Blackbird Flies

by Chynna T. Laird

  “Relax, okay?” the officer said, grabbing his shoulder. “I know you’re worried about your friend but we needed to figure out what happened. You’re the one who called Mr. Joplin so—”

  Payton had had enough. “What do you want to know? Did she kill herself? Huh? Are you asking me if she was crazy or if she hated herself so much that she wanted to just end it? I don’t know, okay? All I know is that I made a promise. A promise to be there for her, and right now that’s all I want to do. Please, can I just see her?”

  The officer put her hands on her hips. “Look, I’m going to be straight with you. She’s unconscious, and we aren’t sure how long she’s been that way. Her dad found her in her room just after you hung up with him and called 9-1-1. The EMT guys worked on her for twenty minutes until the girl’s doctor and sponsor got here. You can’t just barge in there, okay? They’re doing everything they can—”

  “This is total crap,” Payton said, pushing the officer’s hand off his shoulder.

  “Look, Payton I know you’re concerned, and I totally empathize, but you need to follow what we’re doing here in order to help her.”

  Payton just stared at her, and whispered, “You just don’t ‘get’ it’.”

  He turned to go in the bedroom, but the officer grabbed his forearm.

  “Let go of me!” Payton yelled.

  “Kid, I can’t let you go in there while they’re working on her,” she said, her grip tightening. “Just wait here. That’s how you can help her right now.”

  He wanted to punch the lovely Officer Phillips in the face. Instead, he allowed his body to relax somewhat so she’d let go of his arm.

  Payton heard gurgling, then a wet splat.

  Then coughing.

  Mr. Joplin’s face flushed, then he rushed over to Lily’s door. After he burst through her door, Payton followed, straining to see over her father’s head. He restrained himself from shoving everyone aside to be by Lily’s side.

  A doctor knelt beside a body, his back to the door. “Okay,” he said sharply. “Get that gurney here, and get her to the ER. I can’t give her anything since we don’t know everything she took. Put an IV in her hand. No good veins left in her arms. Keep the monitors on her. She’ll vomit again, I’m sure.”

  Payton couldn’t see everything at first. He stood there in the doorway, his arms at his sides and stared. His heart pounded. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. And when the doctor pushed himself up to standing, he finally saw her.

  Lily’s shirt was ripped open, shiny goo spread all over her chest with the same tiny suction cups squished into them that he’d seen on Dahlia. They had her hooked up to some sort of pulse or heart monitor machine. She had puke running down the side of her face, spilling into her gorgeous hair in white foamy piles. Her sleeves were rolled up revealing tiny red trails all over her arms…some scars…some fresh. She wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks, and there was dried blood between a few of her toes.

  How long had she being using…again?

  One of the EMT guys wiped Lily’s mouth, then shoved an oxygen mask over her nose and lips. But her eyes were open…sort of. Flecks of emerald shone out from between her half-closed eyelids. Officer Phillips pulled Payton and Mr. Joplin to the side so the ambulance attendants could maneuver the gurney through the narrow doorway.

  As they moved past Payton, Lily’s eyes opened wider. She moved the arm not attached to the machine, and weakly clutched the bottom of his shirt. She gripped more tightly than he thought possible considering her condition.

  “Please…” she said, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask. “Come…”

  Payton put his hand over hers, looking at the beefy attendant on the end of the gurney by her head.

  “Can I be with her?”

  “We only got room for one other person in the back, and her dad’s coming.”

  Payton looked down at her. “I’ll walk you up, okay?” he whispered. “I’m here.”

  He stayed where she could see him while the EMT guys maneuvered her up the basement stairs and out to the ambulance. Once there, he ran around the gurney, and held her hand.

  “I can’t go with you, but we’ll follow okay?”

  She tried to speak, but reached out to him.

  Beefy EMT guy interrupted. “We gotta get her out of here now. Her BP is dropping and her heartbeat is all over the place.”

  Suddenly Lily squeezed Payton’s hand with such force, he winced. She gasped for air like a marathon runner after a 10K sprint, her breath fogging up her oxygen mask. Tears spilling down her face, mixing in with the puke no one cleaned up.

  “So…sorry…” she said, her voice raspy.

  She choked, and puked again. Beefy EMT yanked the mask off her face and shoved her onto her side. She heaved again, soiling the gurney mattress with overflow, spilling onto Payton’s pant legs and shoes.

  “Okay, that’s it,” the EMT driver said. “Get her up.”

  Lily still held onto Payton’s hand. “Don’t be mad,” she said, spitting out more white foam. “I’m free now. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Nothing hurts. Thank… you… Jimmie Dean…”

  Her grip on Payton’s hand loosened, she sighed deeply, then her eyes rolled back. The heart monitor screamed as one long, endless, line streamed across the screen.

  It…it was like she was asleep…yeah…just sleeping…

  Beefy EMT shoved Payton out of the way and pumped on Lily’s chest. The other EMT shoved an oxygen bag over her face and furiously squeezed the bag. The doctor came running out of the house. Payton dropped to his knees on the boulevard, covered his ears and rocked. Tears flooded his eyes as the memory he’d tried so hard to shove away bubbled to the surface and exploded out.

  The house had been silent. There were no booze bottles on the counter or anywhere. As usual, the house was spotless. His mother may have had problems, but she couldn’t stand a dirty house.

  He’d called to her. “Mom?”

  No men’s shoes had been by the front door. No extra cars in the driveway. No coffee brewing.

  It was too weird.

  “Mom?” he’d called again.

  Nothing.

  He’d gone up the stairs.

  No shower running.

  Then there was the smell.

  What was it?

  Puke?

  Pee?

  His mother’s bedroom door had been slightly open. His feet had frozen him at the top of the stairs. Somehow, deep in his gut, he’d already known.

  He’d forced himself to move closer to her door. The smell had been even worse.

  “Mom?” he whispered. “Stop messing around. It’s not funny.”

  Nothing.

  He’d put his hand up on the door, hovering there for seconds. Then he’d pushed the door open, the hinges creaking with each inch, just like in some stupid cheesy movie. The smell had been overwhelming. He’d chocked back a gag then shoved the door completely open.

  Mom had been lying on her bed. Her beautiful olive skin was ashen, her pillow covered in puke, and she’d soiled herself.

  The scream had come out of his mouth like molten lava out of a volcano. Intense and sudden. He’d pulled her off her bed to the floor.

  He threw his head down on her chest to find a heartbeat.

  Nothing.

  He’d tried finding a pulse on her neck, her wrist, her armpit…anywhere.

  Nothing.

  “Mom!” he’d screamed. “Wake up!”

  He’d run to her phone and made two phone calls. To 9-1-1, and then his grandparents. Then he straddled his mother’s torso, pounding on her chest.

  “Don’t…you…leave…me…alone,” he said with gritted teeth, each word emphasizing every punch. “Not after everything that’s happened! Not now!”

  When the EMTs had gotten there, it took both burly guys to peel him from his mother’s body.

  She’d been dead for almost 12 hours. And he wasn’t there…

  He wasn’t there…

&nbs
p; Then, there, back on the boulevard, in the cool summer evening, those same feelings flooded him. He watched three people trying desperately trying to breathe life back into Lily. Mr. Joplin cried somewhere to his right. After fifteen long minutes, they gave up.

  Just like that.

  Then the doctor said, “Time of death…6:23 p.m.”

  My Miss Lily…oh no…

  Payton pushed himself up, his glasses fogged over. He walked over to the gurney. Lily’s face was gray. Her lips already tinged blue. Her raven hair was barely visible beneath the chunky white splotches. Her usually gorgeous emerald eyes, so full of life, clouded over, stained red from intoxication and the strain of vomiting. She’d soiled her two-hundred dollar jeans. She smelled like a nauseating mixture of puke, pee and other bodily excrements, but for some reason, he just didn’t care.

  He waited for the EMTs to clear away, then he walked toward the gurney. He weaved his arm up, around and through the wires, suction cups and other monitoring equipment. He laid his head on her chest, clutching his crazy-talented friend, and cried. He sobbed so violently his body shook.

  His mother had had two flat-liner heart attacks before the last one had gotten her. He’d been there each time, and managed to save her. That last time, he’d been so angry with her. He’d told her he’d had it…that he hated her.

  What kind of son says things like that?

  All Lily ever wanted was his friendship. His companionship. His understanding. She wanted a reason to keep going, and he thought the music was enough.

  It wasn’t.

  And it hadn’t been for his mom either.

  I loved you too, Lily.

  For ten minutes, the adults around him allowed Payton to release his emotions. When he was finally able to stop, and was breathing normally again, he laid Lily back onto the gurney pillow, closed her eyes and mouth, then wiped her face with his shirt.

  “You should have come to me,” he whispered in her ear. “I would have ‘got’ it. You had no idea how awesome you really were. You had the power to change this James Dean wannabe.”

  He sputtered a forced laugh, then fell somber again. “You made a difference to a lot of people. And I’m going to make sure that’s what’s remembered. They’ll remember you for your talent, Lily. Not for this.”

  He brushed her hair from her face, then he pressed his lips on her forehead. “Goodbye. Say hi to our moms.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly, someone clearing his throat startled him, and he turned around.

  It was Liam. He had tears in his eyes. “Katie just called. Dahlia’s awake. We have to go.”

  One soul is taken, and another one saved.

  Life sucks.

  Payton nodded. He stood up, cleaned his glasses off on a clean area of his shirt and wiped his eyes.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  When they got back into the truck, Liam said, “Dahlia’s first words after opening her eyes were, ‘Payton…music’. You are making a difference. In life, and in death.”

  “I don’t know about that but…thank you.” His brain flooded with memories and one idea to try making that difference. “Dad, I…I have a favor to ask.”

  His father paused, then said, “I think I have an idea of what you want to do. And this time, I’m going with you. I have friends who will help.”

  Payton smiled.

  * * *

  Half an hour later, Payton, his dad and the two patrol cars all pulled up in front of the hotel that Lily hung out at. His heart raced with anger, resentment and…revenge.

  But he wasn’t going to go down that way. He owed it to Lily to handle things calmly.

  And he owed it to his mom.

  Liam parked the truck across the street from the police cars, then said, “Are you ready to do this? It’s not going to be a happy scene.”

  “I’ve been here before, and know already,” Payton responded, staring at the hotel. “And nothing is uglier than what I just went through.”

  “Let’s get this done, then. Other lives can be saved in spite of what’s happened.”

  As Liam opened his door, Payton grabbed his arm, and said, “Thank you. Just…for everything.”

  “No. Thank you.”

  They got out of the truck, following the officers into the building, and Payton led them all to the head-honchos’ pad.

  The police pounded on the door. “Eddie Rodrigues. This is the police. Open the door, or we’ll come in.”

  Payton heard a lot of yelling, and shuffling, then said, “Okay, this guy not only deals drugs but also keeps young girls high in order to make sure they do what he wants them to do. I am not telling you how to do your job, but after what happened earlier, I highly suggest not giving him the choice.”

  Officer Phillips nodded at him, head-motioned her team to the door, then she kicked the door open.

  Impressive.

  When the door opened, his jaw fell slack. There were at least ten teenaged girls, laying on different pieces of furniture, a couple on the bed and a few on the floor. They were obviously higher than six highs, and there were three older men, probably his dad’s age, in the room. He didn’t even want to think about why they were there.

  “Hey!” Eddie screamed. “I know my rights. You can’t just bust in here and—“

  “You have no rights with what you’re doing,” Payton yelled back. “Getting teenaged girls hooked on drugs? Getting them to…you are a waste of human flesh.”

  Eddie smirked. “Maybe so but your little girlfriend liked it all. And I made a lot of money off that sweet little thing.”

  Payton lost it, lunging at the man, but his father pulled him back, saying, “Don’t give him the satisfaction, Pay. Men like him aren’t men. Men like you are men.”

  The officers called for back-up to clean the girls from the room, arrested all three older ‘customers’ as well as Eddie.

  On his way past Payton, the man said, “I hope you enjoy your little Lily. I’ll find her again. She always comes back.”

  Payton stood taller. “She never will. She’s dead. And you killed her. I’m just making sure none of these other girls have the same fate. Happy jail time, you piece of scum.”

  Eddie’s face ashened. He seemingly knew what he’d done and what he was in for.

  Good.

  As he was taken away, his father put his arm around Payton’s shaking shoulders. “I hope you realize what a tremendously good thing you’ve just done here. And how brave it was to do it. I am very proud of you. Now, let’s go see your sister.”

  Payton wasn’t sure how he did what he did, but he knew why.

  For you, mom and Lily.

  * * *

  A couple of weeks later, the big concert went on as planned. In light of Lily’s death, the Dean was going to cancel it, but Payton insisted that she’d have wanted it to go on. Despite anything, Lily worked her butt off with the choirs and the show still had to go on.

  The Dean agreed.

  The auditorium was packed to standing-room only. Payton was nervous to be the MC, and hated talking in front of people, but it was something he had to do.

  For his Miss Lily.

  He walked out onto the stage, and the room shushed. With the spotlight shining in his eyes, he was only able to see the first few rows, with his dad, Katie, Dahlia, River, his grandparents and Lily’s dad sitting right up front.

  Dahlia had been allowed to leave the hospital after a few more days of observation and brain tests and scans. They had to partially shave her head both for the scans and the other things they had to do to her, but she didn’t even seem to care. In fact, she decided to shave off all of her hair with the logic that if it was going to grow back, it may as well all grow back all at the same time.

  Payton was blown away by her strength. He gave her a fancy purple silk scarf to wear on her head until her hair grew back.

  He cleared his throat. “Uh, hi and welcome to our annual fundraiser concert. You’re in for a fun evening of music and si
nging with the most talented musicians- and artists-to-be out there.”

  He paused, clearing his throat again. “Tonight’s concert has special meaning for us. As some of you know, we lost someone a few weeks ago. A very beautiful and talented singer named Lily Joplin. She had bipolar disorder. That isn’t what killed her. Misunderstanding did. So, that’s what we’re hoping to change with our music tonight.”

  He chewed the inside of his lip. Liam gave him a ‘thumbs-up,’ Dahlia smiled. He nodded and went on. “You may have noticed the posters we put up about a foundation ticket sales will be supporting. It’s called ‘Blackbird’ and I started it up, with the cooperation of Lily’s dad, to create a place for teens suffering with bipolar and other mental or emotional disorders, as well as those who feel…‘lost’ and need guidance. Kids should never feel ashamed that they need help, you know? They should always have a place they can go to, or their families can go to, for answers, support or just to hang out. This place not only offers those things but also a great music therapy program that I’ll be fronting. So, while you’re enjoying the show tonight, remember where a part of your money is going. And from all of us…thanks.”

  The show was phenomenal. There was everything from Mozart to Chopin, Beethoven to The Beatles and everything in between. The choir sang parts from Mozart’s Requiem, a surprise from Lily to Payton and he, in turn, performed his surprise for her.

  It was the show’s Grand Finale. The stage was cleared and Payton brought out two bar stools, and an acoustic guitar. As he sat down he said, “Yeah…um…when Lily and I planned out this gig neither of us wanted to do it…in the beginning. So we made a deal. Each of us got to set up our own ‘solo gig’ to surprise the other. Hers, as you saw, was the Requiem. And this is mine for her. Dad?”

  Liam came out onto the stage with his own acoustic guitar, and sat beside Payton.

  “This is my dad. A few weeks ago, he told me that he got to jam with John Lennon when he wasn’t much older than me. If you want the details, you’ll have to buy his book.” Laughter rumbled through the audience. “But this is the song they played together.”