Page 91 of A Second Chance At Forever

The woman dropped the cigarette to the floor and stomped it out. She didn’t look sad or worried. If anything, she looked pissed off to be taken out of the bar.

I watched the woman, who was obviously high on something, as her head fell. She would jump awake only to repeat the process.

Finally, a doctor came into the room. He approached the woman slowly. He softly shook her arm, “Ma’am?”

She jumped awake and trained her eyes on him.

“You are Ashley Williams mother, correct?”

The woman nodded.

He bent down so he was eye level with her. “I’m very sorry to tell you this, but your daughter has passed.”

She continued to stare at him, maybe in shock.

“Did you hear me, Ma’am?”

She nodded her head before standing on shaky legs and left the waiting room without a word.

The doctor who was speechless stood and turned.

Mason spoke for the first time since we arrived at the hospital. “Can I ask what happened? I saw the accident, I was the one who put in the call.”

The doctor walked closer to us. “She broke a rib in the accident that punctured her lung, causing it to collapse. We were working on her lung when she went into cardiac arrest. That’s what lead us to find an internal hemorrhage. We just couldn’t get her all the help she needed soon enough. I’m sorry for your loss.” He bowed his head before turning and walking away, leaving us alone.

I rubbed Mason’s back, “This isn’t your fault.”

He nodded his head before standing. He took my hand in his and we walked silently back to the car.

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