Esther’s voice filters through my memory. She’s the one who took charge.
Now, my parents stand at the foot of my bed, looking down at me. “I’m fine.” I roll my eyes.
“Why didn’t you eat?” Mom asks, her sweet tone she had around the doctor now gone.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“We can’t even trust you to take care of yourself. Why don’t you think?”
“Sarah, maybe not now.” At least I have one compassionate parent.
“Yeah, Mom. How about we wait until I get out of the hospital?”
Dad pats my foot. “You too, Lucinda. Not here.”
“May I come in?” Esther peeks around the curtain. Dad eagerly pulls it open for her. Esther walks in with three containers of juice in hand. “Cranberry or apple?”
“Cranberry please.” She hands it to me. “Thanks.”
“Well, Sarah and Dan, I need to do some vital signs and a physical assessment on Lucy.” Esther looks down at me and smiles. “I bet Lucy wouldn’t mind some privacy.”
Mom interrupts, “Oh, it’s okay.”
No, it isn’t. I look to Dad, raising my eyebrows. He gets the hint. “Honestly Sarah, I’m hungry. How about we go grab a snack while Esther watches Lucy?”
Esther smiles. “Yes, don’t make more work for me, Dad. I don’t want another hypoglycemic patient today.”
“Good point. Come on, let’s find a candy bar.” He wraps his hand around Mom’s and leads her out the door.
“Do you know how much high-fructose corn syrup is in a candy bar?” Mom’s voice echoes down the hall. I roll my eyes and Esther chuckles.
Esther places a blood pressure cuff around my arm, squeezing it like a boa constrictor. “Thought I’d give you a break, honey.” She nods toward the door. “It’s hard being sixteen and in the hospital with your parents around.”
“It’s hard being sixteen in general.” I sigh, laying my head back on my pillow.
She pats my arm. “97/68.”
“Is that good?” I ask.
“Just fine for a woman your size.” I smile. A woman.
She places her fingers on my wrist, resting them where my blood bounces. “I’m actually surprised it’s so normal. I thought it might be a little high now that you’re remembering some things.” She whistles. “You made quite a scene in the ER.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” I hope I haven’t said something mean to her. She's nice.
“No apologizing. It was the best part of my day—listening to you call that guy names as you went in and out of consciousness. And that punch! Whoop! He didn’t see it coming!”
“Did I really hit him?” I try to hide my smile. At least I have that …
“Right across the face.” She nods while counting my pulse. “The best part though was when you woke with him sitting next to your bed. You looked him right in the eye and told him his head was so big it would explode.”
“It will someday,” I mutter. “Was he mad?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. He just laughed.” Of course he did, laughing at a girl in a hospital bed. He’s probably already texted everyone about it. I hate technology.
Esther pulls up a chair. “So, I know you can hold your own with the boys, but how’s everything else going?”
“Um, okay.” I lie. She raises her eyebrow, catching me. I am too exhausted to exaggerate on the lie. Honesty seems easier. “Okay, it’s crappy.”
She leans back in her chair, hands folded on her lap and ready to listen. “Tell me about it.” So I do. I tell her about everything: Marissa, sneaking out, the party, Mom’s yellow hat, Zach, and the new job. I even talk about basketball.
Esther nods along with my words. “That’s a lot to deal with. Hang in there. Sixteen can suck, but it can be oh so good too. More independence. Dating. Love. Knowledge.” She pauses. “Sixteen is really just the beginning of your journey.”
She gets it. Now why can’t Mom and Dad get it too?
CHAPTER SEVEN
A half-eaten bowl of Kung Pao chicken and an untouched orange juice rest on my bedroom
Now, my parents stand at the foot of my bed, looking down at me. “I’m fine.” I roll my eyes.
“Why didn’t you eat?” Mom asks, her sweet tone she had around the doctor now gone.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“We can’t even trust you to take care of yourself. Why don’t you think?”
“Sarah, maybe not now.” At least I have one compassionate parent.
“Yeah, Mom. How about we wait until I get out of the hospital?”
Dad pats my foot. “You too, Lucinda. Not here.”
“May I come in?” Esther peeks around the curtain. Dad eagerly pulls it open for her. Esther walks in with three containers of juice in hand. “Cranberry or apple?”
“Cranberry please.” She hands it to me. “Thanks.”
“Well, Sarah and Dan, I need to do some vital signs and a physical assessment on Lucy.” Esther looks down at me and smiles. “I bet Lucy wouldn’t mind some privacy.”
Mom interrupts, “Oh, it’s okay.”
No, it isn’t. I look to Dad, raising my eyebrows. He gets the hint. “Honestly Sarah, I’m hungry. How about we go grab a snack while Esther watches Lucy?”
Esther smiles. “Yes, don’t make more work for me, Dad. I don’t want another hypoglycemic patient today.”
“Good point. Come on, let’s find a candy bar.” He wraps his hand around Mom’s and leads her out the door.
“Do you know how much high-fructose corn syrup is in a candy bar?” Mom’s voice echoes down the hall. I roll my eyes and Esther chuckles.
Esther places a blood pressure cuff around my arm, squeezing it like a boa constrictor. “Thought I’d give you a break, honey.” She nods toward the door. “It’s hard being sixteen and in the hospital with your parents around.”
“It’s hard being sixteen in general.” I sigh, laying my head back on my pillow.
She pats my arm. “97/68.”
“Is that good?” I ask.
“Just fine for a woman your size.” I smile. A woman.
She places her fingers on my wrist, resting them where my blood bounces. “I’m actually surprised it’s so normal. I thought it might be a little high now that you’re remembering some things.” She whistles. “You made quite a scene in the ER.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” I hope I haven’t said something mean to her. She's nice.
“No apologizing. It was the best part of my day—listening to you call that guy names as you went in and out of consciousness. And that punch! Whoop! He didn’t see it coming!”
“Did I really hit him?” I try to hide my smile. At least I have that …
“Right across the face.” She nods while counting my pulse. “The best part though was when you woke with him sitting next to your bed. You looked him right in the eye and told him his head was so big it would explode.”
“It will someday,” I mutter. “Was he mad?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. He just laughed.” Of course he did, laughing at a girl in a hospital bed. He’s probably already texted everyone about it. I hate technology.
Esther pulls up a chair. “So, I know you can hold your own with the boys, but how’s everything else going?”
“Um, okay.” I lie. She raises her eyebrow, catching me. I am too exhausted to exaggerate on the lie. Honesty seems easier. “Okay, it’s crappy.”
She leans back in her chair, hands folded on her lap and ready to listen. “Tell me about it.” So I do. I tell her about everything: Marissa, sneaking out, the party, Mom’s yellow hat, Zach, and the new job. I even talk about basketball.
Esther nods along with my words. “That’s a lot to deal with. Hang in there. Sixteen can suck, but it can be oh so good too. More independence. Dating. Love. Knowledge.” She pauses. “Sixteen is really just the beginning of your journey.”
She gets it. Now why can’t Mom and Dad get it too?
CHAPTER SEVEN
A half-eaten bowl of Kung Pao chicken and an untouched orange juice rest on my bedroom
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