...then it all goes dark

It was a beautiful day. Sunny, warm, no humidity. I walked along the city sidewalk. It was quiet. I held my wallet in one pocket and nothing in the other. Normally my cell phone would have inhabited the other, but I wanted to disconnect from the world during this walk. The silence helped me collect my thoughts.

And then it hit. All the noises and lights and feeling impacted at once. God, what is that noise? Why are people yelling? Is someone crying? I'm confused. I try to sit up. I'm forced to lay down. Then it all goes dark.

Seconds turn into minutes and I hear muffled noises. My eyesight is horrible. Where are my glasses? Where am I? I hear tense talking as I slip out of consciousness.

Sometime later, not knowing how long, I hear more talking. And noise. Lots of beeps, pings, and what sounds like a breathing machine. I fight to open my eyes. It's blurry. I shut them. My head is pounding. Why does my head feel lighter? Cooler, even?

I try to open my eyes again. I see some figures. They speak, but I can only hear so much.

"Ribs... Four... Damage... Stitches...lucky...morphine."

Again, I try sitting up. I can't. Someone hands me a pair of glasses. I slowly put them on. The figures, though still somewhat hazy, become clearer. Two of my best friends. My parents.

My mom is clinging to my dad like a koala on a eucalyptus tree. My friends are the first to notice my confusion.

"Hey," one says quietly.

"H-hi," I reply. "What's going on?"

My mother begins to weep quietly. My dad comforts her.

"There was an accident," the other friend answers.

A doctor shines a light into my eyes. The pain hits again. I'm so confused. The doctor begins to explain what happened.

"You were hit by a car," he begins. "You were thrown after the impact. Your leg is broken in quite a few places, you have four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and numerous stitches. We had to shave your head for the stitches. You hit your head on the pavement following the impact."

So that explains why my head is cold. "And we gave you a morphine drip for the pain," he continues. "You're incredibly lucky to be alive." And thus explains why I feel lost, I guess. I think.

"How long will I be here?" I ask, wondering I'm making any sense.

"At least a week," the reply comes. "And then quite a bit of bed rest."

My friends look at me. I look at them. They look so...stoic. How did they know I was here? Who called my parents? There are so many questions and no answers. My mom and dad give me hugs. I only wish I had the strength to hug them back. They leave to talk to the doctor.

My friends sit. They explain more. "I'm so confused," I confess to them. One nods.

The other sits silently, collecting his thoughts. My racing thoughts begin to give me a headache again.

The doctor walks in again. He takes some notes...

I rub my eyes. It's then I hear birds. And my dad. The phone is ringing...

I suddenly realize I'm in my room. It was all a dream...

A dream that seemed like a nightmare.