“Yeah?” I stood, and started walking toward the emergency room. “You ever thought about going pro?”
“Um ... I’m eight?”
I laughed. I liked this kid.
The emergency room was in chaos, so we wandered from one area to another looking for his mom and dad. But they were nowhere to be found.
“You can hang with us for now,” Sarah said, trying to cheer him up. I looked at the boy nervously. We had plenty of problems, and people to worry about, and I didn’t want to be away from Carrie a moment longer than I had to be. But the kid was scared out of his mind, and he had no idea where his parents were, and I didn’t either.
Routine (Carrie)
The clock on the wall of the waiting room said 3:15. Had things gone as expected, we’d probably have been finished at the zoo by now. Four hours of relaxation. Four hours to bask in Ray’s company, which I’d had little enough of lately. Four hours to turn an entire life upside down.
Just a few weeks ago, I’d thought our lives were falling apart. But I’d had no idea what that really meant, had I?
Other than Alexandra and the doctors and nurses, I hadn’t spoken with anyone. I certainly hadn’t bothered to contact the Army and notify them of the accident. So I was shocked ... no, utterly stunned, when Major Janice Smalls walked into the waiting room.
A tall woman, with deep hued skin so dark it was almost blue, Major Smalls was a kind, thoughtful woman who I absolutely detested. She wore her Army combat uniform and boots, but carried a briefcase. The moment she walked into the room, I felt every muscle in my back tighten, and I sat up straight, irrationally sure she was here to drag him out of the operating room and back into the clutches of the Army.
Jessica noticed the sudden tension and sat up beside me.
I stood up, trying to contain my anger, but it was hard. I shook, and my fists curled at my side. I’m not usually a confrontational person. But she might force my hand into an exception.
She walked straight to me, set her briefcase on the floor and put both hands out, gently touching both of my arms in a show of mock concern. “Carrie. I’m so sorry about the accident. Why didn’t you call me?”
Her tone made me want to vomit. I stared at her and swallowed, trying to keep my teeth from gritting. Finally, I said, “I’ve had other things on my mind.”
She blinked then said, “How is he? All I know is there was an accident ... the hospital notified the Army as a routine matter.”
Routine. Yes, I understood it was routine. But it still made me angry. It made me angry that the Army had invaded our life so much that even this, even an accident, was routine to be put on paper, shuffled through their systems with the proper notifications. I wanted to scream. Instead I said, “He’s in pretty serious condition.”
She nodded, looking sympathetic. I knew it was irrational to hate her. She had only done what she had to do. But I couldn’t help it. Maybe it was selfish of me. But it didn’t have to happen the way it did.
She asked, “Have the police been by to question you yet?”
The police? I looked at her, confused. “No ... is there any reason to expect them to?”
Her expression froze. “I just assumed, after an accident this serious.”
I shook my head. “No. Maybe you’re right.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“We were on our way to the zoo, and a jeep ran a red light and hit us on the driver’s side. It all happened really fast.”
“I see. I’m relieved to see you’re all right. When may I speak with him?”
I tried to answer. I really did. I said, “Right now I don’t know ... I don’t know when ... if…” and then I was crying again. It made me furious that I let down my guard in front of this woman, that I showed any form of weakness in front of her at all. I bit back the tears and said, “He’s in emergency surgery right now. We’ll know more later. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my sister.”
I turned, and half stumbled back to my seat, then sat back down next to Jessica and took her hand in mine.
Major Smalls stood there for a few seconds, and then apparently decided she’d heard enough for now. She turned and walked out of the waiting room.
All that was left (Carrie)
“Excuse me ... Mrs. Sherman?”
It took a second to realize the doctor was talking to me. First, because I’d begun to drift off to sleep in my seat, and second, because no one called me that. Maybe three or five seconds after the voice spoke, it sank in that Mrs. Sherman was me. My eyes snapped open and I was on my feet.
“Yes?” I said.
“Doctor Peterson ... we met earlier.”
“Yes. How is Sarah? And Ray?”
“I wanted to let you know, Sarah is out of surgery. She’s being moved to the intensive care unit right now, but she’s stabilized.”
I felt as if I’d been hit with a sudden wave of drugs, the relief washed over me in a wave that could have carried me right out of the hospital. “And ... her leg?”
He nodded. “At this time, we think we can keep it under control with the fasciotomy. There’s a strong chance she’ll keep her leg. But it will be a long road to recovery.”
“When can I see her?”
“Once she’s settled into intensive care. You need to understand ... the wounds in her leg from the fasciotomy ... they’ll have to be kept open, potentially as long as three or four days. You’ll at least be able to visit later, but it’s going to be touch and go for a while ... there’s significant
