Once we were on flat ground I cried into his shoulder. It was a mixture of relief and swarming pain in my stomach.
"Please be okay," he whispered. He rushed me to the church, entering in through the gym door.
Ella jumped when she saw me and hurried over.
"Oh my, what happened, what is wrong?" Her voice held panic.
"She fell from a tree," Tom explained.
Felix and Sarah were at a table. They turned, saw me, and then ran to reach me. Felix won the race and gently took me from Tom as Ella directed him upstairs.
"We don't need to scare the younger ones. Bring her up and I'll take care of her."
The children hadn't noticed I was hurt or crying. They jumped inside the blow ups, bubbly.
I gazed up before Felix turned and Tom stood there frozen where Felix had taken me away. He had not moved. Motionless. He didn't want to let go. But he had to. I changed my thoughts. I didn't want to think about him.
Upstairs, Felix lowered me on the front pew. Tom and the preacher came through the door and Tom was explaining to him what had happened.
"I'm going to examine your rib, darling, just hang in there and tell me which one." She turned toward everyone else. "Just give us a few moments."
They turned around and Ella's focus was back on me. She lifted my jacket and shirt, exposing my stomach. I didn't have to show her which rib, because it was awkwardly out of place. I wanted to panic. I would have, but Ella calmed me.
Tom turned when he heard me sob louder and his jaw clenched when he saw my rib sticking out over the others.
"I know it looks bad, but it's not as bad as you think. I've seen this happen before and it's better than having a broken rib. It's just been knocked over the rib above it. I can put it in place easy. You might be a little sore tomorrow, but you'll be fine. The part that will hurt is when I put it in place."
I closed my eyes. It finally registered with me that I was tired of pain. I wanted it over.
Felix came over and kneeled beside me. He was my support. The one to hold my hand. I would squeeze it. I would squeeze it until the pain subsided. And we would both feel my pain.
"Are you ready, LeAnna?" She asked.
"Yes, I – I think so." Most of my voice was still sobbing.
Felix grabbed my hand and stroked my hair. I glanced at the others; Tom was staring. And he looked as if he wanted to comfort me too. Like Felix.
Ella counted to five, and then it was over. My rib was back in place.
But the questions soon began as I sat up. Ella the nurse, had turned back into Ella the mother who was also a nurse.
"Honey. What were you doing in the tree? You know that's dangerous for you right now."
And until then, I had forgotten the truth. The truth of what happened. And it overwhelmed me with anger.
"Tina. Oh, she tricked me into climbing it. She knew I would get hurt. I asked her to help me, but she ran away."
Tom made a jerking movement and fled from the room.
"Tom, where are you going?" Ella and the preacher called in harmony.
He paused in the doorway and looked at me. "I won't hurt her, but I'm bringing Tina right here." He disappeared and Felix followed.
I sat up, stretching some. The pain had instantly vanished. But the trouble had not. I couldn’t wait to have Tina punished for her actions. And she would have to stand before everyone and admit her wrong.
Ella left and returned with a bottle of water. "Honey, there's something I need to tell you about Tina. Tom and Felix need to hear this, too. I'll explain when everything has settled but listen to me when I say be easy on her."
I knew I didn't hear that right. Ella was taking Tina's side even after what she had done to me. I was lucky I didn't break something. The fall could have been disastrous.
Before anymore could be said, Tina came inside with Tom and Felix behind her.
"Hello, Tina," Ella calmly said.
"Hello. Um, I heard LeAnna got hurt. Is she okay?"
"Yes, she's okay now. I had to push her rib back in place first."
Tina shuddered. "Oh."
"Tina, dear. I understand you were with her when she climbed the tree."
"Yes, actually I was. I warned her that it would be dangerous, but she insisted."
I stomped the ground. "That's not true! I didn't want to climb it, but you insisted."
"LeAnna, join the other and leave the room. I think a few moments alone will do us some good."
I stood, more than angry. I couldn't believe Tina lied like it was nothing. In front of everyone. Even the preacher! And it seemed as though Ella was on her side.
I glared at Tina as I passed but she refused to make eye contact. Felix reached for my hand as I neared but I pushed him away and exited alone.
Chapter 18
A Different Heart
I ran. And ran. I ran outside and didn't stop. I ran to the parking lot. And as I ran, I reached for the cross on my neck and pitched it. The necklace I had never taken off. The one that made me think about mother every time I looked at it, felt it, sensed it on my neck. And it made me mad. I wanted to go back. Far back. When I was young. Before dad died, before mother went crazy, before my stepfather.
I didn't feel them until they burned my cheeks. They were angry tears. The deepest part of me that I kept bottled inside. The part that screamed "why?" whenever I sat in the pews at church. The part that questioned rather or not I was loved
