Throwback (5 years ago)

This was going the best week of my life. It was our senior year of high school and our last winter break together. So all of us decided to make the best out of it and go on a trip together.

We were 8 people in total. Me, Ashton, Blaine and his boyfriend Evan, Ava and Lizzy, and Ashton's friends, Roland and Nate. Rol's girlfriend wanted to join us too but she was stuck with her family for the entire break.

There was a beach house owned by my dad that we were going to stay in for the next five days. It was a beautiful house and the view was lovely too. We were gonna be there till 3rd of January.

We all decided to take our separate cars. Me and Ashton were in his car. Blaine and her boyfriend in Blaine's car. Nate and Rol in Nate's car and Ava and Lizzy in Ava's car.

We decided to leave on 27th at around 10'o clock, since it was about 4-5 hours away. The drive there was very uneventful but once we were there, we all forgot that we were tired. I had been here only twice, so I was not familiar with the area.

But we spent our entire weekend swimming, tanning and overall having a lot of fun. We even went for a hike one afternoon but only the boys made all the way upto the top. Rest of us girls were back in the house.

This was the first time ever that we had spent a quite New Year, with just our close friends on a beach around a bonfire. It was the best one. This was maybe our last New Year's together, and the most memorable one.

On the morning of 3rd, we packed up everything and started on our way back to New York. Back to our old, droning lives.

"You know, this was the best week of my life." I turned around towards Ash.

"Yeah, it was. The best one I had with my friends and my girlfriend," he replied.

"Hmmm." I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"I don't like spending any kind of holidays with my family," he said.

I have heard this sentence in different variations since last three years. Something happened that he really doesn't want to talk about.

"They seem like nice people. Why don't you like spending time with them." I asked him, caressing his cheek.

"Hey, let's not talk about them." He replied, placing a hand on my knee.

I decided to drop it, since he became really uncomfortable whenever we talked about his family. I could count on my fingers the number of times I've met his parents. He doesn't really want me to meet them. I really don't think he likes them very much.

We stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank and stretch our legs. We were only an hour away from the city. So I decided to drive the rest of the way.

It was a rule among us that whoever drives chooses the song. So, since I was driving, Taylor Swift was blaring from the speakers.

My phone started ringing from somewhere in the backseat of the car.

"Hey babe, can you pass me my phone.?"

"Yeah, just a sec." He started looking for it in the back.

"I think it fell down under the seat." He said, undoing his seat belt and climbing over to the back seat to search for it.

I turned around to see what he was up to, since the phone had already stopped ringing.

"It's Ava. Do you want me to.......Watch out the truck," he screamed.

I turned around to see the truck was almost on us. I swerved to avoid it, but it was too late. I turned the car but the truck hit the passenger side of the car instead of the front.

Due to the impact, the car did a 360° flip. Everything inside the car was thrown around as the car flipped. I only remained in my seat because of the seatbelt. My head hit the window pretty bad, and I felt something warm trickle out of my nose and my hairline.

Ashton had been screaming something incoherent from the back, but my head was hurting too much for me to understand. But then suddenly, everything went silent. I could not hear Ash in the backseat and my phone had also stopped ringing.

I tried to turn around but something was restraining me. My eyes were feeling heavy and there was an excruciating pain in my head as well as my leg. Which leg, I couldn't tell. I don't think I was hurt that bad but I just wanted to check if Ashton was all right.

It was starting to get blurry, and then was when I think I totally lost my consciousness.

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I think some time might have passed since I could feel something soft under me, not the car seat. Maybe Ashton was not hurt and he called someone to drive both of us home.

I tried to open my eyes but something was not letting me open them. They were too heavy. Also, I was thirsty. I wanted water. But I couldn't do anything.

Sometime later, I think I had some sensation on my hand, because I could feel someone was holding onto them. It felt comforting. But I still couldn't open my eyes.

I could hear voices around me, as if they were trying to talk to me. I think I heard mom crying. And dad too. I don't know why but I still was not able to open my eyes.

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After what felt like hours, I think I could finally open my eyes. They were sticky and sore, as if I've been crying all night. But it was too bright in my room. I think someone forgot to shut the curtains.

But, I wasn't in my room. Actually it wasn't even my house. I think, I was in a hospital room. I slowly tried to adjust my sight, and yes, I was right. I was in a hospital.

I turned my head and saw someone standing at the window. I think it was Jase. But he was in Ontario. I still called him out.

"Ja-Jase. Is that you.?" I croaked. Yes, I croaked. My throat was that dry.

He suddenly turned around as he he was not expecting me to call him out. He suddenly rushed towards me and engulfed me in a big, warm hug. I felt his tears through my very thin hospital gown. I started sobbing too. I had no idea why he was crying but I started crying too.

"Mia.....oh my god. You are awake. Oh my god, you scared me. Us. All of us." He was mumbling on my shoulder.

Then he slowly pulled away from me and sat on a chair beside my bed. It was then I noticed his eyes were bloodshot and he had bags under his eyes. Today was not the first time he had cried.

"How are you feeling Mia,?" he asked me, wiping away all the moisture from his eyes and cheeks.

"It hurts. My head." I croaked again.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I'm gonna go call the doctor and mom and dad." He was acting all awkward and cautious around me.

"Hey....wait. What.....?" But he was already gone.

A couple of minutes later, a doctor entered the room. He looked young. Maybe in his late twenties.

"Mia, I'm glad you are awake. How are you feeling.?" He asked me. He was busy checking all the wires and IVs attached to me.

"My head hurts. A lot. And I'm sore all over. And my throat feels dry. But why am I here.? What happened.?" I asked him.

"I could get you a glass of water for your throat. And about what happened, I think that could be best answered by your friends and family. Let me just check your vitals and get an MRI of your head. And then your family can meet you." He said and then got himself busy.

It took almost half an hour for everything to be done before the doctor gave me a thumbs up. I was wheeled back to my room. I was now lying on my bed and drinking water from a straw in small sips, when the door opened and my parents and Jase walked in.

My mom rushed towards me and engulfed me in her hug.

"Oh my god. You are awake, baby. You scared us." She was crying so hard, I was concerned. I looked towards my dad and Jase and both of them had tears in their eyes as well.

"Mom, what happened. Why are you guys crying.?" I asked them, my eyes were watering again too.

My mom slowly let me go but she sat on the chair beside my bed. My dad took me in his warm embrace and kissed my forehead but I didn't feel his touch.

Then I realized, my head was totally wrapped up in a bandage.

"It's okay sweetie. It's fine. Everything is fine." He was rubbing my back.

They were all acting weird. Yes, I know I was in an accident. But I was fine now. My family loved me too much, but they were acting all weird right now.

Both mom and dad were sitting on either side of me. So Jase took a seat on the foot of the bed.

"Do you remember what happened, Mia." He asked me.

"Yeah, kind of. I was driving and Ash was in the backseat looking for my phone. Then suddenly a truck was upon us from nowhere. And I tried to swerve but the car took the hit on the passenger side and it flipped. Ash was screaming from the back but then event silent and I lost consciousness. That's all I remember." I said.

I actually did not know what happened after that. How did I land up in a hospital bed.? Where was Ashton.? There was a whole fussilade of questions running around in my mind.

"Roland and Nate were driving past when they saw your car totally busted on the side of the road. Ashton had somehow fallen out of the car a few feet away. Both of you were unconscious. They called the ambulance and police. Your leg was stuck in the car, so they had to cut out the seat to take it out." Jase started explaining, and there was a slight shaking in his voice.

"Ashton was not hurt much. A few broken bones and some scratches and bruises. However, you were hurt quite badly. They had to operate your leg to fix the bones. And you took the worst hit on your head." My mom had started crying again. Dad was just rubbing my back soothingly, as if he was preparing me for something.

"How bad.?" I asked.

"Very bad. After coming out of the surgery, doctors told us you had a couple of blood clots in your brain. So, they put you on an medically induced coma. You were supposed to slip out of it in a couple of days. But you were in a coma for more than a week. Nine days in total. Even after the doctors stopped the medication the second day."

Jase's voice as well as his hands were shaking pretty bad now. My mom was crying harder now. I was just numb. All over. I had been in a coma. For more than a week. And here, I was thinking this was the same day as the accident.

It was going all too well, and then the accident happened. I still didn't know where Ashton was.

"Where's Ashton.?" I asked. And I was tearing up again.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry sweetie. He's alright. He's fine. He's resting at home. Do you want me to call him.?" My mom asked me, slightly caressing my cheek.

"No, don't call him. I don't think he'll be able to drive. I'll just go get him. You guys go ahead, I just need a minute alone with Mia." Jase said, getting up from the bed.

"Okay. Take care darling. We are just heading home for a couple of hours, now that you are awake. We'll be back before dusk." Dad said, pressing a kiss on top of my head.

Then he led my mom out of the room. My mom gave me one last look before heading out. Now, it was just Jase and me. I knew he still had tears in his eyes.

"You scared me, Mia. You scared me very bad. When I saw you all bloodied up and unconscious, I thought I lost you. You were not responding to anything. I was scared. I never want to see you like that again." His voice was shaking and tears were falling from his eyes.

He had taken this very hard on himself. He was the only one who had seen me in that condition, my mom and dad saw me only after I came out of the surgery and was all cleaned up.

"Hey, Jase. It's fine. See, I'm alright now. Awake. Don't cry now. You never cry." I tried to soothe him, rubbing his back.

"It was very difficult for me to see my baby sister go through so much pain. When Roland called me up, I lost it after hearing about the accident," he said, wiping a tear off my cheek.

We sat like that for some time and talked. Then he again gave me a hug and went away to get Ashton. Me and Jase, we are not those ideal siblings, not even close. We have our fights, our fallouts. Sometimes we don't talk to each other for days, and our parents need to intervene.

But I knew my brother loved me and I loved him just as much. I tried to keep up a happy façade for his sake. But now, that I was alone in the room, everything hit me up at once.

I had been in a coma for more than a week. I had suffered major injuries. I didn't even knew how much was Ashton hurt, he fell out of the flipping car. All of these thoughts and more were running through my brain, when a nurse entered the room.

"Hey. Now that you are awake, how about I help you get changed in a fresh set and freshen up.?" She asked politely.

Honestly, getting changed sounded really good at that time. She helped me get out of my hospital gown, and gave me a sponge bath, totally avoiding the areas that were injured.

I was feeling better now. The nurse went away to get me something that I could eat. As soon as she went out, Jase entered the room with Ashton in tow. As soon as his eyes fell on my sitting form, he was on me. Hugging me, kissing my face.

"Oh god. You are awake. You are finally awake. I knew you were a fighter. But you scared me babe. You were in a coma, you were not getting up. You were not talking to me. You were not holding my hand back." He hugged me tightly, crying.

"Hey babe, it's fine. I'm fine now. I'm alright. Don't worry. See, I'm awake now. And I would be back to normal in no time," I said pulling away, and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, you will be. I'll make sure of that," he said, kissing my lips tenderly.

I looked around, but I saw that Jase had left the room to give us some privacy.

Ashton told me more about what happened, from his point of view of course. My family and friends had suffered a lot because of my accident. All because of my fault.

He talked to me for sometime, but now it was time for my medicines. A nurse put some kind of injection in my IV.

It made me sleepy and after sometime, I totally lost consciousness and submerged into deep sleep. But I still felt the kiss Ashton placed on my forehead.

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