Stepping Stones chapter 10

Me: Here we are! Another Sunday, this time with Double D!

Benny: Don't sound so enthusiastic. You still have 4 chapters left of this mess to do and that's if you don't choke like you did this time.

I guess that's the ironic part. Double D's now awake and coming out of the ICU. Oh wait, that means I just answered to a comment.

PhoenixVersion1: I suppose you could say it's a filler chapter but some of the plot points in that chapter will become relevant soon.

Benny: That's code for when he finds a use for them.

Thanks for the interruption, Benny. Anyway, no, I didn't say that Double D was in the ICU. I probably should have but I must have forgotten.

OK, so read and review, everyone!

The sun brightly shone through the glass window in my hospital room, to the point where it was practically blinding. Oh well, that sounds slightly trivial compared to what I've been through the past two days.

After the accident, I apparently lost consciousness for a short while and woke up the next morning with throbbing pain in my arm. My scalp was hurt as well. It turned out that as a result of the car accident, my arm is broken and I had gotten a mild concussion.

The doctors had put a cast on my broken arm. The only relief is that it was my right arm that was broken and I write with my left arm. My mother and father came to the hospital shortly after I had awoken out of my coma. They were relieved to see that I had only minimal injuries.

The nurse had told me that Marie had come by to see me yesterday while I was sleeping. I appreciated the fact that she took the time out of her busy day to visit me even if I was unable to enjoy it or tell her this at the time.

I am being released from the hospital this morning and I'm currently waiting for my parents to arrive so that I can change my clothing and my release can be finalized along with seeing about what's going to happen with me in the future.

Nurse Cromwell walked into the room as I looked up from my hands. Out of all the nurses in the ICU, I'll admit that she is my favorite due to the fact that she seems to care about the patients. Of course, all nurses do but Nurse Cromwell manages to take an extra step to please patients. Speaking of patients, I wonder how Lira is doing.

I thought 'According to the nurses, Marie was almost crying yesterday. The guilt she feels about this must be affecting her very much.'

Nurse Cromwell said "Hi, Eddward. Your parents should be arriving soon and it's nice to see that you're healing."

I replied "Hello, Nurse Cromwell. As nice as that may sound, I'm not fully healing. My arm will be in a cast for a while and there's also my concussion. However, those are also minor setbacks. How is Eustace doing?"

Nurse Cromwell answered "Eustace is fine. He has been complaining but he does that every day, of course. His doctors say that he should be released in a week or two but we'll see how that goes."

Eustace is a particularly troublesome patient in the pediatric ward of the hospital. I've never actually seen the fellow but from what I've heard, he's very popular with the staff, just not in the traditional sense. According to Nurse Cromwell, he's recovering from a severe bout of indigestion. I haven't paid much attention to him or the hospital gossip because I've only been here for two days and I respect other people's privacy.

After an hour, my mother and father arrived with a change of clothes. I put on a green sweater and a pair of black sweatpants. They were relieved that my actions were minimal and while they weren't happy that I went into traffic, they did say that they would have done the same thing as me at that time.

Mother said "Alright, Eddward, we just have to talk to your doctor and then we're going to take you home." as my father smiled at me.

Doctor Fan came into the room, wearing his white doctor's coat and carrying a clipboard and a plastic shopping bag. He has been my doctor for the duration of my stay in the hospital. He's calm, stern and straight-forward.

Doctor Fan said "OK, Eddward, you're going to be released. I just need your parents to sign a few things. Now, Eddward's arm should heal in about three to four weeks. I'll be prescribing codeine for the pain in his arm and head and I recommend that Eddward should return back in three weeks to see how the injuries are. If there are any problems with the medication or the arm or the concussion, please bring him back." before he gave a clipboard and a pen to my mother and father.

Each of them signed their signatures on a sheet of paper before Doctor Fan handed the plastic shopping bag to my mother. It had a container of codeine for me.

Mother said "Thank you, Doctor Fan and Nurse Cromwell."

Doctor Fan responded with "You're welcome, Mrs. Kelner."

We left the hospital and got into our car and my dad drove us home. On the way there, I thought about the project and Marie. Counting today, we had five days left to do the project and we had to make up for the lost day since I was asleep when Marie visited me yesterday.

I thought 'Speaking of Marie, I wonder how she's doing. Maybe I do feel more than just a simple tolerance for her. Much more than the calm indifferent and happiness that I have been.' as we pulled up in front of our house.

Mother, Father and I got out of the car and went inside. Our house is only two stories and it isn't all that glamorous compared to the rest of the neighborhood or the homes in some of the other suburbs but it was home.

I took two codeine with a bottle of water and headed up to my room. I made a label titled "Codeine" and put it on the container before I put the container on my desk. I originally planned to go on my rarely used red bike and ride to the trailer park to find Marie but she apparently decided to find me first.

About twenty minutes after I took the pills, I heard the doorbell ring. I walked downstairs, thinking that it was most likely Ed or Eddy. I opened the front door and saw Marie, in a red T-shirt and black shorts, standing on my porch.

I said "Hi, Marie. I suppose you're here to do the interview. Erm…come in." as she walked inside and I closed the door.

Marie replied "Yeah, I am. But I also thought that I'd see how you're doing. I came by the hospital yesterday but you were asleep."

I said "Yes, the nurses told me you came by. Mother, Father, this is Marie Kanker. She's my partner for my English project."

Mother asked "Hello, Marie. I'm Mrs. Kelner. How are you?"

Marie answered "I'm good, thanks. Your house looks a lot bigger on the inside."

Mother replied "Yes, that's what most people say when they come in for the first time."

I said "Well, I'll be coming upstairs to my room with Marie so that we can do the project."

Father responded with "That's fine, Eddward. Just remember that we're having lunch in 2 hours." before I walked with Marie up the stairs to the second floor.

As we went into my room, Marie looked around the room. It was slightly spacious but other than that and the labels, it was like any other room in the house.

Marie took out her camcorder out of her pocket and turned it on.

She asked "Are you sure you want to do this? You can just interview me if you want. I don't think Parker is going to complain about one being missing anyway, after what happened on Friday."

I answered "Yes, Marie, I'm sure. You should interview me first and then I'll interview you."

Marie asked "Why do your parents have so much sticky notes for you telling you to do chores?"

I answered "My parents wanted me to learn the concept of hard work and responsibility. My mother came from a strict, middle-class family where she had to do chores and my father had to do chores and other forms of labor when he was younger as well. He had gotten his first job when he was 14."

I thought 'He was only a year older than I am now. Of course, he nor my mother expect me to have a job now.'

Marie looked like she was thinking too before she asked "What nationality are you?"

I was slightly confused and answered "I'm American. I apologize for interrupting you but I already said this."

Marie sighed and responded with "I meant your family history. Like your mom, your dad, grandma, grandpa…"

I replied "My mother's family is from Romania via Poland, France and Canada and my father's family is generally from England. Technically, that means I'm Romanian-Polish-French-Welsh-English-Canadian-American. Of course, that's a lot to say out loud so I just consider myself an American."

I thought 'I never thought about my heritage before. At least, not in such vivid detail.'

Marie asked "Do you dance, sing or play an instrument?"

I answered "No, I don't dance or sing. I haven't played an instrument before and I don't have much of an interest in making music."

Marie asked "Speaking of what you're good at, what about sports? You did do good in dodge ball last week."

I thought 'I didn't even think that she would bring that up. As long as I don't have to talk about the incident, I guess this could go well.'

I answered "No, I'm not very good at sports. Also, like I said last week, there were other people on my team that did well. I'm merely decent at it."

Marie frowned and said "You seem pretty modest there, Double D. Almost like you're hiding something."

I thought 'Well, it was bound to have come up sooner or later. Besides, the only ones that will see the project, at worst, is only 30 people.' before I took a deep breath and exhaled.

I replied "I am just decent when it comes to dodge ball. However, there was a time when it wasn't always that way."

It was another game of dodge ball and of course, I was picked last. My family moved to Peach Creek when I was four but due to school zoning laws, I didn't attend Peach Creek Central Elementary until the third grade. This left me at the unruly, suburban Riverdale Elementary. I was eight years old, shy and quiet but happy to learn.

It was second grade so I only got slightly teased by my peers. The older kids, on the other hand, were merciless. The Dodgeball Incident itself was a culmination of a few weeks of mocking, teasing and bullying. We had to share gym class with the fourth graders, something unheard of at Peach Creek Central but common at Riverdale.

They split us into two teams, second and fourth graders mixed together to make things fair. The red rubber balls went flying as soon as the whistle blew. I just tried to stay in the back behind the taller kids and dodge. My teammates weren't too happy with my actions.

"Come on, Turtle Boy! Get up and throw!"

"Stop squatting and move it, shorty!"

"If we lose because of you, Kelner, you're dead!"

Some of the older kids called me Turtle Boy because they thought that my hat made me look like a turtle. I had been wearing it since I was a toddler so to me, the hat was normal. To them, it just made me more strange and alien and more of a target.

A fourth grade boy, Thad Logan, pointed to me and shouted "I'm coming for you, Peanut! Just you wait!"

Others called me Peanut because even among second graders, I wasn't exactly tall. Ironically enough, the fourth and fifth graders used that name more than they did.

Most of the second graders on both sides were gone at that point with the exception of me and two other boys on my team. Almost all of the fourth graders on my side were gone too and only some of the fourth graders on the other side had gotten out.

A confident, popular fourth grader, Kenan Brice, threw a dodge ball at Thad. He caught it and then threw it at a second grader, who didn't expect the attack. It was 2 to 6 now. I was practically shaking because I knew that even with Andrea Capini on my team, I was going to be the main target.

Maybe that's why they went for him first. I wouldn't see it coming and it would make me even more fearful. I pitied and sympathized with him as the ball made contact with his chest very hard. He walked off to the bench, groaning.

I felt like a deer in the headlights at that moment. It was just me against 6 tall, strong ten-year-olds. I wasn't very good at ducking and throwing was out of the question. The only other option was catching but good luck avoiding getting hit by 7 dodge balls all at once.

"I told you I was coming for you, Peanut!"

"Let's just get the little nerd out already. He's shaking like a dead bird."

"Yeah, let's end this!"

8 dodge balls all came towards me as I tried to run to the other corner of my side of the gym. It didn't work. I got pummelled with dodge balls as the six kids laughed and cheered along with their team mates. A few of the kids on the other team looked at me with sadness, sympathy and pity. Most of my teammates looked at me with shock, anger and disappointment.

"Way to go, Kelner."

"You were supposed to dodge, Turtle Boy! What the hell was that about?"

"You better watch out when it's lunchtime because you're gonna get it, Peanut."

I finished with "My parents weren't very happy with what happened. They went to the school and complained to the principal. He said that the school zones were to change at the end of the year and to wait until then. The rest of second grade was the worst school year that I have had to date. The summer between second and third grade was when the school zones changed and my home was zoned for the schools in Peach Creek. I chose to go to Peach Creek Central with Ed and Eddy for third grade."

Marie looked at me with shock and sympathy.

Marie asked "I hope you don't mind me asking but why do you have to wear the sock hat anyway?"

I answered "I appreciate that you decided to ask if I minded first, Marie, but that's a question that I most likely will never answer."

Marie said "OK, you can interview me now." as she turned off her camcorder and put it back in her pocket.

I picked up my camcorder off of my desk and turned it on. I sat down on my bed and pointed my camera at Marie.

I asked "If you had to either give away something you hold dear or live as a homeless person, which would you choose?"

Marie answered "I'd live on the streets. I would end up being poor and hungry but at least I'd have the things that I love."

I asked "Where does your family originate from?"

Marie answered with a smirk "Trying to turn my own question back on me, huh? My dad's family is Irish, Portuguese and something Eastern European or Asian that I don't know. My mom's family is Greek, Russian, English and Ukrainian with some Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli. Apparently, there was also some Native American on my mom's side. She said that's why Lee, May and I are fighters." before she chuckled.

I thought 'We seem to be opposites in terms of our heritage. My family seems to come from two places while hers come from many different countries.'

I asked "How do you view your parents?"

Marie answered "Mom's great on most days when she's not shouting at me to wash the dishes or to clean my room. She's a good cook and advisor and she's always been there for me. Butch, on the other hand, isn't that great. He told my mom how he loved her and how he was going to start a family with her and things were going to be better. Then he ran off in the middle of the night with all of our money and never contacted us again. That's part of why we moved to Peach Creek and the trailer park. Butch took all of our money, Rod was always away so Mom had to work small-time jobs which didn't make much and we barely had any money by the time we moved. Hell, the only reason Butch is even trying to connect with me is because of his new wife. She has more brains than he does."

Marie continued "I mean, I don't really like her either but she's just like Mom in this case. Either I go over to Fonhaven and visit him once a month or he comes to the trailer park and visits me once a month. Not that I want to visit him or that lady."

I asked "On that note, how was life like before you moved here?"

She replied "It was OK. Things were good even after Butch left. We were always clean and there was always food on the table. We had a few friends at the schools we went to but for the most part, we were loners and that's how we liked it. We just weren't cut out to be social butterflies."

I turned off the camcorder and put it back on my desk before my mother knocked on my door.

I said "Come in." and my mother opened the door.

Mother replied "Hi, Eddward. We're about to have lunch. Is your friend staying to eat?"

I looked at Marie as she answered "Yes, thank you for the offer, Mrs. Kelner. What are you having?"

Mother answered "Chicken with broccoli." as she headed back downstairs.

I said "They most likely ordered Chinese food. That's actually rare but seeing as I just came home, I guess I should have expected it." before I smiled.

Marie also smiled, a small and shy smile, but a smile nevertheless.

Well, I've been doing some thinking for the past few days.

Benny:*scoffs* That's a first.

My original goal with this story was try to have it finished by the end of the year. Despite me being busy for the next two months, I still stand by that goal. I will try my best to have completed the 14th chapter by New Year's Eve. Of course, I have to tackle the next 3 chapters first.

Also, in news about my other stories: I plan to do a sequel to Vampire Street by March of next year. Here's hoping that I could do that and since some readers have been asking about the Purgatory, I'll either do an ending to that when I have time or make a separate one-shot that will act as an ending.

Benny: You already made an ending for the Purgatory, you idiot.

Yeah but not one that tied everything together.

Benny: That's how endings normally are. You should know that, having written how many stories?

Anyway, I'll try to have chapter 11 up by Halloween.

Benny:*wearing a Grim Reaper costume* I'll bet you won't be able to do it, as per usual.