The Order of the Trees (6 page)

Next he had to convince his parents to let him spend the night at the hospital. And the only way he could do that was to play “the girlfriend” card. He knew he'd have to do some powerful acting, and probably provide tears. He'd have to share thoughts and feelings he'd never shared with his parents before. The more he thought about it, the more a pit
appeared to scoop out his center. He didn't want to lie to his parents, the thought made him sick to his stomach. He took a few deep breaths, and walked out into the living room.

His parents were sitting around the television, watching the evening news. Phillip thought he'd try the approach his parents had used with him on several occasions.

“Hey guys? Can I talk to you?”

Phillip's mom reached for the clicker and turned off the TV. “Sure honey,” she said, her eyes growing wide.

His dad looked slightly annoyed, his feet sprawled out on the couch, the paper stretched across his lap.

“What's up?” his dad said, sitting up.

“Well, as you know, Cedar's in the hospital. And today she had lots of tests—tests with needles and x-rays and who knows what. Last night she didn't want me to leave, and I didn't want to either.”

Phillip's mom shot his dad a look.

“I'm really unable to concentrate, to do anything, really.” He looked at each of them, sprouting
tears in his eyes, “I'm just worried sick.” All of this was true. He hadn't lied to them at all. “I just want to go up there and sit in the room with her. To just be there if she wakes up and wants to talk about it at all, whatever. Just to be there.”

Phillip's mom came over to his side and rubbed his back. “What do you mean, honey, for visiting hours again? Aren't those over for the night?”

“Yes, but I want to sit with her the whole night. Just this once. Please, it will make her feel so much better.”

“We could stay there with you,” his mom offered, and she turned to Phillip's dad.

Phillip thought quickly, “I wouldn't want you to be that uncomfortable all night. Those hospital chairs. I know you have to work in the morning.”

“Do you think they'll let you in?”

“I could say I'm bringing her some homework, or maybe you could talk to them about it.” Phillip looked up, hopeful, his eyes red and watery.

“Oh Phillip,” she said, and hugged him sideways. “I remember my first crush. It was very strong. Of course we'll help you out.”

Phillip resisted the urge to blurt out, “It's not
a crush! She's just my friend!” because it wouldn't help his cause.

“Do I get a say in all this?” his dad said.

Phillip and his mom looked up from their hug, worried. “Just make sure you get some flowers on the way,” he said, and came over and patted Phillip on the head.

Phillip felt a deep pang of guilt near his heart. They were so nice, and he'd be breaking this girl out of the hospital by daybreak.

Call if there is any problem, Phillip!” his mom yelled from the car. “Make sure it's okay with everyone!”

Phillip rushed away from the car, and sighed. One lie down. Now he had to think about how he'd get by the orange-lipsticked nurse, past 7:00
P.M
., past the clearly marked visiting hours, and stay all night. Before when he thought of the idea, it seemed possible; but now as he approached the double doors of the hospital, he wasn't so sure. The cool wind nipped at the beads of sweat on his brow. He pushed the doors open and held his breath. He strode across the gray hospital carpet, taking giant steps and covering ground. Phillip saw the reception desk and looked wildly around. No one was there. He heard a group of nurses laughing down the hallway, but it was mostly quiet. Phillip pushed by the desk and sailed right to the elevator.

Please don't come back to the desk now, please, Phillip thought, waiting for the elevator door to open. Bing! The door opened up and he started walking in.

“Oh, excuse me!” said a doctor in a white coat, pushing by him.

Phillip's heart leapt almost into his mouth. He managed to mumble something as the door closed behind him. He let out a monstrous sigh once on the elevator and had to get ready to make a beeline straight to Cedar's room. Would someone stop him? Question him? Could he make up a story on the spot? He'd never been a good liar, never needed to be. Now he wished he could be more like the Evil Miranda in his class, cool under pressure, lying like it was no big deal.

Bing! The third floor. The door pushed open and he strode down the hall, head down. He passed a few people, nurses or doctors, custodians' maybe, but he didn't look up, and they didn't stop him.

Phillip got to room 316 and looked in. Cedar was lying there with her eyes closed. She was peaceful, but as pale as the sheets on which she lay. Her skin had a translucent quality, almost shimmering and
clear. Her eyes popped open as he slipped in the door.

“Hi Phillip.”

“Hi Cedar, you just keep resting for our big mission tonight. I've got a lot of work to do. All you need to do is signal when you see someone coming and I'll …”

He looked around.

“Roll under the curtain? Or you could hide behind the bathroom door.”

“Okay,” Phillip said, looking around and trying to appear confident. He sat on the floor beside the bed, out of sight from the window to the corridor.

After a moment of silence, Phillip asked, “How was today?”

“I don't want to talk about it,” she said, her voice quivering.

“I'm sorry.”

They sat in silence for a while, except for the hum of the machines in the room.

Phillip clicked away on his laptop, lying on the linoleum floor. What if no one showed, what would they do? Catch a ride back to the hospital? Beg forgiveness? Watch Cedar waste away to nothing?
Phillip shivered at the thought just as Cedar reached down and whacked him on the head.

“What?”

“Oh hi, Dr. Jones! How are you tonight?”

Phillip pushed his laptop under a chair and rolled under the bed in one move. Cedar coughed a bit as he hid, thankfully, because he hit the railing with his shin and was trying to stifle calling out in pain.

“How are you feeling, Cedar?”

“A little better now, Dr. Jones.”

“Really. That's great! Any idea why?” He came around to check her blood pressure. His foot was barely an inch from Phillip's nose. Phillip tried not to breathe.

“I'm just feeling a bit more positive is all,” Cedar said, and the doctor took a small step to the right, reaching for the equipment at Cedar's bedside. His foot came down right on Phillip's extended finger, pressing it into the cold linoleum floor. Phillip sucked in air, suppressing his gasps and wailing. Phillip felt the pain shoot down his hand and into his arm like a shot. The white-hot pain made his
stomach reel. Big wet tears filled his eyes. The doctor shifted his weight off Phillip's hand and looked down just as Phillip pulled it under the bed.

Cedar jumped in, “Oh, Dr. Jones, I think it's from all the great care I've been getting here.” He looked up at her and smiled.

“Don't worry, Cedar, we'll find out what's bothering you, we will. You just rest and keeping thinking positively, okay?” He winked at her and left.

Phillip moaned from under the bed.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

Phillip rolled out from under the bed, clutching the red tip of his index finger tightly to his chest.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

“That was close.”

He took a couple of deep breaths and looked at his watch. 10:37. Less than an hour and a half before they needed to meet Jimmy in front of the hospital. Phillip shook his hand out and rubbed his finger. No time to worry about it. Then he took out his laptop and opened the file labeled “hospital floor plan.”

“Cedar, we need to go over this in detail in case we get separated on the way out.”

Phillip packed up his laptop and gathered his things. The clock read 11:37.

“Okay, Cedar, are you ready?” He looked up at her and saw her staring at the plastic tube coming from her wrist. The tube led to a needle stuck into her arm. She shook her head.

“What do I do about this?” she said.

“Why didn't you think of this before!” He wished he could take the words back as soon as he said them.

She stared at him silently, hurt.

“I'm sorry. I just thought we'd worked everything out.”

Tears pushed into Cedar's eyes. “I don't know if I can do this. What if I don't make it?”

Phillip slid his hand into hers. “You will make it. Now let's see if we can pull this out.”

She nodded, and looked away. Phillip knew it was up to him. He felt the place where the IV needle stuck into Cedar's wrist. The tubing was attached to the needle, and could be replaced. If he only knew how to remove it without hurting
her. He could leave the needle in, even though it would be uncomfortable, and just free her from the tubing.

“Just pull!” Cedar said, her eyes scrunched up.

Phillip twisted and pulled out the tube. Cedar drew in a quick breath and the fluid squirted out from the IV all over the bed. Phillip reached for it as it whirled around like a wild snake. He finally grabbed it, pinched the end, knotted it, and attached it to the metal pole where the bag of fluid hung.

“All right, we're in it now Cedar, we have to go!”

“Just hang on.” Cedar pushed a paper towel on to the break in her skin where the IV had been. She held it there and gave him a quick nod.

Phillip threw his jacket over Cedar's hospital gown and they headed for the door. Cedar clutched her wrist as Phillip peered down the hallway both ways. His heart hammered in his chest, pounding a steady beat. I can't believe we are really doing this, he thought, I'm going to be arrested. My future is over. They began scurrying down the hallway, like criminals on the loose. Cedar walked just behind Phillip, leaning into his back. As if just being close
would make this work, make her stronger. Their fast footfalls clapped on the hard floor, and they heard the intercom call out.

“Code 66 in room 305!”

And the hospital came to life. Doors opened everywhere, voices and footsteps could be heard all around them. Motion, all toward one room with an emergency. Was it them?

“In here!” Phillip called, and they ducked into a room and shut the door behind them. Doctors and nurses walked briskly down the hallway outside. Phillip sighed with relief until Cedar said slowly, “Phillip?”

He turned around and saw an old woman with a shock of white hair, laying in her hospital bed, her hands wrapped around the button that you can press to get immediate assistance in your room. Her thumb was raised as if she were about to press the red button, and her eyes were wide. She had an oxygen mask covering her face, her white hair framed her deeply lined features. Her green eyes were bright, though, alive and could see straight through them it seemed.

“Uh, hi. I'm so sorry to burst into your room
like this. We were just out for a walk in the halls, and…” Cedar stammered.

“And I really don't like people that much, especially people in white coats in hospitals where they stick you with needles, and do other uncomfortable things…” Phillip continued.

“They really just scare him, ma'am, so we thought we'd just duck in here while they all go by. We're really sorry to disturb you.”

The woman nodded. She still held tightly to the attention button.

“We'll be gone in just a second, ma'am. Thank you for not getting us in trouble.” Phillip said, and they opened the door and headed to the stair well.

“That was a close call!” Cedar cried out.

“Remember, if you see anyone, don't look them in the eye and don't act strange.”

“We've got to get outta here. They're going to realize I'm gone soon—if they haven't already. Someone usually comes in at 11:30 to check my blood.”

They made it to the stair well door and pushed it open. Clambering down the first set of steps, they heard someone coming up. Phillip kept going, and
whispered, “Stay calm,” behind him.

But Cedar was gone. A side door clicked closed, and Phillip saw the people coming up from below him. Surely they had heard him by now. He had no choice but to keep going. What had she done? He looked at his watch 11:53. Seven minutes to make it out to Jimmy. What if Cedar couldn't get out? Or she was found and dragged back to her room? Everything would be ruined, everything they had worked for. Most importantly, Cedar would suffer and maybe never make it …

Phillip did the only thing he could do. He looked down and kept going. His mind was about to burst; he felt like he was abandoning her, the most important thing in the world to him. But this was the plan if they got separated. Just keep going and meet up outside. The people coming up the stairs walked right by him, barely noticing this boy, probably caught up in some drama of their own.

He would have Jimmy wait for Cedar. She has to make it out, he thought. We studied the hospital, she can do this. But she also had on a hospital gown, so that if anyone saw her, they'd know she
shouldn't be out wandering on the stairs or in the lobby. Phillip shuddered as he reached the bottom floor. He should have brought clothes for her to change into!

Phillip didn't even notice the reception desk as he walked out, deep in thought about Cedar, worried beyond belief.

“Excuse me?” called the orange-lipsticked nurse from behind the desk. “Excuse me? Isn't it a little late to be here, young man?”

He kept walking. He'd never ignored an adult's direct questions and order before. Somehow he was too overcome with what might happen to even bother. Everything might be ruined anyhow, what did it matter?