“I would rather not talk if that would be okay. I still feel weird about all this.” said Jason. Crystal nodded as a sign of compliance as she signaled the bartender over.

“Two white Russians please.” Still nervous, Jason went into the bathroom and stared coldly at himself. Hands shaking, he decided that this must be done, so he took all the tension within him, everything causing friction, and threw it away.

Both of them sipped their drinks away rather quickly, as no one had spoken for a long moment. Crystal finally shattered the tension between them.

“Shall we go upstairs?” Crystal asked blantenley. Jason’s face was void of expression for many a second, but he finally spoke quietly.

“Yes that sounds good….let’s go.” Awkwardness swarmed around them as the elevator pulled them up floor by floor. Crystal tried desperately to make Jason feel at ease, but her efforts were futile as he remained cold and distant. The elevator door slid open to reveal a bare white hall with paint chipping in some places. They both walked slowly down the hall not uttering a word. Finally, Crystal stopped at a door with the numbers 201 silhouetted in gold. As they entered, Jason wasted no time.

“Let’s go ahead.” Crystal again nodded. Jason gently pulled her body into his and sealed his lips onto hers. As soon as they had met in passionate embrace, a large crash that sounded of metal twisting and tearing echoed in the walls of the room and mushroom clouds of fire and smoke billowed in from the street below. Both of them rocketed towards the window to see what had transpired below them. A car appeared to be pretzled around a lampost. Jason looked intently at it. Something was off. He had seen that car before.

Ambulances and police vehicles swarmed in like a pack of wolves on a wounded deer. Jason looked back at Crystal and rubbed his forehead. He then heard a series of screams as paramedics tried with diligent effort to free the driver from their car. Those sounds shaped his heart to feel unsettled. Examining the car, he realized something. That was his wife’s car. His eyes burst into tears as he sprinted out of the room he was in. In mere seconds, Jason was on the scene. Police grabbed him and held him back, yet he continued to strain and try with all his power to break from their grip.

Jason’s thoughts betrayed him. His mind was a whirlwind of emotion. Paramedics rolled his wife by him. Jason looked at her, intently, as blood soaked the shirt on her back and vast cuts lined her face and arms. Not knowing how this could happen, Jason fell to his knees and let more tears roar down his face. He then grabbed a police officer by the arm and pulled him down.

“Where are they taking her?” His voice was thin and fragile. The officer barely understood what had been said, but nonetheless, he answered Jason.

“She’s going to Baptist Memorial. Do you know her?” Jason shook and tried desperately to catch his breath from the intense sorrow he felt.

“I’m her husband.” With that, the officer pointed to his car and spoke again in an attempt to comfort the broken man before him.

“I’m really sorry that all this happened. You can ride with me to the hospital if you want.” Not feeling up to talking, Jason nodded and using his knee, pushed himself up from the pavement. Walking to the policeman’s car, Jason felt as if his entire life was nothing more than mere trash. His thoughts made him weak and paper thin. He sat in the patrol car and scanned the many gadgets and radars that illuminated the cab and made his eyes strain to make out the things they displayed.

Jason had no idea how he could have brought himself to Crystal. He had everything a man could ever wish for: a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter, and a career doing something he truly loved. Letting a lack of physical satisfaction drive him to the edge of buring the fabric of his marriage of 15 years and a daughter of 6. Jason felt worthless; as if an unnecessary being that had no true purpose. He felt more tears well up in his eyes.
“Jason. Jason! JASON!!!” The police officer strained his lungs and pushed his volume to the maximum setting. Jason faintly heard his voice before his mental wandering had been shattered and he was yanked back to reality.

“I’m sorry. My mind is in other places right now.” His voice spoke so softly and fraile. The officer looked him up and down as if to quickly check him for sanity.

“We’re at the hospital. She’s in surgery right now as she’s lost a lot of blood and is in critical condition. You can go to the ICU if you want and wait for her and the doctor there.” Jason swung open the car door and began his walk into the hospital. The white and beige colors lining the halls caused Jason’s eyes agonizing pain and his legs burnt with fury as he walked the entire hospital in search for his wife. Finally, a darkly stained wooden door yelied the entrance to the ICU. A doctor greeted him in the next room and began speaking to him.

“Are you Jason?”

“Yes….I am.” The doctor grabbed his shoulder and again spoke.

“Let’s sit down and talk about what’s going on.” They both walked to the corner of the room and sat on a small couch laced in leather. For a few long moments, both were hesitant to begin speaking. At last, the doctor delivered the latest information.

“Your wife has been hurt badly. She has lost three-fourths of her blood and currently has a fifty percent chance to survive. We are operating on her now and it looks like she will pull through, but we can not be certain this early.” Jason felt storming rivers of tears snake down his face. As he wiped the tears away, he felt the doctor’s hand on his back.

“There is one more thing I need to let you know about.” Jason looked up and researched the doctors face as he waited for the news. His heart was held together by mere strings and he feared that this news would snap what was left of his heart.

“Your wife is two months pregnant. The baby has been severely injured as most of the wounds were concentrated on her abdomen. As of now, the baby most likely won't survive.” Jason sprung up from the couch with the speed of light and slammed his fist into a wall, shattering the sheetrock and causing blood to sweep from his knuckles. Security guards grabbed the broken shell of a man and pulled him back onto the couch. The doctor looked at Jason and tried to comfort him.

“I know this is hard for you. I’m sure, though, you are a committed and dedicated husband who always puts his wife’s happiness at the forefront. We will do all we can to bring her and your baby back to you. Let’s get your fist wrapped up.”

Jason, without uttering a word, continued to sit as a nurse wrapped bandages around his blood stained hand. After she was finished, Jason quietly got up and walked out of the room back onto the street outside. Snow had begun to fall and beautify the world around him. He had no idea how to think. His brained felt like shredded paper. Strips of nothingness that would never be useful. He was a father, a husband, and yet all that would have been ruined. Jason wanted more than anything to go back in time and rewrite history, however he knew that what has been written is written, and nothing will change that.

It had felt like hours that he stood in frigid temperatures, watching snow fall gracefully on every object in sight. He thought about how snow made anything it landed on ten times more beautiful. His mind wandered until he felt someone grab his back.

Jason turned around to find that same doctor again, appearing as if he had just committed murder. The doctor swung his pointer finger back to the hospital and signaled Jason to come in. Both men made their way to the room they were in before and sat. The doctor looked at Jason intently as a tear ran down his face.

“I’m afraid I have bad news. The baby did not make it. Your wife, however, will recover in time. We are performing transfusions to get her blood levels normal, and she has been through a traumatizing experience. It will take many months for her to fully recover; physically and mentally.”

Jason did not speak. His mouth ignored all commands to open. He felt like his heart had been completely shattered and his entire existence nothing more than a waste. Being a father for only short hours and then having it taken away against your will. Your wife driven to the brink of death. All these thoughts haunted him.

The doctor spoke.

“Would you like to see her?” Jason nodded slightly. The doctor looked down at him.

“She has only been conscious for a little while. She does not know about the baby yet and we mustn't tell her until she recovers more.” Jason again nodded and got up from his seat and began to her room. Not long down the hall, the doctor slammed on the brakes before a door with the numbers 201 bronzed on its center. Jason keeled over as a swarm of emotion grabbed him by the chest. Only a short while later, he walked in the room and saw his wife half awake. He kneeled down next to her and stroked her hair.

“How do you feel?” She answered her husband quickly and assuringly.

“I’ll feel better later.” She chuckled a little under her breath. Her face seemed full of joy at the sight of her husband. Jason stared at her continually. He felt the urge to speak.

“I think you’ll feel better with time. I’m just so happy that you’re alright.” Priscilla looked up towards her husband wearing a smile from ear to ear.

“I could not have woken up here not knowing that I have my wonderful husband by my side.” Jason smiled a smile similar to hers and thought to himself as he held her hand. He thought: “I have the perfect wife and regardless of any obstacles, I love her. Never again will I let myself go anywhere near tearing away my greatest blessing.” Priscilla analyzed Jason’s face as a lonely tear ran down his cheek.

“What are you thinking about?” Jason looked at his beautiful wife and simply said: “I was counting my blessings, and you Priscilla, are my greatest one.”