Jeff began rushing around the house, gathering things Lucy'd need while she
was under the doctor's care. Unexpectedly, he heard his mother cry out
from her room. He rushed in, immediately met by the sight of Emily
grabbing at her stomach and breathing hard, every other breath punctuated
by a yelp of pain. Jeff almost fainted dead away, but caught himself at
the las moment as his mother called his name. "Luce! We'se got a
situation heah!"
Lucy wandered in, covering her mouth with her bloodstained hands and a small kitchen towel. She gasped, unsure of what to do, eyes growing wide.
"Lucy!" Jeff shook her by the shoulders. "I needs ya now, okay?"
She nodded, glancing back and forth between mother and son anxiously. She shook herself back to reality, shifting her eyes from Emily, not wanting to see her friend in pain. "I'll get dah cah,"
Jeff motioned approval, and she ran out the door. A moment later, the front door slammed and Emily screamed yet again.
Jeff sped to his mother's side, grasping her hand and telling her to get up. She looked at him sideways, a combination of anger and fear in her light eyes. "Don't worry none Ma, Lucy's getting' da cah. We'se gonna go in a sec, okay?" She nodded best she could, her breathing beginning to even out.
Lucy came back in at that moment. "A'rite, da cah's ready. I'll get huh stuff if youse gets huh."
Jeff nodded again, seemingly the only thing worth doing at the moment. Lucy grabbed a few of Emily's things and stuffed them into a nearby Macy's bag. She began wringing her hands as Jeff lifted his mother and carried her to the car as quickly as he could. Lucy began coughing again once she reached the top of the stairs, threatening to collapse where she stood. She swayed, then latched onto the creaky banister, somehow making it out the door after Jeff.
He gently laid Emily down in the backseat and ran around to the passenger's side, leaning on the shrill horn when she didn't immediately appear. Prompted by the horn, Lucy scrambled into the driver's seat and began starting the car. She threw an abashed glance Jeff's way after the first try. From the backseat, Emily screamed again.
Lucy quickly tried again, and again, and yet again, but the car refused to start. He reached his hands out and banged on the dashboard. "Stupid piece a—"
"Jeff!" Lucy glared at him, her eyes full of surprise. "We'se ain't got time for your crap a'right?"
Jeff nodded meekly.
"I'se gonna try it one more time okay?"
He nodded again, ashamed of how he had exploded over nothing.
She prayed silently as she turned the key one last time. To Jeff's surprise, it started. "Thank God." She muttered under her breath, backing the car out of the driveway and out onto the streets.
-----
"Miss? Are you alright?"
Lucy gaped up at the large woman and smiled warily. "Jus' a lil worried ma'am."
The woman nodded, her eyebrows furrowed, and turned back to her desk.
Lucy coughed suddenly, giving her true feelings away.
The woman, Mrs. Barracks, whirled back around. "Look, I'd feel a lot better if you'd check in as well." She looked at Lucy, worry in her dark eyes.
Lucy hesitated, then received a nudge from Jeff. She turned to him, a question in her eyes.
He nodded solemnly. "Go on," He looked up at the hefty woman and smiled. "I was gonna check huh in, but wid me mudda an' all I guess I forgot." He said weakly, feeling immensely stupid for having not done it sooner.
Mrs. Barracks shook her head. "No need for excuses kid," Then to Lucy. "Come on honey, let's get you situated." She took Lucy gently by the arm and led her away just after Lucy kissed Jeff on the cheek awkwardly.
Jeff watched Lucy walk down the long corridor in tow of Mrs. Barracks. The feel of her lips on his skin still lingered long after she had disappeared. He put his hands in his hair and slumped over, elbows on knees.
-----
Jeff tried sleeping, but found he couldn't. He paced back and forth for so long that a passing nurse told him that he'd wear a path in the floor if he didn't stop. It was a nervous habit his mother had bestowed on him. He felt the role of expectant father, and must have looked it, for many passers-by tried to congratulate him on his new child. He wondered where his /I father was. Then decided he didn't care.
Two hours later Mrs. Barracks trudged down the hall, a troubled look upon her round face. A chill went down Jeff's back. He jumped up and ran to her. "Well?" He asked, debating on whether he actually wanted to know or not.
Mrs. Barracks wrung her hands. "It's not good kid, she's coughing up blood, and I ran some tests...Jeff," She laid a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "She's got consumption."
Jeff started laughing. "Ya mus' be mistaken, she ain't got consumption. She'll be fine. Jus', jus' da flu right?"
She furrowed her brow. "Mr. Jefferson, I'm serious. Now I'm sorry, and I know that this must come as a shock—"
"Shock?! I jus' found out dat me best friends gonna die an' youse call dat a shock!?" He yelled, his anger rising steadily and his voice matching it.
Mrs. Barracks shook a stubby finger at him. "Now there's no need to shout at me."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I-I just-I," Jeff fell into a nearby chair, nearly knocking it over backward. He put his head in his hands and started sobbing.
Mrs. Barracks lifted her hand, wanting to offer some kind of comfort for the boy, but instead, returned to her post. Some tests needed to be run, but that could wait.
Lucy wandered in, covering her mouth with her bloodstained hands and a small kitchen towel. She gasped, unsure of what to do, eyes growing wide.
"Lucy!" Jeff shook her by the shoulders. "I needs ya now, okay?"
She nodded, glancing back and forth between mother and son anxiously. She shook herself back to reality, shifting her eyes from Emily, not wanting to see her friend in pain. "I'll get dah cah,"
Jeff motioned approval, and she ran out the door. A moment later, the front door slammed and Emily screamed yet again.
Jeff sped to his mother's side, grasping her hand and telling her to get up. She looked at him sideways, a combination of anger and fear in her light eyes. "Don't worry none Ma, Lucy's getting' da cah. We'se gonna go in a sec, okay?" She nodded best she could, her breathing beginning to even out.
Lucy came back in at that moment. "A'rite, da cah's ready. I'll get huh stuff if youse gets huh."
Jeff nodded again, seemingly the only thing worth doing at the moment. Lucy grabbed a few of Emily's things and stuffed them into a nearby Macy's bag. She began wringing her hands as Jeff lifted his mother and carried her to the car as quickly as he could. Lucy began coughing again once she reached the top of the stairs, threatening to collapse where she stood. She swayed, then latched onto the creaky banister, somehow making it out the door after Jeff.
He gently laid Emily down in the backseat and ran around to the passenger's side, leaning on the shrill horn when she didn't immediately appear. Prompted by the horn, Lucy scrambled into the driver's seat and began starting the car. She threw an abashed glance Jeff's way after the first try. From the backseat, Emily screamed again.
Lucy quickly tried again, and again, and yet again, but the car refused to start. He reached his hands out and banged on the dashboard. "Stupid piece a—"
"Jeff!" Lucy glared at him, her eyes full of surprise. "We'se ain't got time for your crap a'right?"
Jeff nodded meekly.
"I'se gonna try it one more time okay?"
He nodded again, ashamed of how he had exploded over nothing.
She prayed silently as she turned the key one last time. To Jeff's surprise, it started. "Thank God." She muttered under her breath, backing the car out of the driveway and out onto the streets.
-----
"Miss? Are you alright?"
Lucy gaped up at the large woman and smiled warily. "Jus' a lil worried ma'am."
The woman nodded, her eyebrows furrowed, and turned back to her desk.
Lucy coughed suddenly, giving her true feelings away.
The woman, Mrs. Barracks, whirled back around. "Look, I'd feel a lot better if you'd check in as well." She looked at Lucy, worry in her dark eyes.
Lucy hesitated, then received a nudge from Jeff. She turned to him, a question in her eyes.
He nodded solemnly. "Go on," He looked up at the hefty woman and smiled. "I was gonna check huh in, but wid me mudda an' all I guess I forgot." He said weakly, feeling immensely stupid for having not done it sooner.
Mrs. Barracks shook her head. "No need for excuses kid," Then to Lucy. "Come on honey, let's get you situated." She took Lucy gently by the arm and led her away just after Lucy kissed Jeff on the cheek awkwardly.
Jeff watched Lucy walk down the long corridor in tow of Mrs. Barracks. The feel of her lips on his skin still lingered long after she had disappeared. He put his hands in his hair and slumped over, elbows on knees.
-----
Jeff tried sleeping, but found he couldn't. He paced back and forth for so long that a passing nurse told him that he'd wear a path in the floor if he didn't stop. It was a nervous habit his mother had bestowed on him. He felt the role of expectant father, and must have looked it, for many passers-by tried to congratulate him on his new child. He wondered where his /I father was. Then decided he didn't care.
Two hours later Mrs. Barracks trudged down the hall, a troubled look upon her round face. A chill went down Jeff's back. He jumped up and ran to her. "Well?" He asked, debating on whether he actually wanted to know or not.
Mrs. Barracks wrung her hands. "It's not good kid, she's coughing up blood, and I ran some tests...Jeff," She laid a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "She's got consumption."
Jeff started laughing. "Ya mus' be mistaken, she ain't got consumption. She'll be fine. Jus', jus' da flu right?"
She furrowed her brow. "Mr. Jefferson, I'm serious. Now I'm sorry, and I know that this must come as a shock—"
"Shock?! I jus' found out dat me best friends gonna die an' youse call dat a shock!?" He yelled, his anger rising steadily and his voice matching it.
Mrs. Barracks shook a stubby finger at him. "Now there's no need to shout at me."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I-I just-I," Jeff fell into a nearby chair, nearly knocking it over backward. He put his head in his hands and started sobbing.
Mrs. Barracks lifted her hand, wanting to offer some kind of comfort for the boy, but instead, returned to her post. Some tests needed to be run, but that could wait.