Chapter 1: The Void

Walker’s hands squeezed the steering wheel, as if the pressure would make the light turn green. His wife, Connie, sat beside him in the passenger seat, staring blankly ahead. Twenty minutes ago they had been happily eating Chinese food, discussing what color to repaint the guest room. Connie’s phone had buzzed. Unidentified number. She ignored it.

“I like browns and greens,” said Walker. “I don’t want it to look too girlie.” The phone buzzed a second time. The caller had left a message.

“Agreed,” said Connie said, casually placing the phone to her ear. “I want something warm too. But not dark. Darkness can be…” The blood drained from her face and she trailed off mid-sentence.

“Who is it?” asked Walker.

“Shh!” she said, with unexpected intensity. She finished listening and slowly placed the phone on the table.

“It was the police. Lizzie’s been in an car accident. She’s in an ambulance on the way to the emergency room right now.”

“What happened?”

“They didn’t say. Only that it’s serious and we need to get there as soon as we can.”

They made their way quickly out the door, shoving a wad of cash in the hands of their puzzled waitress.

The emergency room looked like a scene from M.A.S.H. Wounded people filled every chair. Some leaned against the walls.

“My God,” thought Walker. “When did this become a third-world country?”

A sign over the triage nurse’s desk said “Start here.” Seven people stood in line. Walker ignored the line and stepped to the desk.

“Hi. I’m Walker Adams. My daughter Lizzie’s been in a car accident. Is she here?”

The nurse didn’t even look up “Sorry sir. You’ll have to wait your turn.”

“But my daughter has been in a serious accident. Is the ambulance here?”

The nurse looked up blankly. “You’ll have to wait your turn.”

Walker and Connie went to the end of the line. Connie stared at her phone, her thumbs fumbling instinctively with her Facebook page. On the way to the hospital she had posted a prayer request. The digital well-wishers were flooding in.

“Wow,” she said. “247 ‘likes’ and ‘praying for you’s’ in less than ten minutes. That has to be a record.”

Walker was not surprised. Everyone loved Lizzie. He was glad Connie had made it clear they wanted no visitors.

An elderly Hmong man with bad teeth and a kind face said, “Why don’t you go ahead of me?”

“Thank you.” Lizzie replied. The waves of her gratitude were felt all the way to the front of the line. One by one, each person motioned them forward until they stood face-to-face with the triage nurse again.

“I’m Walker Adams. My daughter Elizabeth Adams has been in a serious car accident. Is she here?”

“No. Not yet.” said the nurse, staring at a computer screen.

Do you know when she will be?”

“It doesn’t say,” she said, still staring at the screen. “She’s coming by ambulance so it should be soon. Why don’t you go over and get started on the paperwork?” She motioned to a sign across the room that said “Admitting.” There were four windows, one of which was manned. People waited in plastic chairs like at the DMV.

As Walker made his way across the room, his heart sank. Three weeks ago he had quit his job at the local hardware store. They couldn’t compete when Home Depot and Lowe’s moved into town and had cut his salary. Walker’s credit was stretched thin and he had to have benefits so he had reluctantly joined the enemy. His job at the Home Depot had begun two weeks ago. His family health insurance was in limbo. He wasn’t even sure he had any.

Sirens penetrated the emergency room windows. An ambulance had arrived.