“Dane?” The voice pushed its way through my thoughts.
“Yeah.” I slowly looked from the window.
Lynn’s father said, “So Simon’s your brother, eh? And you two aren’t close?”
“Not at all. In our case, ‘brothers’ is a very loose term. I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not exactly fond of him.”
“Well, I certainly understand that. Right now I’m not thinking very highly of him myself. You, however, I’m thinking might be good for my little girl. I know she can be a bit headstrong, but you’re the right sort for her, to help keep her steady.”
“Thank you, sir.” I nodded. “If you could do me the courtesy of telling her that, I’d appreciate it.” I went back to looking out the window, dismissing the conversation, although it wasn’t my intent to be rude. I just… I just wasn’t in the mood to keep talking.
“Dane?”
I sighed to myself. It was Lynn’s mother talking this time.
“Are you and Lynora together? I mean, have you been together?” Lynn’s father nudged his wife’s shoulder. “No, I didn’t mean it like that, Carl. Our little girl is grown up now, so that’s none of my business. What I mean is, are you two a couple…officially?”
I paused for a moment to think of how to answer her question. I didn’t want to be too blunt, and I didn’t want to lie. Lynn and I had fucked before, and plenty, but nothing between us was official. Then again, as far as relationships, nothing with me ever was. “At one time I thought so,” I answered as honestly as I could. My breath fogged up the window; I wasn’t sure if what I was saying was a blatant stretch of the truth. “Now, I’m not so sure. Simon”—the name left my mouth with disdain—“seems to have his hooks in her pretty bad, as you can tell. She skipped her graduation just to see how he was doing. How’s that for a definition of us being officially together? It’s not like any relationship you’ve ever heard of, I’m sure.”
“Oh, right,” said Mrs. Minnelli, a hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed and a little bit confused. She straightened her posture and sat, rigid and stiff, with her legs crossed at the knees. “I’m so sorry, Dane. My husband and I raised Lynora better than that. We raised her to stick to her convictions and commitments, to have integrity, and we wish her actions reflected her upbringing. I’m sure she’ll come around, right, Carl?”
Carl made a sound in his throat, like a grunt. I saw him through the passenger mirror turn his body to the right, away from his wife. His body language spoke volumes. They seemed an odd pair. Mrs. Minnelli seemed prudish and circumspect, and Mr. Minnelli seemed brash and fiery. “I do appreciate you calling us, young man, and setting up this surprise for our baby girl. Although it didn’t turn out as you might have planned, it was a very honorable effort.” He reached across the divide between the seats and patted my shoulder.
“I appreciate that, sir. I’ll feel better when we find her.” I kept looking out the window to see if I could spot her.
“Hitchhiking, of all things! Silly girl. But she’s resourceful, that one. Did she ever tell you about the time when I was working at the shop trying to fix the transmission on this beater of a Buick?”
“No, sir.” I turned my head to the side to hear him better and appear attentive. “No, she didn’t.”
“Okay, well.” He chuckled. “I—”
“Carl, don’t tell that story again.” Lynn’s mother seemed irritated and antsy.
“I’m going to tell it, Liz, if Dane wants to hear it. You do want to hear the story, don’t you?”
I wondered how he would react if I said no. I had other things on my mind, like trying to find his daughter, and how could this story possibly help? “Yes, sir, I’m intrigued. Go ahead.”
“Good.” He shot a sideways glance at his wife. “So, as I was saying, I was fixing the tranny on this fireball-red Buick Skylark, a 1965, all original parts. It was cherry on the inside but worn on the outside, paint oxidation, some chipping, a few dents—you know, what you’d expect with an old car like that. It belonged to old lady Margret, and she had no idea what a treasure she had. Well, anyway, I was under the car by myself in the shop, and Lynn was supposed to stay put in the office, draw and play with her dolls, what she usually liked to do.”
Her mother sighed audibly and sort of rudely. I chuckled softly to myself.
There was another sideways look shot at Liz by Carl. “Basically, what had happened was my little girl saved my life. I was under the car, and the compression failed on the lift somehow, and I was pinned under the safety supports, but not in any pain. Well, Lynn being Lynn and not being where she was told to be, wandered her way into the shop after I had been lying there for at least twenty minutes, and she managed to stack some boxes from the corner to climb atop and flip the switch on the backup air container. Up went the lift, and I slid out from under there!”
“Oh, you weren’t in any danger. The only reason you got stuck is because your belly was so big. Between that cushion and safety supports, you could’ve been under there for day and you would’ve been fine.”
“You see what happens when you’ve been married for over two decades?”
“Yes, I’m starting to see the pattern.”
“Sir, we’re here,” said Sam.
I looked out the window and saw the hospital to my left. I hoped Lynn was there, because we’d somehow lost the pickup truck in traffic. If she wasn’t at the hospital, I’d be lost for where to look. As useful as I was with gathering information, I didn’t really know her friends that well, nor did I know where any of them lived now that they’d moved out the dorms.
We got out of the car, all three of us, after the driver opened the doors. Carl stepped out first and lent an impatient hand to his wife. She delicately gripped his meaty hand and stepped out of the car with an elegance and reserve that struck me as genuine, and I felt like Lynn’s parents couldn’t be more different.
As we reached the entrance, I heard a commotion to my right. A gut feeling made me follow the noise down the hall, the Minnellis in my wake. We saw two security guards with their hands around a woman’s arms, forcibly escorting her out the hospital. A familiar voice rang through the corridor, and the Minnellis and I shared looks of surprise. We knew before the woman came into view that the voice was none other but Lynn’s.
Lesson # 4
Sticks and stones…you know the rest
“Careful, dear. Your trailer park upbringing is starting to rear its ugly head.” -Caroline Foster
Lynn
Caroline stepped out of the elevator right in front of me, and I didn’t know whether I should run or stand my ground. Either way, my nerves were frazzled. I felt an instant hypersensitivity along the surface of my skin and my fine hairs stood up on end. What was it about this lady that made me want to cower and run away screaming?
What was it…exactly?
She jumped when she saw me, like I had startled her. Well, at least she was human, I thought wryly. She had fears just like the rest of us, and she could be caught off guard just like the rest of us. I’d keep that tiny bit of information in my pocket. I needed all the help I could get.
“Lynora.” Caroline said my name with disdain and looked my way with annoyance. I could tell she was on edge, but she tried to keep her composure, true to her controlling ways. She knew I’d seen her reaction to being confronted with my presence with the opening of the elevator doors, and she was irritated by that. I was slightly amused, some of my terror receding. However, once again, we were going to start off on the wrong damn foot, I could tell. “So, I see you’ve made it.”
“Well, after that phone call, how could I not?” I asked innocently. I knew she had been deliberately vague on the call, and I was sure she was trying to manipulate me. If nothing else, she had probably intended to ruin my graduation by causing me to worry incessantly about her son instead of enjoying my success. I had one-upped her, apparently. She’d never expected me to forgo my graduation and come straight to the hospital.
Her eyes were slightly puffy and red, like she hadn’t been sleeping, or crying all night—maybe both. “How’s Simon? Is he doing all right?” I tried to get around her, but she blocked the elevator, stepping in front of me. When I shifted to the right, she shifted again. She wouldn’t get out of my way. “I thought you wanted me here?” I stared her in the eyes, seeing her determination to keep me out. Shaking my head, I let out a short, angry laugh. She wouldn’t defeat me so easily. I walked toward the other two elevators and pressed the up buttons again.
“Correction: I didn’t want you to be here.” Caroline came up behind me. “Simon wanted you here, crazy as that is. He’s been unconscious since the night of the party—the only words he’s said since were Lynora…Lynora. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was implicating you in the only way he could. Do you happen to drive a truck?”
My first reaction to that was to swing at her, but I pulled my raised fist back before it could connect with her smarmy smile. “That’s a really fucked-up thing to say me, Caroline.” I smacked at the call button for the elevator again.
“Careful, dear. Your trailer park upbringing is starting to rear its ugly head.”
All I could do was stare at her while my anger boiled over. If I’d been a cartoon character, there would be steam pouring out of my ears. The rage was deep-seated and long-simmering. Caroline was wearing black yoga pants and a black top with yellow stripes down the sides, and black tennis shoes to match. Without her fancy clothes and incredibly high heels, she looked a bit less intimidating. She was just another catty bitch, similar to the power-hungry sorority girls on campus and just as childish.
Another elevator dinged and slid open, and I entered the empty box, but Caroline quickly followed. She laid her hand on the open-door button and pressed. “What are you doing?” I yelled at her.
She kept her palm there and leaned on it to keep the door open. “I don’t think I can let you go up there.”
“What do you mean ‘let me’? This is a free country, last I checked, and this hospital is a public place.”
“Yes, but ICU isn’t. Family members only. Now, maybe you got the nurse to tell you where Simon’s room is, but I’m assuming that involved a lie or two. So, all I have to do is go over there and let her know who is and isn’t family. Then I’m sure you can complain all you want to security as they push you out the door.”
“But Simon wanted me here and you said so yourself! Why don’t you just let me up? I’ll be quick. I just want to see how he’s doing.”
“Oh, now you care? I was under the impression you were with Dane now and Simon was with Katelyn, as everything should be. I’d rather you be with that bastard than my Simon. The last thing he needs at this point is some harlot hellbent on messing up his life. Ever since he merely mentioned you to me, everything in his life has gone haywire. No, this is for the best. Besides, the whole family was in his room: Katelyn, Selene, and Cornelius. There isn’t a Lynora in our family tree, and I couldn’t be happier because of it.”
“Are you two going up or coming out?” A tall, slim man in his mid to late forties walked up to the elevator doors. He wore a white lab coat, a stethoscope around his neck, and an irritated look on his face. “Well?” He had a clipboard in his hand, tapping it with the tips of fingers. “I do have patients to see…Mrs. Foster, isn’t it? One in particular is your son.”
“Oh.” Caroline flushed and released the open-door button. Straightened her clothes and brushed herself off, like removing some imaginary dust. “I’m sorry, Dr. McDonald. I, um…I was just having a discussion with—”
“A friend of the family. Hi, Dr. McDonald.” I reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Lynora Minnelli. I was just going up to see Simon. How is he doing?” I cut my eyes toward Caroline and had to muster enough strength to stop from sticking my tongue out at her.
“Nice to meet you, Lynora.” He shook my hand and smiled. The elevator doors closed. “As far as Simon is concerned…” He looked to Caroline as if to ask her permission.
She nodded while giving an exasperated sigh. “Go ahead. I wanted to know myself.” She leaned against the wall and folded her hands across her chest as if she was a spoiled child that hadn’t got her way. I smirked despite myself.
The doctor looked between us with suspicion. “So, as I’ve said to you before, Simon has suffered a minor brain injury. He did experience some mild swelling of the brain, but with steroids and anti-inflammatories, as expected, that has gone down significantly in the past couple of days. I think I can say with certainty he’s out of immediate danger. We’ll have to watch him closely a while longer, but his imaging, MRI scans, and CT scans—all of those look great today.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Caroline would’ve slumped to the floor if it weren’t for the elevator rail that held her up, and I felt the same sense of relief.
“Well, hold on now.” Dr. McDonald held up his hand. “We’re not out of the woods yet. There is the matter of him still being unconscious. Now, this is not uncommon, but I am a bit concerned. In cases like this you never know how the patient will recover. There could be loss of memory, issues with motor skills. We just won’t know until he regains consciousness. Until then, however, we’re giving him all we’ve got to keep him comfortable and stable. I still remain optimistic.”
This was the first time I’d heard of any of this, and my relief dissipated instantly as I realized the gravity of the situation and what Caroline hadn’t told me. I felt my stomach go queasy as the doctor began to explain just how extensive Simon’s injuries were. He spoke as if things could’ve been worse, but I still had a hard time keeping my feet underneath me. I just didn’t know what to say. My mouth hung open and my eyes began to water. Caroline nodded as Dr. McDonald chatted, knowing full well the extent of the danger Simon faced, and I quelled the urge to confront her for keeping me in the dark.
The elevator doors slid open. I offered Caroline my hand to steady her on her feet, and to my surprise, she took my help. She slowly walked out of the elevator, dusting off her clothes again. I walked out just behind her and caught what seemed to be appreciation in her eyes as she gave me a tiny smile. I realized suddenly that, as much as Caroline might hate me personally, Simon, her son, was in a bad fix.
She couldn’t be expected to be bothered with coddling my feelings and making sure I stayed aware of the latest information. Inwardly, I forgave her selfishness. At this point, it was more important that I see Simon than fight with Caroline.
The ICU was much different than I had expected, having never been in this unit of a hospital. It was smaller than the rest of the wards on the expansive hospital campus, from what I had seen walking the hall after leaving the elevators. The ICU somehow seemed more sterile, with white walls and an antiseptic smell.
The nurses flitting about the flow seemed more focused. The few doctors we saw making rounds appeared more determined. Everything and everyone seemed a lot more serious, quiet, and intense. It shot my anxiety through the roof. As we got closer to Simon’s room, room three-seventeen, my heart began to pound in my chest. My skin started to tingle again, and my breath went only as deep as my throat. If I hadn’t been mindful, I would’ve choked.
The doctor stopped on the outside of the door to Simon’s room. Caroline was set to go in. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Katelyn sitting in a chair next to Simon’s bed. With a curtain blocking my view of his face, I only saw from his waist to his feet. To the right of the bed was Cornelius in a white button-up shirt, standing with his hands in the pockets of his black pants. Near Katelyn sat Selene, mostly obscured from my view.
“I’ve already been in to see your son today, Mrs. Foster, so I have to make my rounds and check on my other patients before I return. Is there anything you’d like to ask me before I step away?”
She walked in through the doorway, and her eyes swept the room before she answered over her shoulder, “Yes, there is, actually. I know the hospital has rules about these sorts of th
ings, and I’d hate for you to be the victim of any upcoming lawsuits. That being said”—Caroline turned around to face me with an ominous smile on her face—“this woman here is not a friend of the family, nor is she a family member. I didn’t want to cause a fuss in the elevator, but now could you kindly call security and have her escorted from this floor? The sight of her is literally turning my stomach.”
Lesson # 5
It’s not what you want, it’s what you get that matters most
“He was there, like a knight in shining armor in blue jeans.” -Lynora Minnelli
Lynn
I kicked and I scratched. I planted my feet to the ground, but two guards picked me up and carried me out like a child. I was helpless to stop them, though I tried. I really did, but they were just so damn strong—it was embarrassing. The noise I was making brought several people out of the rooms, hospital staff and family members of other patients, who stood outside the doorways to see who was making a fuss.
I glared at two nurses shaking their heads. Some of the voyeurs quickly turned around and closed their doors, but a few onlookers even started to clap as I was forcibly ousted. “Get your God damned hands off of me!” My blustery cry was answered with a firm threat by one of the security guards that authorities would be called, and I’d face prosecution for disorderly conduct. I bit back another shout and calmed myself down.
As the guards pushed me forward, I peeked over my shoulder to see Caroline turn her back to me and walk into Simon’s room. “I didn’t even see. I didn’t even get to see him,” I whimpered despondently. And the missed opportunity was doing something awful to my insides. Such emotional pain overpowered me; it seemed physical. I crumpled beneath the weight.
Teacher's Pet - The Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 25