Chapter 4:
Saturday morning found a cheerful, babbling quintet squeezing into the Jeep. Colleen, on hearing that it was Michaela's birthday, had refused to join the group. Not even Sully's presence and the promise of ice cream was enough to persuade her to spend the whole day in her rival's presence. The journey to the park was mercifully short and Joseph heaved a great sigh of relief as barely forty minutes later, the highly excitable kids had darted off to hang upside from the huge climbing frame that dominated the central space. Or in Brian's case, to clap excitedly as Michaela made funny faces at him in between flips. Naturally, the two older kids soon got bored of the lower rungs and when Charlotte carried Brian out of harm's way and to the toddlers section, Sully challenged Michaela to a race up to the summit, declaring that the first one on the rope bridge that swung sickeningly several feet above their heads, would have to forfeit their ice cream. Knowing that Michaela wouldn't back out, he barely waited for her response before starting up the rungs at a frenzied pace. Her laughter close at his heels mere moments later confirmed that she was gaining on him and with a sigh he strove to increase the distance between them.
Perhaps having grown up around a doctor had made her more vigilant to the potential hazards around her or perhaps she was simply perfectly positioned to witness the scene play out before her.
"Sully, watch out!" she had cried out, however her warning was a moment too late. The two boys collided and in shock, Sully released his hold on the rung he was clinging to. Stunned, Michaela watched as his body flew the ten or so feet onto the plastic mat that looked about as protective as a slab of concrete from her current height. The sides of the mat rose up about him like water spilling out of a glass, thankfully cushioning most of the impact of his fall yet the momentum knocked his head sideways onto the floor.
"Dad!" shrieked Michaela when she could finally force her limbs to move and scampered down the frame, "Dad! Dad!"
In a moment, her father was beside her and together they assessed the still form before them.
"He fell," stammered Michaela, "hit his head. On the left side I think."
Reaching ever so carefully around his hair, Michaela gently touched his scalp before pulling her hand back. Warmth oozed under her fingertips.
"He's bleeding," she whispered, staring at the crimson patch leaching into the creases of her palm.
"It's Ok, Michaela," began Joseph in a voice of forced calm, "he's breathing and his pulse is strong. Someone call 911."
This last he addressed to the crowd that had inevitably gathered around them, attracted by Michaela's unholy yell.
"I got it," said Charlotte, a step behind Michaela.
"Come on honey," she added, wrapping an arm around the trembling girl, "let your dad take care of him."
"No!" cried Michaela vehemently, shrugging off the touch, "I want to help."
Joseph glanced up at the resolute expression on her face and nodded his assent to Charlotte.
"Mike, I need you to hold his hand for me and talk to him, see if he responds ok?"
"Try not to jostle him," he cautioned, however his warning was unnecessary. With the slightest movement possible, Michaela had slipped her hand under her best friend's and twisted their fingers together in a pale knot.
"You're going to be fine, Sully," she murmured quietly, "we'll take good care of you."
"Michaela?" murmured Sully, blinking confusedly, "where are we?"
"Sully," Michaela breathed in relief before turning to address someone hidden from his view, "He's awake."
"Hi Sully, I'm Rosie," said an unfamiliar voice and he instantly tried to turn towards the sound.
"Woah, take it easy," cautioned the voice, pressing gently down on his shoulder, "Try not to move, you took quite a fall."
A curly brown head suddenly slid into view and recognising the uniform, Sully's eyes widened.
"We're just about ready to take you to the hospital," continued the EMT with a smile, "the docs will want to check you over."
"My mom," began Sully as he was lifted carefully and placed into the back of the ambulance, "She'll be worried."
"Your friends already called her," answered Rosie, fastening the seat belt around him, "She'll meet us at the hospital."
"Dad," said Michaela, suddenly turning towards her father, "I want to go with Sully."
"Sorry kid," replied Rosie, peering out from behind the ambulance door, "that's not allowed."
Michaela's eyes narrowed and recognising the trademark Quinn glare that always preceded a furious outburst, Joseph quickly interceded.
"Maybe you could make an exception just this once Rosie," he wheedled, pushing Michaela forwards, "She won't be any trouble, I promise, and I'll meet you on the other side."
"Fine," conceded Rosie after a moment, appraising Michaela's determined expression, "Only cos it's you Joseph."
"Let's go," she called out to her colleague as soon as Michaela had jumped the two steps into the ambulance, and with a resonant thud, the doors slammed shut behind them.
"Michaela," whispered Sully into the darkness as the ambulance hurtled through the busy streets towards the hospital, "you ok?"
"You're the one taped to a stretcher," Michaela breathed back, "and you're asking me if I'm ok?"
"You're crying," explained Sully quietly, as Michaela hastily dragged the back of her hand over her cheeks, "and you never cry."
The hours in the hospital sped by as a blur of unfamiliar noises and smells and when the clock struck ten, Michaela's head finally gave up its struggle and descended onto the woollen blanket of Sully's bed. Given the near ten minutes he'd been unconscious, the doctors had decided to keep Sully in overnight and even after his mom had arrived, frantic with worry, Michaela had refused to leave his side for a minute. She'd even persuaded the nurse to bring her an identical dinner tray so that she and Sully could bemoan the miseries of hospital food together.
When Joseph had popped in a mere half hour later to take her home, she had barely even been able to open her eyes but had allowed herself to be half dragged to the car and then upstairs to bed, her unopened birthday presents lying in a neat pile on the floor beside her.
Sully was due to be released around midday and fully anticipating his daughter's plan to sneak out early and see him, Joseph had set up camp on the couch. His sensitive reflexes, borne from raising twins, had been honed to perfection with the arrival of Michaela and as the latter in her haste forgot to jump the creaky second step, he was instantly awakened.
The scene that followed was not pretty: after multiple rounds of verbal sparring and several resounding choruses of "because I said so," on Joseph's part, Michaela finally stomped off to the kitchen to get some breakfast. Joseph sighed and collapsed back onto his makeshift bed. He hated playing the "Dad" card and with Michaela, he had rarely needed to. However, in this case he knew he was right and he would just have to ride out the inevitable freeze out until her anger dissipated. Sighing deeply, he scrunched up his hair, recalling for the umpteenth time just how much being a parent could sometimes suck.
Not even Sully's groggy phone call mid way through the afternoon to assure Michaela that he was fine, if a little fuzzy headed due to the pain medication, could break the tension between father and daughter. Joseph skirted around the kitchen where Michaela sat doing her homework, desperate for some kind of sign that the ice age was drawing to a close. Yet it was not until they were both curled up on the couch after dinner, watching some mindless documentary, that Michaela showed the first signs of relenting. Perhaps it was the familiarity of their position that finally thawed her out or perhaps her anger had simply run its course. As her head nudged against his shoulder, Joseph held his breath, debating whether to reciprocate or wait til her elbows were out of range of his stomach muscles. A moment later however, Michaela had pulled his arm out from the ragged blanket and draped it around her shoulders, murmuring into his chest, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," said Joseph, pulling his daughter closer to his side, "I'm sorry I'm making us watch this lame show. Now that you're back, can you please find us something less depressing?"
"Sure thing, Dad," giggled Michaela, swiping the remote from beside him and flicking through the channels before settling on a comedy they both loved. Leaning back, Michaela grinned as his laughter shook his chest, drowning out the soothing thud of his heartbeat.
"How many stitches did you say you got?"
"Wow, did it hurt when they sewed it up?"
"How did it happen, Sully?"
It had been the same all morning, ever since Sully had arrived at school with the large dressing covering up the fresh stitches on the side of his head. Initially, Sully had been overwhelmed by the attention and had instinctively turned wide eyed to Michaela, querying what it could all mean. Yet by lunchtime, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying being the centre of attention. Curling her lip in disgust as Sully began to recount the events of Saturday for what seemed the hundredth time, Michaela slammed her backpack down on their suddenly crowded lunch table and crossed her arms across her chest.
"It must have hurt lots," interrupted a girl with long blonde hair from their math class, "I think you're really brave, Sully."
Michaela snorted impatiently but her eyes narrowed as a grin threatened to spread across Sully's face.
"I dunno about that," he replied, shuffling his feet slightly, "I was kinda knocked out for a while."
"Cool," came the response from a red haired boy who was gazing reverently at Sully, "was there loads of blood?"
"A little," admitted Sully, a smile pulling at his lips, "good thing I'm not squeamish."
The probing and flattery continued, however Michaela was no longer listening. Slowly she lifted up her right hand and gazed intently at it. Though her clear skin bore no trace of the blood that had darkened it, she suddenly remembered with intense clarity the precise feel of the warm moisture as it seeped against her palm. Her stomach turned and without a word, she turned on her heel and fled the cafeteria. She ended up behind the evergreen bushes again. When Sully finally found her some fifteen minutes later, she was in a fearsome rage.
"I've been looking all over for you," he began, "why did you run off like that?"
"You mean you actually missed me?" replied Michaela acidly, "I didn't think you'd care, what with all the new friends you have now."
"Come on, Michaela," laughed Sully, "you know it's not like that!"
"Could've fooled me," snapped back Michaela.
Sully studied her irate expression for a moment before surmising with a smug grin, "You're jealous."
"I am not!" exclaimed Michaela furiously, "If you want to hang out with such pathetic losers who only like you cos of a few stupid stitches, then that's up to you."
Instead of retaliating, Sully reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped object.
"I got your birthday present here," he said, holding it out like a peace offering, "if you want it."
Michaela scowled but Sully caught the interest in her eyes and he grinned.
"I dunno whether it's still alive," he chuckled, "I think I might have squashed it when I fell."
"Go on," he urged as she hesitated, "open it."
Biting back her smile, Michaela reached out and eagerly ripped the coloured paper away. She had to choke back a laugh: in her hand was what was once a beautiful ebony horse. However, its head, now severed from its body, was resting next to the finely carven legs, looking forlornly up at the ceiling.
"Oops, I guess I did fall on it," said Sully apologetically.
"I know you always wanted a horse," he explained with a smile, "and then I saw this and thought it would be perfect."
"It is perfect," grinned back Michaela, "Now I get to be a vet for a day and put it back together myself. I love it, thanks."
"So do we get to go and have lunch now?" queried Sully, turning back towards the school buildings, "I'm starving!"
"Sure," laughed Michaela but when she made no move to join him, Sully gazed back in puzzlement.
"I was jealous Sully," admitted Michaela quietly, gently stroking the mane on her new toy horse.
"I know," replied Sully with a sly smile, "but you don't have to be. You'll always be my best friend Michaela."