Revenge Of A Band Geek Gone Bad (29 page)

"
It's
okay, it's okay," Mr. Francis repeated again, awkwardly patting my shoulder.  "He was still breathing when the ambulance arrived.  That's a good thing."

"I don't know," I said.  "He could be paralyzed or brain dead or something."  I clicked on my seatbelt and leaned my head against the seat.  "Or he could have internal injuries.  I watched this medical show with that once," I said, sniffling.  "The person died soon after."

"But there's no sense in worrying about any of that until we do know what the situation is," my conductor said quietly.  "He's young and in good shape. That's almost always an advantage."

I nodded.  "I guess.  But the thing is, my grandfather just died.  He was sick for a long time and then seemed to be getting better ... but it was then that he passed away.  So being strong doesn't always help."

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather.  I've lost people I love, too, like my parents.  It's never easy."

I choked back yet another sob.  "I just don't know if I'm ready to lose another person I care about."

###

Unlike Josh, Mr. Francis didn't turn on the radio, though I did notice that he had a lot of CDs in the front seat.  Most featured classical music.  My conductor didn't say anything for most of the drive to the hospital, but I did catch him glancing over at me from time to time, probably to make sure I wasn't having a breakdown.  I kept my eyes closed, willing myself not to lose control again, though the image of Josh lying on the ground kept returning to me.  I had no idea what kind of condition Josh was in, but tried not to fall apart.  I needed to keep it together, for him and for myself.  The last thing Josh would need was to see me as a weeping mess.  All that would do is make him worry about me —- that is, if he were even conscious enough to
have
any feelings.  My throat burned as I fought against the lump that was forming in it.

Mr. Francis broke the silence.  "You know, despite what you may think, I don't hate Mr.
Kow
...
er
, Josh," he said.

I lifted my head.  "I never thought that.  I know he gets on your nerves."

"He does, but he's also passionate about music and I respect him for that.  And the last thing I ever wanted was for him to get hurt."

"I didn't think that, either.  Why are you telling me this?"

He let out an
embarrassed
chuckle.  "I know what you kids think of me.  I know you think I'm a monster and don't always agree with my methods.  And I also know Josh is important to you, that you guys have some kind of well, thing, going.  I just don't want you to think that in the times I've been angry with him —- and there've been many —- that I ever wished for this to happen."

"I..."  What was I supposed to say to that?  I suddenly felt a little bad for the guy.  "Thanks," I replied.  I forced myself to smile.  "Before you know it, Josh will probably be back to tormenting you again."

Mr. Francis sighed.  "I hope so.  I really do."

The hospital was only about 10 minutes away, but it seemed like the trip was taking hours.  At last we arrived.  I bolted toward the emergency room entrance as Mr. Francis locked up his car.  He waddled in after me just as I made my way over to the front desk.

"I — I w-want to
kn
-
know if there's any in-information on J-Joshua Kowalski," I stammered to the receptionist.  She was an elderly woman with dyed red hair and beady blue eyes.  Her name tag said "Madeline."

"What's the patient's name?" 
she
asked, her eyes never leaving her computer screen.  She sounded bored, as if my distress meant nothing to her.  Come to think of it, I guess it didn't.  She was used to dealing with anxious people.

"Joshua Kowalski," I repeated, forcing myself to not stutter this time.  "He was just hit by a car in front of Sequoia High School.  He's my boyfriend," I finished, my voice trailing off.

Now Madeline looked up.  "So you're not a relative?"

"Well, no, not technically, but we're very close..."

"I can't let a minor into ICU without an adult -- an adult who's related to the patient."

I gasped.  Someone being in ICU was never, ever good on medical shows.  It
always meant the person was in critical condition.  "Is he
gonna
die?"  I asked.  I gripped the side of the desk so I wouldn't pass out.

Madeline frowned as if I were wasting her time.  "Just wait over there," she said, pointing to the cluster of cushioned chairs, "and maybe you'll run into someone from his family.  We don't usually give out patient information to anyone other than the next of kin.  They can give you any updates."

I slowly backed away as the receptionist turned back to her computer.  By now, my head was swimming.  I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath.  Mr. Francis approached me.

"I left a message for your parents, just so they know what's going on," he informed me.  He noticed me cup my head in my hands.  "You okay?" 
he
asked, looking genuinely concerned.  He handed me a cup of water from the cooler that was in the reception area.  "What did that woman tell you?"

"Nothing," I said bitterly.  I took a sip.  "Apparently, I don't matter since I'm just a kid.  But she did mention something about the ICU unit."

Mr. Francis growled and went into angry conductor mode.  "Want me to talk to her?" 
he
offered.  "I'll bet
I
can get some answers out of that woman.  I'll pretend to be Josh's uncle."

Yeah, and you'll probably also get yourself carted off by security, I thought to myself.  "No, don't do anything," I told him.  "I'm just going to wait until I can talk to Josh's mom."

He grunted.  "Fine, but let me know if you change your mind."  His expression softened.  "I'm here, Melinda, if you need anything."

Despite everything, I gave him a little grin.  "Thanks."

###

Soon after, the emergency room waiting area began to fill with Sequoia High students.  Their faces swam in front of me so I had a hard time keeping track of how many of them were there, but I could make out a bunch of people from band: Ken and the rest of the trumpet players, Maya ... even Kathy.  She sat as far away from Ken as possible, keeping her face turned from his.  The other people in the area regarded the large group of students suspiciously as if we'd whip out a keg right there in the emergency room, but for so many kids, we were a pretty tame lot.  Everyone spoke in hushed tones and basically stayed out of everyone else's way.

When I joined them, the others became quiet and eyed me with what could only be described as pity.  I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me, so I simply
nodded to them and took a seat.  Ken came up to me and took my hands in his.  "I'm sorry, Mel," he whispered.  His face was pale.  "This whole thing is my fault."

I was about to ask him why he and Josh were fighting over a camera, but then Lana arrived with Lenny.  She ran over to me and pulled me into a hug, not even caring that Ken was right there.  "Oh, Mel," she cried.  She squeezed me with more force.  "Is he alive?  I can't believe this is happening!"

Lenny didn't say anything ... which, frankly,
creeped
me
out, given the way he usually was.  He just kept his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Lana, on the other hand, couldn't stop babbling.  "So, what did they say happened?  Is he alive?  What's going on?  Did they say if he's brain-dead?  Oh my God, how are
you
doing?  Can I get you anything?"  She bounced nervously.

"I'm okay, but I don't know how Josh is," I said.  "We're waiting for Josh's mom to tell us."  I slumped down in a chair, which was pretty comfortable considering that it was in a hospital.  Up until that point, I hadn't realized how lightheaded I was.  I wished I could sleep and pretend I was in a nightmare.

"But that might take hours!"  Lana was saying about Josh.  "We can't wait that long.  You at least deserve to know if he's going to be okay."

"I know, but that woman wouldn't tell me anything," I said, nodding toward Madeline.  "She wouldn't even look at me."

"So let's make her.  There are so many of us here now, what's she going to do if we all start rioting?  Or..."  Lana paused for a moment.  "Just tell her your dad
works
here!  He's probably her boss or something, right?"

A
lightbulb
clicked on for me and I smacked my forehead.  She was right.  Duh, why hadn't I thought about that before?  I asked myself.  Oh yeah, because I was too busy freaking out.  Feeling a little more confident, I marched over to the desk.  Lana and Mr. Francis joined me.

"Hi, Madeline, it's me again," I said to her.

She stopped typing and gave me a long-suffering sigh.  I could hear Mr. Francis beginning to snarl beside me.

"No, you're not going to be all rude to me again," I told Madeline.  "I realize that you're very busy and that things are crazy in the emergency
room,
and that you have rules or whatever, but
my boyfriend
was hit by a
freakin
' car today.  I'm not asking to see him or anything —- though that would be nice, even though I'm not related to him —- but I think that we..."  I nodded toward the ever-growing group of
students —- "Have a right to know if he's at least okay.  And if you're not going to at least give us that, well then, I don't think you're going to want to deal with a group of loud, angry teenagers."

I turned and saw that Maya and Lenny had now joined us.  Madeline finally looked me in the eyes.  "Look, I know you're worried, but we have rules here for a reason," she replied.  "We're just trying to ensure the patients' safety."

"Seriously, do I look dangerous?"  I asked.

"Well, no, but..."

"Then give me some information. 
Now."
  I demanded.  I reached in my bag and showed her my school ID card.  "Or perhaps I can ask my father —- that's Hank Rhodes, Chief Of Staff —- if he can get answers from you.  I really don't want to have to bother him while he's working, which is why I'm asking you, but I just might have to.  And I'm telling you, he's
gonna
be
pissed
if he has to stop what he's doing for something like this."

Madeline sighed again, but with less panache.  "Okay," she said quietly.  "I'm going to bend the rules just this once and let you in.  But just
you
," she said, giving everyone else a dirty look.  She wrote down a number for me.  "He's in Room 315.  But be very quiet," she warned.  "No cell phones.  And don't say that I'm the one who sent you."

###

Josh suffered a concussion, a broken ankle, a busted tibia, a broken femur, a fractured wrist and collarbone, and several broken ribs. 
Turns out that the people upstairs were much more accommodating than Madeline had been —- though I lied that I was Josh's
fiancee
for good measure -- and were willing to fill me in on his condition.
  When I got to his room, Lily was just leaving.

"Lily!"  I called, darting over to her.  Her jaw was clenched and her hands were balled into such tight fists, her knuckles were white.  She looked a lot older than the last time I'd seen her.  I reached out to embrace her.

"Melinda," she sobbed. 
"Oh, Melinda, Melinda."

I stood back, but kept my hands on her shoulder.  "How is he?"  I whispered.  "Is he awake?"

"He was before," she said quietly.  "But he's really groggy from the painkillers.  He looks awful."  A few tears ran down her cheeks.  My eyes welled up.

"He asked for you," she went on.  "He said your name a couple of times."

My heart skipped a few beats.  "That lady downstairs wouldn't let me up at first," I explained.

Lily wiped her eyes.  "I'll make sure they don't give you a hard time in the future.  You will come back, right?"

"Of course.
  I'll be here every day."

"Good."  She blew her nose. 
"Because
Joshy
is probably going to be here for a while."
  She stared over me at the busy nurses' station behind us.  "I still don't understand what happened," Lily said.  "Why on earth was Josh in the middle of the street, anyway?  What was he doing?"

"I don't know," I admitted.  "I'm trying to get some answers myself."

Her face crumpled.  "It's my fault," she said.  "I'm obviously not a good parent.  If I were around more, he wouldn't be doing stuff like this.  He wouldn't be in the hospital."

"It was an accident," I reminded her.

She sighed.  "I think you should go see him now.  I was just — just going to go to the ladies' room."  She now started crying in earnest.  "I don't ... don't want him to see me like this if he wakes up again, and I thought if I splashed some cold water on my face ... I don't know what I'm doing," she finished.

"It's alright," I said, feeling positively calm next to her.  "You do what you have to.  I'll stay with him."