Trying to smile.
Joan rolled over in bed, and glanced sleepily at her clock. 1 in the morning. Where was Kevin? He was supposed to be home by now, and she hadn't heard the door slamming at all. The phone rang, and Joan's heart started to pound. Nobody ever phoned their house after midnight. Who could it be?
The hallway light blinded Joan for a moment as Helen entered the room. "Joan, get up. There's..there's been an accident. It's Kevin."
It's Kevin. Kevin. Kevin.
Joan started to tremble. "But.. he's okay, right? He's gotta be okay." She couldn't lose her older brother, she loved him so much. Helen shook her head, and wiped her eyes with a tissue."I'm not sure, sweetie. We're going to go to the hospital, get dressed."
Joan threw some clothes on, not caring what she was wearing. She met Luke and her father downstairs, and they all got into the car that Helen was driving.
Joan couldn't bear to look any of her family members in the eye- she was afraid that if she did, she would see all the worry and fear in all of them, and she wanted to believe that everything would be okay.
It had been two hours in the waiting room and Will and Helen had gone into Kevin's hospital room. The waiting itself was exhausting. Joan laid her head on Luke's shoulder and tried to get to sleep. Will came into the waiting room with Helen close behind. Luke nudged Joan to wake up.
"How is he?" she murmured. Helen's face had a sort of expression that Joan couldn't quite place. Agonizing worry, maybe. "This is going to be hard to hear, so just..hear me out, ok? Kevin paralysed his back.. he's never going to be able to walk again." Joan's mouth gaped open as Luke whispered, "What about basketball?" Will's face looked grim, as he shook his head.
"You kids can go in one at a time." Luke looked at Joan who shook her head. "You go in first." Luke nodded, and walked into Kevin's room. Helen sat beside Joan and stroked her hair. Joan sniffled. "Does he know?" "He might know, but we haven't told him yet. God, that's going to be hard." A few minutes passed and Luke came out, smiling a little. "He still has a sense of humor. Go in, Joan."
Joan entered the hospital room and was overwhelmed by all the machines that were surrounding Kevin. He had his eyes closed, and Joan walked over by his bed. Kevin woke up. "Hey, squirt." Joan tried to smile,tried to smile for Kevin. "How are you? How much are you hurting?" "A bit sore, but I'll live." His eyes looked so calm that Joan started to cry. Kevin motioned to her to come closer to him and he gave her a long hug. "I'm here Joan, I didn't die, ya know. Boy, you guys are all so sensitive today." "When I heard that phone call, we were all so scared,Kev." They pulled back and Joan looked into his eyes.
"Joan.. I know that I'll never be able to walk again, or play basketball." Joan was confused. "How do you-?" "By trying to move my legs." He looked sad. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle it, but I've got you guys. And you guys have me." Joan smiled. "Now do me a favour. Go home and sleep. Tell Mom, Dad and Luke that too. Come visit me tomorrow or something." Joan kissed his cheek, hugged him, and went out the door.
"Well?" Helen said. "He's going to be fine," Joan replied. "All that matters is that we're together."
Joan rolled over in bed, and glanced sleepily at her clock. 1 in the morning. Where was Kevin? He was supposed to be home by now, and she hadn't heard the door slamming at all. The phone rang, and Joan's heart started to pound. Nobody ever phoned their house after midnight. Who could it be?
The hallway light blinded Joan for a moment as Helen entered the room. "Joan, get up. There's..there's been an accident. It's Kevin."
It's Kevin. Kevin. Kevin.
Joan started to tremble. "But.. he's okay, right? He's gotta be okay." She couldn't lose her older brother, she loved him so much. Helen shook her head, and wiped her eyes with a tissue."I'm not sure, sweetie. We're going to go to the hospital, get dressed."
Joan threw some clothes on, not caring what she was wearing. She met Luke and her father downstairs, and they all got into the car that Helen was driving.
Joan couldn't bear to look any of her family members in the eye- she was afraid that if she did, she would see all the worry and fear in all of them, and she wanted to believe that everything would be okay.
It had been two hours in the waiting room and Will and Helen had gone into Kevin's hospital room. The waiting itself was exhausting. Joan laid her head on Luke's shoulder and tried to get to sleep. Will came into the waiting room with Helen close behind. Luke nudged Joan to wake up.
"How is he?" she murmured. Helen's face had a sort of expression that Joan couldn't quite place. Agonizing worry, maybe. "This is going to be hard to hear, so just..hear me out, ok? Kevin paralysed his back.. he's never going to be able to walk again." Joan's mouth gaped open as Luke whispered, "What about basketball?" Will's face looked grim, as he shook his head.
"You kids can go in one at a time." Luke looked at Joan who shook her head. "You go in first." Luke nodded, and walked into Kevin's room. Helen sat beside Joan and stroked her hair. Joan sniffled. "Does he know?" "He might know, but we haven't told him yet. God, that's going to be hard." A few minutes passed and Luke came out, smiling a little. "He still has a sense of humor. Go in, Joan."
Joan entered the hospital room and was overwhelmed by all the machines that were surrounding Kevin. He had his eyes closed, and Joan walked over by his bed. Kevin woke up. "Hey, squirt." Joan tried to smile,tried to smile for Kevin. "How are you? How much are you hurting?" "A bit sore, but I'll live." His eyes looked so calm that Joan started to cry. Kevin motioned to her to come closer to him and he gave her a long hug. "I'm here Joan, I didn't die, ya know. Boy, you guys are all so sensitive today." "When I heard that phone call, we were all so scared,Kev." They pulled back and Joan looked into his eyes.
"Joan.. I know that I'll never be able to walk again, or play basketball." Joan was confused. "How do you-?" "By trying to move my legs." He looked sad. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle it, but I've got you guys. And you guys have me." Joan smiled. "Now do me a favour. Go home and sleep. Tell Mom, Dad and Luke that too. Come visit me tomorrow or something." Joan kissed his cheek, hugged him, and went out the door.
"Well?" Helen said. "He's going to be fine," Joan replied. "All that matters is that we're together."