That Rainy Night

Monica could feel the typical sixty-five degrees of a hospital as she walked down the hallway. She wore her Nike Air Max sneakers so her short, quiet steps would go undetected as she passed the nurse's station. Her Coach rain boots were her first choice, but she did not want her presence announced by the squeaky-clean hospital floors. The nurses were busy trying to switch shifts and transition patient charts to one another.

Monica walked to room 212. Monica peered through the blinds to see the patient lying still in the hospital bed. She did notice the steady, rhythmic cadence of the electrocardiogram (EKG) heart monitor, but the patient was not moving. Suddenly, Monica heard two nurses coming towards the room. She quickly pulled her baseball cap down and hurried to the elevator. She jumped into the empty elevator and pressed the lobby button. Once in the hospital lobby, Monica quickly walked to the front door and hopped into her Uber outside. "Home," she quickly told the driver.

The Uber driver looked back at her and stepped on the gas.

The Uber careened through the city towards the country roads. Monica's anxiety was growing at every mile marker. She wanted to get home so bad since that was her haven. There she could have a glass of wine and calm down. Whenever it rained in the city, there was extra traffic for no apparent reason. As she reached home, she thanked the Uber driver, entered her home in a daze. In her mind, it felt like a bad dream.

Monica's life was finally turning around for the better. She had recently survived a job loss, a rough divorce, a family death, and was trying to recover from the multitude of wine binges drenched in self-pity. Monica's online stores were starting to show a profit. Her new country cottage decorated with vibrant green hues signified harmony and her renewal. Monica had even purchased her favorite car, a 6-speed Mini Cooper. Monica had desired a Mini Cooper ever since she had seen the 2013 version of The Italian Job with Charlize Theron and Mark Walhberg. When she drove that Mini Cooper she felt like a free spirit, almost like a free horse running around the stable.

After changing her clothes, Monica sat on her couch drinking a glass of her favorite merlot. The phone rang. Who could be calling at this time, she wondered. It was a facetime call with her children checking on her. They caught up on their lives and laughed about growing up once a week. The weekly virtual visits always put a smile on her face. Monica heard the downpour of rain from her nearby window. She loved the rain. To her, rain meant growth, calmness, and peace. Many nights Monica played the rain app on her cell phone to fall asleep. "Kids, mom needs some rest. If you go out tonight, be careful on the wet roads, Monica instructed her kids". "I love you both, have a good night." Monica closed the call and climbed into her bed.

Monica tossed and turned in her bed. Not even the rain soothed her enough for a short sleep. Her mind began to race with all kinds of thoughts. She decided to get up, get dressed, and take a spin in her Cooper. She sat behind the wheel and sniffed the new car smell. Her endorphins were jumping with joy. Monica played one of her favorite songs, "Desert Rose" by Sting.

Monica zoomed down the single-laned country road. She shifted up into fifth gear, grabbed the steering wheel tightly, and rounded the curve. The rain puddled on the side of the road splashed onto the windshield. Monica held the car tightly as she drove up a small hill. She down-shifted and felt a bump near the rear of the Cooper. Could something be wrong with the car already? she questioned. Monica looked into the rear-view mirror and saw a long, dark figure on the wet road. Monica drove home, parked in the garage, and laid across her bed. Within thirty minutes, she was sound asleep.

Her six am alarm sounded. Monica immediately sat up in her bed. The heavy rain had stopped, but it continued to drizzle. Monica thought, perhaps, she had a bad dream about her night drive. She jumped out of bed and ran to the garage to check the car. There were no damages to the Cooper. She must have been dreaming.

As she prepared her morning vanilla protein shake, she turned on the news. Monica rarely watched the news because it was always so negative.

"Last night, a man was hit and left on the rainy country road near South Bend loop. The victim is still alive but in critical condition at the local hospital. Local police ask anyone with information leading to this situation to please call 555.336.252," the news reporter stated. Monica, feeling light-headed, grabbed the table and slid down to the kitchen floor. "Surely, it wasn't me. I wouldn't leave a hurt person, especially not in the heavy rain on a dark road.", Monica said to herself.

A few days went by, Monica held up in the house to sort through her thoughts and recollections. The news stories had ceased, yet her anxiety had sky-rocketed. She had to go to the hospital and what was happening with that patient. Monica quickly showered, dressed, and called an Uber to take her to the hospital.

The hospital was busy as she entered the elevator. Once near room 212, several nurses and doctors stood outside the door having a conversation. Monica moved closer to hear news about the patient.

The doctor said, "He is showing great progress." One nurse agreed and asked if he could begin a soft diet. The doctor replied, "Yes." Monica's anxiety was overcoming her. Her hands started to shake. She stepped closer to the doctor and asked if the patient was going to recover. The doctor asked Monica if she was a relative of the patient.

"Yes, I am, '' Monica answered nervously.

"Well, Mark is showing great progress. He's lucky someone found him early that morning and that the temperature was not cold," the doctor explained.

"Mark is strong," Monica said, playing along.

"Yes, Mr. Johnston is tough as nails," the doctor said.

Monica thanked the doctor and nurses and turned around to walk down the hallway.

Her legs buckled underneath her. Her vision was blurry as she headed to the elevator. In front of her, she saw two police officers walking in her direction. As they approached her, they grabbed her arms and proceeded to read her the Miranda rights. Monica hung her head as the officers escorted her into the elevator. Outside, the officers placed her in the back of the police car. Tears rolled down Monica's face as she peered through the rain droplets on the police car window. She couldn't help but wonder what Mark was doing near her house on that rainy night just a few months after their divorce. Here she was advising her children to be careful driving in the rain and look at what she had done.