Part Four: 9 September 1987: E.R.
Characters: Penny, Mrs Matthews, Prue (16), Piper (14), Phoebe (11), Paige (10)
*This part refers to the car crash that is mention in Murphy's Luck 2.16*
Piper sat on a plastic blue chair in E.R. waiting for her grandmother and sisters. She squirmed on the seat trying to get relativity comfortable on the seat as she looked at her watch for the third time in a matter of five minutes. She had been sitting there for nearly an hour, since the phone call had happened.
Penny had made Prue pick up Phoebe from school, much to the elder Halliwell's great resentment. Phoebe had tried out for the school track team and her grandmother had worried about her walking home alone. Prue had finally agreed to go and pick her up in exchange for using the car tonight for her date with Andy.
Piper looked at the clock again, running through the events in her mind, only four minutes had pasted since she looked down at her watch. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair and her mind flew back an hour to when the hospital had called.
It had taken less than twenty minutes for the taxi containing the two Halliwell's to get there. Since they had arrived Penny had disappeared to talk with the doctors and Piper had been left in the reception area.
Piper had spent the time between looking at her clock or her watch, people watching. Looking at the people going past her from all different forms of life had taken her mind off what could possibly be happening to her sisters.
Piper's eyes drew over to a young girl who had an air to her that reminded the middle Halliwell of Phoebe. The ten-year old child was cradling her left wrist while sobbing on her mother's shoulder. The mother of the dark- haired girl placed one arm around her shoulder and supported the injured wrist with her other hand.
"It really hurts mommy," she sobbed. "I hate my roller-skates, it's all their fault I fell."
Her mother smiled as she pulled her closer to her, "I know honey."
"Why are we having to wait so long?" Paige said as she scanned the room.
"Because there are a lot of sicker children in here than you," Mrs. Matthews tried to explain to her ten-year daughter. "So we've just got to wait a little longer."
"Okay and what happens then?" The innocent voice of the girl asked as she looked at her mother, clutching onto her wrist tighter as she saw a nurse wheel a trolley stacked with medical equipment into a cubical. "They don't hurt it more do they?"
"No, no, they make it better," Mrs Matthews explained kissing her daughter on her forehead. "Well then, the doctor's take a look at it and if it's broken he'll put a cast on it."
"And everyone can sign it, right." Paige face began to brighten up a little. "Like when Elly Banster broke her arm last year."
Her mother smiled, "Yeah, that's right."
"Paige Matthews." A voice from behind the reception desk called.
As Piper watched the girl, the girl disappeared down a corridor with her mother, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Piper looked up to see her grandmother, who's gaze had also followed the girl and her mother.
Penny shot a final look at the young girl. Had the receptionist just said Paige Matthews? Was that the name Sam had told her all those years ago? She shrugged, it was probably just nothing and she had her three other granddaughters to focus on. There was nothing she could do for her fourth granddaughter now but everything she could do for the three other girls.
"Let's go to Phoebe's room."
"Phoebe's got a room!" Piper jumped up and followed her grandmother down a corridor. "That means it's serious!"
"Shh," Penny told her, rubbing her hand on Piper's back as the walked to the hospital room. "They are both going to be okay. Prue's shaken but there's nothing worse than a couple of cuts. And Phoebe, well she's got a concussion and a couple of broken bones so they just want to keep an eye on her. It's worst than it looks. You know your sisters are fighters and drama queens."
Penny opened the door to reveal Prue standing looking out the window and Phoebe lying in a hospital bed with a couple of drips and monitors attached to her body. Piper stood frozen in the doorway as she looked at both her sisters. Penny made her way into the room, splitting her gaze between the three girls.
Prue turned around to look at her grandmother, pulling her hair out of a pony tail. She let her dark hair flow down to hide her face as she looked at Penny. "I'm sorry, I should have looked."
"Yes, you should have."
"You tell her Grams," Phoebe muttered from her bed. "It should be her in this bed."
"You don't think I wouldn't swap places with you right now," Prue retorted as she locked eye contact with her younger sister.
"Whatever," Phoebe replied turning in her bed.
"But it was an accident," Penny explained as she looked over at Phoebe. "Prue you need to deal with the guilt that you're feeling, Phoebe you need to forgive her and Piper would you please for heaven's sakes get out of the doorway and come in the room. People make mistakes girls, even I've made my fair share, one's I would not even dream of sharing and would change if I had to make those decisions again, but it's how you responded to those mistakes that matters."
Characters: Penny, Mrs Matthews, Prue (16), Piper (14), Phoebe (11), Paige (10)
*This part refers to the car crash that is mention in Murphy's Luck 2.16*
Piper sat on a plastic blue chair in E.R. waiting for her grandmother and sisters. She squirmed on the seat trying to get relativity comfortable on the seat as she looked at her watch for the third time in a matter of five minutes. She had been sitting there for nearly an hour, since the phone call had happened.
Penny had made Prue pick up Phoebe from school, much to the elder Halliwell's great resentment. Phoebe had tried out for the school track team and her grandmother had worried about her walking home alone. Prue had finally agreed to go and pick her up in exchange for using the car tonight for her date with Andy.
Piper looked at the clock again, running through the events in her mind, only four minutes had pasted since she looked down at her watch. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair and her mind flew back an hour to when the hospital had called.
It had taken less than twenty minutes for the taxi containing the two Halliwell's to get there. Since they had arrived Penny had disappeared to talk with the doctors and Piper had been left in the reception area.
Piper had spent the time between looking at her clock or her watch, people watching. Looking at the people going past her from all different forms of life had taken her mind off what could possibly be happening to her sisters.
Piper's eyes drew over to a young girl who had an air to her that reminded the middle Halliwell of Phoebe. The ten-year old child was cradling her left wrist while sobbing on her mother's shoulder. The mother of the dark- haired girl placed one arm around her shoulder and supported the injured wrist with her other hand.
"It really hurts mommy," she sobbed. "I hate my roller-skates, it's all their fault I fell."
Her mother smiled as she pulled her closer to her, "I know honey."
"Why are we having to wait so long?" Paige said as she scanned the room.
"Because there are a lot of sicker children in here than you," Mrs. Matthews tried to explain to her ten-year daughter. "So we've just got to wait a little longer."
"Okay and what happens then?" The innocent voice of the girl asked as she looked at her mother, clutching onto her wrist tighter as she saw a nurse wheel a trolley stacked with medical equipment into a cubical. "They don't hurt it more do they?"
"No, no, they make it better," Mrs Matthews explained kissing her daughter on her forehead. "Well then, the doctor's take a look at it and if it's broken he'll put a cast on it."
"And everyone can sign it, right." Paige face began to brighten up a little. "Like when Elly Banster broke her arm last year."
Her mother smiled, "Yeah, that's right."
"Paige Matthews." A voice from behind the reception desk called.
As Piper watched the girl, the girl disappeared down a corridor with her mother, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Piper looked up to see her grandmother, who's gaze had also followed the girl and her mother.
Penny shot a final look at the young girl. Had the receptionist just said Paige Matthews? Was that the name Sam had told her all those years ago? She shrugged, it was probably just nothing and she had her three other granddaughters to focus on. There was nothing she could do for her fourth granddaughter now but everything she could do for the three other girls.
"Let's go to Phoebe's room."
"Phoebe's got a room!" Piper jumped up and followed her grandmother down a corridor. "That means it's serious!"
"Shh," Penny told her, rubbing her hand on Piper's back as the walked to the hospital room. "They are both going to be okay. Prue's shaken but there's nothing worse than a couple of cuts. And Phoebe, well she's got a concussion and a couple of broken bones so they just want to keep an eye on her. It's worst than it looks. You know your sisters are fighters and drama queens."
Penny opened the door to reveal Prue standing looking out the window and Phoebe lying in a hospital bed with a couple of drips and monitors attached to her body. Piper stood frozen in the doorway as she looked at both her sisters. Penny made her way into the room, splitting her gaze between the three girls.
Prue turned around to look at her grandmother, pulling her hair out of a pony tail. She let her dark hair flow down to hide her face as she looked at Penny. "I'm sorry, I should have looked."
"Yes, you should have."
"You tell her Grams," Phoebe muttered from her bed. "It should be her in this bed."
"You don't think I wouldn't swap places with you right now," Prue retorted as she locked eye contact with her younger sister.
"Whatever," Phoebe replied turning in her bed.
"But it was an accident," Penny explained as she looked over at Phoebe. "Prue you need to deal with the guilt that you're feeling, Phoebe you need to forgive her and Piper would you please for heaven's sakes get out of the doorway and come in the room. People make mistakes girls, even I've made my fair share, one's I would not even dream of sharing and would change if I had to make those decisions again, but it's how you responded to those mistakes that matters."