Chapter 4

Rusty found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. One minute he was in merciful darkness, the next he was laying on the ground, the aches and pains barely noticed. His unconscious state weaved between two worlds, images from his past mingling with the present. He saw his mom glancing up at him from the passenger seat of her loser boyfriend's car. He would never forget how she smiled while promising to pick him up in a few hours. The money she gave him would buy a ticket into the zoo and some lunch. Although he thought he knew her pretty well, there wasn't any hint that this would be the last time he'd ever see her.

This memory morphed to the endless nights of homelessness. The smell of urine-soaked streets mingled with the aroma of the food joints along the strip. The feel of the cold wall against his back as he waited for his customers, men who would return home at the end of the night to their houses, wives, and children. When his nights ended, he'd grab a burger, then try to find a safe place to sleep. Sometimes he was lucky; other times he found himself riding the bus from one end of the valley to the other until it was time for him to go back to work. He knew all of the local colleges and used their gyms for his daily showers, something that he couldn't neglect in his line of work. What few clothes he had could be washed at a laundromat. Although not ideal, it was the only way that he knew how to survive on his own.

When Rusty tried to open his eyes, he realized that only one would open. When he tried to move, a sharp pain shot through his body causing a moan to escape. When all of his actions proved futile, he made a conscious effort to lay still as he fought to focus his view. He glanced upward and noticed that the once purple sunset was now a blanket of darkness. Out here in the canyon, so far away from street lights, the twinkling stars seemed so much brighter to his one good eye. Either that, or he had injured himself so badly that he was seeing things. When this crossed his mind, he fought to remember everything that happened. He remember the morning, could even recall everything from the past week. He even remembered climbing out of the wrecked car and hobbling down this trail, yet when he tried to remember what actually led to him being here, his pounding head prevented any recollections.

"Sharon," he heard his own voice coming out like a muffled whisper. If only there was a way to call her, she would know what to do. She could tell him how to get out of this mess he now found himself in. But he couldn't call her because his phone was gone and he was stuck somewhere near the trail.

When the dirt below his back grew cold, Rusty once again tried to move. He rolled over in a vain attempt to rise from the spot, but a sharp pain in his wrist brought a whimper, and something kept him from getting his leg to move. Eventually, all he could do was lay huddled where he was. He felt the cold seep in as he lay in a semi-fetal position, trying in a vain to stay warm. As his teeth started to chatter, he noticed a distant noise like a steady thumping sound cutting through the air. At some point there was a blinding white light overhead, and he briefly wondered if this was a UFO that would whisk him away.

"Rusty!" a muffled voice sounded from somewhere nearby.

"Rusty, don't move," another instructed.

"Should I film this?" he heard someone who sounded like Buzz nearby, but couldn't figure out how he would have gotten here, let alone why he was with the UFO.

"Keep rolling, Buzz, just in case," Sanchez instructed as bright lights suddenly blinded Rusty.

Rusty weakly lifted his head, wincing at the pain.

"Rusty, I said don't move." He suddenly recognized Amy's voice.

"Rusty, relax, just relax. Don't move; let them do everything," Buzz added.

"Amy, Buzz, Julio?" he squinted his right eye in a vain attempt to focus on them.

"Hey kid, don't move. Relax, we got you," Sanchez' commanding voice ordered as he placed a hand against Rusty's shoulder.

"Just relax and let them stabilize you," Amy spoke nearby even as he heard other people moving around him.

He felt them holding his head firmly, making it impossible to turn and look around. "Oh God, Amy. I'm sorry; I'm so sorry," was the only thing Rusty could think to say.

"Shush, Rusty, it's ok. Just relax. Don't move. Let the medics do everything," the softness of Amy's words barely registered.

"Amy, I'm so sorry. I thought I was being careful. I must of forgotten something, Amy. I'm so sorry," he rambled even as hands moved over his prone form.

"Rusty, relax. It's alright; it wasn't your fault." Amy lightly touched his shoulders as someone put something around his neck, effectively locking his head in place.

"But Sharon's car, it's all messed up," he gasped when he felt them roll him onto something hard.

"It's not the only thing that's messed up, kid," Sanchez softly chuckled.

"Julio!" Rusty barely registered Amy's scolding tone.

"Rusty, don't worry about it. Just relax. We're going to get you out of here," Amy's voice sounded soft and soothing even as straps were being fastened around him. When someone touched his leg, he involuntarily screamed as an excruciating pain shot all the way to his brain. Despite the agony, all he could think about was the mess he made of everything, including Sharon's car.

"Sharon's gonna kill me. She didn't want me to drive myself today. She's going to ground me until I'm older than Provenza, and then she's gonna kill me," he mumbled through tears, completely oblivious to the movements around him.

"That's a long time kid," Sanchez chuckled.

"Julio," Amy scolded her partner again.

"Well, it is," was all Sanchez said.

A deafening scream escaped his control when someone moved his right hand, and like before his world grew dark as he was pulled into blissful oblivion. Unfortunately, it didn't last long because, as he was being jostled, his eye snapped open. His body was completely immobile. Even if he tried to move, the straps around his torso and legs prevented any movement. The only thing he could do was look through his right eye at the movement around him. A sound like wind through a tunnel was all he heard from his left side.

"There you are! You came back to us," Amy said close to him. "Don't worry, Rusty. One more leg up this hill, and you'll be on flat ground," she explained.

"Amy, I'm sorry. You know you're a good teacher. It's me; I must have forgotten something you taught me. Something just slipped. I'm so sorry Amy," his voice came out weak.

"Rusty, it's alright. This accident wasn't your fault," she tried to reassure him. He felt himself being jostled and noticed the shadows surrounding the board he was laying on. They set him down and moved around, a metal jingling sound came from nearby.

"Now relax; you're not in trouble. We're going to get you out of here and you don't have to do a thing," Amy instructed. Then Rusty heard another voice, a male voice he didn't recognize give curt instructions before counting to three. He suddenly felt himself being lifted from the ground. It sent a sharp jolt. Not one like in the car, but worse, and he released a painful scream before darkness pulled him under again.

Sharon stood near the edge watching the movement below. She unconsciously gripped Andrea's hand in hers. A part of her heard everything around her. The voices through the radios giving instructions, orders from the fire chief to his crew, and, somewhere above them, the constant thumping of the helicopter blades cutting through the air.

Intellectually, she knew that they were moving as fast as they could. She understood the importance of stabilizing Rusty's injuries. She was also aware that they were moving faster than her mind registered. But standing at the top watching everything down in the ravine made it feel as if time was dragging by much too slowly. As soon as she saw them carrying the backboard over a rise in the trail below, she inhaled deeply. From her vantage point, she couldn't clearly see Rusty, but the fact that he wasn't moving bore a hole through her heart.

"He'll be alright," Andrea said next to her as if trying to convince herself.

Sharon looked at her lover and noticed the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. When Andrea gazed at her, the blonde gave a weak smile as she reach out to wipe away a tear that fell from Sharon's eyes down her cheeks. "He'll be alright," she assured again.

Sharon inhaled deeply, trying in vain to reign in her emotions. "He'll be alright," she echoed Andrea's mantra.

When the rescuers reached the point directly below Sharon, Amy looked directly at her and gave a thumbs up. As they repositioned themselves around the backboard, she noticed Amy leaning over Rusty, smiling and speaking words she could not hear. When they lifted Rusty in unison, his pain-filled scream reached where she stood, and it was all Sharon could do to keep from running down to him.

"Oh. God! He's hurt," she spoke more to hear her own voice.

Andrea shook her head before turning to her. For the first time, the blonde had nothing to say. Instead, she just held Sharon close as they watched the slow and careful progression of the rescuers. When they felt a group behind them, a slight touch against her shoulder drew Andrea's attention to two paramedics waiting with a gurney and first aid equipment.

"Come on, honey. Let's give them room," Andrea whispered as she guided Sharon away from the edge.

"It's good that he was talking, right?" Sharon asked her lover for confirmation.

"He wasn't out here too long. These medics will take care of him," Andrea assured.

As soon as the backboard was brought up, other rescuers stepped forward to help bring it the rest of the way up. Only when they brought Rusty to street level did Sharon see the extent of his injuries. A shocked gasp escaped her control as soon as she laid eyes on her son. Rusty's face was smeared with so much blood. The bandage wrapped around his forehead had more blood soaking through it. His left ear was covered with a large gauze that had a two inch diameter stain of blood where his ear would be. His left eye had swollen worse than the time Daniel Dunn beat him, and his nose was swollen. If his face was not covered with blood, she would have seen numerous abrasions and scratches on it. His right arm was in a splint as was his left leg.

Over all, she had never seen any of her kids hurt this badly. Had she been trying to hold herself together, she would have thrown up what little food she was holding down. Looking at his battered body, she honestly wondered if they'd be hooking her up to an EKG unit soon, just to make sure she didn't have a heart attack.

"Let's get him going." A dark-haired paramedic turned to his partner who began to help roll the gurney through the crowd. "Ma'am, would you like to join your son and ride in the bus with us?" he called over his shoulder to Sharon.

Sharon automatically began following but remembered Andrea by her side. She felt conflicted, both wanting to be with Rusty, yet not wanting to leave Andrea behind. Thankfully, the other paramedic spoke up to Andrea, "Ma'am, you can ride with me up front if you like."

"Ok, alright. Sharon, I'll be up front; we'll be with him," Andrea called before disappearing around to the passenger side of the ambulance.

"Sharon?" Rusty's voice, although weak was a welcome sign.

"Honey, I'm here," she spoke softly as she climbed into the ambulance next to him. She made sure to give the medic as much room as he needed while lightly clasping Rusty's uninjured hand.

"Sharon, I'm sorry!" he cried as he tried to focus on her.

"Rusty, its ok. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"But your car, you didn't want me to drive. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry Sharon; I'm so sorry!" his words were laced with guilt and pain.

"Honey, I know. But it wasn't your fault," Sharon tried to reassure her son. When he didn't reply, she looked closely at him. The medic already had an IV hooked up and was administering fluid. When Rusty's right eye lash fluttered, she released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Sharon?"

"Yes, honey, I'm here. You'll be fine," she kept her hold on his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Sharon," he began the litany again.

Sharon looked at the paramedic in confusion.

"It's the concussion, Ma'am," he spoke softly, so low that she had to lean toward him to hear his words. "Just keep talking to him," he instructed.

"Rusty, honey, it's ok," she assured again.

"Rusty, is there anything that hurts?" the medic asked as he continued to work on Rusty while monitoring his vitals.

"Dude, what doesn't hurt?" the teen groaned.

There was a small part of her that was relieved to hear the familiar petulance in his voice. Sharon couldn't help but smile even as she felt her heart beating uncontrollably. The fear of losing him was still at the forefront of her mind but if he had enough strength to give this retort, she held hope that his injuries were not severe.

"I'm sorry, Sharon. I'm so sorry," he softly repeated before drifting into unconsciousness.

"Baby, don't worry," she whispered, not at all certain if he heard her.

While it seemed to take forever to bring Rusty up from the ravine, before Sharon even realized they were at the hospital, the bus came to a brisk stop. Immediately, the back doors were popped open. When she looked out she was surprised to see Dr. Morales standing in hospital greens with other medical staff. At her shocked expression he just raised an eyebrow.

"What? Do you honestly think I wouldn't be here to make sure he gets the best care?" the coroner asked as the nurses and medics pulled the gurney from the ambulance. He helped her down as soon as the EMTs were clear.

"Thank you," was all Sharon could say as she quickly followed them into the ER.

Rusty woke up to see ceiling lights scrolling above his vision. Just seeing the flashing lights made him want to throw up. He had a raging headache and a ringing in his left ear. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't open his left eye. To make matters worse, every time the gurney was jostled, a pain shot through his leg and wrist. Groaning, he closed his eyes against the bright ceiling lights. "What going on?" he grimaced as he tried to move, but felt restraints holding him down.

"Rusty, honey, you're going to be fine now," Sharon's voice came from somewhere behind him even as he felt himself being pulled back into darkness.

When a shuddering motion jarred him awake, he groaned again, opening his good eye. The noises around him were blaring, the lights too bright. After blinking a few times he was able to focus on the nearest person and he instantly recognized Dr. Morales. He was in green scrubs, but didn't have the usual sleeved apron on over them.

When the man noticed Rusty, he smiled. "Don't worry Rusty. You're going to be fine."

"Dr. Morales?" despite the pounding in his head, Rusty tried to make sense of everything.

"Yes?"

"Am I dead?" he asked. His question seemed to bring soft chuckles from people in the room. Rusty tried to turn to see them, but couldn't move.

"I'll have you know that even though most of my patients are dead, I'm perfectly qualified to work on living people," he smiled.

"Then I'm not dead?" Rusty asked again.

"No, you're not," Morales smiled before moving away to issue orders.

"Rusty honey, you're not dead, baby. You're hurt, but you'll be alright," Sharon came into view next to him. She was leaning over him, her fingers lightly touching his forehead in a soothing manner.

It was then that he felt what the people were doing around him. Hands were moving over his body. When he felt a cool breeze against his skin, he realized that they were cutting away his clothes. Panic filled him as he glanced at Sharon. "What, what's going on? What the hell!" he fought against their touches.

"Relax, Rusty, just relax. We need to get your clothes off so we can see the damage," Dr. Morales explained.

"No, not while Sharon's here," he tried to yell but only groaned.

"Rusty, it's ok. I'm here for you," Sharon smiled down at him as she brushed the back of her fingers against his cheek.

"Honey, you don't have anything that your mother hasn't already seen," a woman's deep voice said nearby.

"Sharon is NOT my mother!" he growled as he tried to break free.

He saw her face flinch as though she had been slapped before she quickly schooled her features. "Ok, Rusty, all right. I'm going to be waiting right outside. I'll be here the whole time, and if you need me, just ask someone to get me, ok?" her heard her say as a calmness fell over him.

"It's working now; he'll be more relaxed," Morales said to someone. "Sharon, I'll come and get you as soon as I can," Morales voice sounded mechanical to Rusty, almost as if he was talking through a metal pipe.

As he felt himself floating, he heard the voices around him. Medical words he didn't want to think about floated in the air even as hands worked on him. Questions were asked, and, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was answering them. He didn't like being out of control. He especially didn't like that they, in all likelihood, had him naked. But what he mostly didn't like was anyone referring to Sharon as his mother. Even in his battered and confused state, a part of him knew that she was so much more than just his mother.