Submerged

SUBMERGED

The van swerved and crashed through the highway partition and plunged towards the water below. She screamed. He jolted awake. As the van began to fill with water, she yelled at him.
        “Wake them up! Get them out!”
        She reached back and pulled the baby from his car seat then opened the door. Water rushed in. Dragging him behind, she forced herself to the surface, because she knew the baby needed air. He was behind with another holding on around his waist. He saw them on the shore as he came to the surface, then she was wading out to help him.
        “Where’s J?” she screamed, “I told you to get J!”
        He looked confused, but didn’t answer. She grabbed a large rock and dove back in. The water was murky and she could barely see the van. It was still sinking. She hit the window with the rock, but it didn’t budge, so she hit it again. Then J was beside her, speaking to her, smiling at her.
        “Why are you going in there, Mom? Looking for me? Don’t bother. I’m already dead.”
        Horror swept over her. He wasn’t real, just a distraction. When she hit the window again, the rock crashed through, but J was not there. Only his clothes remained, she grabbed them. She didn’t know what else to do, because J wasn’t beside her anymore. She looked around for him, but she couldn’t see him. She was out of air, so she pushed herself to the surface and swam toward them sitting on the shore. He waded out to help her but didn’t say a word, because she was crying.
        “My baby! I hate you! You let my baby drown! He’s drowned! You let my baby drown!” She yelled over and again.
        She used her last bit of energy to pound her fists into his chest. He didn’t fight back, he just held her to keep her from falling on the ground. 
        She was screaming hysterically and crying. He watched her for a minute, but he couldn’t make out the words she was saying. He shook her.
        “Baby” he said. Then he waited. She didn’t stop, so he shook her again, harder this time.
        “Baby Wake up” he pleaded. Her eyes popped open, still filled with tears.
        He could understand her now. “You let my baby drown. How could you just leave him? I told you to get him out!” She was awake now, but still dreaming.
        “Baby, no one’s drowned. They’re all fine.” He assured her.
        But she didn’t believe him, and his calmness confused her.
        “He’s in his bed. Go look.” She jumped from the bed and ran down the hall. She stopped at the door and opened it slowly; afraid of what she might see. The light hit them, one, then another, then the last. They slept peacefully, she thought. She counted their breaths one by one, then her own. Relief swept over her as the feeling of panic subsided. They were fine. She closed their door and he was behind her.
        “See, they’re fine.” He handed her a glass of water as they headed back down the hall, his arm around her shoulder. He stroked her hair “You want to tell me about it?”
        “Well,” she began “we were driving down the highway. . .”