12 Year Anniversary

Twelve years ago today, I was stuffing my bed full of rolls of toilet paper and trying to be as quiet as possible while sneaking out my bedroom window in my parents brand new home.  I was set to meet up with my best friend and three guys we knew. 

I successfully snuck out and spent a few hours joy riding around town with my friends.  The night came to an end and I was set to be dropped off to sneak back in that window, replace all my rolls of TP in my linen closet and hit the sack so I would be able to get up for school in the morning.  That plan quickly changed. 

From what I've heard, our car was struck by a young man coming home from a strip club.  He had run a stop sign and had been drinking. 

When I woke up in the back of the mini van, chaos was ensuing.  People were screaming, sirens were flashing and I could tell I was in shock because my leg was visibly broken but I wasn't in any pain.  One by one, they removed us all from the van and we were carted off to hospitals around town where the could find room for us.  My best friend and I rode in the same ambulance and I remember saying to her "Can, are you mad at me" and she responded "No, are you mad at me."  To which I responded "No, but we are in so much trouble."  I reached out for her hand but an IV kept me from doing so. 

So much of that night was fuzzy, police coming in and out to ask me questions, moments of staring at a white ceiling dying for my parents to show up, even a priest coming in to speak with me.   Tests were run, x rays and cat scans and stitches were completed.   A team of orthopedic guys came in and drilled a hole through my shin and put my leg in traction so that my femur would re align. 

I asked everyone about Candace.  She had already gone to surgery.  Hours maybe even days passed, I had surgery to have a titanium rod inserted in to my left femur, and I woke up in a hospital room in so much pain and so depressed.  My leg was all the same size and yellow from the iodine.  I realized I was missing a front tooth. 

Doctors and visitors came and went.  My room started to fill up with flowers and food and balloons.  My mood started to deteriorate.   I was loosing motivation to get mobile and get out of the hospital.  Candace who was injured far worse than I, was able to get in a chair and wheeled down to see me.   A little bit of motivation came back. 

Days later I was released from the hospital and came home. Candace stayed at an on site rehab facility for some additional therapy.  I was home in a wheel chair and she and her mom came by for a visit.  She was doing so well on her crutches with two broken legs and I had hardly used mine.  She made me get up and give them a try.  She jokingly said "you suck, come on".  Seeing her doing so well was all the motivation I needed. 

We started back to school in wheelchairs and then graduated to crutches.  People asked us questions and teachers made examples out of us, but through it all we had each other.  Months went by and our broken bones healed, stitches were removed, and our friendship grew.  So today is the 12 year anniversary of our car accident but it's a little friendship anniversary too!