Love Lies Beneath by Ellen Hopkins Page B

phone with her?”
    â€œIt wouldn’t do any good. Melody maintains a serious list of rules to live by. Besides, her phone is much safer not going out on the mountain with her.”
    Which elicits a nervous laugh. “I hope she skis cautiously, then.”
    â€œNo worries. Mel’s definitely not the out-of-bounds kind of skier. And it would be a cold day in hell before you’d find her limping her way down a Killebrew run.”
    â€œThat’s very good to hear. Now, do you need anything before I go?”
    I glance around the room, which is naked except for a miniature desk, two more gurneys (because a first aid station can never have too many), and a door, which probably leads to a bathroom. “Go? As in, you’re leaving me here all alone?”
    â€œSorry, ma’am, but my job is on the mountain.”
    â€œBut . . . what am I supposed to do ?”
    â€œWhat am I supposed to do? Stay here and entertain you?”
    I really want to act pissy, but that will definitely get me nowhere, so I’ll attempt “helpless” instead. “No, no. Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. But could you . . . I mean would you mind . . . I, um, need to use the restroom. Could you possibly help me? Just to the door, I mean. I think I can take it from there.”
    Trevor’s cheeks flush cranberry. “Oh, of course. Why didn’t you just say so to start with?” He whisks me off the gurney as if I am weightless, sets me down just across the bathroom threshold. “Be super careful not to twist that leg sideways, and try not to bend that knee.”
    He shuts the door, and I take my time. He’s given me the excuse, but even if he hadn’t, accomplishing the task is tricky. I manage to keep my right leg mostly extended, but when I sit it does slant toward the floor, flooding the knee with fluid. Suddenly, it hurts, and it hurts a lot. I manage to quell the rising scream, which escapes as a very loud “Jesus!”
    Trevor knocks on the door. “Everything okay in there?”
    Other than the sledgehammer pounding my patella, and the hot drain of blood from my face, everything is just peachy. “F-f-fine,” I manage, flushing the toilet. “Be right there.” I have to talk myself into standing, however.
    By the time I finally manage to zip my pants and wash my hands, I’ve regained a little composure, at least until I turn away from the sink, forgetting my knee just long enough to twist my weighted right leg sideways. The ensuing pop! forces that scream from my mouth after all.
    Trevor flings open the door. “Holy shit! You’re white as an albino’s ghost.” Fascinating colloquialism.
    â€œYeah. This thing decided to hurt after all.” I avoid the details. Only an idiot could have forgotten that injury in the space of three minutes. “Could you get me a couple of ibuprofen?”
    He decides to isolate the knee, and by the time he’s finished applying an elastic bandage, the on-duty attendant, Sierra, arrives. She assesses his work, gives an approving nod. “Good job, T. I’ll take it from here.”
    Trevor pats me on the shoulder. “As soon as your sister catches up with you, go straight to the ER, okay?” His newfound concern borders on comical.
    â€œCross my heart.” He starts to leave, but I stop him. “Hey, Trevor? Thanks for the expertise. Not to mention the entertainment.”
    It’s after two by the time Melody finally stumbles in, tired from the unaccustomed exercise. I’m sipping hot tea and reading an old Ski magazine, fairly comfortable, or at least as comfortable as I could convince Sierra to make me, with an extra pillow and one of her personal Vicodins.
    â€œAre you okay?” Mel demands.
    â€œMost of me. Except my right knee. That is most definitely not okay.”
    â€œDo you know how scared I was when that guy—who was stoned