Chapter 10
The driver of the old truck pulled into the hospital parking lot and stopped in front of the nearest door. Greg thanked the man before struggling to get Declan out of the passenger side while still managing to keep him on his feet. He draped Declan's left arm over his shoulder, readjusted the space blanket, and together they slowly made their way into the building.
Greg stopped them just inside the doorway. They stood at the end of a long white hall, with no indication as to what part of the hospital they were in. An older man in grey work clothes with a bucket and mop diligently worked his way down the otherwise empty corridor. In passing, Greg asked the janitor in very broken Japanese how to get to the Emergency Department. The janitor pointed, and Greg caught the words for "turn left" in his directions. Greg thanked the man, readjusted Declan's arm over his shoulder, and hoped they were heading the right way.
Eventually they arrived in Emergency, where the staff took one look at Declan and whisked him off to an examination area, leaving Greg alone and slightly disoriented at the cacophony of foreign sounds all around him. He sat in a chair across from where Declan was being examined, his head in his hands, the events of the afternoon playing through his mind in an endless loop.
Glancing at his watch, it was only then that Greg realized just how late the time had gotten. He needed to call his mom and Declan's parents. Making his way through the busy department, Greg approached the nurse's station.
"Sumimasen," Greg started haltingly. Excuse me.
A nurse looked up at the bloody and disheveled young man. "Hai?"
"Eigo o hanasemasu ka?" Do you speak English? That was one phrase Greg didn't have to wrack his brain for. He had used it a lot in the short time since they had moved into the prefecture.
"Yes," the nurse responded. "What can I help you with?" Her English was heavily accented, but easily understood.
"Is there a telephone I can use? I need to call my friend's parents."
The nurse directed him to a phone at the end of the desk. Greg called the Embassy first and explained to Declan's mom what had happened. He had to ask the nurse for the name of the hospital. Mrs. Hanover thanked Greg and told him that she and her husband were on their way.
Greg's next phone call was to his mom. She answered on the first ring, which told him that she was worried and waiting for him to call. Her first words on picking up the phone confirmed it.
"Greg? Honey? Where are you? What happened? Are you boys okay?"
Greg sighed, assuring Blythe that he was okay before launching into a more detailed explanation as to what had happened during their climb and what hospital they were at. She told him that she would be there as soon as she could, sounding more than a bit worried - not just for her son, but for his friend as well.
Ending the call, Greg thanked the nurse and went back to his seat. There was still a lot of activity coming from the behind the curtain where they were working on Declan, but none of the staff even noticed him.
So he waited.