Not An Accident

by Tampa Tyson

  “Gabby, you don’t even need to talk.”

  “But Mom…”

  “If you want to know what has happened, Dr. Angie will tell you after Sage leaves,” Mom said, “in the meantime, keep a cool head and don’t ask questions. Okay?”

  I tried to resist, which made Mom squeeze my hand. Hard. The only way to release it was for me to reluctantly say Okay. “Good,” Mom said, “I’ve got to go. Dr. Angie will have Kayla and Nicholas bringing you home after he examines you.”

  I didn’t say anything as Mom began to leave the room. She stopped by the door and turned around. “Keep a cool head, okay? It’ll help you feel better.”

  I nodded.

  “And also, if Stephen comes to you- tell him I’ll be back to get you.”

  “I wanna sit up.”

  Mom groaned, but she came over to my bedside anyway and helped me sit up, propping pillows to keep me upright. Then she left the room, leaving the door open a crack.

  Desperate to watch her leave (There was a window in the corner of the room), I tried to stand up, but my legs were about as steady as burnt sticks. I collapsed back onto my bed, and my injured arm crashed into a nearby bedpost “Olof.” I moaned as I cradled my arm.

  “Is she okay?” I heard Sage’s voice through the door.

  “She’s fine, Sage.” I heard Dr. Angie’s voice

  “Are you sure? Cause that pain doesn't seem normal.”

  Now that Sage mentioned it, something did feel off. The pain in my arm wasn't disappearing as quickly as normal- and some discomfort was sticking around like a house guest overstaying its welcome.

  “Trust me, Sage,” Dr. Angie said, “she’s fine. Do you want to see her?”

  No! I almost screamed, but I quickly bit my lip. Sage entered the room. She stared me down, I gritted my teeth- she touched my arm and my head- and even though they were burning and throbbing like crazy, I stood completely still. She even went so far as to encourage me to stand up- and even though I felt dizzy as I was doing, I managed to maintain my balance long enough for Sage to think that I was alright.

  Satisfied with her so called examination, Sage told Dr. Angie what she believed was wrong with me- according to her, I’d developed a sickness that only results in those who stay inside too long. Then she left the room and Dr. Angie came in.

  He didn’t say anything. I didn’t expect him to. But the expression on his face- it scared me. I gritted my teeth. Just outside the room, Sage tried to get her brother to go home with her, but she was stopped by none other than Nicholas, who told her that she’d been deemed ineligible for emancipated minor status and would be sent into the foster care system.

  "But what about Robert?"

  “The judge has already decided a foster parent for him,” Nicholas said, “he’s also determined that it would be best if you two weren’t together.”

  Sage was quiet for a moment. “Is this because he murdered his parents?”

  The party went quiet for much longer than a moment. With there being no clock in my room, it felt like forever before Nicholas finally spoke. “No, Sage.”

  “Then what is this about?”

  “Sage Smith, your dislike of technology has kept this town from gaining a foothold on any world maps. Nobody wants to live here, and the federal government has difficulty recognizing it as an official city. Unless we can find some way to grow our visitor population and give more people the desire to move here, Minnesota Falls may cease to exist.”

  “Isn’t this place being a break from technology enough?”

  "Maybe for some visitors," Nicholas said, “but it won't be enough for residents. They will need their computers and technology to do their business."

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “We need staff. For the skating rink.” I heard Robert’s footsteps as he approached Officer Nicholas. Nicholas wrapped his arms around him. Although Robert didn’t smile, he did seem to relish Nicholas’ attention. It made sense, as he’d never gotten attention before.

  “If it pleases you to know, Sage,” Nicholas continued, “I have known about Robert’s behavior for quite a long while now- a couple of weeks perhaps,” when had he heard? “ever since he spilled the beans to Gabby, I have been trying to figure out why a sweet child like him would do such a thing- and now I know the reason,” I saw a sparkle in his eyes when he looked at me, “anger.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Anger. It may have been righteous anger if his parents had taught him how to use it properly but because his parents didn’t teach him, his anger sent him down the wrong route,” Nicholas said, “as it stands, he needs help managing it. The judge has decided that Catherine Myers will be the will be the best therapist for him.”

  I gasped. This didn’t seem possible. My Mom, Robert’s therapist? Would this have ever had happened had I not got myself hurt? Would Robert’s future have never changed for the better had I not been so unlucky to have gotten myself injured? “Is this why she’s been spending so much time in Wisconsin lately?”

  Dr. Angie shrugged. Honestly, why was I even asking him? For all I knew, he had no idea, he might not have been with her at the time. “The judge has also determined that it’d be better, for Robert’s sake, if we removed as many remembrances of his old life as possible.”

  I heard Robert's whimper. "And to make this change easier on Robert," Nicholas said, “the judge has decided to keep him in Minnesota falls while we ship you off."

  “Where will I be going?” Sage asked.

  “That’s up to the judge, but I expect it’d be somewhere that can’t be easily accessed by public transit. You should know though, you’ll also be heavily supervised, you won’t be able to go out without a chaperone supervising you, and you must stay with them at all times.”

  I heard Robert enter my room. He came in, sat on my bed, and looked at me- his eyes watering with tears. I wanted to tell him this wasn’t his fault- I wondered if Sage had done that- told him everything was his fault. How long had she had this habit of blaming other people for her own actions? Longer than me. “Gabby, I need to tell you something.”

  “This is not a good time, Robert,” Dr. Angie said, “please go outside. I will get to you when I am done with Gabby.”

  Robert growled a bit and then he stomped out of the room. "See?" Sage said, "this is what I gotta deal with. He needs me!"

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” Nicholas snapped handcuffs on Sage’s wrist and then he sent Robert back in, shutting the door behind him.

  Robert looked over at me and I could see the tears well up in his eyes. “Robert,” I said, he ran over to my side, climbed on my bed, and leaned into my shoulder. Dr. Angie couldn’t get him to move. “It’s okay, Dr. Angie,” I said, “he’s innocent.”

  At my words, Robert sat up. There was a light glistening of tears in his eyes, but he hadn’t started crying yet- and I hoped he wouldn’t get a chance. Dr. Angie stepped forward. “Dr. Angie,” I said, “I need you to tell me what happened.”

  “Gabby...”

  “I’ve got to know, Dr. Angie,” I said, “I can’t bear to wait any longer,” I looked over at Robert, “and I’m sure Robert would feel better if he wasn’t left in the dark, right Robert?”

  Robert shrugged. “Alright,” Dr. Angie said, sliding a rocking chair closer to my bed, “just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Murmuring softly under his breath, Robert climbed onto my bed. He knelt on his knees and then curled his legs beneath him, fidgeting as Dr. Angie took a seat in the rocking chair. “The thing is, Gabby,” Dr. Angie said, “I wasn’t there.”

  If he wasn't there, he couldn't have done it. On with Sage. Well, with the poison at least- sure she had it in her closet- but she hadn't been around at the time. "May I ask — where were you?"

  “I was at the courthouse— As of today,” Dr. Angie said, “your father has been working on an extremely important case- a case that can determine the status of Minnesota Falls.”

 
“Excuse me?’

  “Ever since you’ve been injured, the worker’s union has been trying to make the judge condemn the construction site. Your father’s been doing everything he can to stop it but given the more recent events, I am worried the judge will rule in favor of the union.”

  There’s only one way to fix this, I thought, I’ve got to get up. And I’ve got to get out of here. I tried to sit up again, but I was pushed back down. “And if the worker’s union succeeds- if the site gets condemned- nobody will ever live here again.”

  The thought of losing Minnesota Falls- the only place in Minnesota with a good ski hill- made me gasp. I tried to get up again, but Dr. Angie pushed me back. The door opened, and Hannah and Kayla stepped in. “Let me go,” I begged.

  “Sorry, Gabby,” Hannah said, “doctor’s orders.”

  “What’s so wrong with me you can’t even let me get up?” I asked.

  Hannah stepped up to my bed and placed her hand on my left wrist. The pain that resulted was from the interaction was so strong- strong enough to make me gasp and wince. When Hannah released her hand, the pain did not disappear as quickly as it had before the snowball fight. And holding it made me wince again.

  “Before you ask, we should tell you- we don’t really know what happened. All we know is that when Kayla came, she said she saw a dark black figure—

  “I saw him too.” Robert interrupted.

  We both looked at Robert. He blushed. “Not just today,” he continued, “but the day of the accident.”

  “But you said you didn’t see anything!” Kayla said.

  "I know I said that," Robert said, "but that's cause when I told my sister what I saw, she told me I was crazy that and if anybody heard what I'd seen, they throw me into some mental place and shut down the site for good."

  “You’re not crazy!” Sage was just trying to help the place.

  “I know that. That's why Kayla telling me she saw some black figure allowed me to break free. Whatever the case, I do think we know that whoever hit you with the snowball and made your arm bleed injured your wrist too…”

  “And I think I know who,” given Stephen, Sage, and Dr. Angie were more concerned about my safety, and I didn’t see any reasons for Kayla and Robert to be liars, there was only one possibility, “Hannah.”

  Hannah laughed at me. It wasn’t an evil laugh or a nervous laugh, just a hysterical one. When she finally calmed down, she asked me if I was kidding. I gave her a look, a look probably as sharp as Sage’s. It made her react, that was for sure.

  She backed up, banging her backside into the door. Stunned only a moment, she quickly recovered, scratching her back to make sure she hadn’t injured anything too serious. Then she stepped up to my bedside. “Oh, Gabby,” she laughed, “you really think I, your most loyal and devoted ski coach, would be so dumb as to ruin my career by hurting you?”

  Really? I didn’t believe her. “You said Kayla, my most loyal and devoted friend, might have hurt me on purpose.”

  “Hey!” Kayla said.

  “Sorry, Kayla,” I said, “it’s just that.... well, Hannah got rid of me.”

  “That’s not really enough....”

  “Do you want me to put you on the suspect list?”

  Kayla quickly became silent, shaking her head back and forth, moving her hands and mouthing with her lips. “The way I see it, Kayla, Sage, Stephen, and Dr. Angie apparently just want me to be safe.”

  Kayla didn’t say anything. “So, Unless Hannah is right, and you’ve been behind this the whole time, it’s probably her fault.”

  Kayla suddenly gasped for air, nearly choking on it. It was almost like being voiceless had damaged her vocal cords, as when she finally spoke, she spoke with a hint of annoyance. “Why would you say that, Hannah?”

  “Say what?” Hannah pretended not to remember.

  “Say that I was behind this? Gabby is my friend. My best friend.”

  “Mm... hmm...”

  “Hannah, please, this isn’t funny. I was only trying to help....” Kayla looked at me, “really, I was trying to help you.”

  I wanted to believe Kayla, I really did. But I wasn’t sure who to believe anymore, everybody kept having different opinions. Even worse, I couldn’t simply blame my accident on simply whoever was around me. “Excuse me, Kayla,” I said, “I kinda want to be alone.”

  “But Gabby...”

  “Kayla, I really appreciate you for trying to help me, but I need to be alone for a while. I need to rest.”

  “But Gabby...”

  “Please. Let me sleep.”

  Kayla and Hannah both looked at me. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the pillow on the bed. “Leave,” I said.

  They didn’t leave. “Leave,” I repeated myself. They still didn’t leave. It wasn’t until the third time I spoke, that I heard them turn outside and walk out the door. I could hear Kayla crying outside, but I once again didn’t have the energy to get up.

  “Kayla. Kayla. Please. Calm down.” Hannah was trying to soothe Kayla, but she was having no luck. Kayla was just shouting at her to get away, kept saying that Hannah was trying to ruin our friendship, that she had been trying to do it all along, why else would she have gotten rid of me?

  Part of me wanted to get up, but the part of me that pillow case wanted to collapse into bed and stare out the windows or sleep was winning. I had almost zero energy. Even sitting up was some sort of a struggle. Probably just because of the concussion, I thought miserably, wishing it wasn't as bad. "Gabby?"

  “What’d you want?” I mumbled into my pillowcase.

  “I need to talk to you. Both of you. Sit down, Kayla.”

  Kayla sat down on my other side, rubbing my head. If I could have gotten up and walked out of there, I probably would have. Instead, I lay very still, almost staring at the pillowcase in front of me. “I need to tell you why I got rid of you, Gabby.”

  I still didn’t move. I didn’t have the energy. I just lay there and listened. Quietly. As Hannah continued to speak. “I was a scaredy-cat.”

  Her words stunned me, enough so that I could move and roll myself back onto my bed. Talking was somehow becoming a bit difficult though. “I don’t... understand.”

  "Gabby, this wasn't about the money. The board of directors simply called me, telling me somebody had filed a complaint against my ski lodge with the health department. They wanted me to get rid of the sickest player on my team and threatened that if I didn't comply, they'd shut down my lodge. For good."

  “Is that why you brought the skating rink?”

  “Yes, Gabby,” Hannah turned to Kayla, “it’s also why I visited you in prison, Kayla.”

  “Wait? What?” I tried to sit up, which sent the whole world into a spinning frenzy that made all my muscles become like jell. I had to lie back down and let my head settle a while before I could continue speaking, “you visited Kayla? In prison?”

  "Yes. Gabby," Hannah said, "Stephen came with me. We both ordered some of Kayla's hot chocolate, made under heavy supervision."

  I looked over Kayla and smiled at her. She blushed. “Anyway, “Hannah continued, “Stephen wanted to bring his hot chocolate home, so I dropped him off back at his house, and then I went straight back to the lodge, where the next lucky person got a taste of Kayla’s hot chocolate. Like I said though, it doesn’t quite beat having you two there, you two were always the best of friends.’

  “That reminds me, Gabby,” Kayla said, “I should probably take you home now.”

  “Nicholas will be home soon,” Hannah said, “he’ll take you both to Gabby’s house, and as soon as Gabby’s Mom comes, Kayla will return home.”

  For a moment, Kayla looked a bit upset. But then she shrugged and said maybe it was a better idea if I was a bit extra safe until I got better. I was pretty sure she still wanted me to solve the mystery though.

  Maybe that was why she’d wanted to take me home, on her own.

  Chapter 22

  When Nicholas returned to pick up
me and Kayla, Dr. Angie advised him to carry me into his cruiser. Apparently the less I moved, the faster I’d get well. But it wasn’t like I could even move though. In fact, when Kayla tried to help me stand up, I collapsed and fell back onto the bed. “Is that normal?”

  Without saying a word, Dr. Angie helped me up again, but this time, unlike Kayla, who had simply let me go after she stood me up, he held onto me, supporting me while we both walked down the stairs, me clutching onto him until we reached the bottom step. There as he handed me over to Kayla, I began to lose my balance- and Nicholas, who had entered, was quick to stabilize me. “Don’t worry,” he said as he picked me up in his arms, “I’ll get you two home safe and sound.”

  “Thank you, Nicholas, “Kayla said.

  “You’re welcome.” Nicholas walked me out of the front of the house and Kayla followed behind. As soon as we got to his cruiser, Kayla jumped in and Nicholas lay me on the back seat, my head resting on Kayla’s lap. Kayla quickly cradled my body while Nicholas hopped in the front seat, and then the police cruiser was on its way...

  “We’re almost there. Just a little further.”

  For a moment, I closed my eyes. Then, feeling myself being lifted and out of the car, I opened them. Kayla and Nicholas were busy.... helping me out of the car. As Kayla tried to help me stand up, my legs gave way. Kayla quickly caught me.

  We tried again, but it didn't seem to be working- I wasn't able to move. "Maybe I should..."

  “No.” Kayla held up her hand like a stop sign. When Nicholas backed away, she helped me out a third time, but this time, she held on tightly to me, as Dr. Angie had done earlier. “There you go, one step at a time.”

  We got into the house and Kayla helped me upstairs. Soon, she had me tucked into bed, the covers all comfy and cozy, the medicine Stephen had given me doing its work. Tired from the meager effort it took to get home, I closed my eyes.... only to open them when Nicholas entered the room.

  “You sure you two are alright, right?”

  “Yes,” Kayla said, “we’re fine.”

  “Good.” Nicholas stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, holding it out to Kayla. Kayla peeled it from his fingers. “Call me if there are any problems, and don’t hesitate to leave if you smell something or see something bad.”