Rhonda
Mrs. Huck was being wheeled to the outer patio, she always preferred being outside and while it was over cased there was no call for rain. The young nurse locked the wheels in place turning to the gray-haired women.
"How's this Mrs. Huck?" I mimicked following the moments of her mouth in a ridiculous impression of a voice I had never heard.
"Just perfect dear if you're completely fine with me burning alive." I followed with my Mrs. Huck impression; I did know her voice regrettable so. When I first arrived at the rehabilitation center I had to spend several days sharing a room with the women and her shrill, demanding, patronizing voice. Why is it when you become old you become mean.
I laid back into my pillow board at what the window had showed me. I wouldn't have to spend much long here Mrs. Yang was going to pick me up after work today. About time after spending nearly three weeks in the Cleveland hospital then another two here I was getting stir crazy. I hated being inside in general, I was contained, hidden and trapped. The hospital made it worst the perfect white walls, the locked windows the sterile smell, the beeping and buzzing of the machines. I fought the urge to get up and walk out of this place. I had attempted to once before and it hadn't gone over well.
I wouldn't get very far. I wiggled my recently pained toes (Reina's going) It was the only part of my right leg visible in the purple cast. Going all the way up to my thigh. My right arm also sported a medical wrap one that I would most likely have for the rest of my life, to help with flare ups according to Dr. Roff. In the end despite how banged up I looked now I was luck no serious head trauma and the internal bleeding had been stopped without complications. But Lord did it take forever for bones to heal.
The creek in the door brought my attention. A young man in a lab coat and clip board, he must be an intern there is no way someone that young could be a doctor.
"Good afternoon Miss Garden, I'm Dr. Cullen I'll be reviewing your chart and final checkup before we get you out of here." He smiled. His voice was like velvet.
"Where's Dr. Roff?"
"He had an emergency with another patient he asked me to handle your case on my first day and just going over some basic rules before we set you free. Considering you've been here for so long I'm sure you're ready to be back in your own home." My lips thinned at the mentioned of my home. He began to drabble on about my medication and proper care to prevent further injury. I tuned out his words having heard it several times and really focused on him. He claimed to be a doctor, yet it seemed impossible. Model would suite him better, amber eyes, flawless skin, youthful face. He was gorgeous, but it wasn't right something about him was…
"Odd." He had stopped taking and I realized I had spoken. "Ah..Sorry I didn't mean to say that,"…Out loud. He chuckled lightly not bothered by comment.
"Okay let me take a look at you." He went through the normal routine that the nurse usual took care of, while asking me the same usual question. 'Have you had any dizziness, nausea, pain?' And my answered were always no, fastest way to get out of here I assumed. "Well then Miss Garden you are free to go. Someone will be by to pick you up?"
"Yea, she gets off work soon."
"Well you most certainly can wait here just stop by the nurse's station on your way out." I nodded to the doctor as he handed me my prescription note. "They'll set you up for your next appointment." He gave me a kind smile before walking out the door.
"He is definitely odd," His perfect face, his graceful walk, and captivation voice. But he was rather nice too so give and take.
I stared up at the ceiling, Mrs. Yang would call me when she got here. I settled on taking a nap. A violin strum echoed. I grabbed my phone even though I knew it wasn't it. It sounded again and slowly took on a tune. It was coming from one of the other rooms, but I knew my neighbors couldn't play the violin at least not with their recovery. The song unlocked a part of my brain one that hadn't been opened in so long with it came the smell of musk and pine, rain on my skin and my grandpa's voice.
Country Roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, Country Roads
I hear her voice, In the mornin' hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin' down the road I get a feelin'
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
I sang with the violin. The same way I had with my grandpa before his passing, this was his favorite song and one I knew well. When it ended a melancholy came over me. I hadn't listened to that song in so long.
The door swung opened, my heart stopped. Had I relapsed? Was I dying? The women before me was an angle. A beautiful heart shaped face, big brown eyes a slight blush to her pale cheeks. Long reddish-brown ringlets that was pulled up way from her face but still ran down her back.
"Where you the one singing?" She asked in a song like voice.
"Yes." I then noticed she had a violin in her slender arm. "I didn't mean to interpret." Her eyes sparked, and a smile took over.
"You have an amazing voice." I blushed at the complement. "My names Nessie Masen. I just moved to the area." She extended her arm.
"Ah…Rhonda Garden. Do you work here?"
"Oh no my P…Uncle does. I like to play music for some of patient."
"Dr. Cullen." I asked.
"How'd you know?"
"Lucky guest." There was no way two strictly beautiful people weren't related. "I'm sorry if I interrupted."
"No, your singing is great. I was wondering if you would like to join me I usually play accompany to a piano, but he couldn't come today so I'm solo."
"No." I said fast, and she did little to hide her disappointment. "It just I don't sing in front of people. Why do you play for the patients?" I asked quickly taking the spot off of me.
"To cheer them up. Music makes people feel better in general and live music is the best. It's not much but I can tell it makes people happy." She gave a smile, a heart stopping one that carried up to her eyes. "What would you like me to play for you?" She asked setting her violin on her shoulder.
"You don't have to."
"It is what I come here for." I bit my lip thinking.
"Country Roads."
"Again? This song is very popular in this area." She paused and then began to start playing. Her face was still as her bow strummed the strings her fingers delicately dancing on the neck of the violin. The sound opened the memories again she played more beautify then my grandpa, but I could hear him in her music. Sitting on a barrel watching the rain from the shed as he thumped his foot to the tune playing away on his violin. There was a weight in my throat and I felt the tear leave my eye.
Nessie herself seemed lost in the music. Pulled into it as she played being filled by it, like it was her life. If it were possible her music made her more beautiful. She ended softly opening her eyes.
"I've never had people cry after I preform." My good hand went to my face. Tears were streaming out of my eyes.
"Sorry it's just this song reminds me of my grandpa. He played the violin too. This was his favorite song."
She gave a polite smile. "It reminds me of my grandpa too. I used to play it for him all the time, much to my father's despise he hates country."
"He's in a bad area for that." I laughed. "Most listen to country, in small town Ohio."
"Trust me whenever I'm mad at him I play 'The devil came down to Georgia' in a loop." Her laugh was airy contrasted by my own.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in."
"Sorry I'm late." Mrs. Yang said stopping when she saw Nessie. "Was I interrupting?"
"No I was just heading out. I hope you enjoyed the song and have a speedy recovery." I gave her nod of thanks Mrs. Yang gapping at her as she headed out.
"Who was that?"
"Nessie Masen. I'm positive she's related to Dr. Cullen is some way."
"Oh she must be one of Dr. Cullen's daughters. Nice couple him and his wife Esme." Daughter? There is no way that Dr. Cullen was old enough to have kids her age. "He and his wife have several adopted children." She clarified seeing my face.
"She called him her uncle."
"Oh it's the youngest then."
We commed a nurse who brought a wheel chair and the two helped me get into it. Stopping at the nurse station only to be held up as the two behind the desk gushed over the new Dr. Cullen and how lucky I was as his first patient. After a bit we were finally able to get my paper work and leave. The nurse wheeled me down to the parking garage but then we were on our own. Slowly we made it to her car. I looked to the short women as she helped me into the car. Despite being the one in the cast I felt bad for making her do all the work.
"Now since school started a few weeks ago Carson has gathered all your homework and classwork and I've talked to all the teachers and they all understand and are willing to extend their deadlines." After some other small talk Mrs. Yang had turned up the radio—country— after listening to Nessie play live it didn't hold my interest. I chose to tune it out and look at the greenery. Forest and farm land that's all Ohio offered. You could drive from one end to the other and it would all be the same. I heard myself sigh then regretted it as Mrs. Yang looked at me from the review mirror. When I get home, I would have so much to do. Frist get the house situated and grandma and I would have to go to the court house no later than next week. And Reina. I felt a ping of pain; not unusual I was always in pain but this was different. Reina—my sister has been alone in all of this while I was lying in a hospital bed. No doubt the town has been bombarding her with questions and rumors. I might have been the one in critical condition, but she was worst off
I saw the 'Welcome to Valley View' sign and anxiety came over me. Was I ready for what will happen? All the pitiful stares, the halfhearted smiles and questions of concerns. I still have some time, I thought rubbing my head with my good hand. It won't start till school tomorrow.
"Rhonda were here." Mrs. Yang spoke up. It had started to rain, and Carson had come to meet us outside with an umbrella. I slung my arm around Carson's shoulders and the umbrella hung awkwardly over my head because I was taller than her. Mrs. Yang just bit the bullet and ran through the down pour with my bag. Carson and I took longer trying to keep my cast from touching any of the puddles that had formed on the gravel walk way.
"Good to see you back and… nearly walking," Carson joked shaking the umbrella and leaving it in the unclosed porch. I smiled Carson and Mrs. Yang were the two who had helped me the most and they respected my boundaries. Seeing the two of them standing side by side I had forgotten how much they looked alike. Both short even compared to my five' four. Small round faces with small eyes and a slim nose. The only difference was that Mrs. Yang had shorter graying hair and a face lined with age, hidden by her red glasses.
"I made lasagna, I'm sure you're hungry." Carson spoke holding the door open.
I didn't even make it through the door before I was jumped and a new weight almost toppled me over had Mrs. Yang and Carson not been behind me.
"Rhonda! I've missed you! I'm so glad your back." I hugged Reina bearing her face into my chest and patting her head.
"You cut your hair." I said realizing her once long black locks stopped at the base of her neck.
"Yea, yours has grown out," she said tugging lightly at my blond hair. When I went to the hospital it was at my shoulders now it was past my shoulder blades. Unlike Carson and her mom, I and Reina looked nothing a like despite being sisters. She had dark caramel skin and thick coarse hair while I was so translucent a ghost would be jealous with thin nearly white blond hair. Hazel eyes compared to my blue. I was short and pudgy while she was lean and would most likely outgrow me by the end of school year. She had just turned 12 she still had a couple years of growth in her.
We stumbled down the hall to the small eat in kitchen where the smell of garlic and lasagna was the strongest. Raina had taken liberty of setting the table and as I sat down prepared my plate, exaggerating my appetite, with the mountain of food she sat in front of me.
"Do you plan to go to school tomorrow?" She asked not bothering to be polite about talking with your mouth full.
"I'm already weeks behind so yea I should go, huh?" She only nodded.
"I'm having a lot of fun at school. The first week was kinda hard…" she lost a bit of her enthusiasm. "But after I got my hair cut it all people asked me about. I made a new friend. Her names Opral her dad is from Chile but her mom's American. She's only in the first grade but she sits at my table lunch table and she's in my special reading class, she never talks."
"If she never talks how you do know so much about her?" I asked.
"Her uncle told me. Her dad was running late so he picked her up it was raining really bad so he let me wait in his car with them till Carson came." That would have angered me, my baby sister in the care of a stranger but she's fine and Carson had good judgement if there had been an issue she would have taken care of it. "It's a good thing you're going to school tomorrow with what Lizbeth has plan."
"What?" Her eyes widen she shouldn't have said what she said. I looked to Mrs. Yang and Carson for answers.
"She's only doing this to help, you understand that right." Carson reasoned. "I told her you wouldn't want a huge thing but she didn't listen, you know how she is." My face stiffened as my one friend attempted to define my other.
"What is she planning to do?"
"Lizbeth and her parents set up a fund for your medical bills around town and in other areas." Mrs. Yang chimed in. "They—No one wanted you to have to worry about your finances during this time." My teeth clenched I didn't want any more people to know what happened then there already was and now the entire northeastern part of Ohio did.
"What does this have to do with me being in school tomorrow?"
"There is going to be an assembly and at the end of it the school and Lizbeth plans to give you the check with all the money they have collected so far."
"You were going to let me to go to school tomorrow without telling me this. This is going to be the most humiliating moment of my life and I'll have to pretend to be happy about it, I can't believe she would do this."
"Rhonda." The voice was strict and angry ready to discipline but it wasn't Mrs. Yang. Carson was glaring at me. "Lizbeth and her family worked hard for this money. It might not be how you want it but they are doing this because they love you. So be appreciative." I looked at my barley touch food. I had just embarrassed myself much more than I thought possible. Carson was right it wasn't like there was any malice with what they had planned, and my medical bills were through the roof despite my insurance.
"Sorry," I said like the child I was acting being.
"Carson do you know any of Dr. Cullen's girls?" Mrs. Yang spoke cutting through the awkward moment. "Rhonda not only met Dr. Cullen today but his youngest I believe."
"Nessie? I don't really know her but I do have a couple classes with her. Funny, spaces out a lot and is almost childlike." Rhonda remembered the girl she had met early. Yea, she was childlike.
"Dr. Cullen has several adopted children when I showed him and his wife the house they eventually bought I met a couple of them. I think the older two Jazz and Rose-"
"Jasper and Rosalie." Carson corrected.
"Yea they are the children of his late older sister took them in when they were just ten, him and his wife Esme had just gotten married at that time. The other three were adopted traditionally. As for the younger two Nessie and Edward they are Esme's niece and nephew, you would think they were twins too but just close in age. They are currently living with them after their parents got relocated to Germany for work."
"They actually wanted to buy our house." Raina interrupted. "They were festinated with its history and size considering it would be perfect for their family."
"Yes they were interested in it but because it wasn't for sell, they bought the property out by Chichester farm, their currently renovating it." They wanted to buy my house. I would have paid them to take it.
The rest of the evening went by Carson helped me with some of the piles of homework I had while Raina continued to tell me about her time since I was admitted to the hospital. I called my grandma told her she would have to be back in town by Monday next week and promised her I would pay for her room when she came. Mrs. Yang went to pick up my prescription and Carson helped me shower and by the time she got back I was aching and ready for bed.
Carson opted to sleep on the couch despite my protest, she won and now I lied on her bed minutes from sleep. The medicine work well. I heard the door creek open and Raina crawled into bed with me. Neither of us said anything as she hid herself into my side holding just as tight as I did. I fell asleep as her tears seeped into my shirt.
****I stared this story ages ago and decied to try and finish it. But I did change a lot form when I first wrote it***
