by M. C. Cerny
“I’ll call them in a few minutes. I don’t want Mom and Dad to fly out here for this, and Sam won’t answer his phone until he gets here. I don’t know when he found out so I don’t know when he’ll be here. My dad’s got high blood pressure. He doesn’t need to know all the details.”
“Katie, what happened? We were supposed to meet before the dinner. When you didn’t show, I got worried. You never answered my call or texts. Tully sent me a text later to say you guys were celebrating at some bar and had too much to drink. He said he was driving back, but it was already 10:30pm by then. Jeff was so pissed that I thought he was going to throw chairs in the dining room of the hotel.”
“I honestly don’t remember, Trevor. I sort of remember meeting Tully at the office and planning to go out briefly before the dinner, but then everything is just a fog. I’m not a big drinker and the award meant so much. I just don’t do irresponsible things like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeff fired me for this.” Katie slumped in the bed as the door opened and the doctor came in and pulled the curtains closed around her bed, even though she was already in a private room.
“Excuse us for a moment,” the doctor said to Trevor, dismissing the young man. He kissed Katie on the cheek before leaving. “I’m Doctor Colbert. Tell me how you’re feeling, Miss Wilson.” Doctor Colbert was a thin, older gentleman, his neat hair greying at the temples. He took out a penlight from his pocket and flashed it in her eyes, checking her pupils. He didn’t have the best bedside manner, but he was gentle, unlike the nurse who didn’t stop patting her arm like a naughty pet.
“My eyes are sensitive and my head hurts like crazy, but I don’t recall much of how that happened and my arm…god, it stings from the stitches.” As Katie described her other injuries, she swore she felt worse than when she woke up. Feeling glad to be alive wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“Yes, I imagine it would. You’ve got a lump on the back of your head the size of a small melon, along with stitches. I didn’t like the original sutures so I added another few in the back of your head, just to be sure. I don’t know who was on-call last night in the ER, but all should be good and closed up now. You came in last night right after another car accident, and pretty banged up.” Doctor Colbert took her pulse and listened to her heartbeat, his cold hands on her wrist making her shiver.
“Why don’t I remember very much?”
“That’s pretty common. You’re brain has experienced a significant trauma, for which you are being monitored. I don’t want it to swell more than it is and your concussion, though surprisingly minor at this point, is still extremely serious. I don’t want to risk you getting a secondary concussion. Do you remember the status exam I did with you earlier this morning?”
“No? Should I?” Katie didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“You don’t recall me asking your name and orientation questions?” Doctor Colbert picked up her chart, making notations.
“No, just about 20 missing hours, if today is really Saturday.”
“Hmm…well, it may or may not come back. Your brain didn’t experience a whole lot of swelling, which is very positive, so I’m less concerned now than I was twelve hours ago. You’re healthy and I give you a good prognosis, but you likely won’t recall all the details of what happened yesterday. You’re lucky to be alive, given where they found you.”
“Found me? Where was I to begin with?”
“Apparently, you may have been thrown from the vehicle you were in. This is one of those rare times when someone receives less injures from not wearing a seatbelt, as evident by your lack of chest bruising. However, I don’t recommend continuing the practice, Ms. Wilson. There is a law regarding seatbelts.” Katie couldn’t tell if Dr. Colbert was being paternal or just lecturing her after the fact, as if she wasn’t feeling bad enough about her own stupidity for drinking herself into oblivion.
“Oh, god,” Katie stated, staring down at her scratched hands laying in her lap.
Dr. Colbert finished his exam, prescribed a few mild painkillers as needed, and continued antibiotics until Katie could be discharged. He made notes on her chart to keep her for observation for at least two more days, but she had stopped listening to his lecturing tone. He reminded her to take it easy and said that he would give her a packet of information about dealing with concussions. That was really the last thing she wanted to read at the moment. Where was her phone, and why was there no TV in the room? She was saved by Trevor busting back through the curtains, much to the doctor’s disapproval, with her brother, Sam, following right behind. Yesterday was Friday; now it was late afternoon Saturday. It hurt her head trying to keep the days straight.
“Kit-Kat, what happened?” Sam rushed over to her.
Sam looked very similar to Katie with fine-boned features and dark brown hair. His eyes were a light blue grey, whereas Katie’s were deep blue. Sibling bonds were deep in this family and Sam embraced his sister tightly. Trevor felt out of place in this family dynamic, even though both siblings included him when Sam visits New York. His own family was not as accepting of Trevor’s lifestyle and his preferred partners. They had cruelly shut him out many years earlier and the reminder still stung as he watched brother and sister hold each other supportively. If only he could have felt a twinge of attraction for Katie and led a different, more acceptable life.
“I’ll go and let the crew know you’re okay, see if I can smooth things over with Jeff again,” Trevor murmured, making his way out the door.
Katie called him back. “Thank-you Trevor. For everything.” Although Katie never had feelings for Trevor, other than a deep plutonic relationship, she knew he would protect her as he always had. If he had ever been attracted to women, Katie would have been his type. It certainly would have thrilled his family, but it simply wasn’t meant to be. Trevor nodded at her and left the room.
Sam carefully sat down on the bed and asked her what had happened. She briefed him on what she could recall from the day prior, which pretty much stopped after 5pm. He tried to ask questions that might trigger her memory, but most of it was a blank. It was upsetting for him to see her feel incredibly frustrated over the gaps of time, and the physical pain it caused her, so he let the matter drop. Sam was worried and made a mental note to follow-up with Dr. Colbert when the doctor made his next rounds. He agreed with Katie that since she was physically going to be okay and was mostly just banged up, there was no need to worry their parents and have the two “country mice” try and navigate the big city. He also knew that his sister would feel even worse once their mother came blowing into town when Katie could barely even stand up. He also knew their parents wouldn’t let go of Katie simply not recalling what happened. She already felt that the accident was all her fault. Sam switched topics and asked about the Good Samaritan who had brought her to the hospital. He had seen the emergency department nurse’s report, but no other information could be found…no name, nothing. Sam had wanted to thank the man for taking care of his sister when he couldn’t. After sitting with Katie for most of the evening, he left to go to her apartment, promising to come back the next morning.
Katie spent the next 24 hours under observation, receiving a few more tests. A psychiatrist had come by to see her and left her card, Dr. Nancy Lane. She seemed nice, but Katie swore she would be okay. She just missed her friend, Tully. When Dr. Lane suggested she was suffering from survivor’s guilt, Katie felt the first stirrings of anger. She felt that real survivors at least remembered what happened, but she couldn’t even have that closure. She dismissed the doctor, whom she now felt was unhelpful, and called her parents, even though Sam and Trevor had spoken to them already. She assured them that she was fine, but missed her co-worker. Her mother was convinced that the city was not the place for Katie and urged her to come home. Her dad remained pensive and said little, which made her feel even worse. To their disappointment, she refused to move back to Missouri. She did promise to come home for a visit once the doctor cleared her for flying, though. Sam r
eassured them that he would stay in the city a few days and make sure his little sister was okay. The worst would be going back to work and seeing her co-workers. Trevor had managed to smooth things over with Jeff, but she still had to face her boss when she got back to the office, probably sometime next week.
Jeff visited and asked how she was feeling. He then informed her that, until further review, he was going to have to make some “desk adjustments”. Katie knew that one of the other competitive women in the office, a certain blonde named Lindsey, would take advantage and move up to the six o’clock spot indefinitely. Katie’s promotion was on hold, pending her work probation. She was mortified and distraught when everyone told her they were thankful that she was alive. Tully’s past drinking problems were no secret, but it was as if everyone looked at Katie with pity.
Jacob paced his apartment. Worry knotted his stomach and his right eye twitched in frustration. He walked back and forth, tapping his thigh. Eli had left him a message to call him. He wanted to discuss a new assignment. He knew that Eli was just trying to get him out of the city while Katie Wilson lay in a hospital bed. He had put off calling him for 24 hours, but Eli was bound to just show up at the apartment if he didn’t call. He considered dropping off the grid for a few weeks and heading up to the house that the family owned in upstate New York, but Eli was sure to check there if he couldn’t find him. Jacob was meticulous and never impulsive, but something about Katie Wilson changed him; maybe even changed the things he wanted in life.
SITTING ON HIS COUCH, THE afternoon shadows moving across the room, Jacob squared his shoulders. Hauk lay in the waning sun, his large head resting on his paws and watching his master. Jacob leaned forward and dialed a number that he never should have asked Nick to find. It rang three times in a private hospital room.
As soon as Katie was able to stand up on her own, albeit a bit shakily, she made her way to the bathroom. The effort was exhausting and she rested her forehead against the cool surface of the mirror. She looked haggard and like someone had beaten her up. Bruises covered many parts of her body and she hobbled around like an old woman. She had begun the arduous task of dressing herself when she heard the phone ring.
It took her a few seconds to reach the receiver by the bed and pick it up. The ringing seemed to clang in her head with annoying intensity. “Hello?” she answered. She could hear someone on the other end, but there was no response.
“Hello?” she repeated, but nothing. She shook her head and waited a moment longer before hanging up. “Weird,” she muttered to herself and felt a strange chill course through her body, but figured she was probably fighting off residual hospital germs.
Jacob heard Katie’s voice on the phone. She sounded breathless and confused, but very much alive. He waited for her to hang up and tapped his phone to his forehead. “Be safe, Katie,” he murmured. Hauk nudged him and Jacob reached down to the large head, scratching his ears. “She’ll be okay, boy; this will be our little secret.” Jacob got up and left the apartment via his private elevator, Hauk following.
Sam had come back up from the cafeteria to see his sister half-dressed, struggling to get black yoga pants and sneakers on. “Katie, what the hell are you doing?” Sam put his coffee down and rushed over to steady Katie’s wobbly legs, helping her sit back on the bed. He pulled her pants up, like a parent would a child.
“Gee, thanks, bro.” Embarrassed and exhausted, Katie sat on the side of the bed. “Nothing better than having your older sibling see you in your grandma underwear. Did you, like, purposely raid the bottom drawer of my dresser for the old stuff?”
“You’re lucky I even brought you real clothes, brat. I’ll repeat myself, at the risk of sounding like Mom and Dad. What the hell are you doing getting out of this bed, Kit-Kat?”
“Home, Sam. I just want to go home. It’s Sunday. I can’t stay another moment here. Please, just help me get to the apartment. I don’t care if it’s against doctor’s orders or not.” Katie held onto her brother and pleaded.
“I’m not supposed to let you get out of this bed. You have stitches in your head, and you made me lie to Mom. I lied to our mother for you! A few days of observation are what the doctor told me.” Sam rubbed Katie’s back, staying away from the largest of her bruises.
“I know and I’m sorry. I just want to go home and bury my head in the sand. I could hear Mom’s disappointment through the phone when the doctor explained that I was in an accident involving drinking. I felt like I was twelve all over again, getting caught for sneaking out to see a PG-13 movie.”
“Katie, you weren’t even driving. We don’t even know everything that happened, and we’re damn lucky you’re alive and weren’t injured more severely by being thrown from the car. I work in insurance accounting, for Christ’s sake. I see this kind of stuff every day.” Sam was pacing the room and speaking with his hands, which made Katie dizzy.
“I know. Stop yelling and stop moving.”
“Seriously, Kit-Kat?”
“At least stop waving your arms. My eyes don’t want to focus yet. It hurts my head.”
“Of course your head hurts. You have a damn concussion.” Sam was angrier with himself than her, and felt responsible for his younger sibling, even though he knew she was more than capable of caring for herself and making decisions.
“Nothing makes sense, Sam. I can’t remember things before we got into the car, except some weird bar and then an explosion.” Katie rubbed her temple, then winced in pain as she touched her bruised cheek and lump on the back of her head.
Frustrated, Sam ran a hand over his face. “Okay, I concede to your stubbornness. If you sit tight and promise me you won’t try getting up again, or launching some half-cocked escape plan, I will track down the doctor and get the paperwork to get you released. I’m going to call Trevor and see if he can sit with you while we wait.”
“No need, darlings. I’m already here.” Trevor walked into the room, handed Sam a bouquet of flowers, and gingerly hugged Katie. “Feeling a little less rattled, love?” Trevor sat on the bed and patted her hand.
Sam got up and said, “If you think my yelling hurt your head, just wait until Mom and Dad find out I sprung you early. You owe me, Kit-Kat.” Katie sarcastically saluted her brother, who rolled his eyes. Tiredly, she hung her head low, leaning into Trevor’s shoulder. Sam looked at him, mouthed the words thank-you, and walked out the door towards the nurse’s station.
“How’s everyone doing?” Katie mumbled into Trevor’s shoulder.
“I heard from Tully’s ex-wife this morning. They plan to have a funeral on Tuesday, I think…small, no viewing. A few of us from the old crew plan to go. It’s around 10am. I could pick you and Sam up.”
“Thanks, Trevor. We’ll be there. His ex-wife must be devastated.”
“Frankly, she said she wasn’t surprised about the drinking, but she was really sorry that Tully had you in the car. She’s always liked you. I guess the drinking was why they divorced, but still… Hang in there. We’ll get through this.” Trevor brushed a lock of hair behind Katie’s ear and patted her hand affectionately.
When Sam came back, he brought with him a nurse and another doctor who was making Dr. Colbert’s rounds that afternoon. They examined her, while he and Trevor waited in the hallway. Katie looked clearly worn out when they had finished, but Sam could see the stubborn glint in her eyes. He knew that if he didn’t get her home today, she was bound to call a cab and leave on her own anyway. The doctor was not happy that she was planning to leave early, but left directions and pharmacy prescriptions for Sam to take with them. When an orderly came in with a wheelchair, Katie was about to protest, but Sam shook his head and threatened to leave her there. Considering that she was getting what she wanted, she kept quiet. They started down the hall, heading toward the exit.
Turning the corner, Dr. Nancy Lane just missed them. She had left her card with Katie’s discharge paperwork at the nurse’s station, but had been hoping to see the young woman again, preferab
ly alone. Julian, who she knew from medical school, had asked her to check up on Katie as a favor. She had tried to get to her last night, but her friends and family were constantly hovering. While she was technically a staff resident of the hospital, she also didn’t want to push her luck by pushing Katie away. Unfortunately, something else had come up today and she was stuck attending another patient in the Psych ward. If she didn’t hear from Miss Wilson by the end of the week, she would have to call her to follow up. Dr. Lane cursed her misfortune in missing her meeting with the young woman twice now. She reached for her cellphone and texted Julian to let him know their little bird had flown the coop.
Sam drove Katie to her apartment in Brooklyn. He parked his car as close as he could, but they still had to park around the block. He took her duffle bag from the backseat. She insisted that the walk would do her some good. He helped her out of the car, and they made their way to her small brownstone. Having a copy of Katie’s apartment keys in his pocket, he opened the door, and helped her up to her second floor apartment. She was extremely tired and leaned against the wall, catching her breath. She had left her sunglasses on due to the afternoon glare, even though it was much later now. Katie wondered how hospitals saved so many lives when they operated at such a snail’s pace. She swore there must be something about hospitals that made you feel a thousand times worse than getting thrown from a car.
Since Sam had gotten there the day before, he had stayed at her apartment once visiting hours at the hospital were over. Her couch had a throw blanket tossed over it and a pillow he had snagged from her bed. The coffee pot was there from that morning, still half-full and cold. “Sorry for the mess. I was kind of hurried.”
“It’s okay, Sam. I’m so sorry to have inconvenienced you so you had to drive up from Baltimore in the middle of the night. Did you even sleep that night?” Katie took her sunglasses off and placed them on the table. Everything seemed different from before. Would everything seem that way? Katie felt fuzzy and here she thought she’d find peace in coming home.