Not An Accident

by Tampa Tyson

“Well, it’s true,” I said, “Kayla was put on house arrest for a week due to the drinks in her house and she broke it- And Sage was arrested because she didn’t send Robert to foster care when their parents died.

  “No!” Hannah countered, “Stephen’s the crazy kid. He can’t put restraining orders between you two, he just can’t.”

  “I know! He shouldn’t be able to,” I commented, “he shouldn’t be allowed to do anything of that sort... I mean, my Dad’s supposed to run the court, not Stephen...”

  “So, your parents don’t want the restraining order.”

  “Of course not,” I replied, “well, my Mom kinda does, but she really doesn’t have any influence on the court- unless she’s going through Stephen. And my Dad doesn’t want it.”

  “I see.”

  “Look, whatever the case, I won’t be able to hang with Robert...”

  “Actually- you can.”

  “No, I can’t.”

  “Do you know how restraining orders work?”

  “Of course, I do,” I said, “the restraining order makes you call the police if the person you ain’t supposed to contact shows up on your front door.”

  “Restraining orders don’t make you call the police, Gabby,” Hannah said, “they don’t do it for you either. You must take the brunt- you must call first. So, if you and Robert still want to hang out, there’s nothing stopping you.”

  "I appreciate your kindness, Hannah,” I said, “but given Robert has a bit of a temper, I’d much rather talk to him under Stephen's supervision.”

  “Where’s this whole thing about safety coming from?”

  “I don’t know.” Did it really matter?

  “You've never been so concerned about safety before. When you came to my lodge, you took the big hill without really thinking- and you ended up excelling.”

  “I regret it.”

  “You took a big risk and you got a big reward, Gabby. You gotta learn from it. You can’t just hide in a bubble your whole life.”

  “Maybe I can.”

  “Yeah, fine, maybe you can,” Hannah said, “but then you won’t get to see the hockey rink that’s being formed or find out who tried to hurt you.”

  “I’m due for my cast replacement soon,” I said, “next Saturday.”

  “Did you want me to throw you the party that night?” Hannah asked.

  I thought about it. “Nah,” Given Hannah had told me that I didn't have to listen to the restraining order if I didn't want to, I’d made up my mind. I was going to see Robert. And if complications resulted from me seeing him, I didn’t want anybody to cancel the party. But I wasn’t about to tell Hannah it was just about safety, “that’s a bit too soon.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Hanna said, “I’ll throw you the party in two weeks, and I expect both you and Stephen to be there. Now, can I talk to your Mom?”

  Mom came into the room. As I handed her the phone, I barely heard Hannah whispering She'll be in big trouble if she doesn't let you have the party before Mom picked it up and after a few coarse words, hung it back. "Seriously, Gabby? After all, I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?”

  For once, I thought, as I headed upstairs, I was grateful for Hannah’s stubbornness.

  Chapter 14

  The following Monday, during computer lab class at school, I asked my aid (It was the same one who’d been constantly watching me- they hadn’t found anybody new) to check the weather forecast for me.

  She did as I asked, but then the teacher caught wind of our actions and sent us both out in the hallway with firm instructions not to talk or she’d put us both in detention. The thought of being bored out of my mind was enough to keep me quiet, enough to make me raise my finger to my lips every time my aid dared to even open her mouth.

  The teacher finally released us as the bell rang, but as computer class was the last class of the day, my aid barely had time to scribble down an overall weather report on a note card before she had to leave. I tried my best to bury the notecard, so Mom wouldn't find it, but Mom found it when she took out the planner.

  Thankfully, Mom only thought that I'd been trying to determine when Dad would have to pick me up versus when I could ride the bus. However, I was still concerned. The notes my aid had given me showed a 4-day snowstorm forecast. I hoped that either my aid had simply messed up or the forecaster had gotten the dates wrong.

  Unfortunately, the forecaster turned out to be right. From Monday to Friday, it snowed continually. The snow wasn’t quite heavy enough for school to be called off, but it did keep me from waiting outside with the other kids. Dad had to both drop me off and pick me up under one of the more shielded entrances and I stayed inside while the other kids enjoyed recess.

  It wasn’t until after school on Friday when the snow finally stopped. That was when I got to go outside, well, only for a short time, while I was waiting for the bus. And when I got back home, to our home bus stop, Mom was waiting to walk me back home.

  I spent most of the afternoon thinking about how I would go about seeing Robert, how I could keep myself from being spotted. Then, that evening, as Mom and Dad got themselves ready for bed, I prepared to sneak out.

  Once I was sure that Mom and Dad were both fast asleep, I headed outside. By staying in the areas of the road that the street lights couldn't touch, I kept myself out of sight while staying out of harm’s way. As soon as I arrived at the construction site, I headed to Robert’s trailer and pushed open the door. There, I saw Robert- busy playing online games on the construction site’s computer. As soon as he turned his head and saw me, he turned off the operating system and backed his chair away.

  “You came, Gabby,” he said, “I didn’t think you would, given the restraining order.”

  I rested my hand on his shoulder. “Somebody told me that a restraining order can only be carried out if somebody calls the police while we’re together,” He didn’t flinch, “so, what was it that you wanted to show me?” I asked.

  Robert grabbed my hand and led me to the back of the construction trailer, where he kept a bunch of coats. He put one of the coats on himself, saying he was trying to hide from somebody and then gave me the other- an adult-sized trench coat.

  The coat fit perfectly, right over my casted arm. Robert plopped a plaid cap on top of my head, grabbed my hand and led me outside. “Come. This way,” he nearly pulled me past all the construction framework- he kept trying to hurry me up, “we don’t have much time, Gabby. There’s gonna be a big storm later.”

  I thought Robert was joking. The forecaster had never said anything about a snowstorm, at least not directly to me. It wasn’t like I’d watch the news, though. The one time I did it scared me- so much that I resolved to have others tell me what was happening. “It’s gonna be massive,” Robert said, “really big. Really dangerous.”

  “I’ll still be able to get to my appointment, won’t I?”

  “The snow plows always clear roads to the hospital first,” Robert replied. “Well- Here we are.”

  In front of us lay the same glistening lake I’d seen back at my own house. I stepped forward. “Careful,” Robert grabbed my hand and backed me away from the ice, “you don’t want to fall, do you?” Robert asked.

  “No.” I looked around, for some place to sit beside the snow-covered ground. Then I spotted it. A handcrafted stone bench- covered with an awning propped up by two stone supports. I quickly sat on the bench.

  “Careful,” Robert ran to my side and picked something up, “there’s hot chocolate underneath you.”

  “I didn’t see it.” I hadn’t been paying attention.

  “I didn’t either,” Robert said, “come to think of it, I have no idea how that cup got there. I definitely didn’t put it there- I don’t make good hot chocolate.”

  “You’ll get better at it, Robert.”

  “With the cocoa beans my supervisors use for me, I highly doubt it,” Robert said. “This one smells good, but given I don’t eat dairy or wheat, I can’t ris
k trying it.”

  “Did your sister put you on that diet?” I asked.

  “No,” Robert said, “I did.” He held out the hot chocolate to me, daring me to try it. At first, I planned to resist, but then the cold grew stronger, nipping at me with greater force and I changed my mind. I took the cup and took a sip. Nothing mattered anymore, not even solving this mystery. “Tastes like Kayla’s,” I said, almost without thinking.

  “She’s in prison, ain’t she?” Robert asked

  “Yeah...”

  “Come on. Let’s get you home.” Robert grabbed my hand and led me home. To keep from waking my parents up, he led me through the secret passageway and upstairs to my room. Then he said goodbye.

  But I didn’t hear him leave.

  Chapter 15

  “Gabby! Gabby! Wake up!”

  Feeling Mom’s hands shaking my neck, I quickly opened my eyes and tilted back my head to find I’d nearly fallen asleep in my cereal. “What time is it?” I muttered, “have I gotten my cast replaced?”

  “No, Gabby,” Mom said, “it’s still Saturday morning.”

  I scratched my head. “You’ve fallen asleep again. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, “I guess the sedative Dad gave me last night hasn’t quite worn off last night, huh?”

  Mom looked at me for one more moment and then took the bowl away from me and got me dressed into a coat. She called for Dad, asking him not to forget me, and then, saying she had an appointment, left the house. I didn’t know what kinda appointment she had, but I was too tired to care- I nearly fell back asleep.

  This time it was Dad who woke me up- by trying to help me stand. It didn’t work. My legs were so limp, I simply fell forward- and the sound of wooden chairs colliding with tables woke me up. “Did I give you too much sedative last night, Gabby?”

  “I don’t recall you giving me anything last night, Dad,” I said, yawning.

  “Right,” Dad said, “Well, we better get you to the hospital right away.”

  Yep, I thought. The sooner we got to the hospital, the sooner I’d get my fiberglass cast, and the sooner I got my fiberglass cast, the sooner I’d be back home- and the sooner I got back home- the sooner I could get used to my life with a fiberglass cast.

  Dad quickly buckled me into the back seat of the door, slammed the door closed, and jumped into the front seat. He sped the car as fast as he could. I kept trying to fall asleep, but the car ride was too jerky for me to get any more than a few moments of sleep.

  And when I got to the hospital, I noticed something even more strange. Dad had driven us near the Emergency entrance. He quickly parked, got me out of the car, and called the closest person available for a wheelchair. They brought one over, and Dad put me in it

  “Just relax, Gabby,” he said as we approached the emergency entrance, “Everything’s going to be alright...”

  I had no idea what Dad was freaking out about. He’d never been this way before. And as we entered the Emergency entrance, he only got more anxious. He kept tapping his foot, looking for somebody- and as soon as he spotted her, he ran over. “Oh, Nurse Amy,” he said. “You gotta help us...”

  “Oh, Good! You’re finally here. We can get started.”

  “But Amy – Wait...”

  Too late. Amy had already disappeared through some dark metallic doors- and Dad had no choice but to follow her if he wanted to talk to her. She seemed to be floating through the hospital corridors as Dad wheeled me after her- and we finally ended up in a hospital room where the only source of light lay above the table. I couldn’t move- all I could do was lay limply in Amy's arms as she transferred me to the table. “Where’s Dr. Angie?” I said.

  “He’ll be here shortly,” Amy disinfected a spot on my left shoulder, “but first—”

  “Amy!” Dr. Angie opened the hospital doors and ran into the room, “what did I tell you- the first day on the job?”

  I watched as Amy turned around, the needle pointing towards me as she backed up- towards me. “Always obey doctors’ orders?”

  “No!” Dr. Angie voice sounded closer and closer, “always- always— always double check.” He was on top of Amy now, I could see the needle was so close. One more step- and the needle would poke me in a plate Amy hadn’t yet disinfected- just above my casted arm.

  Dr. Angie took that step. The needle poked. I had only enough energy to wince in pain. “I’ve had enough of this, Amy,” Dr. Angie said, taking over, and wiping the spot the needle had hit with antiseptics, “I’m reassigning you to technical duties.”

  “But Dr. Angie.”

  “I can’t let you risk any more patients’ lives, Amy,” Dr. Angie kept repeatedly cleaning and wiping the cut. “we’ve got to take this cast off, Johnathan. Get me the saw.”

  Dad handed Dr. Angie a rotating saw and he sawed off my cast. The stench made me retch- and even though I spent the car ride having little energy, I moved- and a pile of bile ended up on the floor. “I’m sorry, Dr. Angie,” I said, shakily.

  “No matter,” Dr. Angie repositioned me on my side, “let’s get that arm of yours cleaned up, shall we?”

  I nodded, hoping it’d make me feel better- and Dr. Angie dipped my arm into a solution of water and antibacterial soap. But it didn’t help- I didn’t feel any better. In fact, I felt worse. I kept throwing up- bile kept landing on the floor. Then, as the world started to spin- I heard what sounded like sirens- wringing over the intercom.

  Chapter 16

  “Amy!” Dr. Angie's voice sounded forceful. Forceful enough to make my eyes ring. Plugging them shut didn’t seem to help matters, it just made the ringing worse. The only thing that seemed to provide any relief was zoning out- but I couldn’t stay zoned out for more than a few seconds before I felt like I was being physically lifted. Then I would open my eyes.

  The first two times I opened my eyes, my suspicions were correct. Dr. Angie had indeed been moving me- first onto a hospital stretcher and then into a hospital bed. But after that point, my eyes only opened when I felt as if I was going to retch again.

  “Amy, what did you give Gabby?” Dr. Angie had lowered his voice, it wasn’t so forceful anymore, but it still made my ears ring.

  “Nothing.”

  "Nothing?" I could feel Dr. Angie covering my body in stickers. The EKG next to me kept beeping, sometimes every minute, sometimes every 10 seconds, and once it even let out a high-pitched wail- a wail that caused Dr. Angie to cover my face with a breathing mask. The mask, while making it easier for me to breathe, also made me sleepier.

  I closed my eyes. “Alright, I admit it,” Amy said, “I gave Gabby fluids and a bit of pain reliever- I didn’t know how she’d react to the pain.”

  “Nurse Amy- test that bile- and you... Johnathan- go get her mother.”

  “But...”

  “Just do it, Johnathan.” Dr. Angie pressed the breathing mask deeper into my face and told me to relax. For the next little while- well I had no idea exactly long it was- I kept zoning in and out. Most of the time, I heard nothing but the steady beat of my vitals- but once I heard Dad saying that Mom couldn’t leave work- and then I heard Amy.

  She came running into the room, much to Dr. Angie’s disgust. “It’s poison,” she shouted, panting, “Rat poison!”

  “You didn’t even test it!”

  “Didn’t need to,” Amy’s panting gave way to a giggle, “I spilled some and it killed a rat somebody was studying.”

  "Great..." it sounded like Dr. Angie was trying to hold back his laughter... I would have been laughing too if I hadn't felt so sick.... "well poor scientist, clumsy you.... but lucky Gabby." He turned around and looked at me, "Now all we've got to do is give you the antidote... loads of vitamin K. Then you can go home."

  So that was it? Just a little bit of vitamin K and I'd go back home. Well, I wasn’t sure I wanted that.... wanted to go back home. “No.”

  “What did you say?”

  "I said no," I said.

&
nbsp; “You don’t want to get better.”

  No, I don’t. Not if it meant going back home, being confined to a bed. "I don't want to go about."

  “Gabby, you can’t stay here,” Dr. Angie said.

  "I know." Laying down in bed, I allowed my eyes to close.

  Then I heard the hospital doors opening and my Dad walked in. "What's going on?" he said, "did you give her that antidote yet?"

  “We’re trying, Mr. Myers,” Dr. Angie said, “but we’ve hit a snag. She doesn’t want to take anything.”

  "Hmph, just like I thought." Dad crossed his arms, "all you idiots trying to make my girl safer just made things worse for her," he stepped up to me, "give me the antidote."

  He didn’t give Amy any chance to resist- he just snatched it out of her hands. He opened the bottle, grabbed one of the pills- and tried to stick in my mouth. Starting to bawl, I swiped the pill.... and the bottle.... out of his hands.

  “You better stop resisting, Gabby,” Dad ignored my tears, “just because you think life’s not worth living doesn’t mean you’re right.”

  Not caring if life was worth living or not, I kept crying. I kept trying to swipe the bottle away, bawling and screaming. Then, through my tears, I saw Dr. Angie approach the hospital bed. "Excuse me... Mr. Myers...."

  “Don’t tell me I’m making this worse, Dr. Angie,” Dad replied, “you guys, with all your extensive focus on safety, damaged my daughter’s emotional health.”

  "Actually...."

  "I don't want to listen to excuses," Dad said, "I want to hear solutions."

  Dr. Angie gave Dad a look, a look I understood as What are you talking about? "Isolating a person because of Ebola is understandable.... but completely isolating a person just because they have cancer is a bit extreme..."

  "You do realize cancer patients’ immune systems are compromised."

  "Of course, I know that.... but then why do people bring in therapy dogs. For all we know, those dogs could be harboring germs from the human owners."

  “We do everything we can to ensure that won’t happen.”