[Edward POV]
Abby hugged her mother while sobbing. Haley cried from the side, and Desiree pulled her close to give her a hug too.
Their reactions were normal, as during the time we were driving over, the accident was reported exaggeratedly in the news outlets. The drunken truck driver had died on location, and even one passerby was hit by shards of the broken down truck, causing permanent blindness in one eye. The other victim's situation however was still unknown.
"Thank god." I breathed a sigh of relief as I rubbed my chest to calm down my rapidly beating hearts.
"Edward, you come here too." Desiree said, with a slight nudging with her head to beckon me to come closer.
"Huh? I don't need a hug." I said playfully, but I still walked slowly over towards the hospital bed.
"You don't, but I do." Desiree said as she pulled my arms forcefully into her embrace to give all 3 of us a hug.
"It was so scary. My life was flashing right before my eyes." Desiree muttered in a solemn tone as she tightened her arms around us.
"Did you see a good memory, or a bad one?" I asked her in a curious tone as I slowly pulled my body out of her hug.
"You know what, I don't even remember what it was that I saw before. It's all become blurry now that I tried to recall it back." Desiree replied, her hands were still shivering from her near death experience.
"Did your body freeze, you couldn't even understand what was happening until the truck hit, and you have a really really urgent sense to make your life better now?" I asked in a casual manner.
"Y-Yes. How…do you know it so well?" Desiree widened her eyes in disbelief, while Abby and Haley gave me a sideways glance from burying their heads in Desiree's bosom.
I would never admit that one of the reasons I pulled myself out of the hug was because I couldn't be in their position. Not ever! And any insinuation on the fact is nothing but slander.
"Well…let's just say I have a lot of experience with trucks." I shuddered as I thought of the memory of when I was returning home from the grocery store in my scooter before all this even started. (Chapter 1)
"Huh?" Haley raised one of her eyebrows, but I just waved one of my hands to dismiss it.
"You know, there's an amusing theory about the 'life-flashing-back-before-your-eyes' thing, but I'm not sure if the timing would be appropriate for me to say it."
"Just spit it out." Abby demanded angrily, her cheeks still pushing hard on her mother's chest, further igniting my jealousy.
"I'll tell you later," I smirked, causing Abby to pout. She buried her head in her mother's chest again while silently muttering, "There is no later…Jerk."
"Ed, I will go handle the paperwork." My dad said as he excused himself from the room, while giving a subtle glance at Desiree. Abby and I caught it, and shuddered.
Desiree then flinched in pain as Haley accidentally pressed on her left broken leg. "Um, I'm sorry!" Haley apologized quickly and pulled herself away a few steps from the patient. Desiree waved it off saying she was fine, but Haley was still apologetic.
"What did the doctor say?" I asked before I grabbed the medical board in front of the bed and checked it out myself.
"Broken tibia and femur, well, it will take at least 2 months before you can take out the cast." I licked my lips as I read the doctor's medical assessments. "It could take even longer… considering your age…"
"What was that?" Desiree's eyes shone a deathly glint.
"N-Nothing. I'm just talking to myself." I said in a nervous manner before saying, "I'mma go and catch up with dad."
My dad was talking to the doctor and helping Desiree handle her release documents. He also tried to find the one who had helped her, but it was as if no one even remembered that guy.
…
[General POV]
While Edward was visiting Desiree in the hospital, the charity crew members and concert's performers were having an after party in a club in the city.
The concert had become the talk of the town, and the number of users who downloaded and created an account in the instagram app skyrocketed. As the app also provided a web version, the numbers of users had reached a staggering 300,000 users in just an evening.
In Ed's previous life, the apps had only reached 1 million users in 2.5 months, but Ed could achieve that in a week, maybe less.
"It was a brilliant execution. Not only did he manage to gain a lot of traction for the application's launch, but he also posted a few behind-the-scenes photos and videos on his profile page, so the ones who just HAD to see it needed to download the application." Frankie Dart said as she monitored the app's growth and data.
Frankie called Claire through a bluetooth headset as she worked from her office in the port, while Claire was hurrying to go to her neighbor's house after she went home from the concert.
Claire flashed a proud-motherly-smile and said, "Edward is amazing. Frankie, I hate to say this, but I think I need to ask you to handle this one alone for just a few more hours."
"Huh? Why?" Frankie asked, not annoyed by the situation.
"Desiree got into an accident. She texted me through Haley, asking me to bring some of her clothes so that she could go back home."
"Oh, what happened to her?" Frankie asked, concerned.
"She broke her leg in a car accident. I'll tell you more when I get more information." Claire replied before entering Desiree's house. She forgot that she didn't ask her for a key, and was surprised when she realized that the door was unlocked.
"That careless-" She muttered to herself.
Frankie nodded and said, "Alright then. I'll see you on Monday. Although I want to meet you tomorrow-"
"I know. You need to tend to your sister. Bring her to Disneyland. That'll be fun." Claire said casually as she rummaged through Desiree's suitcases.
In a different neighborhood, the hoarse-voiced Enid was walking back and forth angrily as she replied to a slanderous tweet.
"How dare they say that Ed is unprofessional? He sang his songs till the end!" Enid growled with the voice of a middle-aged heavy smoker.
"Stop talking, you're creeping me out." Another hoarse-voiced girl muttered. "Just report him for pedophilia." Tara added.
"Already did." Enid replied. "But there's thousands more of them, saying Ed is hiding money, Ed is godless, and many more. All of these people should just DIE!"
"They're TROLLS! Ignore them. A lot more people are supporting Ed right?...See, even Tom Hanks is tweeting about it, and also wants to donate to the cause."
A lot of celebrities had voiced their support for Edward, and it was as useful as sending thoughts and prayers to natural disaster victims. Only a few of them actually reached out to the charity with the hope to contribute to the cause.
"Donate, or pledge? Ed told me never to trust those guys until they actually open up their wallets. Otherwise, they will say they donated a certain amount, but they actually crowdfund the money without even putting a dollar of their own." Enid said menacingly.
Tara was in disbelief and said, "I didn't think that Ed was such a pessimist."
"He's more of a realist." Enid defended her idol before plopping down on her bed, whimpering about not getting to see him again for a long time.
"Ugh, idiot." Tara looked at her sister disdainfully before walking out of the room.
After the concert, Pepper was bombarded by the paparazzi in front of the school door.
"Mr Saltzman? What can you tell us about the whereabouts of Edward Newgate?"
"Where is he?"
"Is he refusing to give interviews?"
"My sources said that Edward rushed to the hospital after the concert was over, is that true?"
The reporters glanced at Jaime who asked the last question, licking their lips as if they had stumbled into breaking news.
"Alright calm down. Enough the flashes!" Pepper said in annoyance as he tried to cover his eyes from the pictures. Bad move from Pepper as it would make him look guilty of something even though he wasn't actually going to be featured in the later articles.
"Edward is fine. He went to the hospital for an unrelated issue, not because of his health." Pepper explained carefully.
"What about the money collected? When is he going to allocate it to the charity?" A random reporter shouted.
"The donations had all been transferred to the soup kitchens in the city. You can check their transcripts when you go to cover the story over there…which I don't think you will. You only know how to point your finger at someone trying to do good, as if it was a vile thing to do. Did the politicians pay you?"
The paparazzi were speechless by Pepper's words, and they glanced at the reporter who asked the initial question, wondering if Pepper's accusation was true, and if it was, why didn't they also get the bribes to attack Edward's credibility?
Edward's reputation kept shooting up after the event. He was trending, especially on Twitter.
@RobertDowneyJunior : Hey @EdwardNewgate, it was a fun evening! Make sure to set aside VIP tickets for me for your next concert.
@Cameron_Diaz: I tried to buy the ticket, but it was sold out! (cry.emoji)
@ScarJo: If only it wasn't raining. Then we don't have to experience such a rushed exit. But it was fun to see Edward all nervous.
@Don_Cheadle: Make sure to not catch a cold!
+1
+1
+1
@SoupKitchenPasadenal: Thank you @EdwardNewgate for caring about the least fortunate. We have received your charitable donations! Thank you very much!
At the airport, Taylor was showing a face full of unwillingness as she followed her dad to their private plane.
"Why are you still pouting? Ed will come to Texas on Monday right?" Scott asked in disbelief.
"I'm not pouting!" Taylor replied before stomping her legs as she entered the plane. "Can't believe he'd just leave me alone to go with another girl. Just because they had sex once, doesn't mean that they need to do everything together!" She muttered in dissatisfaction, not being honest in her words.
She had been told about the accident, and she sympathized with Abby. So she'd let her have one last night with Ed before she moved away to New York.
"Honestly, Ed can make it as a country singer. I must bring him to watch a few shows while he's there." Scott said with a wide smile.
"NO!" Taylor dismissed his thoughts instantly. "I want to be the one to show him around!" She said, emphasized on the 'I'.
"Then you bring him to watch the shows." Scott replied. "Maybe bring him to try bull riding."
Taylor rolled her eyes and said, "Dad, you know our state has passed the 'Saloon' era right? Why are you still obsessed with 'Wild Wild West'! You're embarrassing me!"
Scott was stunned for a while before he muttered with a sly smirk, "Daughters always being embarrassed by their father is a rite of passage, and I don't plan on stopping it anytime soon."
"Ugh." Taylor groaned while crossing her arms together before silently sitting down in her seat as the plane took off.
She then licked her lips in a subtle manner, "If we finish the entire MV shoot in one day, then we can mess around for 2 whole days without any interruptions. Hmm, I should contact the director and see if she can change the schedule."
"I can hear you." Scott interrupted, causing Taylor to flinch, but she soon went back to ignoring his intense gaze.
In an apartment in Pasadena.
"God, I remember when I went to a concert before, and it started to rain. It was actually quite wonderful, but then the bassist got electrocuted, and the lead vocalist wanted to help him, so he got caught in it too." Penny shared as the group watched Edward's performance through Leonard's laptop.
"Not me, I would never go to a concert out in the open." Howard said.
"And why is that?" Leonard asked, as Rajesh was completely mute when Penny was around.
"A number of reasons. Bugs. Mud. Adequate lighting. If I want to go to a concert, I would pick somewhere where people can't see each other, just grinding our bodies against each other-"
"That's not a concert. That's a rave." Penny scoffed. Leonard gazed at Penny, causing her to be startled and quickly defended herself, "What? I know about it, doesn't mean that I've gone to one before."
"Have you gone to a rave before?" Leonard asked. Penny quickly changed the topic, "Not important. Can you rewind to the country song again?"
Sitting on his spot on the sofa, Sheldon rolled his eyes as he was eating and watching tv. "For god's sake, don't make me listen to that torturous drivel anymore."
"But Sheldon~ Aren't you from Texas? Shouldn't you like country music?" Penny asked curiously.
"He doesn't like any kind of music." Leonard said with a chuckle. Sheldon gazed at him and said, "Leonard, should I remind you that there's a clause in the roommate agreement about blasting music in shared spaces?"
"Ugh.." Leonard groaned, but he didn't care about Sheldon's threat. Instead, he enjoyed rewatching the concert's song again with his friends. "If you don't like it, go to your room." Leonard said casually.
…
[Edward POV]
It was almost midnight when Desiree could finally be released from the hospital. After sending her and Abby home, my dad and I walked back to my aunt's house.
"Edward, you should go and rest. Do not try to open your laptop or do any more work today." My dad said.
"Well, I need to-"
"Ed, try to understand my worries. You injured yourself today, and you didn't even follow the doctor's orders. You have worked hard all day, just try to get some rest tonight okay?"
"Hmmm…Alright then. I will go straight to bed, and you go straight to Desiree's bedroom."
My dad coughed twice and said defensively, "Like I said, we really didn't do anything last night!"
"Hmm…I wish I could believe you." I muttered with some apprehension before smirking and walking up to my room. My dad sighed and exited the house, feeling a strong desire to get a drink today, but still keeping his vow to quit drinking.
After taking a shower and eating a PB&J sandwich, I laid down on my giant bed, staring at the white ceiling with wide eyes, not feeling sleepy in the slightest. I crouched a bit to try and reach for my phone, but gave up midway and stared at the ceiling again.
Am I addicted to my phone? I don't know. It happened a few more times, but I still kept my willpower strong as I stared at the empty ceiling.
"Psst- PSSTT!" Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from my window. I got out of bed and opened it, "Abby, go to sleep. You need to take care of your mom tomorrow. You guys have an early flight."
"Come on, it's my last night in LA and I don't think that it could be any more graceless than this." She laughed.
"You have no grace." I corrected her, making her angry.
"I SO do!! I can be graceful if I want to!"
"Nuh-Uh."
"Yuh-huh."
We talked and talked, until it was almost 4 am. It was the last late night conversation that we could have for a while, maybe ever and none of us wanted it to end it this early.
…
[General POV]
6.30 in the morning. Near the port, inside a run-down bar. A mustached barkeeper was wiping the desk when Ted walked into the tavern.
"Oh Theodore. Did you decide to start downing whiskey again after waking up this morning?"
"Stop Joking Jim. I'm picking up Dwayne here, and also, mind firing up the grill and making me some bacon and eggs?"
"You know we open at 8 Ted. Luckily, I have a soft spot for you, so just wait a sec- Oh, and help me throw out that drunkard will ya?" Jim laughed as he walked into the kitchen. Ted scanned the room, and then widened his eyes as he saw the lone man pouring whiskey into a cup and gulping it down in one shot.
"You!" Ted walked towards the man quickly. He was wearing a train conductor uniform, and Ted's instinct told him that this man was the one who got involved in the accident yesterday's evening.
To Ted's surprise, the man still had clarity in his eyes, as if the 15 bottles of several kinds of alcohol (whiskey, vodka, tequila and others) was only some mineral water that he had been pouring into his throat all night.
"Sir, May I ask you a question? Are you the one who saved my friend last night from being killed by a truck?"
"Hmm? Oh, I remember that. Yes. That was me."
"JIM! Put this man's tabs on my account!" Ted quickly shouted to the barkeeper. Jim frowned and said, "Are you sure? It's a couple thousand bucks!"
"It's fine!" Ted waved his hands to the barkeeper as he smilingly turned to the man. Although Ted had no proof that the man was the one who saved Desiree, and the only evidence he got was the man's confirmation, his instinct told him that the man could be trusted with his words.
"Oh thanks a lot for that. I'm waiting for my junior colleague, and she didn't show up all night, so I had to keep drinking or the barkeep will throw me out." The man joked before offering his hand for a handshake, "Theodore. Theodore Franzetti."
"Theodore Newgate. I'm surprised that we have the same first name." Ted said. Theo smiled and replied, "What a coincidence."
(Ted: Edward's current Dad. Theo: The train conductor grim reaper )
After some initial introductions, Ted asked, "Theodore, you're a train conductor?"
"Yes. But I don't think you want to buy my tickets now. You still have a looong way to go. Longer now that you've stopped drinking." Theo laughed.
Ted was confused for a bit but he attributed Theo's weirdness from his drunkenness, and didn't pursue the matter.
"You know, I used to be in jail." Theo said, surprising Ted, but he didn't show any apprehension to sit together with the man.
"How long?" Ted asked, drinking his cup of joe.
"Longer than you can imagine. But my son bailed me out. HAHAHA." Theo guffawed loudly before he went silent, and spoke in great self-deprecation. "My son…I left him on the doorstep of the orphanage when he was 1 year old, and he still grew up to be an excellent man."
Ted went silent, and then he asked, "What are you doing now?" If Theo was in need of a job and shelter, Ted would offer him his help. Like Theo, a lot of the sailors had gone through jail time before, but it doesn't mean that they were bad guys.
Ted trusted his instinct with his crew, and his current instinct told him that Theo could be trusted.
"Me? I can still work on the train tracks, and my boss was eager to give me my job back." Theo replied in a happy manner. "So I accepted his offer, and applied for a one day off. Then, I committed a crime again, and now, I'm just waiting for those guys to throw me back behind bars."
"Crime? What could you possibly have done?" Ted asked in confusion.
"You know, the accident." Theo replied. Ted was shocked and asked, "They will put you in jail because you got into a fender bender?! How is that possibly a crime?"
Theo muttered in a tiny whisper, "It's because I didn't do my job there."
Theo turned to Ted and said, "Nevermind, I'm drunk. Tell me about your son Ted."
"My son? He's my precious boy." Ted replied proudly before they both laughed out loud. Ted told Theo about Ed starting with him as a baby. He even showed Theo the baby pictures of Ed he still kept inside his wallet.
Theo listened to all the stories with a kind smile, his eyes unknowingly shed some tears that went unnoticed by Ted.
"So, your wife left?" Theo asked as he downed a cup of vodka.
"Just over 2 years ago. How about yours?" Ted asked.
"Bang! Shot in the head by the mafia!" Theo said with a laugh, but his eyes turned moist, and shortly after, he broke down crying. Ted went silent and patted Theo in the back as he processed his emotions.
"How about your son now? What's he currently doing?" Ted asked.
"Oh he's doing very…very well right now. I'm glad that he didn't follow in my footsteps, although there were some dangerous slippery slopes here and there." Theo replied before he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes.
"Want one?" He offered. "Sure." Ted accepted and they both lit up their cigarettes. As Theo inhaled a puff, he asked, "What are you doing here so early in the morning Ted?"
"Oh, I'm buying lottery tickets with my friend."
"Lotto? Isn't it too late now?"
"If I can reach the next town in….45 more minutes, then I can make it." Ted replied as he looked into his wrist watch.
Theo nodded before he smirked and muttered something Ted couldn't hear.
"I'm sorry, what's that?" Ted asked, confused.
"Nothing, hey can you do me a favor? Buy these numbers for me, and give them to your son. Of course, your money."
Ted laughed and picked up the tissue paper with the numbers that Theo wrote down on. "Okay. I'll make sure of it."
"Oh, my junior is here." Theo suddenly stood up from his seat. "Where-...Mrs Henderson?" Ted was shocked when he saw a familiar face entering the bar.
"Good Morning Mr Newgate. Drinking this early in the morning is not good for you." Mrs Henderson said in a gentle manner.
"He's not drinking, He's not drinking." Theo spoke up to defend Ted.
Suddenly, Dwayne also entered the bar, looking for Ted. As Ted greeted Dwayne, he didn't realize that the colleague duo had already disappeared.
"Hey, it was nice meeting with you. I should get your number. Desiree would love to meet with you to thank you herself." Ted said, but as he turned, he was surprised when he saw that the duo was no longer in his sight.
"Theo?" Ted looked around the bar. "Mrs Henderson?" He called, but no one answered him.
"Boss, we need to go now if we want to make it." Dwayne urged.
After a few seconds of silence and searching, Ted said with a heavy sigh,"Alright. Let's go."