Love Struck

It was a sunny day, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Doctor Christopher Ryder decided to ride his bike to the store instead of his car. POP! Chris looked down at his tire a nail sticking in it. “Dammit in the middle of a crosswalk,” he says out loud to no one. Then he heard tires screeching and looks up. A green Toyota Camry was coming right at him. He didn’t even have time to move. The car tried to swerve from hitting him. It side-swiped him instead.
“Oh my God are you okay,” the driver called out. Chris was sitting up, shaking his head. “Yeah, uh I’m fine. I just…” he trailed off. She, the driver, was the single most beautiful woman Chris had ever seen. She was hispanic with long brown hair, beautiful brown eyes, and the most gorgeous smile. “Are you sure,” she asked. “Yeah just bruised my ribs and uh, my pride. No seriously its just my ribs. I’ll be fine.” “Well my name is Angelina, everyone calls me Angie. Should we still exchange info on this?” ” No, no it’s my fault my bike got a flat in the crosswalk,” Chris smiled weakly. “Well at least let me buy you dinner on Friday night,” Angie offered.
“So you’re a doctor, huh,” Angie asked Chris. “Yeah, how about you? What do you do,” he asked. “Well I’m a bartender over at the Pink Elephant, it’s not much but I like the job. My parents died when I was young so I lived with my aunt. When I turned eighteen I was able to get my inheritance and partied for awhile… a little too much, actually. So I became a bartender,” Angie explained, “how about you? Whats your story?” “Well I grew up in a trailer park. Spent two years in the Army as a medic, went to Iraq, came home went to school and became a doctor.” They sat at the table and talked for another hour.
Chris pulled up in front of Angie’s house. “You know Chris there’s something about you that I like alot,” she bit her bottom lip, “Would you like to come inside for a drink?” He smiled and said yes. After a few drinks Angie said, “Chris I don’t usually do this you know.” “Whats that? Go out with people you run over,” Chris replied with a smile. Angie laughed. “No I don’t usually plan on sleeping with someone on the first date,” she said with a raised eyebrow. They started kissing. Chris picked her up and they went upstairs to her room.
Five years had passed. Chris woke up and rolled over to Angie, still as beautiful as the day they had met. Today was their four year wedding anniversary and he had alot planned for her. He started to get out of bed. “Where are you going, honey,” Angie had woke up. “I’m gonna take a shower. Happy anniversary, I love you baby,” he kissed her softly on the forehead. Angie got out of bed and said, “I’m gonna go water the garden out front.” Chris got in the shower. Then he heard the sound of screeching tires and Angie crying out in pain.
Dripping wet and only wearing a towel Chris ran outside. A car was in his yard. Angie was laying down on the grass next to the walkway. “Oh my God baby! Someone call an ambulance! Oh my God honey,” tears were streaming down his face. Angie smiled weakly. “Don’t worry Chris you got hit by a car and you bounced back,” her voice just a whisper she laughed a little bit, her laugh made her cough up some blood. “Just don’t fall in love with this guy please,” Chris said back with a smile. “Just do me a favor Chris.” “Anything, love.” “Chris just wake up,” with that she died in his arms. Chris silently stared down into her face for a moment. “NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!! ANGIE! Don’t leave me, oh God, don’t leave me. Please baby don’t,” Chris didn’t even notice the sirens or the crowd around him.
The funeral was a week later. As the casket was being lowered Chris threw flowers on it. The priest was talking then he heard Angies voice, “Chris wake up.” Chris looked around but no one was there. No one at all. The priest, the other funeral goers, all disapeared. The cars were all still there, but no one was in them. Chris looked out towards the street all the cars in the street were all parked. As far as Chris could tell no one was in any of them. “Hello, is any one out here,” he yelled out. No answer, except Angie’s voice telling him to wake up. He ran out to the street, Angies voice in his head.
He ran all the way home. The closer he got to his house the louder the voice got. He got to the door and started to open it. “CHRIS! Wake up,” the voice screamed. He flung the door open, behind the door was nothingness. Pitch black. He started to call out.
“Angie,” Chris woke up screaming. He looked around. He was in a white sterile looking room, with I.V.’s in his arm. He yanked out one of the I.V.’s and sprayed blood on the wall. His brother John came running into the room. “Oh my God you’re awake,” he said, “Ma, Chris is awake.” Chris looked at John confused, “Where’s Angie?” “Uh, who’s that,” John asked him. “John are kidding me? Angie and I have been married the last four years. She’s not really dead, it had to be a dream, she wouldn’t leave me like that.” “Chris you’ve been in a coma for the last six months. You got hit by a car while riding your bike. You’re hospital has been really good to you,” John explained to him.
After Chris’ rehab John came to his house to help him get over his imaginary girl. “Come on Chris, lets go to the bar and hang out, get drunk, get laid whatever.” “Alright where are we going?” “There is this one bar, The Pink Elephant, and no it’s not a gay bar, but there is this hot bartender that works there.”
“Hey John I’ll get the first round,” Chris said as he walked towards the bar. The smoke from peoples cigarettes hung acridly in the air. Chris could barely see the bar. He leaned over to get the bartenders attention. “I’ll be with you in a second,” she shouted to him over te music. When she came to get his order he got his first look at her. “Angie,” he said a lump caught in his throat. “Yeah can I help you?” “Uh not to sound stalker or anything but I know you.” “Oh yeah from where?” “It’s kinda a long story.” “Well I got my break in five minutes. You wanna tell me when i go on it?” “Okay, but you trust me enough to talk to me alone?” “You look pretty safe and I kinda recognize you from somewhere, like a dream or something.”
Five minutes later Chris met Angie outside. She pulled out a cigarette and offered him one. He took one, lit hers then his and took a long drag. He told her the story of what happened while he was in the coma. “So in a weird Twilight Zone kind of way, you kept me alive when I should have been dead. Which brings my next question: Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime,” he asked her. She smiled and said, “You’re not gonna let me go this time?” He laughed and said no. “Then of course I will,” she said.