Secrets and Lies

Toni opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was cold and dark with a musty smell coming from all directions with the only light coming from a crack in the door at the end of the long hallway. “Where am I?” She asked no one. The moment she spoke she regreted it, because her throat felt as if someone had stabbed her repeatedly. Her eyes fell on the light coming from the other end of the hall, she had no idea what was out there, nor how she ended up in that room, but something told her that she had to get out of there no matter what.
She tried to sit up but her body felt as if it had been crushed under a rock. “Ouch” she cried out as she tried to move from the bed she found herself on. She stopped moving and just layed there for a minute trying to gather her strength before trying again. A few moments later she tried again, this time using all the strenght that she had, she was able to lift herself up to a seated postion. Through pain and tears, she slowly managed to stand up, her eyes fixed on the light as she painfully made her way towards the door at the other end of the hall.
“I can make it.” She kept repeating over and over in her mind, trying hard to motivate herself However for some strange reason it felt as if the door was getting further and further away with every step she took.
“Toni.” She heard a voice say. She looked around and saw no one. “Toni,” the voice repeated. She recognized it the second time it they called out, it was the voice of her best friends Pelar and Candi, only she couldn’t see their faces. “Where are you?” She managed to ask through the pain. “Toni,” they said again this time it sounded as if their voices was coming from the other side of the door. More determined than ever, Toni began to run towards the door. The pain in her body was unbareable,  but she knew that if she could make it to that door she would be reunited with her friends and find out what happened to her. The door got closer the faster she ran, and once she reached it she pushed it open, but the light was so blinding that she was force to close her eyes.
“Turn those machines back on.” She heard a woman say, that sounded a lot like her mother. “She’s not dead.” The moment she opened her eyes, she saw her mother standing over her crying and yelling at the doctors and nurses as they walked out the room. Her friends Pelar and Candi were sitting in the back of the room crying and holding each other, while her father was trying so desperately to convince his wife to let her go.
Toni reached for her mother causing everyone to look at her. “Toni,” her mother said through tears, while pushing her husband away to be closer to her daughter. Toni tried to speak but found it impossible with the tube down her throat so she tried to take it out. “Don’t honey.” Her father said stopping her with joyous tears in his eyes. “Call the doctors.” He ordered her friends. The girls got up and ran out the room to do as they were told.
Toni looked at them confused, trying to figure out why she was in the hospital and what happened to her. Her mother kissed and hugged her, thanking God that she was OK.
A few moments later, a bunch of doctors came into the room with nurses behind them. The family was asked to step out whilethey ran some test on her. Once they had finished their evaluation, the family was allowed to come back in. “What’s going on doctor?” Her father asked before reentering the room. “Honestly we don’t know, I guess she just wasn’t ready to go yet.” The doctor said stumped at,Toni’s recovery. “So she’s going to be alright?” Her father asked. “We want to run some more test, but so far so good.” The doctor informed him. “Thanks doc.” Her father said with the first sigh of relief he had in months.
Toni was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling when they walked in trying to remember how dhe ended up in that place and in that condition. The tubes were taken out of her throat making it a lot easier for her to talk and swallow, but she was still hooked up to an IV full of medicine and that was irritating. “Toni,” her mother said interrupting her thoughts. Toni looked at her family and smiled. Pelar and Candi walked to both sides of her bed and hugged her. “You had us so worried.” Candi said squeezing her. “Don’t ever leave us again.” Pelar warned through tears. “You’re hurting me.” Toni said breathless. They released her but stayed by her side. “What happened to me?” Toni asked her mother.
“You don’t remember?” Her father asked. “No,” she informed them. They all looked at, each other as if they were afraid to tell her. “What?” Toni asked concerned at their reaction. “How about you get better first, then we’ll tell you.” Her mother said trying ao hard to change the subject. “No I wanna know now. What happened?” “It was a car accident, the car you were in was strucked by one of those 18 wheelers and your car went off a cliff and into the water.” Her father said. “Oh my God.” Toni said upset. “is the driver okay?” She asked with a feeling that they weren’t telling her everything? “No he died on impact?” Her mother said almost happy as if she wanted him to die. “He?” Toni asked alarmed. “Was it…” “No, Chris is fine he wasn’t even there. It was someone else.” Candi informed her with the same slight smile on her face. “Who was he, how did I end up in his car?” Toni asked confused. “That’s not important l, what’s important now is that you get better. I almost lost you, I’m not doing that again.” Her mother said. “Okay.” Toni said with a smile.
The nurse came in to get Toni and take her to get some test ran on her. “She’ll be back in an hour.” She informed them. “Can you come with me momma.?” Toni asked. Her mother looked at the nurse, who shook her head yes, so they left out the room. An hour later, she was brought back into the room with her mother. Her friends and father were still in the room when she was wheeled back in, she was half way out of it from the pain pills they gave her. “How’d it go? Her father asked her mother. “Well, she’ll be able to go back to school this fall.” Her mother said presently. “That’s good. Just in time for sophmore year. “Is she sleeping?” Pelar asked. “In and out but she’s fine.” Toni’s mother informed them. “That’s a relief. “But girls, you have to promise to never tell her what happened.” Toni’s father explained. His tone changing to a more serious one. “Why not?” Candi asked. “She has the right to know what happened to her.” Pelar added. “Maybe this is something that is best left unsaid.” Toni’s mother explained. “But…” Candi started. “No buts you have to promise to never say anything.” Toni’s mother stated. “Yes ma’am.” Pelar and Candi said softly. “Swear it, this is something that she can never know.” Was the last thing Toni heard before passing out.