Let Me Fly (2 page)

Sara and her mother shared the same opinion about motorcycles. Their uncle was killed in a motorcycle accident many years ago, when Bryn and Sara were in grade school. There was no way Bryn could forget the torment on everyone’s faces when he died. Her mother had spent hours upon hours sitting in her chair, looking through photo albums, crying over the loss. Her entire family was dead set against motorcycles, and there was nothing going to change their minds.

So it was unfortunate that when Corey was eighteen years old, he started working for a bike shop in River Falls while he and Bryn went to college. As soon as he had earned enough money, he bought himself a Kawasaki Ninja and was riding it all the time.

In the process, Corey had taken Bryn along with him on his adventures. Not being brave enough to ride by herself, she always rode behind Corey on his bikes, but they could never ride for very long. Bryn had a horrible habit of freezing up after a few miles passed. Once she actually let go of all that was dragging her down, something inside of her would remind her of the fear of falling and she would panic, seizing herself around Corey’s chest as if crushing him with her arms would make him stop faster.

“Well Sara, now you know. I want to learn how to ride a bike so that I can save the planet one gallon of gas at a time. The problem is, the bike has to actually be moving in order for me to get from point A to point B.”

“Oh dear God, do you need money? Is that why you are doing this? I could certainly help you out if you are having money troubles.” Bryn cut her sister off with a curt nod. “You are so gullible, Sara. I happen to enjoy riding motorcycles. Now zip it and please help me to get to the car.”

Corey grasped Bryn’s elbow and pulled her up the rest of the way, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “No I will take her, you two would have a cat fight in the middle of the ER and then your mother would know for sure what had happened here today. Sara, would you please help Darrin? There are tie down straps in the back of the truck in the box that he can use to strap the bikes down. Bryn and I will take your car to Amulet to the ER. Darrin can drop you off at the farm on the way home.” Corey was always in control of the situation, which was in stark contrast to how Bryn handled life.

“No problem. I may have to drop Sara off at the end of the driveway though so that your mother doesn’t see the bikes. You cool with that, kid?” Darrin looked at Sara as she walked away to get the tie down straps.

“Yeah it’s fine. Just make sure Bryn actually goes in to the ER, Corey. She may just tell everyone that she went to appease us, but never actually makes it in the door. She hates hospitals.”

Sara stepped onto the rim of the truck tire, hoisting herself up so that she could reach the truck’s toolbox. Turning her verbal claws towards Darrin, she continued, “And stop calling me kid, Darrin. I am no more a kid than you are a male dancer.”

“You only wish he was a male exotic dancer,” Bryn whispered to her sister as Corey half-carried her past the truck bed.

“Stop it!” Sara hissed at her sister, jumping down from the truck tire. Darrin was hard at work, pulling the bike up off its side. His face was flushed, but Bryn wasn’t sure that it was from the exertion of lifting Corey’s heavy bike, or that he heard Bryn’s teasing.

Sara was already at his side, grabbing the handlebars from Darrin, shooing his hands away. “I’ll steer, you push.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Darrin gave Sara a mock salute, walking to the back of the bike, pushing it forwards. Within seconds, they were strapping the bike down on the trailer.

“Ready, baby girl?” Corey didn’t wait for her answer as he picked her up into his arms, carrying her the rest of the way to the car.

“Yes, let’s get this over with.” Bryn was hanging her head in defeat. Not only was she resigned to the fact that she would be going to the hospital, but she had pissed her sister off now. They had a turbulent relationship to begin with, ever since Sara had come home from college a year ago. Their mother had been in an accident on the farm, and there was no way that Bryn could take care of all the animals on the farm on her own. Needing her help, she called Sara crying, begging her to come home. Bryn was extremely proud of her sister for getting away, and it broke her heart to all but force her kid sister to come home. Family meant something to the both of them, and she knew that she couldn’t do it alone.

To her credit, Sara left all her dreams of getting out of Wisconsin and came home without a complaint. Bryn felt like a heel for teasing Sara about Darrin, especially when she knew how she felt about him, as shy as she was. It sometimes surprised Bryn how quiet and meek Sara was around men in general, when with everyone else, she seemed to be a spitfire. Even more shocking was that she had suggested to Darrin that she would make him lunch, but she had seemed braver around him lately. Even her actions today as they loaded the motorcycle seemed strange.

“Hey, Sara,” Bryn yelled from the car as Corey was buckling her in.

“Yes, pain in the ass?” Sara didn’t even look at her sister as she said it.

“Come here, please.”

Sara looked over at the car, cocked her head to the side, slumping her shoulders. “Yes, my liege.” Sarcasm dripped off her words.

Corey had finished fussing over Bryn, and was heading to the other side of the car. “No fighting, you two. I mean it.” Glaring at Sara, Corey got into the driver’s seat. Sara leaned her head into the passenger side, waiting for Bryn to say something crappy to her.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue, Louise.” Leaning towards her, Bryn kissed her sister on the cheek.

“No problem, Thelma,” Sara patted Bryn’s forearm. It had been a long time since the two of them had used their nicknames for each other.

“Please, get checked out, ok?” Sara closed the door on the car quickly, hoping to stop an argument.

Bryn ran her fingers over her chest making a cross over her heart. Then, she curled her fingers on each hand, touched them together and pushed her thumbs down to make a point. She had made the heart symbol with her hands, and held it up to the window for Sara to see.

Mouthing the word “ditto,” Sara backed away from the car.

T
he ride to Amulet was mercifully short. Bryn wasn’t sure if she was just falling asleep, closing her eyes, or drifting in and out of consciousness. Corey kept his hand on her left thigh, jostling her when she was too quiet.

“Come on, baby girl, stay with me,” he would say in a soft voice, causing her eyes to flip open. “Rule number one of a head injury is to stay awake. Fuck, I should have called an ambulance. Damn your family all to hell.”

“I’m fine,” Bryn tried to reassure him, “Just really tired, and the sun is too bright and it’s hurting my eyes. I’ll be ok.” Corey pulled in to the emergency room parking lot at the Amulet Medical Center. He rushed in through the front door, grabbed a wheel chair and came skidding back to the car. “Your chariot, my lady,” he said with a horrible accent that made Bryn roll her eyes.

“I can walk, Corey.”

“Look, Bryn, either get your ass in the wheelchair, or I am going to carry you into the ER. Your choice.” Sara could see the muscles in Corey’s neck bulging as he crossed his arms over his chest. Having a standoff with him right now was not a great idea; he did not make idle threats.

“Wheelchair, then.” Lifting herself up from the car, she tried to scoot out of the car. Corey held onto her arm as she slid over, dropping down into the wheelchair.

“I’ll wheel you into the waiting room and then go park the car. I don’t think Sara would be happy if I got her car towed today.”

Entering the sliding glass ER doors, Bryn’s nose was instantly greeted with the awful smell of disinfectant, rubbing alcohol and latex. If it was even possible, she could smell fear and death too. It was an instant reminder for her of her dad’s death. Bryn closed her eyes tightly, feeling a panic attack rising in her chest. Her heart was thundering, and the tingling was starting in her arms. Bryn hadn’t had a panic attack in years, but this one was a doozy. Bryn grabbed for Corey’s arm as he walked away. Her hands were trembling as he snapped his head around to look at her.

“Please don’t leave me,” she pleaded.

Corey crouched down in front of her. Looking at her trembling hands, he picked them both up and sighed. “Baby girl, I will go park the car, and come right back. I can’t leave it sitting there. You can do this. Focus on your breathing, Bryn.”

Closing her eyes, Bryn filled her lungs, pulling in as much air through her mouth, pushing it back out her nose. It was exactly the opposite of what her student advisor/part time yoga instructor in college had taught her, shortly after she had starting have panic attacks.
Center your breathing, Bryn. In through your nose, out through your mouth.
Bryn was smart enough to know that if she took a deep breath through her nose in this noxious hospital, no amount of relaxation breathing would be able to keep her already unstable insides from hurling. She repeated the backwards breathing process, feeling somewhat more settled.

“Good job, keep doing that and I will be right back, ok?” Corey had already stood back up and was heading for the front doors before she could answer.

“Do you need to check-in, sweetheart?” a lady called from behind the counter.

“Yes, I do, but I will wait until my friend comes back.”

“Oh, I won’t bite. Bob, could you wheel this young lady over to the desk please?”

Sara heard a grunt behind her as her chair was propelled toward the check-in counter.

“Name, please?”

“Sara Lonneman”

“Were you in an accident?”

“I tripped and fell.”

The rest of the questions were a blur as Bryn zoned out. She hadn’t realized that Corey was standing next to her and that he was answering the questions now. Hearing ringing in her ears again, Bryn focused on her breathing.
Deep breath in, slowly out. Deep breath in, slowly out.

“She needs priority attention, sir. I will get a nurse.” The receptionist had left them sitting there as she went to get help.

Feeling the need to close her eyes, Bryn slumped down in the wheelchair.

“I just need to sleep, please…” were her last words before the blackness engulfed her.

Bryn was floating down the creek in an old tire tube, laughing as Corey splashed water at her. The sunrays were warming her skin, making her smile. Ah, my favorite time of year…summer. Sara was close by in her own tube and was spinning in a circle
.

Bryn started to giggle, but Corey’s voice snapped her back to the present. “She is learning to ride a motorcycle. We were on gravel and she lost control. I was too far back to see, but I know that she hit her head. I don’t know if it was on the ground, or on the handlebar.”

“I hit the handlebar on the way down.” Bryn’s voice was thick and raspy. Shifting on her back, she realized that she was lying down.

“Bryn, I’m Dr. Glynn. Do you know where you are?”

“I am in the ER in Amulet, and before you ask, the president is Barack Obama, and today is Tuesday, May 8th. I’m fine, please let me sit up.”

“Not happening, Bryn.” Warm hands brushed her hair back from her eyes, and Bryn could feel someone very close to her face.

“Open your eyes, please,” Dr. Glynn whispered. The deep timbre of his voice was intoxicating, making Bryn want to lay her eyes upon his face.

She tried peeling her eyelids open, only to have them slam shut quickly at the bright light in the room. “Could you turn down the lights a little?” Bryn laid her hand over her eyes to shield herself. A throb started pounding in her temples, making it hard to concentrate. A wave of nausea came over her quickly, which made shivers spread across her skin. She turned onto her side, pulled her legs up to her chest as her body shook. “I’m cold.”

“I don’t think you’re in shock, but I need to do some tests to check for internal bleeding. But the fact that you remember your accident, and you are being obstinate is a good thing. Let’s try this again; I am going to shield your eyes from the overhead lights. Slowly open your eyes.”

Bryn obeyed his command, and found herself looking into the most captivating blue-green eyes. Dr. Glynn’s face was angular, almost powerful with high cheekbones and firm lips. His skin tone was darker, but there were faint tan lines around his eyes. A day’s worth of beard graced his skin, but he still looked absolutely delicious. His dark, thick hair was reaching out in every direction, making it look like he just stepped out of bed. He looked more like a rugged outdoorsman than a doctor.

Dr. Glynn slowly brought his pen light up to Bryn’s left eye. He quickly brought it back down and moved over to her right eye.

“Your pupils are responding well. Where do you hurt the most, Bryn?”

“My head is sore and my right leg is burning. Other than that, I feel peachy.” Bryn give him an impish smile, before closing her eyes and yawning. “Like I told Corey, I am just really tired.”

“You can sleep once we get you up to your room. My initial impression is that you have a concussion and some bad road rash. I think it is safe enough to start with some testing and x-rays to rule out brain swelling, internal bleeding or broken bones.”