I stared out the window in awe at Ellie and Jenna. The sun was so bright, how could they manage? Yet they were laughing merrily kicking a ball back and forth. Imagine how hot it was out there, being the middle of summer in Texas. Actually, I had never been outside in the middle of the summer in Texas. Come to think of it, I’d never been outside at all. That I can remember, at least. When I was about 4, my mother developed a fear of the sun. I remember staying inside with her, alone. When I was 8 years old, my mother developed a brain tumor. By the time they noticed it she was already on death row. She died at home in October, inside. Now it’s Dad, Ellie, and me, though every person but the latter goes outside on a daily basis. I didn’t use to be afraid. I guess I’m still staying with Mom, inside, all day, all week. I have been outside once, though. I was with Sarah, my BFF. We were sleeping at my house. We wanted ice cream, but it was in the freezer in the garage, which would require about a 10 second walk across the yard. I wanted to surprise her. I got the job done, but my skin tingled for a week. It was so…fresh. Not in a good way, though. I also developed a red bump on my forearm that itched to kingdom come. Ellie tricked me into thinking it was malaria and I didn’t know any better to think it wasn’t. Eventually it dissolved, though. Some malaria.
I took a deep breath as I recalled my strange past. Looking outside, I noticed there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. For anybody else, it would’ve been a perfect day. A squirrel darted across the yard as I watched two birds lean against each other on a limb of a tree.
Then I heard a scream. It was ear piercing, even through the glass front windows. I jerked my head back into reality and saw Jenna, crouching over Ellie, who was on the ground, lifeless, blood emerging from the ground and creeping down our slanted driveway. I picked up the phone laying next to me on the couch and dialed 911.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“My sister fell down and she’s bleeding really bad from her head.”
“Is she conscious?”
I glanced back out of the window to get my facts straight.
“Not that I can see.”
“What’s your address?”
“Um, 3020 Lyndon.”
“I’ll send somebody right over”
When I hung up, I realized I was shaking rapidly. I put the phone back in its holder and noticed a line of sweat dripping down its side.
I glanced outside and met eyes with Jenna, hers probably just as desperate as mine. I had to go. I grabbed my jacket off our coat hanger by the front door, hoping it would stop the bleeding.
Without thinking, I swung open the double doors and sprinted towards Ellie. The sun burned on my skin, buy I persisted until I reached her. Her eyes were closed calmly, as if there wasn’t blood gushing form her scalp. I propped up her head on my knee and scooted the jacket under her head. Jenna sat at Ellie’s side, holding her hand with persperating fingers. I looked down once again at Ellie’s head. The jacket had turned red and there was nothing more to absorb the blood.
“Keep her head under pressure,” I instructed Jenna, “and don’t panic.” I had never been involved in any tragedy, but from my knowledge of daytime television, I knew that panic was never the answer. I turned Ellie’s head towards Jenna, and lifted her limp body from my lap to on top of Jenna’s legs. I then glanced upward to see if anyone was noticing the two panic-stricken girls in the middle of a cement –block driveway. No one.
Then I noticed the sun. I stared up at its glowing atmosphere. It seemed to overpower the word. It was so bright, but happy. As if nothing bad could ever happen under its godly shield. And yet.
I glanced toward the front door and lifted myself up on my feet.
“Izzy...” Jenna started, but I was already gone.
I was wobbly, but I still sprinted towards my goal. I stumbled through the front door and passed the living room on my journey to the coat rack. Then I ran into the kitchen. I slipped and I was on the ground. Then came the scissors.
I had been scrapbooking earlier in the morning, which always helped pass the countless hours spent in darkness. I never put my stuff away, because the next morning I would always have to get it out again. The scissors hung off the table, threatening me. The vibration from the fall shook the table and down they went. Into my leg.
The pain was excruciating, but even more was the pain that I couldn’t help Ellie and I was leaving Jenna to try and save her life alone. Then I hear the sirens.
They were here. I didn’t have to fight anymore. Then I went to sleep, back to where I was comforted the most.
I woke up in bed. Not my bed. Something was stuck in my arm, and something was beeping at me every second like an annoying puppy that wants to play. Then it clicked to me. I was in a hospital. They must have brought me here along with Ellie. I was nervous to see her. I attempted to sit up and it felt like a knife had been thrown into my thigh. Oh yeah, it had. I sunk back into my original position hopelessly.
The duel floor to ceiling windows were opened and a light breeze rustled papers at the end of the bed. The sun cast shadows across the tile flooring. Then a tall man strolled into “my” room. The wooden door shut silently and left us with no sound other than the obnoxious beeping. His hair was perfectly sculpted like a statue and his build reminded me of Doctor McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy.
He lifted the clipboard at the end of the bed and flipped to a page quickly.
“Izzy, I’m Doctor Robinson. A pair of scissors pierced your thigh. Do you remember?”
I nodded my head weakly. I knew what happened, though only vaguely.
“We were able to repair everything, but you’ll need therapy to rebuild your leg’s strength.” He placed the clipboard at the foot of my bed, and it was reassuring when I felt it softly rest on my shin
I took a minute to absorb this information. My life was permanently altered.
Dr. Robinson then took my hand in his, “You know, you were really heroic yesterday. I think Ellie really appreciates it. That really shows how much you love her, when you did that.”
Yes, I guess I was brave, but I really didn’t care that much about it then. I didn’t want to commend myself when I really didn’t know if I helped Ellie at all. I didn’t care about me. Great, my leg is good, but what about Ellie? She was the only person I so desperately wanted to see, though I wasn’t sure if she was awake or not.
“Where’s Ellie?”I mentally prepared myself for the worst.
Dr. Robinson timidly smiled and folded his hands into each other, “Ellie had a seizure. She fell on a rock and punctured her head. She was in surgery for 10 hours, but her surgeon fixed her nerves and skull. She’s in the ICU right now downstairs.”
That made me recall the image of my mother in a bed, a tube down her throat and wires on her chest. I shook it away unwillingly.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Last time I saw him, he was with your sister.”
“Can I see them?”
Dr. Robinson gingerly lifted me out of bed like a porcelain doll. In my state, I guess I kind of was. He placed me in a wheelchair nearby.
“Of course.”
He pushed me down the hall and into the nearest elevator. As we went down, I prepared myself for the worst. One ding later, I was out of the elevator and heading towards an atrium.
“Do you want to go outside? It’s a faster route there.”
I raced through my mind a recalled going outside. It was… happy. I wanted to do it again.
“Sure.”
He brought me to the doors, and they opened automatically. He slowly pushed me outside, obviously knowing that I had never been outside before. The wind rustled my wavy hair back behind my head slowly. I glanced upwards towards the light that roasted my pale skin. I had never seen anything like it. Not on TV, not anywhere. It was glorious and shined like a newly sculpted gem. A bird chirped happily in the distance, welcoming me to my new home. It was happiness, blessedness, prosperity.
Joy