Evan Gray was a thirty-two year old contract computer networking expert. He spoke every major European language fluently. He had just gotten back from Paris setting up a network for a French bank chain. He was taking a well deserved rest. But things wouldn't be peaceful for long. He never saw the car run the red light. Before Evan knew it his airbag discharged and slammed him in the face. When all the moving parts came to a stop and the sound of crashing metal and breaking glass silenced, he was sitting across the intersection headed in the opposite direction he had been going. His head was reeling, his face hurting; something in his left knee didn't feel right.
Bystanders were soon at his window asking if he was all right. He shook his head and came back to reality. Evan could tell by the looks on the peoples' faces that he wasn't in the best of shape. He felt the warm blood run into his eyes. The police were there in no time. Soon an ambulance screamed onto the scene. A paramedic was looking him over. There was a nasty cut just at his hairline but nothing life threatening, it looked much worse than it was. The paramedic helped him from the car and walked him to the ambulance, he had an obvious limp. A young lady was already in it on a stretcher, her left arm in a splint, her head wrapped in a neck brace. She was gorgeous. The police were talking to witnesses as the ambulance tore out for the hospital.
The doctor looked Evan over and stitched his head; it only took four, then released him. He was hurting and started to call a cab to take him home. Then he thought of the young lady that he had hit. He checked at the desk and got her room number. They were going to keep her overnight for observation. She had a broken arm and a very bruised hip. They had taken x-rays and thought there might be some internal problems, they just wanted to make sure.
Evan rapped lightly on her door. A small pained voice beckoned him in. He pushed the door open slowly. This poor little thing looked like she had been in a wreck. Duh! He walked to her bedside.
"Hi, I'm Evan Gray, I think we met earlier on the street. We didn't have much time to get acquainted." He said trying to lighten the mood.
She giggled but groaned and quickly closed her eyes in obvious pain. Evan apologized for making her laugh and took on a more serious demeanor. He pulled a chair close to her bed and asked if he could sit down. She shook her head ok; her eyes still closed tight.
"I never saw you coming honey, I am so sorry you're hurt." He started. "Was your light red, I could have sworn I had the green?"
"I don't remember. I was on my way to an interview. I had a job interview this afternoon. Oh no I will never get the job now, they don't even know what happened to me." She said moaning. "Oh no, I didn't get insurance on the rental car either, I couldn't afford it. And the wreck was my fault? Oh no, I really blew it this time."
"Oh, I'm really sorry, can I do anything to help?" Evan asked.
"Could you get my purse and cell phone for me?" She said cringing in pain.
"Sure." He replied.
He got her purse and placed it on the bed beside her. She was lying on her right side, her left arm in a cast. She couldn't get her phone; she looked at Evan and asked him to get it out of her purse. There was a day planner with the phone number in it. He looked it up and put the phone to her ear for her suggesting he could hold the phone while she talked. She shook her head no and decided to wait until later. There was no use calling now, she was sure the job was history. Evan asked her what her name was and who it was she was supposed to talk to. His heart went out to this hurting little beauty.
"Sally Pierce. I was supposed to see a Sally Pierce." She answered. "I'm Teresa Brady."
Evan dialed the number. When the secretary answered he asked for Sally Pierce. When Sally came on the line he began to explain Teresa's absence. She was in the hospital, she had been in a wreck, she was ok, but she wouldn't be able to make the interview. Sally told Evan she had tossed the girl's file and forgot about her when she missed her interview. She would pull the file and wait for Teresa to call her to reschedule. Then she asked whose fault the wreck was?
"Oh the wreck? It was the other driver's fault. They ran a red light and hit Teresa's car on the driver's side." He told her, lying.
Teresa studied him with a puzzled looked. Hadn't he just told her that the wreck had been her fault? Was she that messed up that she couldn't remember the past few minutes? Maybe the drugs they had her on were really good ones. She didn't have the mental capacity to think about it. Evan assured Sally that Teresa would be calling in the next few days. Sally told him to tell her there was no rush, to get feeling better, the job wasn't being filled for at least a week.
There was a knock on the door, a policeman stuck his head through the door. When he saw Teresa and Evan at the bed he walked in. He started questioning her about the wreck. He had talked to witnesses and she had definitely run a red light causing the wreck. He needed her to sign the ticket and he would be on his way. Evan took the ticket book from him.
"You have things mixed up officer. I ran the red light, not her. The wreck was my fault not hers. I don't know who you talked to but it was my fault." Evan looked at Teresa she was looking at him more puzzled now than ever.
The officer took Evan's license information and handed him the ticket. Evan signed it and the officer was on his way shaking his head. Evan made six figures a year this little girl obviously couldn't deal with the insurance and cost of this wreck as well as he could. He smiled at her. She smiled back and said thank you as her eyes closed.
They talked more. She had flown in yesterday, rented a car and had a room at the Motel 6 near the airport. She was putting everything she had saved into getting this job. She had passed the initial interview, the secondary interview and now she was on the verge of getting the job. Sally had made promising comments about her resume and she thought she had a better than even chance of getting it. Evan may have just saved her from losing it all. She was worried about the motel room. She had only paid through today. If she wasn't there tomorrow to check out what would they do with her things? Evan asked her to let him go and check her out and take her things to his house. He had tons of room and she would be welcome there as long as she needed to get her interview set back up. She objected at first, he had already gone above and beyond the call of duty. He convinced her with desperate pleading. He took her room key and headed for the motel.
He had the cab take him home and he got his second car and went to the motel, paid her bill and got her things. He put them in his guest bedroom. He made the bed and straightened up the room. He wanted it to be nice for her when she got there. He couldn't wait to get back to the hospital.
When he got back to her room she was silently balling her eyes out. Tear stains were on her pillow, she was holding the emergency room bill in her hand. She would sob and writhe in pain. Evan wondered how much his heart could break for this sweetie. She had reddish blonde hair down to her shoulders. Her face was pale she had a hint of freckles on her cheeks. He couldn't tell how she was built but she was slender from all the evidence. She had soft gentle blue eyes. She must be about five feet six inches. She looked to be between twenty-five and thirty. Evan took the bill from her and studied it. Hospitals were expensive places to stay these days.
"What am I going to do? I can't pay my motel bill let alone this?" She whimpered and sucked in a deep pained breath.
"Your motel is paid honey. And don't worry about this right now, we will take care of it. My insurance should cover it for you anyway." He told her.
