Mark and Valentino didn't believe what their father was telling them. "How could this be, dad?" Mark asked their father, urgently. Valentino put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Mark was breathing uncomfortably. He was having trouble coping with hearing such a tragedy happened in their family.
"Is she going to be okay, dad?" Valentino asked, trying to be strong. Russell wasn't done crying. He continued bawling and didn't stop the waterworks. "Oh. Come one, Mark. Let's settle this in the living room, together," Valentino continued.
Russell followed his two sons into the living room down the dimly lit hallway. Taking a seat at the love seat, in front of their mounted TV on the wall, Russell stood next to a coffee table. "How can I say this, kids?" Russell asked, taking a deep breath. "Your mother is in a coma in the hospital. She was a in a crazy car accident on the way home from the grocery store, buying Halloween decorations for us. When a drunk driver sped through a red streetlight. Slamming into your mother's car. Causing your mom to get shaken up and banged badly into a coma. It killed the drunk driver. He went through his front window shield. Causing the road to have a traffic jam during the crash at the time. We don't know how long your mother will be in a coma. But it's something we're going to have to let time take its course," Russell said, taking a deep breath.
"Oh wow," Valentino and Mark said in union. "That's crazy," Mark said, finally. His eyes were wide and filled with watery tears, too. "Will they let us go visit our mom?" Mark asked. Valentino could see Mark was trembling and shaking like a leaf.
Russell took a seat on the coffee table. "They won't allow visitors only on the weekends. It's Wednesday today. Your mom has been in an accident since Monday this week. Nobody knows when your mom will wake up from her coma. They have doctors and nurses watched over her all day and night long. All we can do right now is keep mom in our prayers. And hope she'll make it through," Russell said.
"I can't believe this happened," Mark sobbed, whipping his watery eyes. "I hope the drunk driver was charged with causing such a tragic accident," Mark said. "He can't get away with something like this," Mark complained. He started to rise to feet in protest, but Valentino grabbed hold of his right arm and told him to stay put.
"Look kids, I know how worried you are right now," Russell explained. "But there's nothing we can do. I'll call the hospital this evening at about six p.m. tonight. And check on the doctors to see how your mother is doing. I don't want you kids to go without a mother in your life. I know how important she means to us. Do whatever it takes to wake her up," Russell said.
Valentino and Mark nodded in agreement. "We understand, dad," they said together. "No matter how long it takes, we'll keep mom in our thoughts and prayers," Valentino said, thoughtfully. Russell smiled and put a comfortable hand of his son's right shoulder. "Is there anything we can do right now for our mom?" Valentino asked his father, urgently.
Suddenly, the telephone rang in the kitchen. Making us all jump with startlement. Russell quickly turned away from his two boys. He hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the red phone receiver hung on the wall in the kitchen.
Valentino and Mark stayed on the couch, trying not to worry about what's going on right now in their lives. They barely heard their dad's concerned phone voice into the receiver. With his bad turn against them. Then, Russell quickly hung up the phone. There was a brief, silent moment from them. Then, Russell said with his back turned against his two sons, "Your mother's dead," Russell whispered and cried.