I stared at Kristin as tears began to fill my eyes.

Flashback

I watched as we spun out of control. All I could hear was the screeching of the tires and the twisting of the metal.

Then all of sudden we came to a stop and Kristin's head went flying forward with her head slamming into the steering wheel, while my air bag deployed, causing me to instantly go backwards into my seat.

My heart was racing as I sat there realizing what had just happened. Then I let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Someone help us!" I screamed.

Then I looked towards Kristin. "Kristin!"

There was no response. She just stayed in her same position, hunched over with her head resting on the steering wheel. I could see blood trickling from the side of her head.

I quickly unbuckled myself and tried to push down the air bag so that I could move. I struggled with it for a few minutes, but I was eventually able to move.

"Kristin," I said frantically as I tapped her shoulder. "Kristin."

There was no reaction from her.

Soon I could hear sirens and people yelling.

"She won't wake up!" I yelled.

Tears began flowing as I rested my head on Kristin's shoulder. "Please wake up."

End of Flashback

When I snapped out of my daze, my vision was blurred. I quickly blinked my tears away.

"Please wake up Kristin," I whispered.

Nothing happened. There was just the continuous beeping of the machines.

"Kristin…please wake up," I begged.

Again there was nothing.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" I said. "I don't want you to die, I didn't mean it."

Tears stung my eyes as I looked at her.

"You have to wake up. My dad needs you," I cried. "And if you don't, he'll hate me forever…because it's all my fault. It's all my fault."

I rested my head by her hand as I cried.

"I'll do anything," I pleaded. "I promise to never bother you again. I'll stay out of your way; you won't even know that I'm there. If I have to…I'll even run away. Anything…so that you live and my dad doesn't hate me."

I lay there crying for a while, and then I continued talking to her.

"I never wanted to hate you. When I first moved in with my dad, I wondered if he was married or had a girlfriend. I actually hoped that he did, because I was thinking that just maybe she would be as loving as my dad and accept me like he had."

I wiped away my tears.

"But then I overheard that conversation with you and my dad, and I knew that you didn't want me. I couldn't handle you rejecting me like everyone else had, so I decided in order for me not to get hurt, I should just automatically hate you. I know it was wrong of me and I'm sorry, but it was the easiest thing for me to do."

"Kristin, I know that you don't like me, but you have to believe me when I say that I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't want you to die. Please don't hate me for this," I cried.

I stood there watching as her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her face was extremely pale, except for the black and blue bruises.

Then I leaned forward and kissed the side of her head.

"Please don't hate me," I whispered. "I didn't mean it."

Then I went and lay on the other bed. I curled myself up into a ball as I cried myself to sleep, praying that Kristin would forgive me.

After wandering throughout the hospital, Kevin had found his way back to Kristin's room. He quietly entered the room. As he did, he noticed Lily on the other bed, in a fetal position. He went over to her and saw the tear stains on her face. He kissed the top of her head and then covered her with a blanket that she had neglected to grab.

Then Kevin grabbed a blanket and pillow and sat down in a chair that was in between both beds. He got into the most comfortable position that he could and then relaxed. He watched Lily and Kristin rest peacefully, until he fell asleep himself.

2 days later

"Sweetheart, your lunch is ready!" yelled my grandma.

"No thank you, I'm not hungry," I responded.

Ann sighed as she put Lily's food away…again.

Over the past two days, Ann had been struggling with both her son and her granddaughter.

She couldn't get her son to stay home and get some rest. And she couldn't get her granddaughter out of her room for a decent meal.

Kevin wouldn't leave Kristin's side and Lily wouldn't go back to the hospital. After she had stayed the night there, Lily refused to go back. She refused to do anything besides stay in her room, so Ann decided that the best thing to do right now was to just let her be.

Ann was interrupted out of her thoughts when she heard the front door open and close.

"Mom, I'm home!" Kevin called.

"Kevin?" Ann questioned, surprised.

Kevin went straight to his mom and hugged her.

"My son, you look exhausted," Ann said, noticing his tired eyes.

"I am," replied Kevin.

"Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap?" Ann suggested.

"No, I have to be back at the hospital in about an hour," Kevin said. "I just came home to take a quick shower and eat."

"Who made you come home?" Ann asked, smiling.

"The nurse. She kicked me out," Kevin answered. "They're going to run another test on Kristin, so she won't be back for about an hour."

"Oh, well I'm glad that you're home," Ann said. "And I think your daughter will be too."

"Where is she?" Kevin asked.

"Upstairs," Ann answered. "I offered her lunch, but she doesn't want to eat."

"Do you have something I can take up to her?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah, I have a couple of sandwiches made," Ann said.

She then handed them to Kevin.

"You better make sure you eat too," Ann said.

"Yes Mom," Kevin said as he kissed her on the cheek.

Then he went upstairs and into his old bedroom, where he found Lily laying on the bed and writing in her notebook. He sat down on the bed and she jumped up, quickly closing her notebook.

"Dad!?" I said, surprised.

"Sorry to scare you," he said.

"No, it's okay. I was just in deep thought," I said.

Then I realized that he was home…in the afternoon.

"Why are you here? Did something happen to…to Kristin?" I asked, hesitantly.

"No, she's the same," my dad said, sadly. "They just took her in for a few tests, so I came home."

"Oh, okay," I said, grateful that Kristin was still living.

"Your grandma tells me that you're not eating," my dad said. "Why not?"

"I don't know," I said as I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not hungry."

The truth was though, that I was too nervous to eat. I was too worried that my grandma would come in and break the news to me that Kristin had died. My stomach was in a constant knot, worrying about Kristin.

"Lily, what's going on with you?" my dad asked.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Yes there is," my dad said. "Do you know how I know?"

"How?" I asked.

"First off, the Lily Anne Richardson I know never misses out on a good meal, just like her dad," he said.

I smiled. "I guess you're right."

"Plus, whenever you're around me, you seem so tense, almost afraid. Is it me? Did I do something?" my dad questioned.

I shook my head no.

"And when I come in here at night to kiss you goodnight, I can see that you've been crying," my dad said. "Why are you crying yourself to sleep?"

"Because it's my fault," I whispered as I stared at the ground.

"What's your fault?" my dad asked.

"The accident! Kristin being in the hospital!" I exclaimed. "It's my fault!"

"What?" my dad asked confused. "It's not your fault. The driver of the other vehicle fell asleep. It's not your fault!"

"Yes, it is. I'm the reason why Kristin's in the hospital," I said.

"How?" my dad questioned. "How is it your fault?"

"I can't tell you, you'll hate me if I do," I said.

"Hate you?" he asked, surprised. "I could never in my lifetime hate you. I may get angry with you sometimes or get mad at the things you do, but I'll always love you. I could never ever hate you."

"No. If Kristin dies it'll be my fault and then you'll hate me," I said.

"If something happens to Kristin, it won't be your fault and I won't hate you," my dad said as he moved closer.

"I didn't mean it," I said as I cried into my dad's chest. "I didn't mean it."

"Ssh…ssh…it's okay," my dad said as he rocked back and forth with me in his arms. "Just lay down."

I did as he said and laid down on the bed. "Stay with me."

"Of course," my dad said as he also lay down.

Kevin was just going to lay with Lily until she fell asleep, but he was exhausted himself and soon fell asleep.

Ann went upstairs to check on Kevin and Lily, making sure that they were both eating. She walked in and saw them sleeping instead. She smiled, glad that they were finally getting some much needed rest. She quietly walked out, closing the door behind her.

An hour or so later, Kevin woke up and tried to slowly get out of bed, without waking Lily, but it didn't happen.

"You're going back?" I asked, as I turned to look at my dad.

"Yes," my dad replied. "Do you want to come with me?"

I immediately shook my head no.

My dad sighed. "Lily, I don't know what happened to make you think that it's your fault, but it's not sweetheart. Please come with me."

"No, I can't. I can't be there if something happens," I said.

"Okay," my dad agreed. "But when I come home tonight, you and are going to continue our talk. I want to know what happened."

"Okay, fine," I mumbled.

"And while I'm gone I want you to eat dinner with your grandma and the rest of the family. Is that understood?" my dad asked.

"Yes," I whispered.

My dad leaned over and kissed me on the head. "I'll be home later tonight. I love you."

"I love you too," I said.