Clifford wastes
no time. Clawing desperately at the door handle, he shoves the car door
open and stumbles out of the car, falling to the ground. Sara jogs over,
pulls him to his feet, and Clifford starts to stumble away into the hospital.
She stops and fixes the seat belt hanging out so she can shut the car door.
Clifford begins to dry heave again, and this time it produces. He vomits
from the pain and it splatters across the hospital floor violently. The world
around Clifford starts to close in and his vision goes dark. He falls to the
floor with a loud thud. The sound of the hospital staff rushing toward him
is the last thing he could hear as his vision completely faded to black.
* * *
