Chapter 2-Chicago
By Providence lover
When we reached the Chicago airport I was stunned at how busy the place was. Finally we saw Elizabeth and Mark, along with Ella, who didn't have a cast.
"I'm so glad you could come," Elizabeth said to Syd as we approached them.
"Me too," Syd said.
"Hi Ella," I said.
"Hey," Ella said. "You can sleep in my room."
"OK," I said. "Can we go to the seven story mall? I love that place?"
Ella shrugged. "I guess so.
An hour later we pulled into the drive way and Mark helped us with our stuff. I immediately ran upstairs to Ella's room. I hadn't been there in so long, the room looked different some how.
"I know, it's changed," Ella said. "Since I'm almost twelve and everything."
"Yeah," I said. Luckily Ella had twin beds in her room. I threw my suitcase on the extra bed and looked around. "Your mom and Aunt Syd probably have a lot of catching up to do. "
Ella shrugged. "I know we didn't leave on the best of terms, what with you in a coma."
"I'm fine now," I reassured her. I stood up and twirled around in circles. "See."
Ella laughed. "Even though you're thirteen, you still act like a three year old sometimes."
"Thanks," I said, pretending to be hurt by her comment. I sat down on the bed. "I think everyone acts childish once in a while."
The next morning Syd had to wake Ella and me up because all three doctors had to get to the conference. Syd had wanted to go by the hospital and see if she could lend a hand. We took the El and went into the ER. It was only seven in the morning and I was tired.
"Why don't you go sleep," Syd suggested. She turned to Randi, the desk clerk. "Randi what's open, I'm going to let Hannah sleep."
"Exam one, Dr. Dave went to breakfast so he's not using it," Randi said.
"Thanks," Syd said. "Go sleep in exam one, its right over there." She pointed to where the room was.
I nodded and went into the room. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. Outside in the hall I heard yelling but was too tired to see what was going on.
"Why aren't these people being seen by doctors," Kerry Weaver snapped. Kerry had been on since the day before and was in a bad mood, a very bad mood.
"I don't know." I heard some guy reply.
"Where's Randi?" Weaver asked.
"Went to get a soda," the guy said.
I sighed and tried to sleep. Then the door burst open and the light was turned on. I heard a whistle in my ear and Dr. Weaver was yelling. I stayed very still, not wanting to get yelled at even more. Then I realized it wasn't me she was yelling at, it was Dr. Dave. I tried to hold back a laugh. Finally she left, slamming the door behind her. I sighed, too wide awake to sleep any more. I got up and went out in the hallway, Dr. Weaver was by admit bored, talking to all the doctors. I didn't see Carter or Dr. Chen there and I figured they must have been in the lounge.
I went into the lounge and found Syd talking to Carter and Dr. Chen.
"I thought you were sleeping," Syd said when she saw me.
"I was but I was rudely woken up," I said.
"By who?" Syd asked.
"The one and only Dr. Weaver."
Carter and Dr. Chen laughed.
"That sounds exactly like Kerry," Carter said.
I sighed and sat down on the couch.
"Sorry honey," Syd said.
Then the door burst open and Dr. Weaver walked in.
"Carter what time do you have?" Weaver asked.
"Five after seven," Carter replied looking at his watch.
"Then why are you still in the lounge?" Weaver snapped, tapping her cane on the floor. "You should get here in time to start seeing patients at seven, is that clear?"
Carter nodded. "Yes."
"Good, the county isn't paying you to drink coffee." And with that Weaver walked out.
"Hi Kerry," Syd said after Weaver had gone.
"This is going to be a fun day," Carter said.
"Right," Dr. Chen added. She walked out of the lounge with Carter.
"Well guess I'd better see where I'm needed," Syd said. "Ella is up with her mom."
"OK," I said as I followed Syd out of the lounge. "What can I do?"
"Anything as long as you stay away from Weaver," Carter said.
"Carter!" Syd scolded.
"Sorry," Carter said. He grabbed a chart and walked down the hall.
I followed Syd to the admit desk to check the board. I saw Elizabeth there and waved to her.
"I thought you were sleeping," Elizabeth asked coming over to me.
"I was but I got woken up by a whistle," I said.
"Sorry," Elizabeth said. "By whom?"
"Dr. Weaver," I said with an annoyed look on my face.
Elizabeth laughed. "That does sound a lot like Kerry."
After Syd and Elizabeth finished up at the hospital and the conference they took me and Ella around the city. We hadn't run into Kerry Weaver since that morning and I was glad. I still wondered if she knew I was even in Chicago with Syd.
"Earth to Hannah," Ella said waving a hand in my face. "Do you want to go to Navy Pier?"
"Sure," I said jerking out of my day dream.
Ella nodded. "What's wrong with you? You're like totally out of it."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm just thinking about this morning, which by the way Syd I still have a huge headache."
"I'm sorry kiddo I should have told someone to tell Weaver that you were sleeping," Syd said giving me an apology look.
"Its ok," I said smiling.
"Hey there's Navy Pier," Ella yelled.
I smiled and we ran toward it, screaming all the way.
"Girls slow down," Syd called.
I slowed down, out of breath. Finally we reached it and walked inside. The place was packed.
"Its sure it crowded," Commended Elizabeth.
I smiled. The day had gone well, except for the minor whistle blowing thingy but I'd wanted to forget about it. Maybe things really were going to be OK after all.
All that day we played around in Navy Pier. The conference wasn't until the next day so Syd and Elizabeth could play around the city with us.
"Hey guess whose singing in concert," Syd said.
"Who?" I asked.
"Charlotte Church," Ella said. "I love her voice."
"Oh I know," I said smiling. "Can we go?"
"I don't see why not," Syd said. "The concert is tonight so we're going to have to hurry up and get tickets if we want to actually get into the concert."
I smiled and we headed to the booth to get tickets. Luckily the concert wasn't sold out yet and we were able to get pretty decent seats. We went back to Ella's house to change and I wanted to call mom to tell her I was going to see Charlotte Church in concert.
"Honey that's great," mom said after I explained what we were going to do. I'd called her as soon as we'd come into the house to tell her the exciting news.
"I know," I said. I smiled. "Well I gotta go get ready. We wonna get there early so we can get good parking and all that."
"Have fun sweetie. Can I talk to Aunt Syd for a minute?" Mom asked.
"Sure. Bye I love you," I said. I handed the phone to Syd and went to get ready.
"Hey Joanie, yeah we're fine...." Syd continued talking as I went upstairs to Ella's room.
"What dress should I wear?" Ella asked. She held up a black dress and a dress with flowers on it.
"The black," I said.
Ella smiled and both of us started getting ready for the concert.
An hour later we arrived at the theatre where the concert was going to be held. Soon it started and Charlotte Church came on stage. She sang all of her songs on her old album and sang one song from her new album called Wave Hello. Everyone clapped and cheered for her and she got a standing ovation. I smiled as I walked out of the theatre after the concert. It had been a great night and I hoped that one day I would be able to sing in front of a crowd without getting sick or getting really nervous. Oh well, I guess I'd have to work on that, but for now I was just happy being me.
By Providence lover
When we reached the Chicago airport I was stunned at how busy the place was. Finally we saw Elizabeth and Mark, along with Ella, who didn't have a cast.
"I'm so glad you could come," Elizabeth said to Syd as we approached them.
"Me too," Syd said.
"Hi Ella," I said.
"Hey," Ella said. "You can sleep in my room."
"OK," I said. "Can we go to the seven story mall? I love that place?"
Ella shrugged. "I guess so.
An hour later we pulled into the drive way and Mark helped us with our stuff. I immediately ran upstairs to Ella's room. I hadn't been there in so long, the room looked different some how.
"I know, it's changed," Ella said. "Since I'm almost twelve and everything."
"Yeah," I said. Luckily Ella had twin beds in her room. I threw my suitcase on the extra bed and looked around. "Your mom and Aunt Syd probably have a lot of catching up to do. "
Ella shrugged. "I know we didn't leave on the best of terms, what with you in a coma."
"I'm fine now," I reassured her. I stood up and twirled around in circles. "See."
Ella laughed. "Even though you're thirteen, you still act like a three year old sometimes."
"Thanks," I said, pretending to be hurt by her comment. I sat down on the bed. "I think everyone acts childish once in a while."
The next morning Syd had to wake Ella and me up because all three doctors had to get to the conference. Syd had wanted to go by the hospital and see if she could lend a hand. We took the El and went into the ER. It was only seven in the morning and I was tired.
"Why don't you go sleep," Syd suggested. She turned to Randi, the desk clerk. "Randi what's open, I'm going to let Hannah sleep."
"Exam one, Dr. Dave went to breakfast so he's not using it," Randi said.
"Thanks," Syd said. "Go sleep in exam one, its right over there." She pointed to where the room was.
I nodded and went into the room. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. Outside in the hall I heard yelling but was too tired to see what was going on.
"Why aren't these people being seen by doctors," Kerry Weaver snapped. Kerry had been on since the day before and was in a bad mood, a very bad mood.
"I don't know." I heard some guy reply.
"Where's Randi?" Weaver asked.
"Went to get a soda," the guy said.
I sighed and tried to sleep. Then the door burst open and the light was turned on. I heard a whistle in my ear and Dr. Weaver was yelling. I stayed very still, not wanting to get yelled at even more. Then I realized it wasn't me she was yelling at, it was Dr. Dave. I tried to hold back a laugh. Finally she left, slamming the door behind her. I sighed, too wide awake to sleep any more. I got up and went out in the hallway, Dr. Weaver was by admit bored, talking to all the doctors. I didn't see Carter or Dr. Chen there and I figured they must have been in the lounge.
I went into the lounge and found Syd talking to Carter and Dr. Chen.
"I thought you were sleeping," Syd said when she saw me.
"I was but I was rudely woken up," I said.
"By who?" Syd asked.
"The one and only Dr. Weaver."
Carter and Dr. Chen laughed.
"That sounds exactly like Kerry," Carter said.
I sighed and sat down on the couch.
"Sorry honey," Syd said.
Then the door burst open and Dr. Weaver walked in.
"Carter what time do you have?" Weaver asked.
"Five after seven," Carter replied looking at his watch.
"Then why are you still in the lounge?" Weaver snapped, tapping her cane on the floor. "You should get here in time to start seeing patients at seven, is that clear?"
Carter nodded. "Yes."
"Good, the county isn't paying you to drink coffee." And with that Weaver walked out.
"Hi Kerry," Syd said after Weaver had gone.
"This is going to be a fun day," Carter said.
"Right," Dr. Chen added. She walked out of the lounge with Carter.
"Well guess I'd better see where I'm needed," Syd said. "Ella is up with her mom."
"OK," I said as I followed Syd out of the lounge. "What can I do?"
"Anything as long as you stay away from Weaver," Carter said.
"Carter!" Syd scolded.
"Sorry," Carter said. He grabbed a chart and walked down the hall.
I followed Syd to the admit desk to check the board. I saw Elizabeth there and waved to her.
"I thought you were sleeping," Elizabeth asked coming over to me.
"I was but I got woken up by a whistle," I said.
"Sorry," Elizabeth said. "By whom?"
"Dr. Weaver," I said with an annoyed look on my face.
Elizabeth laughed. "That does sound a lot like Kerry."
After Syd and Elizabeth finished up at the hospital and the conference they took me and Ella around the city. We hadn't run into Kerry Weaver since that morning and I was glad. I still wondered if she knew I was even in Chicago with Syd.
"Earth to Hannah," Ella said waving a hand in my face. "Do you want to go to Navy Pier?"
"Sure," I said jerking out of my day dream.
Ella nodded. "What's wrong with you? You're like totally out of it."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm just thinking about this morning, which by the way Syd I still have a huge headache."
"I'm sorry kiddo I should have told someone to tell Weaver that you were sleeping," Syd said giving me an apology look.
"Its ok," I said smiling.
"Hey there's Navy Pier," Ella yelled.
I smiled and we ran toward it, screaming all the way.
"Girls slow down," Syd called.
I slowed down, out of breath. Finally we reached it and walked inside. The place was packed.
"Its sure it crowded," Commended Elizabeth.
I smiled. The day had gone well, except for the minor whistle blowing thingy but I'd wanted to forget about it. Maybe things really were going to be OK after all.
All that day we played around in Navy Pier. The conference wasn't until the next day so Syd and Elizabeth could play around the city with us.
"Hey guess whose singing in concert," Syd said.
"Who?" I asked.
"Charlotte Church," Ella said. "I love her voice."
"Oh I know," I said smiling. "Can we go?"
"I don't see why not," Syd said. "The concert is tonight so we're going to have to hurry up and get tickets if we want to actually get into the concert."
I smiled and we headed to the booth to get tickets. Luckily the concert wasn't sold out yet and we were able to get pretty decent seats. We went back to Ella's house to change and I wanted to call mom to tell her I was going to see Charlotte Church in concert.
"Honey that's great," mom said after I explained what we were going to do. I'd called her as soon as we'd come into the house to tell her the exciting news.
"I know," I said. I smiled. "Well I gotta go get ready. We wonna get there early so we can get good parking and all that."
"Have fun sweetie. Can I talk to Aunt Syd for a minute?" Mom asked.
"Sure. Bye I love you," I said. I handed the phone to Syd and went to get ready.
"Hey Joanie, yeah we're fine...." Syd continued talking as I went upstairs to Ella's room.
"What dress should I wear?" Ella asked. She held up a black dress and a dress with flowers on it.
"The black," I said.
Ella smiled and both of us started getting ready for the concert.
An hour later we arrived at the theatre where the concert was going to be held. Soon it started and Charlotte Church came on stage. She sang all of her songs on her old album and sang one song from her new album called Wave Hello. Everyone clapped and cheered for her and she got a standing ovation. I smiled as I walked out of the theatre after the concert. It had been a great night and I hoped that one day I would be able to sing in front of a crowd without getting sick or getting really nervous. Oh well, I guess I'd have to work on that, but for now I was just happy being me.