"Oh!" I'm surprised but not as surprised as I sound. "Did you want something to drink? We have beer and punch in the kitchen."
Will and I both grab a drink and head out to the patio where most people are gathered. James has commandeered the grill. His dad looks hurt about it, but he's not putting up a fight. I know he enjoys the fact that he gets to see his son. I'm sure he would like to see the other one someday soon too.
Mr. Evan's phone rings and he disappears inside the house to take the call. I hear someone calling my name and peek my head in the house to see two officers standing in my living room. Will is right behind me as I approach, his hand resting on the small of my back for support.
"Can I help you, officers?" My voice cracks and I cough to cover my nerves.
"Are you the owner of the house?"
"Yes. Reagan Brooks," I say, extending my hand towards them.
"Ms. Brooks, do you know Felicity Granger?" My hand falls to my side at the mention of her name.
"She's my roommate. Why?" My voice is no louder than a whisper. When the officers look at each other before answering my question I know that something is wrong. Terribly wrong. Before they have the chance to answer me, Mr. Evans comes rushing back in the room, hollering for James and Mrs. Evans. I watch for a moment as the scene unfolds in front of me.
Mrs. Evans comes rushing in the room, a look of concern on her face. James is following behind her looking confused. When he sees his dad's face he starts digging in his pocket and pulls out his keys. They're out the door without saying a word. James looks back at me as he shuts the door behind them, his emotions a mix of concern and terror. Something has happened to Elliot and Felicity that much is clear. The room starts to spin around me, my body is tingling and I feel myself falling before being lifted. Something cold is touching my face. I open my eyes to find Will hovering above me. I must have passed out. I try to sit up, but he pushes me back down.
"Relax for a second, Reagan."
"I can't. I have to find Felicity and Elliot. Where are they?" His smile is weak and his eyes are sad. I look away from him and squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to cry. "What happened, Will?"
"They were in an accident. They’ve been transported to the hospital. I won't lie to you. It's bad. I don't have all the details but even if I did, I wouldn't want to be the one to tell you. They're both in surgery right now. James promised to call as soon as he found anything out."
"Will you take me to them? I need to be there."
"I can if you want me to." He stands and helps me into a sitting position. "Do you want some water before we go?"
"No. I'll be fine." I stand on my own and head into the kitchen to grab my purse. The food has been put away. My guests are gone. I can only imagine I have Will to thank.
I text James once we are on the road. He replies instantly, letting me know where to meet him. It feels like the fifteen-minute drive takes over an hour. My body fills with dread as I close Will's car door and head towards the Emergency entrance. The door opens for me, but I stop.
If I walk through that door I may get news that I won't be able to handle. I'm not ready to go in yet. I need more time. I need to prepare myself for the inevitable.
"I'm right here, Reagan." Will whispers in my ear. "You don't have to do this alone."
"I have to call Felicity's parents." It's the first thing I think to say. It's a fact. I need to stick to the facts. I don't have many, but I have a few. Being uninformed will help at this point. It'll keep me calm when I tell them what I know.
"Why don't we take a seat and you can call them. After, we'll find James." Will leads me to a bench near the entrance.
I rummage through my purse for my phone. Once I find their number my fingers freeze up. I can't call them. I can't tell them something has happened. I don't have the strength to hold myself together. I'm not strong enough.
"Do you want me to call them?" I nod and he takes my phone. I listen as he tells them what he knows. After a few minutes, he covers the phone with his hand and leans in close. "They want to talk to you. Are you up for it?"
I nod because I know I have to do this. The hardest part is over. They know what happened. "Hello."
"Reagan. Is she going to be okay? Is my baby going to be okay?" Mrs. Granger is frantic. Fear is crippling her right now and as much as I would like to think I understand, I can't possibly imagine how she feels right now. Her daughter has been hurt and she's not here.
"I don't know. I will call you when I find out more." I'm not doing a very good job of reassuring her. I'm a horrible friend. "I can get you on the next flight out here if you want to come."
"Yes. Please." The words are out before I even finish speaking. I promise to text her the flight information as soon as I can.
Will volunteers to pick them up at the airport and bring them to the hospital after I hang up. I throw my arms around his neck and cry. I let it all out. I need to. If I don't, I won't be able to pull myself together for my friends. They need me to be strong right now. They need my support. I can do this. I just need to be weak for a few more minutes.
James spots us the second we enter the waiting room and heads in our direction. His parents are in the corner, his mother crying on his father's shoulder.
"Do we know anything more at this point?" My voice is stronger than it's ever been. I am determined to find out what is going on.
"Not yet. A nurse came out a little bit ago and said that Elliot was still in surgery. They wouldn't tell us anything about Felicity since we weren't immediate family. I thought you might be able to find out about her."
I grab Will's hand and pull him toward the reception desk. The lady behind the desk is on the phone but smiles up at us. I wait patiently for her to end her phone call for about five seconds before I wave someone else down. I need answers.
"Hi. Felicity Granger. Do we know anything about her condition yet?"
"Are you family?" She has an attitude with me and I don't blame her. I'm being blunt, but I also don't need her shit right now.
"Yes. I'm her sister." I lie. It feels natural. Will squeezes my hand, a sign that he'll back me up if needed.
"Just a minute, please. I need to check." She disappears around the corner but returns a moment later with a tablet in her hand.
"It looks like she's out of surgery and has been admitted to the burn unit. You're welcome to go up and see her, but it looks like she's still unconscious. They won't know much about her condition until she wakes up. I paged the doctor to come down and talk to you. He shouldn't be long."
I thank her and head back to the waiting area for the doctor. I tell James what I know and text Mrs. Granger an update. Will's on his phone booking flights for them and as soon as I have that information, I send that to them as well. The doctor takes his sweet time coming down. The few minutes I expected it to take him turns into almost thirty minutes and then an hour. I'm sure he's a busy man, but I need answers.
We wait in silence. The only sound in the room coming from a small television in the corner. People come and go. Patients are called back to be seen. The police show up to speak with us. They have more information than we do at this point.
Elliot was driving. He was turning left and a large pickup truck ran the light and crashed into him. That must be why his surgery is taking longer than Felicity's did. The impact caused the airbags to deploy. Whatever is inside those airbags burned Felicity's face. She has rib fractures which punctured one of her lungs. They’ve inflated it but she is sedated.