11.10

Helena Campos' first encounter with loss had been a violent one. Most kids first experience it with the loss of a pet, found dead by their parents. Or perhaps by the loss of a distant relative, once whose name you knew but you'd only met on special occasions, no more than a couple times a year.

Not Helena. Somehow, it was like life wanted to prepare her for what was to come from a young age.

The Campos family had always been happy, almost blissfully so. They loved each other, and they weren't afraid to show it. Either by hugs and kisses, by times spent together or words, they were unashamedly fond of one another. It wasn't limited to the family love that seems to be instilled on you as necessary, either. They genuinely loved one another for who they were, not only for the blood they shared.

Until one Saturday afternoon changed everything.

The family was happily chatting as they came back from the park. The four of them had gone out for a picnic together, where they had not only eaten but played card games under the sun. It wasn't always that Henrique Campos was free from work, but when he was, he knew how to make the most of it with his family.

One second, Helena was telling her little brother about how she was almost starting university. The next, the fourteen year old was upside down in the car, the seat next to her empty, as little Daniel had flown off of the vehicle.

But what she remembered the most was her father's face. As she looked forward,  Henrique's head was in the space between the two front seats, staring blanky at her.

Henrique's death had been instant, caused by the impact of the crash. When the paramedics got there, he was already gone. There was nothing anyone could have done.

Helena Campos' first encounter with loss has been a violent one. Because she hadn't only heard of death, not only loss a distant but loved figure. She's been confronted with it, in the face of the most important man on her life.

Seventeen years later, blue and red lights shining into her living room, Helena felt it in her bones, the same feeling that she'd felt so many times before. She felt death closing its claws around her life, ready to rip someone away from her once more.

——

Mark was in the passenger seat of Derek's car, the two speaking on the phone with Amelia.

"You're never gonna make your flight." She told her brother, teasingly.

"I'll make it." He told her.

"You won't, you're gonna miss your flight." Bailey let out, in the OR with the neurosurgeon.

"Who's that, Bailey? I'm not gonna miss my flight." He insisted.

"Yes, you will." Mark taunted, with a smirk. "That's why I go to the airport early."

"There was a huge accident on the 5. All the lanes are closed, the traffic is ." April told them, her voice a bit giddy.

"And why does Kepner make that sound as if it's a good thing?" Derek asked.

"We have a guy from the accident on our table." His sister explained. "Bailey and Kepner and sewing up all the wholes in his gut. The point is, you might as well turn around now, cause you'll miss your flight."

"Hey, hey, we're not turning around!" Mark complained. "Derek might miss his flight, but I won't."

"Neither of us are gonna miss our flight." Derek insisted. "I have a secret shortcut."

"There are no short cuts to the airport." Bailey and Amelia corrected.

"That you know about. We're gonna loose you here in a second. Cellphone reception's bad." Derek told them.

"Derek, you still there? I can't hear you." His sister told them.

"We're gonna lose reception, Amy." Mark spoke louder, as if it'd help.

"Amy?"

"Derek?"

As the call fell, the two doctors saw an expensive car speeding behind them, going around them and passing them.

"I'm doing 10 miles over the speed limit. That's not fast enough for you? Gee..." Derek let out.

"Ass." Mark mumbled. "He has what Lee would call a road penis."

They saw the car trying to pass the one in front of them, suddenly crashing into each other, forcing Derek to brake as much as he could.

As soon as the car stopped, the two men stared at the car that had flipped, their doctor instincts kicking in as they ran out of the vehicle, after a shared look.

There would be no point in trying the phone. There was no reception, after all.

——

As Derek had gone to one of the cars, Mark moved to the one that had passed them. Seeing it empty, she called out. "Hello? Hello?"

As he heard whimpering coming from the bushes near the road, he jogged to them, seeing a girl laying on the floor, calling out for help.

"Hey." Mark greeted. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Alana." She cried out. "It's hard to breath."

"Alright. Let's take a second, Alana. You probably got the wind knocked out of you when you hit the ground." He spoke softly, moving to feel her neck. "It's lucky you didn't hit the pavement."

"Yeah."

"Do you feel any pain, Alana?" He asked.

"I don't think so." Then, almost coming back to her senses, she tried to get up. "I'm not supposed to be here. I have to go, I have to go..."