Chapter Text
I place the pencil down on my desk, and stare at my textbook. My eyes are so blurry and dry from reading for hours on end. The section I have to read is all about how a human brian makes people think certain things and have mental illnesses. The book is assigned to me by my psychology professor. Even though I'm not majoring in any form of phycology, in order to become a neurosurgeon, which is what I am studying to be, you have to take a phycology course to learn how people think and what they feel. It is all extremely boring to me. All I want to do is save peoples' lives, and I'm stuck reading about mental illness. I've always been very blessed in my life to not have anything severely wrong with me. I've never had mental problems, and I've only had one surgery when I was in first grade and broke my arm. I've always been at the top of my classes growing up, in every club, and even the valedictorian of my high school class. But now that I'm in college, I feel like I could be doing so much more.
I look out the window to see the skyscrapers touch the big, fluffy clouds. I can't imagine how hot it is outside. It is the middle of September, and I've now been doing classes for college for almost two months, not counting all of the AP and dual enrollment classes I've taken in high school. I ended up graduating as a junior in college. I was accepted to Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University which is number three in the state of New York for medical schools, even though my dream school was the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, but that school has a 2.5% acceptance rate while the other has a 4%. While I am a little bitter about the fact I wasn't accepted, my mom makes me feel as though I am the smartest person around, and to be honest, I am one of the smartest people I know. My mom has always been my number one supporter. I love her with all my heart.
As I look at the window, trying to adjust my eyes, so I can go back to reading, I smell something so delicious waft into my room. It is lasagna. My mother always says that if she was not a nurse that she would be a professional cook. We all agree because she really is a master chef.
"Y/n, dinner is ready!" I hear my mother yell from the kitchen. I look down to see that the next section is about PTSD. Gosh, I can't imagine having such a horrible disease. Without a second thought, I quickly shut my book, glad for the opportunity to stop studying. I also realize that my stomach has been rumbling, and I can never focus on an empty stomach. I scramble out of my room and down the two flights of stairs through our townhouse to the kitchen. Yep, I was right. It was lasagna. My mother smiles and comes over to give a big hug.
"How is studying coming along dear?"
"You know as good as it can be. I'm currently reading about mental illnesses, and it bores the heck out of me," I sigh and turn away to the dining room table. My brother, Gavin, was already sitting in his seat getting a piece of the lasagna already set out.
"Yes, some things can be boring, but I promise all of this will be worth it once you are doing what you love." She gives me a smile and turns back into the kitchen to get the salad.
"I know, I know you're right," I say while sitting down. I start cutting a slice of lasagna to put on my plate.
"Shit!" my brother exclaims loudly. I gasp, and mother races in the dining room with the salad bowl in her hands.
"Gavin, what did you just say?" I stare quietly at the exchange. My mother hates cursing.
"I... nothing. I said nothing," he lies.
"No, I heard exactly what you said. And what was it about?"
"Umm... well... I got sauce on my science homework," he says quietly.
"Oh, I see, and does that give you an excuse to cuss? Especially out loud for the whole world to hear?" At this point, it takes everything for me not to laugh.
"Well... I," he turns to me, "Hey, y/n, will you help me with my homework? It is really hard today." I sigh. Gavin is just starting middle school, and while he is smart, he always wants me to look over his homework for him so he can get the best grade possible. I always reluctantly agree because I was the same way when I was younger. Gavin is also my best friend. Because of all the time and hard work, I put in with school, I never had the time to make friends and personal connections. That was okay with me though because I had my family that always has my back.
"Yes, I can help you," I say.
"No no no... y/n needs to work on her own homework, and you're not putting off this situation. There will be a punishment."
"But mom..." Gavin starts as the front door opens, and dad comes into the dining room. Gavin jumps up, runs toward him, and gives him a hug.
"Dad! You're home! We didn't know you would be home so early, or I would have set a plate out for you."
"It's fine buddy. I finished up all of my rounds today and decided I would leave early for once." My dad is an ER doctor, and he works through many nights in a row. It is very rare for all of us to be home at the same time. I guess you could say that helping people get better runs in the family.
"Joe, tell your son that he is not allowed to curse in this house or anywhere for this matter."
"Gavin, now come on. You know you are not allowed to do that. What did you say?"
" I said sh-" Gavin starts.
"Nope. I'm going to stop you right there," my mom interrupts. My dad places his stuff down and walks into the kitchen to get a plate.
"Gavin, you know what your mom says!" he exclaims from the kitchen.
"Yes, I know," Gavin says while sitting back down. "Don't say tha-" he starts but mom jumps in.
"-that. Cursing makes you sound unintelligent, and my children are not stupid. In fact-"
"-they are geniuses," we all say with her as she finishes. Even dad says it as he makes his way to the table with a plate in his hand. He sits down and starts getting a piece for himself.
"Mom said there would be a punishment," Gavin says.
"There will be," mom says as she sits. Dad looks at mom and places a hand on her arm.
"Mary, can this just be a warning?" he asks quietly. She looks at him for a few seconds and gives a quick smile. There has never been a doubt in my mind that my parents didn't love each other. She turns toward Gavin.
"I suppose I could give you one warning, but the next time there will be a punishment," she sighs.
"Thank you so much mom. It will never happen again," Gavins says while starting to eat. Dad smiles at him, and then turns to me and smiles.
"And how is your studying going, sweetheart," he asks.
"It's fine, just boring," I reply.
"Well, that's studying to become a doctor. You know I could help you a lot more if you would become an ER doctor," he says, eying me.
"Dad, you know that's not my calling. I actually want to help people and not work in a circus with people who come in drunk," I reply.
"Now dear, you know your dad saves lives just like you want to do as a neurosurgeon," my mom butts in.
"I know, I just can't help but wonder if some of the people that come through there are worth saving," I say but instantly regret it.
"Now, y/n-" my dad starts, but a branch flies at the window and hits it and makes a loud noise making all of us jump.
"You know, walking in, it really was windy out there," my dad says, and I sigh in relief as to the change in subject. My mom looks down and sees the salad that no one has touched but herself.
"You need to get salad. Whether you are geniuses or not there is no reason to become unhealthy," she explains. As my dad reaches for it there is a loud crash outside, and the winds seem to be getting stronger. My dad gets up to go over to the window.
"I'm just going to go see what is going on out there,'' he says." Was there a storm in today's forecast? he questions.
"No, there was not a chance of rain at all," my mother responds. When my dad gets to the window, his eyes get wide behind his glasses. My mom notices that also.
"Joe? Joe, what's wrong?" she asks worriedly.
"There... there is..." my dad stutters almost as he is at a loss for words.
"What?!" My mom jumps out of her seat.
"There are people fighting outside," he replies quietly.
"What? Joe stop playing around?" My mom starts to walk towards him when it happens.
The wall explodes. It just breaks apart into pieces. My mom flies back from the impact. I watch in slow motion as my dad yells for us to get down and cover ourselves. He crawls over to Gavin and puts his body over him. My ears are ringing, and I can't see mom anywhere. As I stand up out of my chair a part of the roof collapses, and I jump away just in time for it not to hit me. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. My eyes start to become blurry as the smoke begins to fill the room. I look over to my right and see that both my dad and Gavin have been crushed by the roof. There is blood flowing from Gavin's mouth, and my dad's skull had been visibly crushed. I gasp at the realization that they are dead. I look away from the horrific scene. They are gone, but there were no tears coming to my eyes. There was only the thought that I needed to find mom. As I look behind me, I see her lying on the ground where she had been knocked by the initial explosion. I slowly walk to her through the rubble. I bend down and sit next to her.
"Mom?" I barely let out. I place my hand on her beautiful face. I look down and see that she had been impaled by something metal. I swallow very hard trying to choke down tears.
"Don't worry mom. It's going to be okay. Help is on the way. I know it." No response.
"Dammit, mom. Say something," I plea.
"No cursing," I hear her slightly whisper after a moment.
"Mom?" I lean down and put my ear closer to her mouth.
"What is it mom?"
"I love you my sweet girl," she whispers again.
"Mom?"
"Don't forget you were born to help peop-" she starts. I pick my head up and put both of my hands on her face.
"Mom, mom? No no no. You can't do this. You can't die," I try to scream, but it only comes out a whisper. I suddenly realize that the pain in my abdomen is getting worse. I look down and see my hand covered in blood. My blood. There is something stuck in my stomach. The pain starts to get increasingly worse. My eyes start to blur more from the tears and the pain. I start to see black and white spots dancing in my vision. I slowly scoot back until my back touches the wall, and I hug my knees to my chest. My body is starting to go cold, and I start to shiver. I can feel myself drifting in and out of haziness.
Then, I hear voices coming from above me. I look at a man flying in the air. This was common in New York City after what happened in Manhattan in 2012. He is wearing green and has long hair. I can't make out anymore because of my vision. It was as though he was staring at me. Then, I see another man coming from my left. He is wearing blue and red with shorter hair. I can hear them talk but as my vision worsens, so does my comprehension of the situation. I can hear the words, but they don't register with me. I have an acute feeling that they are talking about me.
The only words I hear was the man wearing blue and red say, "protect her." Then, without warning the man wearing the green vanishes. The other man slowly starts to drift down from the sky and walks over to me. I look up at him to see if I can recognize him or see him in general, but my eyesight is so blurry that I could only see an outline.
"Help..." Is all I can manage to whisper. The pain is starting to overtake my body. My vision is almost gone. He kneels down and places his hand on my knee.
"Hey, you're going to be okay," the man says as I slowly close my eyes.
"Wait, no. Don't close your eyes," I hear him barely say as I let the darkness take over.
"It's okay. You're going to be-"
That is the last thing I hear as I fully go unconscious.