Chapter 6: United Freaks
"So, why did you come to me with this?" My therapist
asked, sitting across from me in her spinning seat. She had her hands placed on
her mahogany desk.
"Here's the thing, I
didn't come to you. My mom forced me to come here. If it were my choice, I
would never come here. But, obviously it is not my choice," I said.
"Well then, why did
your mom bring you here?"
"You don't understand
do you? Yeah, neither does my mom." I laughed and smiled. "So, my
friend is dying and my other friend died. Oh yeah, and like half of all the
kids at my school are going to die so I can't really make friends or express
any emotion to anyone. But, I just can't do that. I
can't....can't.....can't...can't, I can't do this!" I rushed out of the
room like I had during the interview earlier that day.
"Whoa, why are you
crying?" My mom asked when I my wet face landed in her lap. I collapsed
onto the ground and wept. "Everything is going to be alright." Mom
started to stroke my head. This did not make me feel better. I started to
hyper-ventilate.
On the way home, I sat in
silence. Most everyone else in the car was silent except for Evelyn. She would
occasionally snicker at something she read on her phone. I shook my head and
finally said,
"Why do I have to go
here?" I asked. I didn't know why I went here. No one understood me.
'They understand you,"
my mom said. I snickered.
"Sure they do," I
said, half-truthfully. If they understood me, they could actually make me feel better. I can't
even believe my own mother doesn't understand me. I can't hold on or care about
anyone. Everything always ends up in some sort or giant explosion the splatters
depression all over me. And, I can't even love my best friend.
"We're home," Mom said, interrupting my thoughts.
I walked in the house and dropped my bag on the floor by the coat rack. I went
into the kitchen to get a snack. I pulled open the freezer and got some peanut
butter. Why my mom puts peanut butter in the fridge, I don't know. I got some
crackers to dip in the peanut butter and went into the living room. I sat on
the couch and opened up my phone. I noticed I had a message from an unknown
number I clicked on the message and listened to it.
"Hello Piper. This
Sydney's mom. I uh...I have some bad news. I'm sorry that I have to say this,
but Sydney went in a comma. She uh... collapsed during 5th period, and she was
taken away in an ambulance. We are at Children’s (referring to the hospital
right by our school) if you would like to come and see her. I uh, hope to see
you here. We are on the 3rd floor in room 347. We will be waiting for you.
(crying) I have to go." I dropped my phone, letting the dead static hang
around as I ran to go get my mom. She was in her bathroom and already had
changed into her PJ's.
"Ma, I uh, Syd
com-c-c-com," I tried to tell her that I needed to see Sydney, but my
mouth was broken. My brain couldn't function. I just stood, there, making a
fool of myself and stuttering. For once, Evelyn actually saved me.
"Mom, I, well I
shouldn't have done this but I looked on Piper's phone. And, I listened to a
message from Sydney's parents. And, we need to get to Children's right
now." Then Evelyn pulled Mom aside and, I assume, told Mom about
everything that happened. I grabbed PJ's and a toothbrush; I assumed that I would
be spending the night with Sydney.
When I got to the hospital,
I shuddered. The smell of latex gloves and medicine reminded me of that one
time that I had to go to a metal institution. I had also been to this hospital
many times since I went to visit Sydney every time she was here. I looked
around, seeing the overly happy rainbows and other childish decorations. I
heard screams in the back and crying from a devastated parent. My mom rushed
off to the car, whispering something in Evelyn's ear.
"Mom said that she was
just called to work for an immediate dispatch or something. So, we have to stay
here with Sydney's parents," said Evelyn, pulling out her phone. "Go
visit your friend." So I walked up to receptionist desk and asked if I
could go see Sydney.
"Do you have a
guardian with you?" She asked in a sweet southern voice. She had wrinkles
all over her face and her hands were slightly shaking. I could tell she was
here to cheer up the kids. I nodded towards Evelyn and she gave me the go ahead
signal. I grabbed Evelyn's wrist without time to explain.
“Where are we going?”
Evelyn asked as we got onto the elevator. When she realized that I was holding
her wrist, she pulled it away.
“We’re going to see
Sydney,” I said, smiling. Then the elevator beeped and the doors open. The
place was decorated so it looked happy and cheerful. But from all the crying,
the smell of pee, and all the strange beeping. Besides that, the level of the
hospital Sydney was on was devastatingly glum.
I walked over to room 347
and found Sydney. She had a mask on her face and a bandage around her small
bald head. I slowly walked over, reaching for her hand. I just stood there,
clutching Sydney’s hand and looking at her pale, bruised face.
“What happened to her?” I
asked when I had sat down. I was still holding her hand.
“Well, she took quite a
tumble and hit her head. That’s why it’s bandaged. Why is in the comma and fell
in the first place, we don’t know,” said her mom. I nodded. I just sat on the
edge of her bed and smiled down at her. Even though Sydney couldn’t speak or
hear what I was saying, I leaned in to whisper to her.
“Hey, I came. I will stay
as long as you need me. My mom might not want that, but I will. I’ll be there
all the time, no matter what. So, just remember that our star won’t go out and
don’t forget to be awesome.” Then I place my hand on her head. Just then, a
nurse rushed in.
“We have to take her,” she
said, walking towards Sydney. They strapped her to a rolling table and put a
pillow under her head. I got up and walked with the nurse. “Where are you
going?” She asked.
“I’m coming with you, I
promised Sydney,” I said, grabbing her hand.
“No, you’re not,” the nurse
said, starting to walk faster. But, I kept walking with them. “Well, sweetie,
you can’t. You can stand outside the door and watch.”
“But I promised her that I
would stay, no matter what. If this is the no matter what then so be it. But I
am going to stay with her!” I protested.
“Keep your voice down,” she
said. I quieted down. “Maybe if your guardian can come in and watch, you can
stand in the room where I stand. Actually, no, not going to happen. Sorry,
rules are rules.” She smirked and ran off with Sydney. But I raced to her. They
had already gone into the room and shut the door. But I opened it and went into
the X-ray room.
“Sorry, you can’t be in
here,” said another doctor, coming to the door.
“But, you didn’t open the
blinds. If I can’t be in there with my best friend, can I at least watch
through the window?” I asked, staring at the very handsome doctor.
“Well, that I can do. I
thought since you were with Janet she would open the blinds for you.” After the
man went into the room and locked the door, he opened the blinds for me. (I had
assumed that the rude nurse was Janet.) Not that I didn’t trust the doctors, I
just promised Sydney that I would watch her. I saw the doctors place her onto
another table. Before the started the machine, they took off her bandage and
put on a new one. She had a pretty nasty gash on her forehead, but I didn’t
turn away. Then she placed the weird contraption over Sydney and started the
machine. The doctors went into a small cove-like hiding spot inside the room
and watched the machine. The male doctor looked over at me and gave me the
thumbs up. I smiled back and saw Janet role her eyes.
After what seemed like
forever, which was an hour, Sydney was done. She hadn’t woken up, but she laid
peacefully on the table. The doctors came out of their spot and pulled Sydney
out of the machine. They took her off and put her back on the rolling table.
Then Janet came out and went down the hallway. She came back, wheeling a
wheelchair. Then they doctors strapped Sydney in and brought her out of the
room.
“So, how was it from you
view?” Asked the male doctor.
“Pretty good,” I said. Then
I tried to reach for the handle. But Janet’s hand slammed on the handle and her
grip tightened. It was like she was purposely making me mad. But I took the
other handle and swept the chair away from her.
“Thank you very much,” I said as I steered the wheel chair to
Sydney’s room.
“Well, you have to leave for testing that I have to do on her.”
“But, can’t I just stay, for this tiny little test?” I asked. I
made the sad puppy-dog face and thought about how Sydney would respond.
“I….fine,” said Janet.
“First, can I have a moment with her?” Sydney’s parents stepped
out of the room, but Janet just stood there. I tilted my head and she left. She
crossed her arms and turned around angrily. I scooted the chair closer to me
and I sat down on Sydney’s bed.
“So, how was it in that weird, scanny machine?” I asked. I didn’t
really know how to fraise my sentence. “Well, now that nurse is going to do
some tests. I will be here and I don’t have to stand outside and watch. I would
have gotten in that machine with you if I could have, but no. They don’t let
people do that, sorry. So, you know the deal. Don’t forget to be awesome and
all that junk.” Then I hugged Sydney’s limp body and opened the door. Then
everyone came in and the nurse hooked Sydney up to a machine.
“So, how was watching Sydney getting a CT scan?” Sydney’s mom
asked when she sat down.
“Pretty good, I just wish I could have been closer to her,” I
said. Then the nurse lifted Sydney from her chair and placed her on the bed.
Then, for the next 5 minutes, the nurse hovered over Sydney and did all the
“tests” she said she was going to do.
“Done,” said Janet, lifting her hands away and stepping back from
Sydney, as if to reveal an amazing masterpiece. I went over to Sydney and sat
on the bed next to her. I pulled to covers over her and felt her hand. It
wasn’t warm, it was as cold as a stone at the bottom of a pond. I laid next to
her and fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was dark out. I woke up and sat up.
“Hey,” said Evelyn. She was sitting next to me and still looking
at her phone.
“It’s around dinner time, so you can go down to the cafeteria for
food,” said Sydney’s father. So I got up, stretching my arms up to the ceiling.
Then I walked out of the room and went over to the elevator. I pushed the
buttons for floor 1, and waited. A girl in black shorts and a green shirt that
read “Wolverines Basketball” wheeled herself over. (I may have forgotten to
mention she was in a wheelchair). She pushed the same down arrow I had pushed
and we waited. I snuck a look at her in the silver reflection on the elevator
door. Then, she did the same to me. The door opened and we both entered.
“Are you going to the cafeteria?” The girl asked as we waited to
go down.
“Yeah, you?” I responded.
“Yep.”
“Cool.”
“Yeah.”
“Dinner, dinner, cool, cool.” Then the elevator dinged.
“Saved by the bell,” I said under my breath. Then we both went the
same way and headed to the cafeteria. I got in line, as did the cool.
“So, why are you here?” I asked the girl as we awkwardly waited in
line.
“Oh, well, thanks for not making any assumptions. Though, I am
here because I can’t walk. I usually can deal with my RA, but it got worse.
Yeah, I failed to mention that I have RA and that’s why I’m here,” she said,
then wheeling over to the trays as the line sluggishly moved. “How about you?”
“My friend is in a coma right now, and I’m staying with her.” I
grabbed a tray and tried to get a heap of salad. Then Evelyn walked behind me
and said, “What is up?”
“If that’s your friend, it doesn’t look like she’s in a comma,”
said the girl, getting a fried chicken leg.
“No, it’s not. This is my sister, Evelyn.”
“Ah, I see. Lucy Hall,” said the girl, holding out her hand.
Evelyn shook it, hesitantly, and proceeded to getting pasta salad. “So, who are
you?”
“Me,” I said. I paused for moment, not knowing at the time that I
seemed incredibly strange thinking about what my own name is. “Piper.”
“Cool Piper,” Lucy said. Then she scooped up some mashed potatoes
and proceeded to the drink machine. I got a slice of pizza and headed to the
pizza. While I went to the drink machine, Evelyn got yelled at the rest of the
line for not moving. As usual, she had stopped to text or look at social media.
She finally realized what she was doing, and came over to where I was.
“Your sister seems pretty oblivious to the world around her,” said
Lucy, filling her cup with Mountain Dew.
“That’s just how teens are,” I said, getting some Fanta. Lucy
wheeled herself to a table and I followed. Evelyn had stopped, again, and was
on her phone. I and Lucy laughed as we
watched Evelyn spilled the tea she had once been filling her cup with.
“So, who are the wolverines?” I asked, gnawing at my slice of
pizza.
“Oh, you mean “Wolverines Basketball,” said Lucy. I nodded. “My
basketball team. I also play track and Lacrosse.”
“Are any of your teammates here?” I asked, trying to soak my
lettuce leaves in the Caesar dressing.
“Nah, they don’t even know about my RA. I don’t tell anyone unless
they ask, and they don’t ask since I don’t tell. My friend, Riley, knows. But,
he knows because we met at a hospital and I was in a wheelchair then. It just
seemed important to tell him, since he is my only friend who has seen me in a
wheelchair. Just, I am really surprised with how daring I am being right now. I
don’t really open up like this.” Then Lucy looked down and pecked at her
chicken leg.
“Me and you both. I can’t make friends, either. They all die.”
“That sounds like so much fun,” said Lucy.
“Yep, sure is,” I said. I looked down at my salad. I really didn’t
like to talk about it, but I felt like I had to own up and tell something
private about me to Lucy. Then came the awkward silence when everyone is
comprehending something weird and astonishing that someone says and no body
speaks.
“So, I’m going to go back to my room,” Lucy said, picking up her
tray. She wheeled herself over to the trashcan and dumped her trash in the
trash can. She brought her tray and dishes to the counter and wheeled towards
the elevator. I thought about getting up, but another friendship wasn’t worth
my heartbreak. I dumped my trash, put away my tray, and went over to Evelyn.
She was still standing by the drink machine on her phone.
“I’m going to go look at the store and stuff,” I said, trying to
peer at what Evelyn was doing on her phone.
“Sit with…. With…. Sorry, can you sit with me, gotta supervise
you,” Evelyn said, picking up her tray and walking over to a table. She quickly
ate her pasta and put away her tray.
“Can we get going to the store?” I asked.
“ Yeah, yeah, if you can find it,” she said. Evelyn stopped by the
trashcan to text again. So I pulled Evelyn over to the store and we looked at
all the stuff. There was popcorn, cups, mugs, shirts, bobble heads, stuffed
animals, flowers, cards, pens, jewelry, and posters. It wasn't much, but I
never really knew that this hospital had a store. I guess I did, just never
went.
“Can I have like $15 to buy some flowers and candy for Sydney?” I
asked. Evelyn handed me a twenty and I went over to the candy section. I looked
at the candy, trying to find Sydney’s favorite candy, tropical Skittles. I kept
looking, but to no avail. So I went to the flowers and picked out the tulips.
There were red, orange, and pink. Then I brought the flowers to the counter and
asked for tropical Skittles.
“Do you have any tropical Skittles,” I asked the girl at the
counter.
“If you don’t see them in the candy section, we don’t have them.”
The girl didn't look up from her magazine. She pointed to the candy and didn't pay attention to me. I back to the candy and got the regular Skittles. I got the Skittles and bought them. Then me and Evelyn went
back to Sydney's room and stayed there for the rest of the night.
