Chapter Two: Answers
Luke Corman slammed on the brakes of his silver Audi TT. Quickly, Luke unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and ran. The cold winter air met his nose and he gulped in deep breaths as sweat dripped from his forehead. After a few minutes of jogging, Luke reached a stairwell, removed his heavy coat, and began climbing.
Continuing his jog, Luke Corman flew past the third floor, clutching his daughter's drawing. The image still burned in his brain. The eyes. The wings. Were they wings? Luke didn't know, and he didn't know if he would have answers even after tonight. He hoped the doctors would know something as he reached the fifth floor of the hospital.
The metal exit door swung open with a creak as if it were begging for WD- 40. Luke paused only to look around for a nurse's station, and once his black eyes saw it, his jog began again. After what seemed to be a marathon, Luke had his daughter's doctor in front of him. Eager for answers, Luke Corman began talking.
"Doctor. My daughter." Luke tried gasping for breath. Finally, he breathed deeply and began again, "My daughter came to this hospital before her death, and-" Luke was interrupted by the doctor lifting his hand.
"Mr. Corman, I remember your daughter's case very well. However, I think we should discuss this in a more private location," the doctor said, motioning with his eyes to several curiously onlooking patients and nurses. Luke nodded, and the doctor led him to a small office behind the nurse's station.
"Doctor, that night... The night my daughter passed away... I was never told how it happened. I guess I was so shocked that I didn't ask, but I wasn't told either."
"Mr. Corman, I withheld that information from you. We didn't want you more disturbed than you already were that night."
"Doctor-" Luke began.
"Call me Rick."
"Rick... I would like to know now. How did my daughter die?" Luke asked. His black eyes locked on the doctor's.
"It's difficult to explain, really. She described-" the doctor began. Rick's eyes moved to the drawing clenched in Luke's white hands. "Mr. Corman, what is that a drawing of?"
"It's something my daughter drew when she was here. It was with her other things you gave back to me. Do you know what it is?" Luke asked extending his arm. Rick clutched the paper, and slowly pulled it out of Luke's hand staring at his black eyes. Finally turning to the drawing, Rick studied it for what seemed like an hour. Rick scratched his chin, his eyes absorbing the picture.
"This," Rick said, looking back at Luke, "is what your daughter said attacked her and her friends that night."
"Wait. What do you mean attacked?" Luke asked unbelieving. Rick shook his head.
"No, not attacked, sorry. She said she saw this in the sky. But she was delusional, Mr. Corman. She wasn't clear on the details. I'm sorry."
"Please explain. What happened to my daughter?" Luke demanded. The doctor shook his head again.
"It's too soon for this, Mr. Corman. You're getting the way you were that night. It's not healthy. I'm sorry, I have to get back to work. I'm going to take this drawing with me. I don't want you reading into these things." Rick said, standing and exiting the office. Luke stood wanting to scream for the doctor to answer more, but the words wouldn't come. Maybe he shouldn't know anymore about his daughter's death. No, he thought again. His curiosity had the better of him now, and it was too late to go back.
Luke quickly followed to doctor out of the office ready to question him again, and ran straight into a fiery haired woman. She looked so familiar to Luke...
"Oh, excuse me. I'm-" Luke paused, recognizing the woman. The nurse from his dream.
"Mr. Corman! Why are you back in the hospital?"
"You're the nurse. You told me about my daughter's death here. I mean, in the waiting room..."
"Yes, I did. Mr. Corman, is everything ok? You look like something's bothering you," the nurse pointed out. Luke nodded, his black eyes meeting the woman's green ones. Her brunette hair curled at her red lips up to her rosy cheeks. Luke felt as if he were back in his dream, and he half- prepared to here about his daughter only having a short amount of time left. "Mr. Corman?" the nurse's soothing voice erased the troubles from his mind, "I need to talk to you, Mr. Corman. It's about your daughter. Could you meet me in the cafe on the second floor tonight?"
Luke nodded. "What time?" he asked, craving more news about his daughter.
"My break is at nine thirty. Is that ok?" Luke nodded again, said bye, and headed back to the stairwell pulling on his coat and leaving the nurse to return to work.
As Luke returned to his Audi TT, he started it, and checked the clock. The green numbers flashed. Eight o' clock at night. Shivering, Luke pressed a button, and waited as the black convertible top folded out and covered him like a shell. Luke turned on the heater, and pulled out of the parking lot. He headed to a Starbucks coffee, realizing how tired he felt. The pills. Doctor Yokham. Suddenly, the meeting from earlier filled his thoughts.
" I understand that it's hard to get over, I really understand. But you are only hurting yourself by keeping this up."
Luke stopped the car, and opened the door. Inside Starbucks, Luke ordered and a minute later he was drinking coffee and letting his mind wander. The warm coffee and cool caramel mixture swam down Luke's throat, soothing him. Anxious to hear what the nurse had to say, Luke sipped his coffee quicker as if to speed up time. Again, Luke had yet another reason to hate this manmade object called time. Checking his watch however, time actually had sped up. His watched read nine fifteen; his coffee only half gone. Luke stood confused, as the store seemed to spin around him, yet stand completely still. Luke gripped his temples and gently rubbed them as he quickly left the store.
Starting his silver car again, Luke turned and headed back to the hospital for a conversation with the nurse.
...
"Hello, Mr. Corman," the nurse said with her soothing voice. Luke had just entered the cafe of the hospital, and was moving through the empty room cautiously. The quiet air made Luke expect something loud to break the silence and he was tense; ready to cover his ears. Finally, Luke reached the table and sat in a seat across from the nurse.
"Hello," Luke quietly muttered. The nurse stared, captivated into Luke's black eyes. Before speaking she shook her head to end her stare. The nurse cleared her throat and began.
"Mr. Corman-"
"Please. Call me Luke."
"Luke," the nurse continued, "Your daughter-"
"Lyndsie," Luke interrupted again.
"Lyndsie," the nurse continued again, "was rushed here nearly four years ago-"
"It will be three years and eight months exactly in two days."
Allison nodded. "Once she arrived," she began, "you were called in. While she was in her room, I would check on her every now and then to see if she was comfortable, and one time she asked me to sit down so she could explain what had happened.
"She started talking monotonously about driving down the road in her car, and then she reached up and gripped my arm, asking for paper. Without letting go, she snatched the paper from me, and scribbled in a black pen something that looked like just a black blob. But then she squeezed my arm tighter and she asked for a red pen. I gave her one, and she started coloring in these two circles and told me they were eyes. Then she lifted herself up, and stared straight into my eyes, still gripping my arm tightly and said, 'this is what came after me.'
"And then she let go. She lied back down, and never said another word to me. Then you got here, and I came to tell you the news, do you remember?"
Luke simply nodded, awaiting more; however, the nurse didn't continue. Luke blinked slowly, still waiting. The nurse opened her red lips, but closed them again, as if she didn't want to go on.
"Ma'am, please continue."
"Call me Allison," she said. Luke nodded, motioning for Allison to continue. She took a deep breath, and let it out. Then she opened her mouth again.
"Lyndsie passed away only four hours later, and the doctor told us not to let you see her-"
"But you told me to talk to her," Luke recalled.
"I know. I was going to let you. I knew it would be hard for someone to lose his or her child without saying goodbye, but the doctor forced us to keep you away. I was going to break the rules, and take you back there, but..." Allison looked up and saw Luke's black eyes pointing down at the floor. She decided to continue with her story, "Mr. Corman," Allison began, "Luke," she corrected herself, "In those four hours, Lyndsie sat in her bed with those pens and drew countless pictures of that thing. Now, I'm not supposed to show you, but rules were made to be broken."
Allison quickly reached to the floor and pulled a small brown box back to the table with her. She opened the box, and picked up a thin piece of paper. Luke's curiosity returned, and he looked up from the floor as Allison slid the paper across the table.
Luke picked it up, and stared at it. He wanted to scream again, but Allison began to talk reminding him of her presence.
"Luke, do you know what that thing is?" she asked.
"Yes," Luke said nodding, "Lyndsie had another drawing similar to this one. It was with her things at home. I..." Luke paused and drew in a breath, "I started to scream when I saw it." Allison nodded.
...
Luke Corman slammed on the brakes of his silver Audi TT. Quickly, Luke unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and ran. The cold winter air met his nose and he gulped in deep breaths as sweat dripped from his forehead. After a few minutes of jogging, Luke reached a stairwell, removed his heavy coat, and began climbing.
Continuing his jog, Luke Corman flew past the third floor, clutching his daughter's drawing. The image still burned in his brain. The eyes. The wings. Were they wings? Luke didn't know, and he didn't know if he would have answers even after tonight. He hoped the doctors would know something as he reached the fifth floor of the hospital.
The metal exit door swung open with a creak as if it were begging for WD- 40. Luke paused only to look around for a nurse's station, and once his black eyes saw it, his jog began again. After what seemed to be a marathon, Luke had his daughter's doctor in front of him. Eager for answers, Luke Corman began talking.
"Doctor. My daughter." Luke tried gasping for breath. Finally, he breathed deeply and began again, "My daughter came to this hospital before her death, and-" Luke was interrupted by the doctor lifting his hand.
"Mr. Corman, I remember your daughter's case very well. However, I think we should discuss this in a more private location," the doctor said, motioning with his eyes to several curiously onlooking patients and nurses. Luke nodded, and the doctor led him to a small office behind the nurse's station.
"Doctor, that night... The night my daughter passed away... I was never told how it happened. I guess I was so shocked that I didn't ask, but I wasn't told either."
"Mr. Corman, I withheld that information from you. We didn't want you more disturbed than you already were that night."
"Doctor-" Luke began.
"Call me Rick."
"Rick... I would like to know now. How did my daughter die?" Luke asked. His black eyes locked on the doctor's.
"It's difficult to explain, really. She described-" the doctor began. Rick's eyes moved to the drawing clenched in Luke's white hands. "Mr. Corman, what is that a drawing of?"
"It's something my daughter drew when she was here. It was with her other things you gave back to me. Do you know what it is?" Luke asked extending his arm. Rick clutched the paper, and slowly pulled it out of Luke's hand staring at his black eyes. Finally turning to the drawing, Rick studied it for what seemed like an hour. Rick scratched his chin, his eyes absorbing the picture.
"This," Rick said, looking back at Luke, "is what your daughter said attacked her and her friends that night."
"Wait. What do you mean attacked?" Luke asked unbelieving. Rick shook his head.
"No, not attacked, sorry. She said she saw this in the sky. But she was delusional, Mr. Corman. She wasn't clear on the details. I'm sorry."
"Please explain. What happened to my daughter?" Luke demanded. The doctor shook his head again.
"It's too soon for this, Mr. Corman. You're getting the way you were that night. It's not healthy. I'm sorry, I have to get back to work. I'm going to take this drawing with me. I don't want you reading into these things." Rick said, standing and exiting the office. Luke stood wanting to scream for the doctor to answer more, but the words wouldn't come. Maybe he shouldn't know anymore about his daughter's death. No, he thought again. His curiosity had the better of him now, and it was too late to go back.
Luke quickly followed to doctor out of the office ready to question him again, and ran straight into a fiery haired woman. She looked so familiar to Luke...
"Oh, excuse me. I'm-" Luke paused, recognizing the woman. The nurse from his dream.
"Mr. Corman! Why are you back in the hospital?"
"You're the nurse. You told me about my daughter's death here. I mean, in the waiting room..."
"Yes, I did. Mr. Corman, is everything ok? You look like something's bothering you," the nurse pointed out. Luke nodded, his black eyes meeting the woman's green ones. Her brunette hair curled at her red lips up to her rosy cheeks. Luke felt as if he were back in his dream, and he half- prepared to here about his daughter only having a short amount of time left. "Mr. Corman?" the nurse's soothing voice erased the troubles from his mind, "I need to talk to you, Mr. Corman. It's about your daughter. Could you meet me in the cafe on the second floor tonight?"
Luke nodded. "What time?" he asked, craving more news about his daughter.
"My break is at nine thirty. Is that ok?" Luke nodded again, said bye, and headed back to the stairwell pulling on his coat and leaving the nurse to return to work.
As Luke returned to his Audi TT, he started it, and checked the clock. The green numbers flashed. Eight o' clock at night. Shivering, Luke pressed a button, and waited as the black convertible top folded out and covered him like a shell. Luke turned on the heater, and pulled out of the parking lot. He headed to a Starbucks coffee, realizing how tired he felt. The pills. Doctor Yokham. Suddenly, the meeting from earlier filled his thoughts.
" I understand that it's hard to get over, I really understand. But you are only hurting yourself by keeping this up."
Luke stopped the car, and opened the door. Inside Starbucks, Luke ordered and a minute later he was drinking coffee and letting his mind wander. The warm coffee and cool caramel mixture swam down Luke's throat, soothing him. Anxious to hear what the nurse had to say, Luke sipped his coffee quicker as if to speed up time. Again, Luke had yet another reason to hate this manmade object called time. Checking his watch however, time actually had sped up. His watched read nine fifteen; his coffee only half gone. Luke stood confused, as the store seemed to spin around him, yet stand completely still. Luke gripped his temples and gently rubbed them as he quickly left the store.
Starting his silver car again, Luke turned and headed back to the hospital for a conversation with the nurse.
...
"Hello, Mr. Corman," the nurse said with her soothing voice. Luke had just entered the cafe of the hospital, and was moving through the empty room cautiously. The quiet air made Luke expect something loud to break the silence and he was tense; ready to cover his ears. Finally, Luke reached the table and sat in a seat across from the nurse.
"Hello," Luke quietly muttered. The nurse stared, captivated into Luke's black eyes. Before speaking she shook her head to end her stare. The nurse cleared her throat and began.
"Mr. Corman-"
"Please. Call me Luke."
"Luke," the nurse continued, "Your daughter-"
"Lyndsie," Luke interrupted again.
"Lyndsie," the nurse continued again, "was rushed here nearly four years ago-"
"It will be three years and eight months exactly in two days."
Allison nodded. "Once she arrived," she began, "you were called in. While she was in her room, I would check on her every now and then to see if she was comfortable, and one time she asked me to sit down so she could explain what had happened.
"She started talking monotonously about driving down the road in her car, and then she reached up and gripped my arm, asking for paper. Without letting go, she snatched the paper from me, and scribbled in a black pen something that looked like just a black blob. But then she squeezed my arm tighter and she asked for a red pen. I gave her one, and she started coloring in these two circles and told me they were eyes. Then she lifted herself up, and stared straight into my eyes, still gripping my arm tightly and said, 'this is what came after me.'
"And then she let go. She lied back down, and never said another word to me. Then you got here, and I came to tell you the news, do you remember?"
Luke simply nodded, awaiting more; however, the nurse didn't continue. Luke blinked slowly, still waiting. The nurse opened her red lips, but closed them again, as if she didn't want to go on.
"Ma'am, please continue."
"Call me Allison," she said. Luke nodded, motioning for Allison to continue. She took a deep breath, and let it out. Then she opened her mouth again.
"Lyndsie passed away only four hours later, and the doctor told us not to let you see her-"
"But you told me to talk to her," Luke recalled.
"I know. I was going to let you. I knew it would be hard for someone to lose his or her child without saying goodbye, but the doctor forced us to keep you away. I was going to break the rules, and take you back there, but..." Allison looked up and saw Luke's black eyes pointing down at the floor. She decided to continue with her story, "Mr. Corman," Allison began, "Luke," she corrected herself, "In those four hours, Lyndsie sat in her bed with those pens and drew countless pictures of that thing. Now, I'm not supposed to show you, but rules were made to be broken."
Allison quickly reached to the floor and pulled a small brown box back to the table with her. She opened the box, and picked up a thin piece of paper. Luke's curiosity returned, and he looked up from the floor as Allison slid the paper across the table.
Luke picked it up, and stared at it. He wanted to scream again, but Allison began to talk reminding him of her presence.
"Luke, do you know what that thing is?" she asked.
"Yes," Luke said nodding, "Lyndsie had another drawing similar to this one. It was with her things at home. I..." Luke paused and drew in a breath, "I started to scream when I saw it." Allison nodded.
...
