The End of an Era.

The screeching sound of metal crashing on metal, glass smashing and horns honking woke Anna from her day dreaming. She turned to look at her mother in panic, “what’s going on?!” she thought, as the headlights of another car came barrelling through the seat where Eric once sat.

Anna’s mothers face was ghostly white with specks of bloody appearing where the shattered glass had pierced her delicate skin. Elizabeth’s eyes were wide with fear for her daughter as she frantically scanned the scene of chaos surrounding them.

Anna’s felt a stabbing pain in her head, her fingers went icy cold, her eyes closed, and the noise of the world around her faded away.

***

Three days had passed when Anna finally opened her eyes. She blinked away the harsh light that blinded her sensitive eyes.

“Where am I? What’s going on?” Anna’s internal thoughts turned from confusion to fear as the memories of the car accident came flooding back.

“NURSE! Come quickly, she’s awake! She’s awake! Anna, my darling girl, can you hear me, It’s Daddy…”

Edwards heart was racing, his poor baby girl looked so tiny and fragile hooked up to all these monitors in the huge hospital bed.

“Dad? What’s going on? Where’s Mum?” Anna croaked, her throat was sore and her mouth was so dry she could feel her lips cracking as she spoke.

Edwards once beating heart seemed to stop, then slowly shattered into a million pieces.

“Anna, there was an accident..” his voice cracked as he broke down into deep sobs. The pain in his chest was too much to take as he held his daughters hand and cried as the thought of losing them both flooded his brain. “Anna, she’s gone, baby I am so sorry…”

A searing pain flashed through Anna’s body, her lungs couldn’t seem to pull in enough oxygen, her heart couldn’t pump another beat, the world around her crumbled and faded to black as she heard those words.. “she’s gone..”

What? How? She couldn’t be gone, her brain scrambled to make sense of what was happening.

They were in the car on the way home, talking about the son of some business partner of her Father. Anna was barely paying attention, watching the city lights pass by in the rain, the city was always so much more beautiful in the evenings. The car slowed down and pulled into the side to allow the flashing sirens of oncoming police cars to pass by and then.. the crashing metal, the breaking glass, the terrified look in her mothers eyes..

“I remember.” It was all Anna could muster. She patter her sobbing Fathers head. She could not imagine life without her mother but she knew her Father could not live a life without her Mother.

***

The next few weeks passed in a blur of nurses, doctors, scans and daytime television for Anna. Occasionally her father would come to visit late in the evenings and they would sit together in deafening silence to watch whatever happened to be on the TV, neither of them paying any attention to the pictures on the screen. Edward had barely spoken a word to Anna since the day she woke up, she could tell that looking at her face, the one that was so similar to her mothers they were often mistaken for sisters, was breaking his heart. She could see the bags under his eyes, from lack of sleep, the loose fitting clothes from lack of appetite. She could see her Father fading away before her very eyes.

Some days Edward would look deep into Anna’s eyes like he desperately wanted to tell her something important but he could never bring himself to speak the words she so wanted to hear, he would only well up and turn back to the television in silence.

***

Finally the day of Anna’s discharge arrived, Lexi, her fathers assistant arrived with a casual outfit for Anna.

Anna was so happy to see Lexi. When Lexi arrived she looked at Anna, she had lost some weight, and looked so lost in the hospital gown sat on the end of the big mechanical bed. Lexi was pretty young for such a high ranking assistant, barely twenty years old, she had worked for Anna’s parents for nearly three years. She was a very beautiful young woman, who was straight to the point, she was always practical and pragmatic.

Lexi rushed to Anna and held her so tightly Anna feared she might have to be re-admitted for broken bones! It felt so good to be hugged that Anna’s body relaxed into Lexi’s hold, and started to uncontrollably sob. She let out all the emotions she had been holding in for the last two weeks. Once the tears started they did not stop.

Lexi understood what Anna needed and rubbed her back in a way that was almost maternal. It made Anna feel safe and eased the pain in her chest ever so slightly, just enough for her to pull herself together.

“I’m sorry, I-I, thank you Lex.” She stammered.

“It’s okay, let’s get you home sweetie.”

Lexi lead Anna out of the hospital, to one of her fathers town cars. “Hi Eric”, she said subconsciously, but when she looked up she was greeted by an unfamiliar face.

“Uh, this is Steve, Anna I’m sorry.. Eric.. he..” Lexi struggled to find the words.

“Didn’t make it either?..” Anna finished.

“Um, no, I’m so sorry kiddo.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss Miss Clarence. Allow me.” The imposing figures voice was much warmer than Anna would have guessed, he opened the door and helped the ladies into the plush leather interior.

Steve closed the door behind the girls and returned to the drivers seat to take them back to the penthouse Anna had come to call home.