Project ELE (13 page)

"Willow!" I hear my name being called over and over again through the thick fog. I ignore it because this darkness is a comforting bliss. "Willow!" They call again. With each call of my name I feel more and more pain. It starts with a light prickle in my ankle, then moves to a radiating pain in my skull. When the fire comes and washes over my arm, it comes with a high pitch wailing sound. The cry calls out to me over and over until I open my eyes to find Connor and Claire leaning over me.

"Oh my gosh, Willow, are you okay? Speak to me!" Claire runs to my side.

I try to answer her over the loud moans in the background and it's not until I reach for my voice that I realize the cries are coming from inside me. My arm is still twisted in the wrong angle and I can see from the horror in her eyes that it must look as bad as it feels.

Tears are flowing freely down my face and I feel the sweat breaking out on my forehead as I become more and more conscious of my injuries. "It hurts." I cry. A thousand shooting stars fly across my vision as I try to move my arm to my side. I wail again in pain.

"We have to help her." Claire calls to Connor who looks like he's frozen in place. Not knowing what to do.

I writhe around on the ground crying out. My head feels like it's going to explode with every movement I make. An intense nausea makes my stomach roll.

"What the?!" I hear someone land on the ground next to me and then those green eyes are staring at me full of concern. He pushes the sweat-drenched hair from my face. "What happened?" He calls back to the others but doesn't move his eyes from mine.

I lock onto those eyes and imagine that somehow they can heal me, take the pain away from me.

"She fell." Claire cries hysterically.

He looks down at me, worry and fear display on his expression as he reads the pain in my eyes, the pain in my cries. "I'm going to get you help, Willow." He turns to look at Connor who is still frozen. In the absence of those green eyes I feel the pain again. I cry out and he flinches. "Look Connor, you need to help Claire up first." He addresses Claire. "Claire, you let down the ladder I brought and Connor and I will hoist Willow up."

"Okay." She says panicked. They move away from us to start going to work. A few minutes later her flashlight is beaming down at us from above.

Alec's eyes return to me and I feel that peace again, that reprieve from pain. Even though it's probably psychological I hold onto it. He strokes my hair back comfortingly. "I'm going to have to move you now. It's going to hurt, but I have to get you out of here." He says.

I nod and continue to stare at him through my blurred eyes. His emerald eyes look kind of like a water painting to me through all of the tears.

"Okay Connor, come help me." He calls out.

A second later Connor's at my side. "I'm so sorry Willow, I'm so sorry." He sounds so sad and pitiful but I don't look at him. I just focus on Alec's eyes to get me through. "Is o-ka-y." I grunt out.

"We need to move now Connor. She needs to get to the clinic quickly. You climb up. I'm going to hand her off to you at the top." Alec says.

"Yes." Connor hastily leaves my side and climbs the ladder. Alec looks back into my eyes and says, "Do you think you can hold onto me with your right arm?"

I think about it for a second which makes my head hurt. It feels like I'm swimming through fog but eventually I agree. He nods then hoists me up into his arms. I cry out in pain and he flinches. "I'm sorry, you are going to be okay babe."

I don't think anything of the intimate reference, my brain is not working right anyhow. It's turning to mush as the shooting stars play across my vision.

Alec stands up holding me cradled to his chest. I put my right arm around him. "I know it hurts but you need to hang on okay? Don't close your eyes."

My eyelids flutter and I feel like closing them.

He jostles me a little which sends the pain shooting back up my left arm and down in my leg. "Can you do that for me?" He asks intently.

"Yes." I say in a throaty voice that doesn't sound like mine. He starts to climb. He uses only one arm and in the other he carries me. It takes him a while to move up a few rungs in the ladder. In fact due to the pain I'm writhing in, those few moments seem like an eternity. My right arm starts losing its grip as my body starts to shut down, blacking out from the pain again.

"No, you need to stay awake. I need your help Willow!" He calls loudly into my ear. It startles me and I work to pull myself away from the blackness. I tighten my one armed grip on him again. He moves up a few more rungs and then I feel myself being hoisted up onto the platform by Connor. Alec pulls himself up a minute later and then takes me in his arms once again. This time he doesn't ask me to hold on. I sink my head into his chest and I let the blackness take me off to a land that has no pain.

The steady rhythm of beeps pulls me out of a drug-induced sleep. I see the light behind my eyelids before I open them. My eyes cringe as I slowly squint more and more. The stark white walls make me feel cold and I shiver. My head feels thick and heavy.

"Honey." My dad is at my side in an instant pushing my unruly curls out of my face.

I try to process everything through my brain as I notice the sterile medical equipment and the monitors. I look down at my right arm where there is an IV sticking out my hand. I try to move but it hurts.

"Don't push it. Just rest honey, you're safe." My dad says. I turn towards his voice and find him in a yellow hospital outfit complete with a clear face mask. I try blinking my eyes a few times to clear the cobwebs.

My left arm is throbbing and I look down to find a bright white cast covering the lower half of it. It's held up in a navy blue sling. My left leg is elevated in another sling above the bed. It looks like half my body is broken. Everything starts flooding back.

"Where am I?" I say in a dry throaty voice that cracks half way through. My dad grabs a cup with a straw from a metal tray table next to me. He puts it up to my lips and I greedily take in the thirst quenching water. It feels luxurious as it slides down my sandpaper dry throat. I look up at my dad waiting for an explanation.

"You're in the hospital honey. Don't you remember what happened?" He asks me worriedly.

I do and my heart starts to beat as I wonder what kind of trouble we are in. Did they find out where we were? I opt to play dumb so I shake my head.

"Your friends said that you were trying to climb some cement steps behind the pool area and slipped. Had a pretty nasty fall. It’s a wonder you didn’t break more bones.”

Yes, lucky indeed, I think to myself. It’s not like I like the fact that my friends told my dad a bold face lie but what other choice did they have? It still doesn’t explain why my dad is dressed the way he is. How would I be contagious if I just broke some bones?

“What time is it?” I ask, my head pounds with each word I spit out.

My dad furrows his brow then a look of understanding passes over him. “Time, you ask?”

I nod my head.

“Well…” He glances at his watch. “It’s five till six.”

“In the morning?” I ask.

My dad nods his head in confirmation. In that moment I begin to notice, behind his mask, the purple bags that have formed under his eyes as well as his ‘way beyond five o’clock shadow’ growing on his face.

“Wow, I didn’t realize I’d been out for that many hours.” I say. It doesn’t seem like any time has passed really.

“Hours?” my dad questions. “Honey, you’ve been out for days…four to be exact.”

“Four days!” My voice cracks at the attempt of yelling. My dad simply nods his head. I lay my head back on the pillow trying to let this sink in and groan from the pain that radiates through my skull. I reach my hand back to rub the spot that hurts the worse and feel a goose egg sized knot there. Yikes, I really must have slammed it into the ground. It's a wonder I don't have amnesia or something worse.

"Do you feel okay, would you like me to get the nurse?" He hovers over me for a second until I wave him off.

"Well I feel like I got hit by a semi truck, but I don't need the nurse. I was just surprised that four days went by without my knowing it."

"Yes, I was so scared Willow. The doctors assured me that you would be okay, but still." His face grows serious. "You have to be more careful. I couldn't handle it if I lost you too." His eyes start to tear up and mine begin mimicking his.

“So dad, why are you wearing all that getup? It’s not like breaking bones is contagious or anything.” My dad lets out a small laugh, apparently relieved that I changed the subject.

“Well, with all the scrapes you got when you fell, you contracted something called MRSA.”

I give him a confused look. "What's MRSA?"

"MRSA is a type of staph infection you can get from having multiple abrasions." He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he goes on. “They did a routine test when you went in for surgery for your arm. You broke it in two places. The test came back positive for MRSA, that’s why you’re hooked up to an IV right now. For the antibiotics, and also the pain medicine. Because they caught it early, they are hoping they can kill the MRSA in a few weeks or so. Now your bones are going to take a bit longer to heal.” I just stare at my dad trying to let it all sink in, multiple broken bones and MRSA. He must realize how I'm feeling because his face lightens up and he changes the subject. “So, now that you’re up, there’s been something I’ve wanted to ask you.”

I wipe at my eyes with my one good hand and look at him.

“Who’s Alec?”

The mention of his name makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Alec?” I question, my voice cracking, even though I know darn well who he’s talking about.

“Mmmhmm,” my dad says. I look at him with a semi-confused expression so he continues. “The reason I ask is that he seems to be mighty concerned about your wellbeing. And when I say mighty concerned, I mean almost territorial. He’s been up here visiting during all his free time.”

I know I’m blushing, I can feel it. “Alec’s just a friend dad. A friend from work,” I stutter. Woot, ten points to Willow for a quick comeback answer! I don’t know why, but it feels weird talking to my dad about Alec. Even more bizarre to hear his name come from my dad's lips. We've never really had 'the talk' or any conversation related to boys. I mean when you're holed up inside a house with your family for the first part of your high school career, there really isn't a need.

“So, he’s just a friend…from work,” my dad questions again.

“Dad,” I say trying to feign annoyance.

He raises his hands in an act of innocence and sits back down.

As if on cue someone raps softly against the door. I half expect to find the nurse coming in to give me meds or something but my mouth drops open at the sight of Alec, at six in the morning. Now I see what my dad is talking about when he extenuated the word all before, as in all his free time.

My heart starts fluttering when he looks my direction. Swoon! Is it just my imagination, but does Alec look exceptionally hot this morning, even through the ridiculous mask? He has some stubble growing on his chin, which makes him look a little older than seventeen. He's wearing dark green scrubs that make his emerald eyes stand out. He looks happy to see me but worried at the same time.

“Alec,” I begin, not sure what to say.

Instead of saying anything to me he acknowledges my father first. “Hello Mr. Mosby. It’s good to see you again.”

My dad cracks a smile, “Indeed.” An awkward pause follows as my dad looks to Alec, back to me and back at Alec again. “Oh, right. I’m going to get a cup of coffee. Can I get either of you anything?” My dad asks rubbing his hands on his pants.

Alec and I shake our heads.

“Okay then,” my dad says getting up from his chair. He steps into the hallway and turns back towards me. “I’ll be out here if you need anything,” he says leaving the door slightly ajar. He peaks his head back in a second later, “Anything at all.”

“Thanks dad,” I say waving goodbye to him. The door never meets the hinge, I’m guessing my dad meant for it not to. Awkward.

Alec crosses the room towards me and puts his hands in his pockets. “So,” he says while balancing back on his heels. “I’m glad to see you up, I mean not up, awake is what I meant,” he stammers.

His response cracks me up. I’ve never seen him so flustered, it's kind of endearing. “Hey,” I say reaching for his arm. “It’s all good. Look, I’m fine. Just a little banged up is all. And, I have you to thank.” I drop my eyes, and my hand realizing how intimate my voice just sounded. My cheeks turn an unnatural shade of red. I'm not sure at what point things got awkward between us, but the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“I would say you are a lot more than a little banged up." He scans my many casts and slings then adds, "I was really freaked out!" His eyes show more worry then they lighten up and he stares down at my lips. "I’m just glad you’re okay, that’s all.”

We stare at each other for several seconds somehow speaking unnecessary words with our eyes. My heart begins fluttering as Alec leans in like he wants to kiss my cheek. Could he be aiming at my lips? I've never kissed a boy and my heart goes wild with the thought. The only thing separating us is a foot of air and that stupid mask.

My dad peaks his head in the door at the same instant and Alec launches himself away from the bed.

“Oh, hey dad,” I say with an unnaturally high pitched voice. I don’t even have time to process what just happened.

“Alec, Willow,” my dad says curtly before sitting back down in his appointed seat with his newly filled cup of coffee. “Oh, don’t mind me you two, just pretend I’m not here.”

Oh. My. Gosh. If I could crawl in a hole right now I so would. My cheeks are filled with an intense heat.

“So,” Alec interjects looking all too calm. “Don’t worry about work; looks like you’ll be needing to take it easy for a while. But hey, if you feel like you’re up for doing something but can’t be a runner yet, I could really use some help in the office. You know, filing papers and that sort of thing.” Alec swallows hard and I can tell he’s trying to keep his cool.

My dad takes a loud slurp of his coffee and turns the page of a magazine. “Oh wow, look at that. There’s a quiz here on how to keep a boyfriend. Yep, I’m gonna have to take that one.”

I try and stifle a laugh. I think this is my dad’s way of saying visiting hours are over.

As if on cue, Alec looks at his wrist, where a watch would go if he had one. “Would you look at that, I’ve got to get to work,” he says. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around Willow.” He asks it in a more question type of statement.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks for stopping by; it means a lot. Tell Connor and Claire I’m doing fine, okay?”

“Will do,” he says.

“Have a good day Mr. Mosby.” Alec turns on his heel and walks out the door.