by John Kess
My anger pushed me harder the next day as the morning mist covered the forest with a gray fog. That night the tree branches swayed violently from storms forming around me. It was as if the forest was warning me, but I didn’t care. I needed to find Hannah. I wanted Molly back. Dad’s GPS guided me back to my tent, and again I struggled to fall asleep as the storm raged.
The phone woke me early the next morning. The storm was gone. It had been nine days since I’d last seen Molly.
“Dylan.” It was Dad. “Pack your stuff quickly and meet me at a highway about two miles west of your location as soon as possible. Leave the phone on so I can track you from the computer in my squad car.”
“What happened?”
“It’s about Molly. I’ll tell you when I pick you up. You need to hurry!” He hung up.
I packed like a mad fool, taking down my tent and stuffing everything into my pack as fast as I could. I jogged with my backpack up and down hills, using the GPS to make sure I was heading west. It took me forty minutes to find the highway. Dad was waiting for me in his police cruiser and helped me stuff my backpack into the trunk.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Get in,” he said.
He turned the patrol car around and sped off toward home. “We know Tony found out he was being watched. His bosses told him to abandon his operation, so he torched his house and fled, taking Molly and her mom with him. Boston PD tried to pull him over last night and he made a run for it. He hit a concrete barrier at high speed. Molly and her mom were in the car.”
“Oh, no.”
“Molly is in the ICU at Children’s Hospital.”
“Oh, God. How bad is it?”
“She has head trauma. I don’t know anything else about her condition. Your cousin Shawn is at our house and will take you to her. You’ll stay with him at his apartment in Boston tonight.” He looked at me. “There’s something else you should know. Molly’s mom died at the scene and Tony didn’t make it through the night.”
I looked out the window as the forest sped by. If they both had died from the crash, I couldn’t imagine how bad Molly was hurt. I didn’t want to imagine it. The thought hit me that maybe Dad was rushing because she might not make it. The invisible band around my head felt like it was crushing my skull.
* * *
Shawn and my mom were waiting in our driveway when we pulled in. Mom hugged me and said, “I’ve called ahead to the hospital. They don’t usually let anyone in the ICU except immediate family. I’ve asked them to make an exception for you. They’re reviewing Molly’s case at a meeting this afternoon and they’ll let you know what they decide. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
Dad gave me some cash and told me to go.
It took two and a half hours to get to the hospital. Shawn and I said little as he drove. We arrived at noon, went up to ICU, and found the receptionist.
“We’re here to see Molly Beckstrand,” Shawn said.
“Is she okay?” I asked anxiously.
The receptionist told us we’d have to talk to the doctor and to have a seat.
A few minutes later a nurse approached us, and I explained we were waiting to see Molly.
“Are you a family member?” the nurse asked.
“No, I’m her friend,” I said.
“I’m really only supposed to talk to family about her. I can tell you she’s in critical condition and we’re doing everything we can to help her.”
“Can I see her?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, only immediate family can go into the ICU.”
“We were told,” Shawn said quickly before I could reply, “there would be a meeting to see if Dylan could see her.”
“So you’re Dylan,” she said, looking at me. “Yes, we’ve been expecting you. That meeting is scheduled in about an hour. I’ll let you know what they decide.”
“Her dad died two years ago,” I said, “and her mom just died in the crash. Molly doesn’t have any immediate family anymore. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”
“I’ll pass your message along. In the meantime, please wait here,” she said as she turned to leave.
* * *
Two hours later, a doctor holding a clipboard approached Shawn and me. “Are you Dylan Beachley?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“I’m Dr. Foster. I’m Molly’s doctor.”
“How is she?”
“Due to the trauma she’s experienced, we’ve put her in an induced coma. We just got the results of her CT scan, which shows some very minor swelling around her brain that we’re going to keep an eye on. I have some questions I hope you can help me with.” She asked me several questions about Molly’s family history and if she was taking any medication. I answered as best I could.
“What happens now?” I asked when she finished.
“If all goes well, we’ll take her off the anesthesia tomorrow morning. Sometimes patients wake up right away, and sometimes it takes awhile. She’ll be heavily sedated, so she won’t be awake for very long.”
“I want to make sure I’m here when she wakes up,” I said.
“What time should we be here?” Shawn asked.
“Come back at 10:00 a.m.,” Dr. Foster said.
“Any reason to believe Molly may not wake up at all?” Shawn asked the question I couldn’t.
“With minor swelling it’s rare. Closed head injuries are different for each person,” Dr. Foster said.
“May I see her?” I asked.
“The board has decided you can, but only Dylan,” she said, looking at Shawn.
“That’s fine,” Shawn said.
The same nurse I’d talked to earlier approached. “I can take you to see Molly now.”
Dr. Foster nodded and excused herself.
I had never been in an ICU, and as we entered the room my mouth dropped open. Molly was lying unconscious on a bed surrounded by medical equipment. A tube taped over her mouth ran to a respirator hissing in slow rhythm, and a heartbeat monitor chirped away. Plastic tubes ran from multiple IV bags full of clear liquids to her hands and arms. A large bandage covered her forehead, and I could see small cuts on her cheek.
I stood at the foot of her bed as my throat swelled and tears flowed down my face. Molly was always so full of energy. Seeing her like this felt wrong in every way. The only sign of life was the rise and fall of her chest. Even that seemed mechanical, as it followed the hissing of the respirator.
This was the girl who helped me search for Hannah, taught me how to swim, and made me feel alive again after all that had happened since Hannah was taken. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to know she would recover. I remembered Shawn’s question about Molly not waking up at all, and then I shoved the thought out of my head. In the same way I knew I would find Hannah, I knew Molly would recover. I refused to believe anything else.
* * *
Shawn dropped me off at the hospital the next morning. I waited outside the room as three nurses attended to Molly. When they finished, I was allowed in where I found Molly was still asleep.
“You have to wait outside now,” a nurse said, “but I promise I’ll come and get you when she wakes up.”
I sat in the waiting room all day. Shawn stopped by later, and we ate supper in the hospital cafeteria. He sat in the waiting room with me for an hour, then told me to call him if I wanted a ride. He left and I continued to wait. Molly was still unconscious.
A different nurse took over the night shift in the ICU, and she told me Molly was still resting. “Don’t worry. This is normal,” she said. “My coworkers tell me you’ve been waiting all day. How do you know Molly?”
“I’m her best friend,” I said.
The nurse smiled. “Molly’s lucky to have such a good friend. I’ll let you know when she’s awake.”
I fell asleep in the waiting room. I woke when the same nurse said my name. It was 1:14 a.m.
“Come on,” she said. “Molly is awake.”
I walk
ed into the ICU and moved to the side of Molly’s bed. She looked dazed. The respirator tube was still taped over her mouth and prevented her from speaking. She closed her eyes again and I wondered if she’d gone back to sleep, but then she opened them and looked at me.
“Molly,” I said.
She looked around the room and then back at me.
“I’m right here,” I said, gently putting my hand around hers.
I forced a smile. Her hand was limp in mine. Her eyelids slowly shut. She forced them open, looked at me for a few seconds, then her eyes closed. After a few more tries, she couldn’t keep them open anymore.
“I’ll be right here, Molly,” I assured her.
The nurse escorted me back to the waiting room. I found a sheet of paper and began to write. When I finished, I dozed off.
I woke several hours later with a stiff neck from having slept slumped back in my chair.
The same nurse found me and said, “Molly just opened her eyes again. Do you want to say good morning?”
I followed the nurse back to the ICU. Molly’s eyes followed me as I entered. Her eyes were brighter.
I moved to her bedside, trying to avoid bumping into the IV pole.
“Can you hear me?”
She nodded slowly.
“You’re in the Children’s Hospital in Boston.”
Dr. Foster entered the room and said, “Good morning.” She asked Molly a few questions and Molly nodded yes or no. A woman standing in the doorway motioned that she wanted to talk to me. She was wearing a suit and carrying a folder.
“I’ll be right back,” I said to Molly.
Once we were out in the hallway, the woman said, “Hi, I’m Heidi.”
“I’m Dylan.” I shook her hand and noticed the Children’s Hospital badge hanging around her neck that said ‘Social Work Department.’
She told me she was a social worker and asked me if Molly knew about her mother’s death. I told her I hadn’t said anything. She nodded and then asked me to wait outside. I took a seat in the waiting area while Heidi spent the next thirty minutes with Molly. She found me just as I realized I’d been staring at the same magazine page for the last fifteen minutes.
“Dylan, are you okay?” Heidi asked.
I nodded. “Did you tell her?”
“Yes.”
“What’s going to happen now?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of her. I think she’d like to see you.”
I was horrified by the thought that Molly would be placed somewhere far away from me. I walked back to Molly’s room and saw tears flowing down her face.
“I’m sorry about your mom,” I said.
I put my hand next to hers and she took it. I stayed next to her while she cried until the medication helped her fall asleep.
* * *
Molly woke up again around 8:00 p.m. when Dr. Foster removed the respirator. The doctor told me she was reducing Molly’s pain meds and we could talk for a few minutes. Then she wanted Molly to sleep.
Molly looked at me. “You’re still here.” Her voice was weak, almost a whisper.
I smiled at her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I knew from the way she looked at me that she was happy to hear those words. “Thank you.”
Molly repositioned herself. The pain showed on her face as she resettled.
“I have something for you,” I said. “I hope you don’t mind. While you were sleeping, I wrote your dad a letter. I thought since you haven’t been able to write to him, I’d let him know how you’re doing. Do you want to hear it?”
She nodded.
“Dear Mr. Beckstrand,” I said, smiling down at Molly, who smiled back. “My name is Dylan Beachley. I’m writing to you to let you know that right now Molly is in the hospital. She’s been in a car accident, but she’s recovering and will be writing to you soon. The doctors are doing everything they can to help her get better.
“Molly told me what an awesome dad you are. I know she’s told you about me. I wanted to tell you that meeting Molly has been the best thing that could have happened to me at a time when I desperately needed a good friend. Molly’s drive to help me find my sister is what picks me up when I start to feel defeated. I’m guessing she got this drive from you, so I thank you for that. I look forward to the day I can introduce her to Hannah.
“Molly doesn’t have a biological family anymore, but I promise you, as long as I am on this Earth, she’ll be a part of mine. Molly will never spend a Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, or birthday alone. I will give Molly a hug for you when she’s able to receive one. In the meantime, I’ll be here while she recovers. I know if you were here, you’d do the same. You’d also tell Molly how proud you are of her and what an amazing young woman she’s become. You’d tell her you love her, just like I know she loves you.
“Sincerely, Dylan Beachley.”
Molly’s hand appeared from under her blankets. She held it out and I took it. She smiled at me as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Thank you,” she said.
Chapter 13
I arrived at the hospital the next morning and found Molly had been moved from the ICU to a different wing. My mom had phoned Shawn to tell him she’d be coming to Boston, and I found her speaking with Heidi outside of Molly’s new room. Mom gave me a hug, and I went inside to see Molly as they kept talking.
Molly was watching TV. The bandage on her head had been removed, revealing more cuts and scrapes on her forehead and cheekbones. I was happy to see none of them looked deep, and I figured they would be gone soon.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Hi.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Awful. I’m still on some pain meds, but everything hurts.”
I sat down next to her bed and Molly asked me to tell her what happened while she was gone. I told her about finding the house on fire and the propane tank explosion. I told her I waited a few days before going out searching again. Then I told her about Dad coming to get me when he found out about the accident and how I was staying in Boston with my cousin Shawn.
Molly told me she arrived home to find Tony and her mom packing the car. She was told to pack light and they were leaving. Tony set the house on fire while Molly’s mom kept her in the car. They drove to Boston, and she and her mom were forced to stay in a tiny motel room for days. Molly wanted to call, but Tony wouldn’t allow it. Days later, Tony received a phone call in the middle of the night and made Molly and her mom wake up so they could leave. When the police attempted to pull him over, he tried to outrun them. She didn’t remember the accident. She said the first thing she remembered was waking up to me looking down at her.
“I’m sorry about what happened to your mother,” I said.
“Thank you. I wish I could have helped her get away from Tony.” Molly looked out the window. “When I think about it, my real mom died the same time as my dad. She never recovered from his death.” She looked at me. “And then Tony finished her off with his drugs and carelessness.”
I thought about how Tony would no longer be part of Molly’s life. I pictured his stained shirts and dirty jeans and then remembered the way he’d threatened me with his huge knife. I was so happy Molly would never have to worry about being abused by him ever again.
Molly used the controls on her bed to help her sit up, which made her wince in pain. I was happy to see her black eye was nearly gone.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” Molly said. “When I woke up the first time and saw you, it meant a lot to me.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” I held out my hand. “It’s time for your fortune.” Molly held her hand out, palm up. I traced my finger on the lines of her palm. “I see a full recovery. I see you sitting with me at lunch in our crappy school cafeteria. I see Wiz sitting with us, too, and he’s still got a toothpaste stain on his shirt.”
Molly laughed, then winced. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
I moved my finger on her palm. “Oh, w
ait, no, you’re getting up and going to sit with all the cool kids.”
“Dylan! I would never—.”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” I moved my finger some more. “I see me introducing you to Hannah. I see you two becoming good friends.”
Molly smiled at me.
“I see us standing on the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine at the north end of the Appalachian Trail.”
“So I get to walk the trail with you?”
“I could walk it all by myself, but I’d rather have a partner. Good partners are so hard to find.”
Molly smiled at me. “I need a travel partner when I go to Sweden.”
“I bet Wiz would go with you.”
“Dylan!”
“Of course, I’d love to go with you.” I curled her hand up in mine. “You know what comes next. It only comes true if you believe it.”
“I believe it will come true,” she said.
Rain was pelting the window and we both looked outside. It was gray, as it had been the past few days. The TV showed a weather map of what was left of tropical storm Dorothy, which had come up all the way from the Caribbean. The meteorologist said the storm had set up shop over our area and wouldn’t be leaving for several days. A map showing the upper Northeast was covered in flash-flood warnings.
“I can’t help you anymore,” Molly said, looking at me. “Not for awhile. You’re running out of time. You need to go.”
The way she said it let me know she was serious, and I knew she was right. We only had five weeks before school started, and it might be several weeks before Molly could join me. Still, I didn’t want to leave her.
“Heidi told me I can be placed in a foster home in your school district.” Molly smiled at me. “Your mom told me she’s going back home in a few hours. Go with her. Go find your sister. I’ll be back in New Hampshire soon. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said.
“I have to go back. There’s this cute boy I know who owes me a date.”
I smiled at her. “My suit and tie are ready to go.”