Dead End (RP-story)

New York City, Rush Hour...

  

  While Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" played on her car radio, Dr. Edith Edwards waited for yet another traffic light to turn green, the whole time, with her mother in her ear on the Blu-Tooth.  She was driving back to her parents’ home in Montauk, having dropped off her husband at the Agartha-portal near the Brooklyn Bridge.

  "... I really don't know why Ethan had to take Dad's bourbon to Kaidan, mum. It's hard work out there, and it’s better not done drunk, don't you think?"

  "Dear, you know that this is exactly why he had to take it with him!"

  Edith shook her head, thinking of the extra bag her father had stuffed with Thanksgiving leftovers – as well as the aforementioned bottle of bourbon.  At last the traffic lights turned green again, and she was moving.  “Fine. I surrender." the doctor sighed, slowly threading herself into the chaotic -- but damnably-slow – so-called, rush hour traffic.  Everyone was in a hurry, each person’s life more important than anyone else’s, but despite the tension, despite the attempts at moving as fast as they can, no one was reaching their destinations any earlier than anyone else.

  "Good girl, Eddie…  Besides, he won't drink the whole bottle at once, right?" Sarah reminded her daughter.

  The young woman shook her head "... no, mom."

  Edith could almost hear her mother smiling and rolled her eyes.  Typical.  She’d never stop being her mother's little girl, no matter how old, no matter how married she was -- and they both know that. Her mother continued in her ear.  "Now, be a dear and hurry up a little, your father..."

  "Mooooommm! Traffic! There's no way for me to hurry up right now!"

  The other voice became stern, lecturing.  "I thought I taught you not to interrupt your elders, daughter."

  "Are you serious, mom?"

  On the other end of the call, Sara Thorne burst out in laughter, listening to her grown-up, professional doctor of a daughter acting-up like she was some annoyed adolescent – things for Sara also never changed.

  Before she could say anything else, Eddie spoke.  “Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to focus on said traffic, okay? I'll be on the road for a while, so tell Dad not to wait with the dishes, I'll be super-late!"

  "Okay, I love you -- eyes on the road!"

  Rolling her eyes again, she ended the call, but Edith couldn’t fight the broad smile as it spread across her face.  Her family might be chaotic, and maybe a bit overwhelming sometimes, but she wouldn't have it any other way…  Especially since they had essentially adopted Ethan as one of their own, although he very clearly was not.  They welcomed him because she loved him.  That's how her family worked.

  The radio started playing "Last Christmas" so instead of turning it off, Edith laughed and turned it up, singing along with George Michael.  She loved Christmas and looked forward to it every year. This year, the Edwards couple had invited her parents, some friends and family to their cabin in Casper, Wyoming.  Eddie didn’t yet know how to feed so many people all at once, to cook for that many in one sitting, but she knew her parents would surely take over the kitchen, just as they always did. There was no need to worry!

  Though, Eddie realized, she should talk to Ethan about his over-the-top security measures…

  Hearing many horns sounding all at once, Edith stopped singing and quickly scanned the crossing up ahead.  She heard screeching brakes and metal-on-metal -- a collision -- followed by breaking glass, and then even more blaring horns…  The accident happened behind her, and she caught the conclusion of it in her rear-view mirror.  Worried, Dr. Edith Edwards stopped her car in the middle of the crossing, and without hesitation, grabbed her medical bag from the backseat.  She could hear one of those involved already calling for help, their voice shrill above the evolving chaos, as she jumped out of the car.  She moved quickly.

  "I’m a doctor, I can help!"  She said, looking at the driver pinned behind the wheel and the car’s airbag.  He looked up at her and his look of relief suddenly turned to one of shock, of fear.  It flashed in his eyes.  "Oh my God, lady, get away, move!"

  "Don't worry, I can help you," Eddie said, ignoring his reaction and trying to reassure him – and not hearing the screeching brakes behind her, screeching which was much louder and definitely from a bigger vehicle than before -- the pinned driver’s eyes widened in terror just as the truck approaching them from behind, failed to turn or to stop in time, and simply crashed into both of them.