you,” Mrs. Allerton said, tears of gratitude twinkling up her eyes.
Nicole nodded, her throat dry from the shock of seeing Elise in perfect health. This on top of Charlie’s dramatic improvement — it was almost too much.
*
It was Nicole’s turn to be quiet on the drive back to her house. Nicole knew about patient confidentiality, but she wondered why her mom hadn’t mentioned Elise’s rapid recovery. Perhaps, given that her mom had called ahead to let the Allertons know the girls were coming, she had wanted it to be a surprise for Nicole?
Well, a surprise she’d gotten! This only added to the mystery. During the journey home, she could think of little else.
After they had reached home and parked, Nicole got out and sat down heavily on the curb.
Amy followed, planting herself on the lawn beside her.
“No way!” Amy began. “No way !” She ripped up a handful of glossy green lawn.
Nicole nodded, grateful for the space to process what had just happened. It was truly extraordinary news — amazing, scary and completely mind-boggling all at once.
“There is no way that Elise was OK.”
“I know, Ames.”
Amy turned and stared at her, and Nicole detected a glint of fear in her eyes.
“That branch was so heavy. And she was cut all over. I was sure she’d have one or more broken ribs. But I didn’t see any cuts on her. Did you?”
Nicole shook her head, numbed by the sudden revelation.
“What happened out there?”
Nicole let out a big sigh. “I thought we rescued a badly injured girl and her burnt dog. Now … Now, I don’t know.”
Amy nodded, trying to take it in.
What on earth could it all mean? Before Nicole could say more, someone cleared her throat noisily behind them.
Nicole turned to see her neighbor, Mrs. Truman, standing with one hand on her hip, the other brandishing a set of gardening shears.
“You girls planning on loitering there all day?”
“We might,” Nicole responded. She never had time for her grumpy neighbor, having had a long history of kicking balls and throwing Frisbees into her prized azaleas and then sheepishly having to call the Truman house to retrieve them. This routine was always followed by a sharp lecture from Mrs. Truman. Nicole once had to spend hours weeding the Trumans’ garden for accidentally knocking over the lemonade stand she had set up one summer and crushing some of Mrs. Truman’s prized roses, which especially sucked because the roses delivered their own punishment by sticking Nicole with their painful thorns.
What Mrs. Truman lacked in kindness and humor she made up for with her overzealous gardening talent. She could often be found outside her house, caring for her roses, pruning plants and tending her lawn. Truth be told, her flowers were truly a sight to behold. Nicole’s mom once joked that gardening gave Mrs. Truman an excuse to keep her eye on the neighborhood, and then muttered under her breath that it might’ve been better if she applied that same attitude to her wayward husband.
“We’re just sitting here minding our own business,” Amy protested.
“It’s like I always say,” Mrs. Truman began, glaring at the girls above her glasses. “It’s not what you’re doing now; it’s what you’re likely to be up to in the next five minutes that concerns me.” The sizeable, gray-haired lady lifted up her shears and shuffled off to work her ire on the large hedge outside her home.
Amy gave a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. It was no use arguing.
“I could really use a soda anyway,” Nicole said, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to help Amy up. “You coming in?”
Amy pulled on Nicole’s hand and stood up. “I kinda promised mom I’d spend some time with her and Troy …”
“Oh, sure.” Nicole offered a smile.
As the friends parted company, Nicole told herself that it was probably better for her to be alone with her thoughts for now anyway. Over the next few hours, she absent-mindedly tidied her room,
Nicole nodded, her throat dry from the shock of seeing Elise in perfect health. This on top of Charlie’s dramatic improvement — it was almost too much.
*
It was Nicole’s turn to be quiet on the drive back to her house. Nicole knew about patient confidentiality, but she wondered why her mom hadn’t mentioned Elise’s rapid recovery. Perhaps, given that her mom had called ahead to let the Allertons know the girls were coming, she had wanted it to be a surprise for Nicole?
Well, a surprise she’d gotten! This only added to the mystery. During the journey home, she could think of little else.
After they had reached home and parked, Nicole got out and sat down heavily on the curb.
Amy followed, planting herself on the lawn beside her.
“No way!” Amy began. “No way !” She ripped up a handful of glossy green lawn.
Nicole nodded, grateful for the space to process what had just happened. It was truly extraordinary news — amazing, scary and completely mind-boggling all at once.
“There is no way that Elise was OK.”
“I know, Ames.”
Amy turned and stared at her, and Nicole detected a glint of fear in her eyes.
“That branch was so heavy. And she was cut all over. I was sure she’d have one or more broken ribs. But I didn’t see any cuts on her. Did you?”
Nicole shook her head, numbed by the sudden revelation.
“What happened out there?”
Nicole let out a big sigh. “I thought we rescued a badly injured girl and her burnt dog. Now … Now, I don’t know.”
Amy nodded, trying to take it in.
What on earth could it all mean? Before Nicole could say more, someone cleared her throat noisily behind them.
Nicole turned to see her neighbor, Mrs. Truman, standing with one hand on her hip, the other brandishing a set of gardening shears.
“You girls planning on loitering there all day?”
“We might,” Nicole responded. She never had time for her grumpy neighbor, having had a long history of kicking balls and throwing Frisbees into her prized azaleas and then sheepishly having to call the Truman house to retrieve them. This routine was always followed by a sharp lecture from Mrs. Truman. Nicole once had to spend hours weeding the Trumans’ garden for accidentally knocking over the lemonade stand she had set up one summer and crushing some of Mrs. Truman’s prized roses, which especially sucked because the roses delivered their own punishment by sticking Nicole with their painful thorns.
What Mrs. Truman lacked in kindness and humor she made up for with her overzealous gardening talent. She could often be found outside her house, caring for her roses, pruning plants and tending her lawn. Truth be told, her flowers were truly a sight to behold. Nicole’s mom once joked that gardening gave Mrs. Truman an excuse to keep her eye on the neighborhood, and then muttered under her breath that it might’ve been better if she applied that same attitude to her wayward husband.
“We’re just sitting here minding our own business,” Amy protested.
“It’s like I always say,” Mrs. Truman began, glaring at the girls above her glasses. “It’s not what you’re doing now; it’s what you’re likely to be up to in the next five minutes that concerns me.” The sizeable, gray-haired lady lifted up her shears and shuffled off to work her ire on the large hedge outside her home.
Amy gave a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. It was no use arguing.
“I could really use a soda anyway,” Nicole said, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to help Amy up. “You coming in?”
Amy pulled on Nicole’s hand and stood up. “I kinda promised mom I’d spend some time with her and Troy …”
“Oh, sure.” Nicole offered a smile.
As the friends parted company, Nicole told herself that it was probably better for her to be alone with her thoughts for now anyway. Over the next few hours, she absent-mindedly tidied her room,
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