Point of Retreat

truck that hit them. What's left of the truck, anyway. There are several people surrounding it, talking to the driver inside, telling him to wait for help before he gets out. I'm in the middle of the highway, calling her name. Where did she go? I run back to my car and Kel and Caulder are both still inside.
     
    "Is she okay?" Kel asks. "Is Layken okay?" He's crying.
     
    "Yeah, I think so. She walked away…I just can't find her. You guys stay here, I'll be right back."
     
    I finally hear sirens as I'm making my way back to Lake's car. When the emergency vehicles come closer, their flashing lights illuminate all the chaos…almost emphasizing it. I look at Gavin. He's hovering over Kiersten checking her pulse again. The sound of the sirens fade as I watch everyone around me move in slow motion.
     
    All I can hear is the sound of my own breath.
     
    An ambulance pulls up beside me and the lights slowly make their way in a circle…as if their job as lights is to display the perimeter of the damage. I follow along with my eyes as one of the red lights slowly illuminates across my car, then the car next to mine, then over the top of Lake's car, then on top of the truck that hit them, then across Lake lying in the snow. Lake! As soon as the red light circles further, it's dark and I don't see her anymore. I run.
     
    I try to scream her name, but nothing comes out. There are people in my way, but I just shove past them. I keep running and running, but it feels like the distance between us keeps getting further and further away.
     
    "Will!" I hear Gavin yell. He's off the ground and running after me.
     
    When I finally reach her, she's just lying there in the snow with her eyes closed. There's blood on her head. So much blood. I tear off my jacket and throw it in the snow and remove my shirt. I begin wiping the blood off of her face with it, trying desperately to find her injuries.
     
    "Lake! No, no, no. Lake, no." I touch her face with my hand, trying to gain some sort of reaction out of her. It’s cold. She's so cold. As soon as I put my hands under her shoulders to pull her into my lap, someone pulls me back. Paramedics swarm her as I'm being pulled away from her. I can't see her anymore. I can't see her.
     
    "Will!" Gavin yells. He's in my face. He's shaking me. "Will! We need to get to the hospital. They'll take her there. We need to go."
     
    He's trying to push me away from her. I can't speak, so I shake my head and push him out of my way. I start to run back to them. Back to her. He pulls me back again. "Will, don't! Let them help her."
     
    I turn around and shove him, then run back to her. They're moving her onto a gurney when I skid to a stop in the snow right next to her. "Lake!"
     
    One of the paramedics pushes me back as the others lift her up and carry her to the ambulance. "I need in there!" I yell. "Let me in there!" The paramedic won't let me by as they shut the doors and tap on the glass. The ambulance pulls away. As soon as its lights fade into the distance, I fall to my knees.
     
    I can't breathe.
     
    I can't breathe.
     
    I still can't breathe.
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Thursday, January 26 th , 2012.
     

 
    Chapter Thirteen
     
    When I open my eyes, I immediately have to close them again. It's so bright. I'm shaking. My whole body is shaking. Actually, it's not my body that's shaking at all. It's whatever I'm lying on that's shaking.
     
    "Will? Are you okay?"
     
    I hear Caulder's voice. I open my eyes and see him sitting next to me. We're in an ambulance. He's crying. I try to sit up to hug him, but someone pushes me back down.
     
    "Be still, Sir. You've got a pretty bad gash I'm working on here."
     
    I look at the person talking to me. It's the paramedic that was holding me back. "Is she okay?" I feel myself succumb to the panic again. "Where is she? Is she okay?"
     
    He puts his hand on my shoulder to hold me still and places gauze over my eye. "I wish I knew something…but I don't. I’m sorry. I just know I need to get this injury of yours closed. We'll get more information when we get there."
     
    I look around the ambulance but I don't see Kel. "Where's Kel?"
     
    "They put him and Gavin in the other ambulance to check on them. They said we would see them at the hospital," Caulder says.
     
    I lay my head back, close my eyes and pray.
     
    ***
     
    As soon as the ambulance doors open and they pull me out, I jump off the gurney.
     
    "Sir, get back