Broken Road (7 page)

The Wentworths did not attend the burial service or the gathering that immediately followed it at the home of the Malones. They were physically and emotionally spent and could not bear to watch while Dante’s body was lowered into the ground. After the funeral Jim took Alec home so he could rest, while Janet headed directly to the hospital to be by Jarrod’s side.

When Janet walked into the intensive care unit, suddenly a nurse rushed up to her, smiling brightly.

“Mrs. Wentworth, I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve been trying to reach you at home and on your cell since this morning.”

Janet could sense the nurse was about to give her spectacular news. She began to feel nervous and excited at the same time.

“We were at a funeral earlier today and my husband and I turned off our cells. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Has something happened? Is Jarrod okay?” She mentally beat herself up for not putting the phones on vibrate rather than turning them off. Her mind seemed to be scattered in a million directions since the accident, and simple thoughts and actions evaded her completely.

“Yes, he’s better than okay. He’s woken up.”

“Oh my God!” She quickly embraced the nurse in her excitement and ran toward Jarrod’s room. As she was halfway down the hall, she looked back and hollered, “Thank you.”

The nurse started behind her, still needing to give her additional information. “Mrs. Wentworth! Wait! Please wait.” She caught up to her before Janet entered the room. She stopped her by placing her hand on her arm “Mrs. Wentworth, wait a moment, please.”

“Why? Is something the matter? Didn’t you say he woke up?”

“Yes, he did and everything seems to be great, but I just wanted to forewarn you that he’s been asking about the accident and the condition of his brother and friends. We’ve been able to avoid answering him, which has not been easy, but we thought it would be best for the news to come from either you or your husband.”

“Yes, you’re right. Thank you so much. I appreciate it,” Janet responded worriedly. She began to bite the nail of her left thumb as she debated whether to call and wait for Jim to arrive so they could tackle telling Jarrod the heartrending revelation together, or if she should just go in alone. She just couldn’t bear waiting another moment to see him.

“You should also know we were able to speak with your husband just a little while ago, and he said to tell you that he and your other son are on their way.”
Maybe I can wait just a tiny bit longer
, she thought. Just as she finished thinking those words, Jim came rushing through the doors of the ICU, with Alec following as quickly as his injuries and pain would allow. Jim caught up to Janet and hugged her tightly.

“Have you seen him yet?” he asked.

“No, not yet. I just got here myself. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to turn my cell phone off. What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Not just you. Me too. We’re just overwhelmed and frazzled with all that’s happened. As soon as I turned mine back on, I listened to my messages. The hospital had called six times. I called right back to let them know I was on my way.”

“The nurse says he’s been asking about the accident and of the condition of the boys. No one has said anything, so we need to be prepared to tell him.”

“Let me do it,” said Alec in a somber tone as he reached them.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” asked Jim, worry and concern etched across his face.

“No,” Alec said definitively. “I just feel it should come from me.”

The parents looked at each other and then turned to Alec, replying simultaneously “Alright” and “If you’re sure.” Jim added, “We’ll be right there if you need us.”

“No. I’d rather it just be him and me when I tell him.” The parents agreed, although their faces reflected their reluctance.

The three of them followed one another into the room. Jarrod appeared to be sleeping, which frightened Janet. Her eyes clouding with tears, she whispered to Jim “She said that he had awoken.”

“I am awake,” muttered Jarrod. He opened his eyes slowly and turned his head slightly toward them. He groaned softly. The slight movement hurt terribly, and he found that his vision was blurred. He blinked several times, trying to focus and clear the superimposing images of their bodies.

Janet rushed to his side and reached to touch his hand. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Hi, sweetie. Welcome back.” She squeezed his hand gently and wiped away her tears. “I’ve missed you. How are you feeling?”

“Okay…just thirsty.” His throat ached and his lips felt dry and cracked. He tried licking them, but even that small movement hurt.

Jim quickly grabbed a clear plastic cup from the night table, filled it with water from the pink pitcher that sat next to it, and placed a bendy straw in it. He positioned the straw in Jarrod’s mouth, helping him to drink. “Drink slowly, son,” he said, pausing just a moment to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

Jarrod stopped drinking and gazed at his parents and then his brother. “You alright?” he asked his younger brother.

“Yeah. Better than you. How are you doing?”

Jarrod closed his eyes for a moment and did not respond to his question. Instead he looked up at his brother and said, “Tell me.”

Jim cleared his throat and said, “We’ll leave you two to talk.” He grasped Janet’s hand as they hesitantly took their leave from the room.

The brothers watched in silence as their parents left. The silence continued for a few moments as both boys were deep in their personal thoughts.

“Go on,” said Jarrod as he took a deep breath in preparation, but only caused himself pain in doing so. He grabbed his chest in distress and did his best to restrict a cough he felt coming on, but failed. The pain was excruciating. He moaned and tears came to his eyes as he continued to hold his chest, hoping somehow that would ease the ache. Alec was by his side in seconds, feeling utterly helpless as he watched his brother struggle through the discomfort.

Once Jarrod was feeling better, Alec stepped away from his side and walked slowly toward the window, which looked out onto the Hudson River and the beautiful New York skyline. The majestic beauty created by the varying ranges of style, size, scope, and extent of the skyscrapers never failed to astound and affect him in an overwhelming and wondrous manner. He felt himself pulled toward and fascinated with the architectural allure and charm of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings as they stood towering in their spellbinding glory. As he looked south toward Lower Manhattan, he felt sick at heart when viewing the area that once was characterized for the omnipresence of the Twin Towers, but now appeared barren and dispiriting.

“Brendon and Joey will be alright. They’re both here at the hospital and will be for at least another few days, maybe even a week for Joey. Both guys were pretty banged up, but the doctors say they’ll be fine. Joey had surgery on his knee yesterday, so he’ll be laid up for a bit. But all in all, they’re fine.”

Jarrod nodded and closed his eyes. He knew in his heart what the answer was going to be to his next question. He didn’t want to hear it, but he had to ask it. “Dante…?” A soft sob escaped while tears began to gently stream down his face. He closed his eyes more tightly, trying to obliterate the words he was about to hear.

Alec took his time responding. Still unable to muster up the strength to face Jarrod, he continued staring out the window as if fascinated with the view. Knowing he was about to tear his brother’s heart in two, he cleared his throat and forced himself to face him. Their eyes locked. “We just came from the funeral,” Alec whispered.

Jarrod turned his head away and let the tears spill over as he gasped for air, repeating Dante’s name over and over again. Alec walked over to him and simply placed his hand on Jarrod’s shoulder. They cried together in silence, for there was nothing Alec could say or do at this time to ease the pain in his brother’s heart.

Four days later Brendon was released from the hospital, and two days after that, Joey followed suit. Both boys visited Jarrod on Tuesday, exactly one week after Dante’s funeral. They hobbled in on crutches, Joey’s left knee wrapped in a protective knee brace. They stood on opposite sides of Jarrod’s bed and all three gazed at one another in silence until Brendon spoke. “Hey,” he uttered. “How you doin’?”

Jarrod raised one eyebrow slightly and said, “How do I look like I’m doing?”

“Not so good,” responded Joey. “I mean, we look like crap, but compared to you, we look like we just spent a week at a spa.”

“Yeah, well, believe it or not, I feel worse than I look. Every bone, muscle, and joint in my body aches. How about you guys?”

“I’m alright,” said Brendon. “Alec and I were the luckiest of the five.”

A deafening hush hovered over them akin to a black cloud. At that precise moment, everyone’s thoughts went straight to Dante. Jarrod closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to prevent the tears from flowing. He failed. “God, guys, what are…we…what are we going to do?”

Both his friends were crying as well and unable to speak. After a long pause, Brendon wiped his nose on his sleeve and said, “I still can’t believe it. I mean, it just doesn’t seem possible.”

“It’s like a freakin’ nightmare,” added Joey. “I just want to wake up and find that the accident never happened and everyone is fine.”

“And Dante’s still alive,” Jarrod said.

“Yeah…and Dante’s still alive,” reiterated Brendon between whispered sobs.

Chapter Seven

 J
arrod was released ten days later with detailed instructions for his follow-up care. He would need to wear the leg and arm casts for approximately two months and avoid strenuous activity to allow his injuries to heal, as well as visit his numerous specialists on a continual basis and begin physical therapy rehabilitation as soon as his injuries permitted.

Jim wheeled him into the house in his temporary wheelchair. He would only need it for a short while, until he felt stronger and was able to move around on his own.

“Do you want to watch a little TV?” asked Jim.

“No, thanks,” responded Jarrod so softly that Jim had to lean forward to hear him. He looked around the living room of the house where he had grown up. So much had changed in his life within the past few weeks; and yet, as he studied the room, so much still remained the same.

“How about a nap then?” Jim said, interrupting Jarrod’s thoughts. “I can make up the couch and you can just lie down for a bit…” Jarrod shook his head gently, letting his father know he had no interest in taking him up on that offer as well.

“Well then…um…is there anything I can get you? A soda? Sandwich?” Jim felt there must be something he could do to help his son.

“Dad, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll let you know if I need anything. What I would like, if you don’t mind, is for you to help me up to my room. I just want to be alone.”

“Sure. Not a problem,” Jim was just so delighted to be able to do something for his son that it didn’t really faze him that being asked to be left alone was what Jarrod wanted more than anything else.

He helped Jarrod out of his chair and slowly they both ascended the steps, with Jarrod leaning heavily on his father. By the time they reached the top, they were both out of breath.

As Jarrod tried to get comfortable in his bed, Jim asked once more if there was anything he could get him or do for him. Jarrod responded with a negative shake of the head and a quickly mumbled, “No thanks.”

Soon after Jarrod heard the faint sound of a telephone ringing. Moments later his father quietly opened the door to his room and softly whispered, “Jarrod? Jarrod, are you awake? Morgan’s on the phone.” No response. He heard his father say into the phone as he was walking back out of the room, “Morgan, he’s sleeping right now. I’ll have him call you later, okay?”

Jarrod wasn’t sleeping. In fact, he hadn’t slept soundly since…well, since he woke up from the coma. He only pretended to be sleeping because the last thing he wanted to do was speak to Morgan. He remembered her last visit to the hospital and how badly that had gone.