Shock

Charlie raced out to the car trying not to let panic take over.  When the phone call had come through from the police she had just thrown on the clothes that had been on the floor, those she had been wearing earlier that day. Or was it yesterday now. She wasn’t sure. Not pausing to find out she tried to control her breathing before she got behind the wheel to drive. The name of the hospital she had been given went round and round in her head as she stopped next to the car. She fumbled with the keys as she attempted to unlock the car door.  After dropping them twice she finally managed to find the right button and released the central locking.  Sighing with relief she opened the door and got in. 

But then she didn’t move. All of a sudden it had struck her that nothing else was moving, nothing has changed. She wound down the window and listened, nothing. Looking around it seemed surreal to her that here, there was hardly a sound to be heard, everything was quiet and peaceful as it should be at this time of night. And yet not far away her husband was being transported to hospital after a serious car accident. How was it possible that such an emergency could be occurring for her and yet everything around her remained undisturbed? It didn’t seem fair. It felt like there should be some acknowledgement from her surroundings that things were not as they should be. Some change to signify that something in the world besides her was affected. But there wasn’t. The world just kept turning, and it gave her a desolate, hollow feeling. It made her realise like she never had before, when it came down to it, just how alone and insignificant people are.  She shivered and fighting back tears, she started the car.