Chapter 30
I pulled up in front of the showroom and handed the valet my keys. I lifted my floor-length, black crepe halter gown a little as I approached the showroom doors. Javier’s marketing department did a fabulous job creating an evening event, to promote the opening of the showroom.
The cars looked amazing on the rotating showroom floor. On each platform there was a different luxury vehicle. To the right was dark blue BMW 750, center was a pearl Mercedes-Benz S-class and to the left was a black Audie A4. In the front of the showroom there was two stationary platforms that contained a cherry red Jaguar XF and a yellow Maserati Ghibli.
Appetizer stations strategically placed around the room greeted guests. Tables and chairs surrounded the circle of cars for the dinner that would be served a little later. There was even a bar and a band playing modern jazz. It was a black-tie, invitation only event. For the most part, gentlemen wore tuxedos and women were wearing evening gowns or cocktail dresses.
Palpable excitement filled the main room as magazine reporters walked around and took pictures of some of Phoenix’s most influential citizens in front of their favorite cars. Of course, Javier had sales people tucked away in the offices in case anyone wanted to make a purchase this evening.
I went to the bar and got a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon I spotted Rafael and Antonio coming my way.
“Darling, the place is to die for.” Rafael kissed my cheek.
“Thank you, but I can’t take credit for the party, just the design.”
“Your man is certain to make a pretty penny this evening. I hear he’s going to auction off an Audi after dinner,” Rafael said.
“True. The proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society in honor of Veronica.”
“Well, I hope it sells high then.” Antonio interjected.
I looked around trying to find Javier, but I didn’t see him. I excused myself and wandered over to the play area. As I’d expected, Javi was in there. “Hi, Javi.”
He looked up with his big brown eyes and smiled.
“Do you like being in here?”
He nodded.
I walked in and sat down next to him. “Where’s your daddy?” He shrugged. I couldn’t help feeling like something was bothering him. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to take you to get something to eat?”
He nodded. I stood and offered my hand to him. He had his transformer with him again, but managed to grip my hand with his free one. We walked together and I got him some appetizers. He looked down at the plate and didn’t touch any of the shrimp, ricotta and prosciutto crackers or the sushi-deviled eggs. I didn’t blame him. It wasn’t exactly kid fare. “Would you rather have a Happy Meal?”
He nodded enthusiastically, grinning up at me.
“Okay, sweet boy, let’s find your daddy so he knows where you are.”
We wandered around and he continued to hold my hand. A photographer from a local magazine came up and snapped our picture.
I spotted Javier across the room with Ricardo. “There he is.”
We walked through the masses of people until we reached them.
Javier saw us coming and smiled. “Hello, you two,” he said and kissed my cheek.
“Hello.” I smiled up at him, drinking in how handsome he looked in his tux.
I turned to Ricardo and Veronica. “Hi, you guys.” I hugged Veronica. “You look lovely.” She had on a mint green cocktail dress and a matching scarf that had sheer mesh overlaid on the satin material.
“Thank you. You look amazing yourself.” Her smile was bright as always.
“Hi, Kayla. You look beautiful.” Ricardo kissed my cheek as well.
“Thank you. You’re both very handsome this evening.” I responded in kind to Javier and Ricardo. “Javi doesn’t like the food here. He would rather have a Happy Meal. Do you mind if I take him?”
“Is that true?” Javier glanced at Javi who still held my hand.
He nodded again, confirming my statement.
“I'll need the car seat though,” I said.
“I'll have the limo take you.”
“The limo?” I questioned.
“I didn’t want to risk driving after having a few drinks so I rented a limo for the night.”
“Well, I hope the driver can get through the drive-thru.” I laughed. “Come on, Javi. Let’s go get you something that you like to eat.”
Javier took out his phone and called for the limo to be brought to the front of the showroom. Javi and I waited near the main doors until it pulled up. We got in and I told the driver to take us to the closest McDonald’s.
On the way, I asked Javi, “Do you want chicken nuggets or a hamburger?”
“Chicken nuggets.”
We were about a block away from McDonald’s when I heard screeching tires. I glanced out the window and saw a car sliding toward us. I grabbed Javi. I pushed him forward toward the front of the limo. I heard the crash as I fell onto the floor. Something landed on me.
My chest felt like it’d explode. I can’t breathe. I started to panic. I heard Javi crying, but I couldn’t talk. The world went black.
~ ~ ~
When I woke, I heard sawing, metal on metal. I gasped, trying to get air into my lungs. The intense pain meant I only managed small breaths of air.
Javi kept crying. I focused on finding him, but I didn’t see him nearby. I couldn’t yell for him since I didn’t have enough air to speak. I heard the screech of metal, more sawing and finally glimmering light.
“Ma’am, we’re here to help you. We’ll get you out of here as fast as we can.”
Finally, I felt hands on me pulling me out of the dark space. I was eased onto a backboard with a collar wrapped around my neck. Someone placed an oxygen mask on my face. I still struggled for air.
“Her oxygen saturations are low. It looks like she has significant trauma to the right side of her chest.”
A siren screamed as the ambulance bounced around. We were moving fast. I reached up to take off the mask.
“No, leave the mask alone. We’re giving you oxygen. Take some deep breaths.”
I tried, but it hurt too much. I tried to speak. “Javi?” It was barely a whisper. I didn’t know if the medic heard me. I tried again. “Javi?”
“Don’t talk right now. We’re going to take good care of you.”
We stopped abruptly and the doors opened. They pulled the gurney out of the back of the ambulance and were running as we entered the hospital. There were people everywhere and lots of noise and talking.
Someone said, “Take a deep breath and hold it.”
Were they kidding? I can hardly breathe and they want me to hold it? A doctor spoke, “Set up a chest tube. She has several broken ribs and right lung is down.”
They cut my dress off and I felt very cold liquid on my skin. Excruciating pain when they shoved a chest tube into my lung. Suddenly, I could breathe. I yelled. “Javi! Where is Javi?”
“Be calm, ma’am.”
“No! Where is Javi?”
“Is that the little boy?”
“Yes, yes, he was the little boy with me! Oh God, please tell me he is okay!”
“He’s being checked out right now.” One of the nurses said.
“Call his dad. Tell him what happened. He needs his dad. Do you hear me?”
“Okay, okay, what’s his number?”
“Give me my phone.”
The nurse opened my purse and pulled out my phone. I pushed the return call button and tried to hold the phone to my ear, but the collar was in the way.
The doctor took the phone from me. “I’ll explain the situation to him. What is his name?”
“Javier Fuentes,” I answered.
“Hello? Mr. Fuentes? This is Doctor Hernandez. I'm here with your son and wife at Mass General. There was a motor vehicle accident. The vehicle your wife and son were in was t-boned by another vehicle. Mr. Fuentes? Mr. Fuentes, are you there?” The doctor ended the call, placed it again. “Mr. Fuentes? Who is this that I am speaking with? Ricardo, are you a family member? Okay, please drive safely. Yes, he’s getting x-rays to be sure, but otherwise he’s doing fine. She’s in stable condition.” He ended the call and returned to my bedside.
“Your husband and someone named Ricardo are on their way. We’re going to take you to Radiology for more thorough imaging.”
I was wheeled out of the emergency room and to the Radiology Department. All I could think about was Javi. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him. A tear ran down my face and the radiographer apologized for hurting me. That wasn’t the reason I was crying, but I didn’t try to explain.
When they finished, I was transported back to the emergency room. As soon as I got there, I saw Javier.
“Javier?” I started trying to apologize. “Javier, I’m sorry. I tried to get him out of the way. I shouldn’t have taken him with me. I should have gone alone.”
“Stop talking.” He took my hand and lightly kissed my lips. “It's because of you that he’s okay. The limo driver said you pushed Javi out of harm’s way or he’d have been seriously hurt.”
Then, I saw Ricardo walk up holding Javi. His little face was red and blotchy from crying and he was dirty from being pulled out of the wreckage.
“Hi, little man.” I struggled to smile at him. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, but started crying again and turned his face into Ricardo’s shoulder.
“He's fine, Kayla, just scared,” Javier said.
“I'm sorry,” I repeated and started to cry.
He wiped away the tears trickling down my face. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Kayla. I'm glad you weren’t hurt worse.”
“I'm fine.”
“Well, you have a chest tube so you aren’t that fine.”
“You need to get back to the dinner. I'll be fine.”
“Stop pushing me away, Kayla, because I’m not going anywhere. The show will go on without me. Rafael will speak on my behalf.”
“Now, I know you need to go.”
We both laughed, but it hurt and I groaned. The nurse came in and put pain medicine in my IV.
“We’ll be moving you to your room now.” She lifted the brake and pushed my stretcher until we arrived at my room. They moved me over onto a bed. It felt great to be off the backboard and have her remove the neck collar.
“Ricardo, why don’t you take Javi home while I stay with Kayla?”
“No,” I said. “I'll just sleep with all of these pain meds anyway. Take him home. He won’t want to be without you.”
Javier and Ricardo looked at each other, but didn’t speak. Javier stepped out of the room with Ricardo for a few minutes. When he returned, he said, “We'll be with you until Rafael and Antonio get here. They’ll stay until I come back in the morning.”
“Thank you.” Comforted by his concern, I drifted off to sleep with Javier sitting next to me holding my hand.