Chapter 159: Accident II
The crash was deafening. The entire car jerked violently to the right, sending David, Mohamed, and Prakesh into a chaotic whirlwind of motion. The sound of metal crumpling, tires screeching against the road, and the force of the impact drowned out all coherent thought. "FUCK! SHIT!" David screamed, his heart racing as the car slammed into the nearby sidewalk barrier with a sickening crunch. His body whipped forward, the seatbelt digging painfully into his chest. His head slammed hard against the front seat, the jolt leaving his skull ringing like a bell.
The world spun wildly for a moment as the car finally came to a halt. The air was thick with dust and the smell of burnt rubber, the metal of the car groaning as if protesting the brutal collision. For a few agonizing seconds, everything was eerily silent, save for the ringing in David’s ears. Then the groaning began.
"OOF! FUCK!" David groaned, his hands instinctively reaching for his head. His neck was sore, and his head felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer. Rubbing his forehead, he winced, trying to shake off the disorientation.
His head throbbed, but his focus quickly shifted as he heard a weak groaning from beside him. His eyes snapped to the side, and the sight of Mohamed’s slumped figure sent a chill straight through him. Mohamed was still in his seat, but his eyes were shut tight, his body swaying slightly. And then David saw it. The bloodstain on Mohamed’s head.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Mohamed!" David shouted, panic rising in his voice. "Are you okay? Is everything fine?" His voice cracked as he reached over, trying to shake his friend awake, but Mohamed remained unresponsive for a moment.
Mohamed weakly lifted his hand, brushing his forehead, his fingers moving sluggishly as if fighting off the fog of unconsciousness. "I’m okay... I’m okay..." he mumbled, his voice faint, but the blood on his head told a different story. David’s chest tightened, and he quickly felt his own head, making sure he hadn’t been injured in the same way. No blood. Just a dull ache.
A sigh of relief washed over him. Mohamed was alive. But the relief was short-lived.
Suddenly, David’s head snapped up, his eyes darting to the driver’s seat. "Prakesh!" he shouted, his voice rising with anxiety. "Are you alright?" His throat constricted as he thought back to the crash and Prakesh’s unresponsiveness. Without waiting for an answer, David quickly glanced forward.
The sight that greeted him was far worse than he could have ever expected.
Prakesh was slumped forward, his face buried in what David could only assume was the airbag. The man’s head was pressed so deeply into the cushion that David couldn’t even see his eyes. His arms were at an odd angle, and his body was unnaturally still. The airbag had deployed with terrifying force, and it looked like Prakesh was completely buried in it. His eyes were shut, and the way his body was slumped over made David’s stomach drop.