Dorian's Destiny: Altered by Amanda Long Page A

impact.”
    Silent tears streamed down her face as her
world came crashing down. “You said it was a two car collision.
What about the other driver?” She questioned in between sobs.
    “Yes, ma'am. I am not supposed to give out
information to non-family members.”
    “Please, I need to know.”
    “The other vehicle was driven by a teen who
had been drinking. He suffered only minor injuries and is currently
being treated at St. Mary's Hospital.”
    After several more minutes of being told
what needed to be done, she ended the conversation.
    Clutching her chest in an attempt to stop
the pain, she unleashed her sorrow. Blaze, who had been standing by
her side since she picked up the phone, meowed in response to her
wails. Yearning for his comfort, she snatched him up, and cradled
him to her chest. His purrs soothed her as she soaked his fiery fur
with tears. When no more would fall, she released him and knelt
down to pray.
    “Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing me
with the most amazing parents and granting me twenty-two years with
them. Although it saddens me deeply to know that I must continue my
journey on Earth without them, I know they are in Your Loving Arms.
Hold them tightly for me, Father, until my time comes. Please give
me the strength I will need to get through this difficult time and
the courage to forgive. Amen.”
    Rising from the floor, she gave Blaze a
quick rub and headed out the door. The three blocks she walked to
St. Mary's were the longest of her life. It felt like she wore lead
boots. She trudged along, knowing she needed to speak to her
supervisor. She could have easily discussed her predicament over
the phone, but she wanted to visit the teen who had shattered her
world.
    Why not kill two birds with one stone?
    A crazed cackle rushed from her as she
thought of the irony of that saying. She covered her mouth in shock
over her sequence of thoughts and her involuntary reaction to
them.
    Get hold of yourself,
Megan. Save the insanity for later.
    Composing herself, she continued through the
double glass doors of St. Mary's ER. Two steps inside, she received
a tender, caring embrace from Josie, the head nurse of the ER and
the person responsible for her training. Squeezed tightly but
lovingly, she wept anew.
    “There, there sweetie. I am so sorry for
your loss. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask,”
Josie spoke sweetly, gently rubbing her back.
    When the tears stopped again, she pulled
herself from her embrace. “Thank you, Josie. Is April here? I
wanted to talk to her about taking the next few days off.”
    “No, sweetie, but I will let her know about
your parents. Take all the time off you need. Don't worry about
work. I will be ready to train you as soon as everything settles
down,” Josie reassured her.
    “One other thing, I was informed the teen
responsible for the accident was being treated here. I was
wondering if you knew where he was and if I could speak to
him?”
    “Oh, honey, are you sure you want to do
that?” Josie asked, reservation obvious in her tone.
    “Yes!” she insisted, both to herself and
Josie.
    Soon, Megan apprehensively stood outside
Room 221. Curiosity had brought her this far, but she hesitated in
the hallway as she questioned her resolve.
    What will I say? I forgive
you or damn you to hell. What would I feel? Will it be forgiveness
or contempt? What will I see? Will it be a young man or a
monster?
    These conflicting thoughts and countless
others burned through her mind like a wild fire threatening to
scorch her entire being.
    “Go with me, Father,” she whispered, finally
reaching for the door handle.
    On the bed lay a battered
and bruised young man – not a hideous monster.
    Phew, I can do this.
    She entered the room as quietly as possible
since the young man appeared to be resting. A tear-stained face
turned to meet her.
    “When will you nurses leave me alone? I've
told you a dozen times that I'm fine,” the young man grumbled.
    She glanced