I of IV

I'm going to break this story up into 4 parts. I've always felt like that's kinda how it took place for me...so I'll do the same for you. Choose to read the whole story, parts of it, or none at all. I just feel like I need to tell it.

{Ignorance is Bliss}
January 10, 2003. Exactly 6 years ago... tomorrow. But I can remember every detail like it was yesterday.

My cell phone was ringing. It was Friday morning and I glanced at the clock. 6:32. Ugh... it's not time to wake up for work yet, who's calling me? It was my mom and she was hysterical crying. Through her tears and gasps for air, she finally got out the words that I will never forget... "your dad was in an accident this morning." My first response was to calm her down and not worry about myself or my feelings. I was actually shocked at how I would not let myself cry. "Mom, he was in a big truck, I'm sure he's not seriously injured. I mean, how bad could it be?... I'm sure he's fine." Famous last words, right?

I get off the phone with my mom, get dressed, call my sister Kristi (she doesn't pick up), call out of work, and hop into my car and head straight to my parents house. I call Bob while I'm driving and he heads over there as well. Of course I get stuck in morning rush hour traffic and then behind a train that decides to drive 2 mph forward, stop, and then back up. Huh? If my little 2 door black Civic would have fit under that train, I swear I would have timed it perfectly so that I could make it to the other side. I call Kristi 3 more times on the drive over, but I still wasn't able to get a hold of her.

When I get to my parents house, my aunt and my mom's best friend were already there. My mom still can not stop crying. I hound her for more details... "what did dad's boss say?" {just that dad was in an accident while out delivering this morning} "where was the accident?" {West New York, NJ} "was he injured?" {possible broken femur} "what hospital is he in?" {Jersey City Medical Center}. That's all we knew... and it wasn't much. My mom, her best friend, and myself headed the 2 hours north to the hospital. We finally got a hold of Kristi and Bob was staying behind so that he could drive her to the hospital.

Where was my sister, Kacy, you may ask? She was in the middle of the Caribbean... on a cruise with her best friend, Ally.

We get to the hospital and basically run inside. After a 2 hour drive, we couldn't wait to see him. We quickly find out that my dad was in the Trauma ICU. Hmmm... for a broken leg? And then our worst fears were confirmed....