by Tara Brown
She nodded completely obvious that this news made her uneasy, “Oh good.”
I snorted shaking my head, “Did you poison us Alise? You’re being weird.”
She shook her head violently.
Our dad looked at her suspiciously, “Alise I agree you’re acting very oddly, this is the moment to confess if you know anything about this.”
She started to cry, “I never did this to you Aimee I would never hurt you. I can’t believe you two would think this of me.”
I was taken aback, she barely cried when our mom had died and here she was sobbing.
Our dad grabbed her by the arms not moved by her display; he looked deeply into her eyes and then nodded. He pulled her into him and stroked her head. I looked around wondering if anyone saw this circus I called family.
“You just don’t take things seriously Alise, you do things so recklessly.” our dad soothed her as she cried into his shoulder. Honestly it wasn’t a stretch for me to believe that my sister had drugged me thinking it would be funny.
I had never seen my sister this vulnerable though, being caressed and hugged by our dad. Suddenly our dads armpit where Alise snuggle whispered, “I kissed Blake.”
My stomach lurched forward threatening to escape my mouth. I felt a small crack in my heart as I processed the words. My sister had tainted the one guy who I had always sort of thought of as mine. Even if he wasn’t my boyfriend he was mine, my best friend, my rock in all of the extra crappy things that seemed to seek me out.
I screamed, ‘MINE.’
Still hiding in our dads armpit she cried harder, “I was drunk and I never thought about what I was doing until it was too late. I’m so sorry.”
Suddenly she had let go of our dad and was kneeling at my bedside.
Alise’s guilty behavior suddenly made sense and Blake not being at my bedside also made sense. I felt sick for myself and Shane who was no doubt heartbroken my sister had hurt him that way.
I felt my natural instinct kick in and pushed the feelings down like swallowing acid until I was fine. I nodded, “Well you have everything else Alise, every boy in school is in love with you or her” I pointed at the sleeping Giselle, “So I guess why not take the one boy I had too.”
Our dad sighed disappointment as he hung his head, “Alise I will leave you to apologize to your sister properly. Aimee I love you kiddo and I’m really glad you’re going to be coming home tomorrow. We will bring you something tonight to eat.” He kissed my forehead and left the room.
My sister’s eyes shimmered with the tears as she grabbed my hand desperately, “I am sorry Aimee. I have never been this sorry in my whole life. It just happened and it will never happen again. I didn’t know he had been in love with me all these years.” The words came spilling out before she could damn up her mouth.
I watched the regret as Alise said the words that cut me so deeply.
I pulled my hand away from my sister and nodded, “It’s not your fault. You can’t even help yourself. You ooze sex and punishment, which is something boys seem to want. I don’t care but I’m glad I know.”
Alise nodded along like a stupid puppet with my words not even comprehending them but then the weirdest thing happened, something I never expected.
Alise snapped and lost it, “I am so jealous of you little sister. You’re so smart, you’re still a virgin, and you are funny in a way only smart people get.”
“Witty.” I interrupted.
Alise nodded as a few more tears rolled down her cheek, “When this day is over I will lie and say none of this ever happened but I need you to understand that one day when you fall in love it will be the most amazing thing that ever happened to two people. You have your wall up and one day when someone manages to get over the top they will love you forever. You are the kind of girl that every MAN dreams of and I am the kind of girl that every boy dreams of, this is my time to shine and its going to be nothing compared to yours when you shine.”
It was the kindest and most loving thing my sister had ever said to me. I should have responded back lovingly and we could have had a moment but I was still too angry. I couldn’t help myself, I was so furious and defeated, “You have Shane, how could you do this to him Alise?”
Alise frowned, “I only dated him because it seemed like the right move, like we should be together. I honestly don’t think he even likes me. He doesn’t even kiss me. It's been like nine months and nothing, I get it though his parents have a lot going on but come one nine months and nothing.”
I blocked out her ramblings. I felt tears escape my eyes, I was trying so hard to rein them in but they were rebelling and streaming down my cheeks.
“I love you Aimee and when I find out who did this to you I will make them pay forever.” Her stare became malicious and sinister as she looked off for a split second.
As suddenly as it all started it was over and Alise stood up and left my room, waving goodbye to me. I understood her less it seemed than I had thought I did and oddly enough felt better from the weird moment. Alise truly did have a magic about her, being angry with my sister was near impossible.
I didn’t know what to do about Blake, I felt betrayed but for some reason it felt like I knew this would happen.
I looked at Giselle who suddenly smiled, “ok that was weird.” She whispered.
I laughed feeling about the same, it was as if a truck had hit me and I was left with all the pieces sitting on the floor, “I’m sorry. My family has been a little freak show lately. I really didn’t see that coming though.”
Giselle nodded smiling, “Yeah dude your sister has never cried in front of me except at your mom’s funeral which I will say was not as many tears I would have thought she would have shed. That was awkward, so you like that Blake kid?”
I nodded my head slowly, “Yeah I did and she knew I did, I thought I did. It just seemed like the way things would go, a natural progression I guess. We make sense to be together. We are both smart and easy going but passionate about things we believe in. I’m a vegetarian and he doesn’t eat red meat. Sort of like her and Shane I guess.”
She laughed, “That is the dumbest thing I have heard a smart person say. You can’t build love and a relationship on facts and statistics and similarities. I think it’s safe to say you’ve never been in love Aimee. But your sister is right you will have an amazing love when you find it. You’ve held out for so long when it happens it’s going to rock your world.” I laughed more at Giselle than with her. Alise and Giselle treated me like a spinster because I had yet to fall in love at eighteen. They acted like it was thirty.
I shook my head, “I think I will probably end up the lonely old Miss Havisham with cats and craziness.”
She frowned, “I don’t know this Havisham lady but I doubt you will be lonely.”
The doctor came into our room smiling but his eyes looked off, “Girls do you want your assessments alone or together?”
I looked at Giselle and shrugged, “I’m good together, we are in the same boat.”
Giselle agreed, “Yeah go ahead.”
He swallowed hard, “Not really the same boat unfortunately but if you want your parents here let me know now, you're both eighteen so they don’t have to be here unless you want them here.”
I shook my head and Giselle looked down shaking hers knowing her parents wouldn’t come anyway.
He cleared his throat and smiled weakly, I got scared.
“So Aimee your liver appears to be on the mend I wouldn’t recommend drinking again for a long long time. You may not ever be able to tolerate fatty foods and drugs and alcohol ever again. But we are seeing a reduction in ALP levels and your symptoms are diminishing rapidly. We have every reason to believe you will make a full recovery over the next few months, very limited exercise and a lot of sleep.”
I nodded, “okay I’m a veggie anyway and I never do drugs or drink so basically live my life the way I do anyway and avoid parties. Yeah I’m good with that.” I nodded feeling the
clean bill of health just around the corner.
He smiled at me, “Yes that’s excellent that you’re already used to this because there is some permanent damage to your livers bile ducts at this point but you seem to be having some regeneration.”
He cleared his throat again and shook his head staring down at the floor, “Giselle your body seems to have had something we almost never see. You’re going to be transported to the main Children’s in Portland. You seem to have had an allergy to the drugs you were given. This is not something we see often. Your liver is reacting like it has cirrhosis of the liver, liver disease. We have found your ALP levels are very high and your direct bilirubin is normal so we think it's a cirrhosis type of reaction. Your symptoms are not decreasing at all. I am so sorry. Do you have any questions?”
Giselle looked at him and then at me and shook her head, “No, no this isn’t right. Your tests are wrong. I feel great.” Tears sprang from her eyes and then mine.
“Giselle we are heli transporting you within the hour to Children’s because we want those tests to be wrong. I have left messages at your home but no one has returned the calls. Are your parents away? We haven’t been able to reach anyone for you. Your friends handed in your medical information from your purse when they checked you in but no one is answering the numbers we have on record.” He spoke softly, the news was so bleak it was bothering the heartless doctor.
I looked at Giselle and ignored him, “This is good news because they already know what’s wrong with you and how to treat it and you’re going to the best hospital. They will find answers and if it kills me I will find your mom okay?”
She nodded but I could see she was shut off trapped in the doctor’s first sentence.
I looked at the doctor, I needed my cell phone and for him to go away, “I will talk to her.”
He agreed with a head nod and walked from the room.
I sprang from my bed like a sloth and started my emergency texting as soon as my cell phone hit my fingers. I messaged my sister.
“Dude get G’s dad here 911” clearly not understanding she texted me back.
“???”
“No time 2 talk get her dad he’s sleeping @ work. Tell him 2 bring the visa bill with the resort name on it his wife is staying @”
“??OK??”
“U HAVE 10 MIN 2 B Here”
“KK”
I sent Blake a message as well.
“U :* my sis??”
He messaged me back instantly undoubtedly having already talked to my sister.
“
I looked back at Giselle who was sitting up staring blankly at the bed. I turned my phone back on and ignored the messages I was receiving from Blake. I googled Liver Disease, not that I needed to I could have told her everything she needed to know but sometimes reading makes people feel better, it did me anyway. I read for about half an hour looking for a bright side. I didn’t find one.
From the article it looked like we had drug induced Cholestasis, which was likely to last a month or so in a worst-case scenario. In Giselle’s case an allergic reaction triggered the worst worst-case scenario, which looked like an acute case of hepatitis.
I looked at her and smiled, “This is going to be treatable at the hospital. In the city they have resources we don’t.”
Giselle smiled, “I’m glad you’re going to be okay Aimee, this was never about you.”
She seemed to be coming to terms very quickly with her situation, which saddened me. Giselle should be screaming and having a fit but she seemed to be used to disappointment, not something I would have imagined for her.
I saw Giselles’ dad rushing for our room in his rumpled suit with my sister hot on his heels. He ran for the room, “Oh my god Giselle, oh my god. Baby are you okay?”
He knelt at her bedside crying. It disgusted me to see him like this. She was comforting him; Giselle had the most selfish parents I had ever seen.
I got up from my bed and left them alone as the doctor came in, he looked very angry with Giselle’s dad. Evidently leaving your eighteen year old to cope with liver disease alone was not cool even to doctors with no bedside manner.
I dragged my IV machine squeaking the whole way to where my sister stood holding the piece of paper I had asked for.
“He gave it to you?” I asked looking at the visa bill.
She smiled, “Yeah I told him about Giselle being sick and the hospital trying to reach him. He had apparently been drunk in Handley for three days and before that in Portland on business. He went home a few times but never checked the messages. He just thought she was out with friends.”
I shook my head taking the visa statement, “What an idiot.”
I looked at the charge on the visa, “Grand PLDM White Sds Rst, $3200.00” I punched the code into Google with the word Mexico in front, “Grand Palladium White Sands Resort in the Mayan Riviera. There is a number here.” I clicked on the number for phoning from Oregon so my phone would dial instantly.
“How did you know about her mom?” my sister eyed her suspiciously. I shook my head as I responded to the person answering the phone. I spoke in Spanish perfectly while my sister made faces at me.
My sister rolled her eyes and mouthed the words ‘Show-off’
The lady on the other line spoke quickly and I smiled, “Gracias.”
I hung up the phone as my sister crossed her arms, “What did you say?”
I wanted to tell her that if she had actually paid an ounce of attention in Spanish class she might actually realize what I had said but I resisted, as there were others things weighing heavily on my mind.
“I told her that I needed Pillar to come home that her daughter was being taken to children’s and was very sick. That’s what’s happening.” I looked into the room to see Giselle’s dad talking with the doctor and nodding his head with a blank stare. He understood what he was being told but didn’t comprehend what it meant.
Giselle looked off out the window, it troubled me to see her like this, my new friend who I had known my whole life.
The stretcher came for her while we were in the hallway; the helicopter had arrived to transport her. Giselle’s dad kissed her hand and ran from the hospital.
I walked back into the room as they were strapping her in for the ride, “I’ll get my dad to let me come see you next week when you’re settled in. Text me when you get there ok.”
She nodded, “See you soon then. My dad is going to drive to the hospital now, so he should arrive a few hours after me.”
I hugged her and felt her hands grip onto me intensely, “Be strong ok.” I whispered in Giselle’s ear.
Giselle nodded and the doctors took her away. My sister waved to her from the hall as they passed by and blew her a kiss. Giselle blew her a kiss back but looked for me to wave once more.
One more night in the hospital and I could go home but this night would be completely alone. Not an exciting notion.
“So what exactly is going on Aims? What’s wrong with Giselle?” my sister stood beside me now watching where Giselle had left.
“The drug that we took was poorly made to say the least and almost killed us but apparently in rare cases an allergic reaction can occur causing an inflammation...”
Alise held me hands up cutting her off, “Whoa dumb it down.”
I shook my head, “She has the beginning stages of liver disease which can lead to liver failure which in some people can lead to death or permanent damage.”
My sister opened her mouth in understanding, “Ohhhh, okay. So why didn’t it do it to you?”
I shook my head, “Her reaction was an allergic reaction. We both reacted to the drug badly because it was poor quality but she is actually allergic to what is in the drugs.”
“You got lucky.” Alise plainly wasn’t getting the fact that no matter what I never would have had the reaction Giselle did as I clearl
y wasn’t allergic to the drugs we took so I nodded, “yeah and Giselle got unlucky.”
Sometimes talking to Alise cheered me up like watching a chimp in heels walk around in lipstick.
“Will you be okay?” Alise looked concerned, these were new expressions for my sister so she still looked lost on how to make them perfect and instead she looked a little constipated.
I smiled, “Yeah in a month or so the damage to my liver should be healed but just in case I can’t drink or eat red meat or fatty foods or do drugs.”
She laughed, “So just go back to boring old you?”
I nodded, “yeah, sleep, math club and chess club and homework. All that clean living you refuse to attempt.”