GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 13
Danny loathed hospitals. They were too clean, too sterile, for a rambunctious eleven-year-old such as himself. And quiet. Doctors and nurses and patients, all whispering among themselves, like they were keeping secrets from the rest of the world.
Bored, he began to wander the halls, looking for what, he didn't know. Just some action, for heaven's sake. Like a doctor cutting someone's cast off their arm or leg, anything to shake the doldrums.
Mom, Laurie and Reuben had been gone an awfully long time…they were told that Keith was upstairs in the Critical Care Unit: the CCU. To Danny, it sounded like a rock band, but what did he know? He was only a kid, and kids weren't allowed on the upper floors, only by special permission from the Hospital Administrator, whoever THAT was.
Tired, frightened and alone, Danny leaned back on one of the white walls not far from the emergency waiting room and began to cry.
Keith had looked dead when he last saw him. He was pale and unconscious; lifeless. He probably WAS dead; why else would they be taking so long to come tell him? They were probably trying to figure out what to say. 'Danny, Keith died before they got him here.' 'Danny, honey, we have some bad news…your brother didn't make it.'
His back against the wall, Danny sank to the shiny linoleum floor, sobbing his red-headed heart out.
"Danny!"
Hearing his name, Danny looked up. Laurie was hurrying toward him, her long hair flying behind her.
He clambered to his feet, bracing himself for the bad news.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! You should have stayed in the waiting room!"
Danny got right to the point. "Is he dead, Laurie?"
She blinked, reacting. "No, honey. He's okay. Well, he's still in very serious condition, but they're sure he'll pull through."
It was as if an anvil had been lifted from his shoulders. He started sobbing again, going forward into her arms. She held him, rubbing his back and fighting the tears herself.
"Want to come see him?"
Danny looked up. "They won't let me."
She pulled a laminated card from her pocket. "Dr. Lowrey said for you to wear this. It's…like a backstage pass."
He eagerly took it from her, and she helped pin it on his shirt. Then she took his hand and led him back down the hall.
Shirley stood in the hallway in front of Keith's room. The wall facing the hall was glass paneled, so she could see Danny and Laurie at Keith's beside. Still unconscious, Keith wouldn't be aware of their presence, but somehow, it made things better for all of them. A nurse sat just inside the door at a small desk, keeping her eye on her patient and his visitors.
Reuben stepped up beside her. "I just got off the phone with the police. They're holding Carly in custody until her parents get there, which should be sometime in the morning."
Shirley looked up at him. "She needs help, Reuben. The poor girl's tried to kill herself twice, and this time she almost took Keith with her."
He nodded. "They're giving her a psychiatric evaluation and then they'll talk it over with her folks as to what will be best for her. I told them we weren't pressing charges, but the officer said that the D.A.'s office still might, depending on the outcome of the evaluation. And, if by some remote chance that Keith doesn't make it, they will for sure."
Shirley felt sick. "Oh, how awful. I'd hate to see the poor child end up behind bars. It would kill her for sure."
"Well, the worst they could do, probably, is put her in Juvenile Detention until she's eighteen, but, like I said, she still has to be evaluated."
Laurie was in the doorway. "Mom, Keith's awake, and he's calling for you!" Her face was bright with the good news.
Shirley hurried past her and even Danny moved so that his mother could get closer.
"Keith!" She grabbed his hand.
"Mom…" he said weakly, his voice raspy.
"Oh, honey, thank God you're all right…how do you feel, sweetheart?" Shirley's eyes brimmed with tears and happiness.
"Mom, where's Carly?"
"She's okay, honey. She's with the police until her parents come tomorrow."
He winced. "She didn't mean to hurt me, Mom."
"I know, honey…it was an accident, we know that…"
Laurie stepped forward. "She told me to tell you she's sorry, Keith."
He swallowed, taking in her words. It was getting hard to talk; the fire in his side was rekindling.
"I couldn't let her kill herself…she just lost it…I got in the way."
Tears seeped from his eyes, sliding down toward the pillow as Shirley petted his head, softly hushing him.
"It's okay, baby…you're okay…Carly's okay, too…just rest."
His eyes flashed with pain. "It hurts, Mom…"
"I know…" she looked over at the nurse, who stood there, ready with a shot. "The nurse is giving you something for it, honey. Hang on."
Smiling, she let the nurse by with the needle and she gave him the shot as Danny winced, closing at least one eye.
As the nurse went back to her desk, she told Shirley softly, "That will help him sleep, too. Don't want him moving too much or getting too agitated. He could pull the stitches out."
Shirley nodded, looking back down at her son. "Honey, we're going to go and let you sleep, all right?"
His head rolled on the pillow. "I have to see Carly."
"Keith, I told you, she's with the police."
"She has to know I'm not mad at her. I forgive her." He swallowed hard and dry. "Tell her for me, okay?"
"We will. Close your eyes, sweetheart, and get some rest. We'll be back later." Shirley said gently, bending to kiss his cheek.
He nodded, the effects of the shot starting to show. As he drifted off, Reuben and the Partridges quietly left the room.
continued...
CHAPTER 13
Danny loathed hospitals. They were too clean, too sterile, for a rambunctious eleven-year-old such as himself. And quiet. Doctors and nurses and patients, all whispering among themselves, like they were keeping secrets from the rest of the world.
Bored, he began to wander the halls, looking for what, he didn't know. Just some action, for heaven's sake. Like a doctor cutting someone's cast off their arm or leg, anything to shake the doldrums.
Mom, Laurie and Reuben had been gone an awfully long time…they were told that Keith was upstairs in the Critical Care Unit: the CCU. To Danny, it sounded like a rock band, but what did he know? He was only a kid, and kids weren't allowed on the upper floors, only by special permission from the Hospital Administrator, whoever THAT was.
Tired, frightened and alone, Danny leaned back on one of the white walls not far from the emergency waiting room and began to cry.
Keith had looked dead when he last saw him. He was pale and unconscious; lifeless. He probably WAS dead; why else would they be taking so long to come tell him? They were probably trying to figure out what to say. 'Danny, Keith died before they got him here.' 'Danny, honey, we have some bad news…your brother didn't make it.'
His back against the wall, Danny sank to the shiny linoleum floor, sobbing his red-headed heart out.
"Danny!"
Hearing his name, Danny looked up. Laurie was hurrying toward him, her long hair flying behind her.
He clambered to his feet, bracing himself for the bad news.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! You should have stayed in the waiting room!"
Danny got right to the point. "Is he dead, Laurie?"
She blinked, reacting. "No, honey. He's okay. Well, he's still in very serious condition, but they're sure he'll pull through."
It was as if an anvil had been lifted from his shoulders. He started sobbing again, going forward into her arms. She held him, rubbing his back and fighting the tears herself.
"Want to come see him?"
Danny looked up. "They won't let me."
She pulled a laminated card from her pocket. "Dr. Lowrey said for you to wear this. It's…like a backstage pass."
He eagerly took it from her, and she helped pin it on his shirt. Then she took his hand and led him back down the hall.
Shirley stood in the hallway in front of Keith's room. The wall facing the hall was glass paneled, so she could see Danny and Laurie at Keith's beside. Still unconscious, Keith wouldn't be aware of their presence, but somehow, it made things better for all of them. A nurse sat just inside the door at a small desk, keeping her eye on her patient and his visitors.
Reuben stepped up beside her. "I just got off the phone with the police. They're holding Carly in custody until her parents get there, which should be sometime in the morning."
Shirley looked up at him. "She needs help, Reuben. The poor girl's tried to kill herself twice, and this time she almost took Keith with her."
He nodded. "They're giving her a psychiatric evaluation and then they'll talk it over with her folks as to what will be best for her. I told them we weren't pressing charges, but the officer said that the D.A.'s office still might, depending on the outcome of the evaluation. And, if by some remote chance that Keith doesn't make it, they will for sure."
Shirley felt sick. "Oh, how awful. I'd hate to see the poor child end up behind bars. It would kill her for sure."
"Well, the worst they could do, probably, is put her in Juvenile Detention until she's eighteen, but, like I said, she still has to be evaluated."
Laurie was in the doorway. "Mom, Keith's awake, and he's calling for you!" Her face was bright with the good news.
Shirley hurried past her and even Danny moved so that his mother could get closer.
"Keith!" She grabbed his hand.
"Mom…" he said weakly, his voice raspy.
"Oh, honey, thank God you're all right…how do you feel, sweetheart?" Shirley's eyes brimmed with tears and happiness.
"Mom, where's Carly?"
"She's okay, honey. She's with the police until her parents come tomorrow."
He winced. "She didn't mean to hurt me, Mom."
"I know, honey…it was an accident, we know that…"
Laurie stepped forward. "She told me to tell you she's sorry, Keith."
He swallowed, taking in her words. It was getting hard to talk; the fire in his side was rekindling.
"I couldn't let her kill herself…she just lost it…I got in the way."
Tears seeped from his eyes, sliding down toward the pillow as Shirley petted his head, softly hushing him.
"It's okay, baby…you're okay…Carly's okay, too…just rest."
His eyes flashed with pain. "It hurts, Mom…"
"I know…" she looked over at the nurse, who stood there, ready with a shot. "The nurse is giving you something for it, honey. Hang on."
Smiling, she let the nurse by with the needle and she gave him the shot as Danny winced, closing at least one eye.
As the nurse went back to her desk, she told Shirley softly, "That will help him sleep, too. Don't want him moving too much or getting too agitated. He could pull the stitches out."
Shirley nodded, looking back down at her son. "Honey, we're going to go and let you sleep, all right?"
His head rolled on the pillow. "I have to see Carly."
"Keith, I told you, she's with the police."
"She has to know I'm not mad at her. I forgive her." He swallowed hard and dry. "Tell her for me, okay?"
"We will. Close your eyes, sweetheart, and get some rest. We'll be back later." Shirley said gently, bending to kiss his cheek.
He nodded, the effects of the shot starting to show. As he drifted off, Reuben and the Partridges quietly left the room.
continued...