This, this, this is not really happening

 When Ivy got the call, she could hardly hear herself think, little alone the word "husband". Well, she wasn't going to correct who ever called. She got up, wondering what to do first. Dan was in the ER.

She could hardly tell them what had happened where she worked at the doctor's office. She had to go. She needed to find him. 

Her mind raced that it was fatal. It was the end. Why hadn't she asked more questions? She wanted to call someone. Anyone. But not her mother. Not her. Never. Still she found herself shaking. What had she done? Why? Why her?

Finally, while stuck in traffic she managed to call Zoey. Immediately Zoey honed in to the fact that she shouldn't be driving while on the phone.

Ivy found herself taking big breaths.

"Can, can YOU come- come to the hospital."

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked.

"It's Dan. Something happened to Dan." 

Zoey said she'd be there. 

Oh, Ivy knew she would. After all, Zoey thought the world of Dan.  A part of her hated this. Hated the fact that someone might love her Dan more than she did. True, she was cruel to him. Maybe he was cruel to her. It felt like a game that went stale and no one wanted to say it was over.

But now she was mad at herself that she wasn't crying. Couldn't she muster up one little tear?

After she got there she marched in clutching her phone as if she might hurl it at someone. Of course,  it was such a sterile environment. But it felt like a long walk to the desk in the glowing white corridor. Even then there was a steel door to keep her out from actually going in.

She was steamed with the idea of the car accident. After all, Dan had the good car with the car seat. She had the little Bullet Chrysler that she'd somehow managed her mom to give to her. Of course, her mother could afford more than the cheapest car on the market (used at that), but she wouldn't. Dan's car was newer, a Ford Focus. It wasn't absolutely new. It had its quirks, but he'd paid it off years ago, and maintained it without worry.

The lady at the desk questioned her. "Of course, I'm his wife. We have a child." Ivy blurted. She felt it might have been a lie. Although, hadn't they been together long enough to be a common-law family?

She bit her bottom lip in thought, "How bad is it?"

The woman wouldn't say, but at least the door unlocked and a nurse was there to take her back in the ER. Ivy looked at one bed after another. She looked at the rooms. Most of the doors were closed shut. She couldn't imagine the damage.

Was he plugged into machines now? How bad was it? She could hear a heart monitor in the distance. Her emotions grew. It was bad. It was very bad. Why hadn't she told him she loved him this morning before she left for work?

She left everything for him to do. Breakfast. Getting Angel ready. It finally swallowed her in emotion.

 They were almost there. Ivy imagined the worst. She could feel her heartbeat ringing in her ears,  stinging her off balance.

But there he was, sitting up with a bandage on his head. She thought she might collapse.

"I swear I wasn't trying to commit suicide," he said with a blank look. "The breaks went out."