FlashNano2023 Nov. 16 Before Sunrise

 The Phone Call

My phone rang in my studio. I stumbled out of bed hitting my leg on the coffee table.

Where was it? I could hear the ring.

I’m usually OCD about putting things away. Even in a small studio, things can get lost, especially when I’d come home late from work, and had to prepare for my night class tomorrow. I’m trying to get my masters while holding down a job that requires lots of overtime.

When I hit the light switch, I could see to follow the ring to my purse.

“This is Melrose Hospital. We have your mother here. She asked us to call you and tell you she was in an accident. You should come,” a woman’s voice said.

I threw on sweatpants and sweater.

Where were my keys?

My coat was hung in the closet and the keys were in the left-hand pocket.

Please let the car start, I prayed. It did on the third try.

Please let my mother be all right. We’d had a fight last week, unusual for us. I had been wrong. She had cautioned me about being over worked. She was right. I told her to butt out of my life. Left. Slammed the door. I should of called and apologized, but I was so busy. What if she died and our last words were angry? That would really suck.

At four in the morning, the roads to the hospital were deserted. So was the visitor’s parking lot.

A guard at reception sent  me to emergency. “The hospital called, they said my mother, Johnna Lewis was in an accident, I told the nurse on duty. She asked you to call me. I’m her daughter.”

“We don’t have a Johanna Lewis. There’s only one accident patient, and she asked that her daughter be called.” She looked at her notes. “We talked you and I.”

I was confused. “Is your number 617-555-2881?”

“617-555-2882.”

Now the nurse looked confused. “Oh my God, I must have hit the wrong key.”

Back in my car, I was still shaking. I’d accepted the nurse’s apologies. I felt so sorry for that woman, for her daughter. I supposed I should have been angry about the mistake, but the nurse had said she was on a double shift, staff shortages, but that wasn’t an excuse. I thought it was good enough. I’m so tired so much of the time, I make mistakes.

Even though it wasn’t yet dawn, I called my mother even though she wouldn’t be up. “Mom, I’m sorry about last week,” I said when she answered.