“

I took a few moments to calm down a little bit and fully absorb my situation. Something about the whole situation seemed off from the get go.

“

That excitement is what helped me to skip over all of the disclaimers in the contract that Dr. Phelps put before me. Since that day, I’ve re-read the contract a hundred times, sick at the thought of what I overlooked.

“

The lady introduced herself as somebody who worked at a hospital that was a halfway point between our home and Samantha’s university. Apparently, Samantha had gotten into an accident two days prior to us receiving the phone call.

“

Police officers blocked off the road, forcing cars to take a detour. In the background, sirens wailed like angry banshees interrupting the previously peaceful drive.

“

One time my mom and I got into a car accident of sorts. It wasn’t particularly violent or dramatic, it was just bizarre and one of those things after which you think, “Well, how often does that happen to a person, and what if, what if, what if?”

“

Not your typical fender-bender.

“

No one wants to hear the phone ring, waking them from their peaceful sleep. No one wants to hear a distraught voice on the other end of the phone line or open the front door and see a police officer standing there.

“

It was their idea to go get some ice cream, even though I told them I wasn’t supposed to have sweet treats before dinner.