A Medicine Called, Time
"Mom, this is Simara," Marc introduced a new girl to Lou, "She's the new addition to the crowd."
"Hi Simara," Lou smiled and shook the new girl's hand.
"HI Ms. Delgado," Shyly she shook Lou's hand.
"Oh just call me Lou," Lou insisted.
"Okay," Simara smiled, pushing her golden blonde hair behind one ear, showing a sign of an increasing comfort level.
"There's some cookies in the kitchen that I just took out of the oven. You guys help yourself. Where's Trina?" Lou said, excusing herself back to her issue of "Women's Journal".
"Um go ahead and take a seat. Do you want milk?" Marc offered, seeing his guest to a seat at the dining room table.
"Sure, thank you," Simara smiled, pulling out a chair.
"So, Simara, where ya from?" Lou asked, joining her at the table.
"I'm from California. My mom and dad both got offered better jobs and they took them. Plus we have some family about a half and hour away from here," Simara answered.
"I bet ya miss your friends," Lou assumed.
"Yeah, but it's cool. Ya know, since we have email and stuff," Simara smiled.
"So, Mom," Marc said, sitting down a glass of milk in front of Simara, "How was your day off?"
"Great," Lou said as she turned the page.
"Well," Marc said, excusing himself back to the kitchen, "what'd you do?"
"Well," Lou smiled, "Seeing as I had nothing else to do, thanks to my son, I went to the mall and out to lunch and then I got a massage and came home."
"Good," Marc said sitting the plate of fresh, gooey chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk for himself down on the table.
"He got me a special package from the maid service for Valentine's Day," Lou bragged and began to explain to Simara, so that any confusion would be cleared up, "And since on my days off, the only thing that I do is clean house and do laundry and grocery shop- "
"I figured she deserved a day of pampering and I start working at Martin's which is a grocery store downtown and I saved enough from every pay check to get the package. So all she had to do was make out the grocery list, and they went and got them for you, and bill you for them later, and they clean your house, do your laundry, that sort of thing," Marc explained.
"Cool," Simara gave the sign that she understood.
"It was sweet," Lou bragged.
Marc took a bite of one of the cookies and put his sense of humor to good use, "Well, I guess they must have made these since these are way better than yours Mom."
"Marc," Simara scolded but laughed along with Lou.
"You just better watch yourself young man," Lou playfully warned.
"To answer your question from earlier, Trina's going to be tied up for a couple of weeks. She's working on a group project for some class. It's like eighty percent of their grade," Marc said, chewing the cookie.
"Cool. So you guys have any plans for tonight?" Lou asked.
"Nah, I have to go home. I have a lot of homework and I still need to finish unpacking some stuff," Simara said finishing off a cookie.
"Sorry I couldn't hang last night," Trina said the next morning as she walked side by side with Simara down the hall.
"It's cool. I totally understand. I didn't get to hang out with Marc for long. I had to get home and do homework and unpack some more stuff," Simara said.
"Hey guys," Marc said, joining for them for a short period of time.
The girls greeted him and continued down the hall.
"See you at lunch," Trina said, watching Marc enter his designated class.
The girls continued their short journey down the hall, just four doors down from Marc's class.
"Okay class," the teacher shut the door behind her as the bell rang, "Take your seats and get ready to take notes."
"We're discussing the content and body of our debate papers today," Trina said, taking the lid off of a blue ink pen as Simara did the same.
"Here's how this is going to work," The teacher said as she handed enough information packets for the whole row to the person sitting in the first seat, "Pass these back. You will first write an outline for your paper, and we'll go over how that should be done in a few minutes. You'll have the next four days to pick your topic, and within those four days you need to come to me with your outline typed out for me to approve. So if I were you, I would pick three or four possibilities for my topic, incase I decide that I don't like your first choice."
Simara took a copy and turned around to find the guy behind her with his head down, sleeping. She glanced at Trina with a confused look on her face.
"His name is Ryan. Just wake him up," Trina answered as she started flipping through the information packet.
Simara turned and slowly extended her hand and tapped the guy gently on the arm. "Ryan……Ryan?"
His eyes opened, "Oh, I'm sorry." He slowly sat up, taking the remaining packets.
"Do you have an idea for your topic?" Trina asked Simara.
"I was thinking about the rainforest ya know? I mean, I know we use things from the rainforest for everyday things, but it's not necessary one hundred percent of the time. For example, we use wood from the trees to make paper, but yet we go and tear down all kinds of forestry around here to build new buildings, so where does that wood go? Why can't we use that to make paper until we really need the trees from the rainforest," Simara argued her point.
"I understand what you're saying," Trina responded.
"What about your topic?" Simara asked.
"I'm not sure," Trina answered.
"The topic must be something that you feel strongly about," The teacher said as she resumed he normal spot at the front of the classroom, taking a piece of white chalk into her hand. "Yes Mr. Standfield?"
"Like, could we argue the reason why marijuana should be legal?" A voice came from directly behind Simara.
"Very possible. But here's what you have to do. Your paper must present three solid arguable points from both sides. Why and why not," The teacher answered as she wrote that information down on the chalk board.
A month flew by and Simara adapted quickly. Trina was spending most of her free time with her group, finishing up their group project, which left Marc and Simara to entertain each other and so they did. They spent some nights helping each other study or helping each other with homework. Other evenings were spent at the movies, bowling or just sitting down over a milkshake and talking. Eventually a friendship bloomed into a little more than just a friendship.
"So," Marc said, tossing his pencil onto his notebook.
"So," Samara smiled, leaning away from the coffee table and against the bottom of the couch.
"Break time?" Marc asked, scooting closer to Simara.
"Sounds good to me," Simara's voice softened as Marc's elbow rested on the couch, letting his fingers slide through her silk-like hair.
"Yeah?" Marc said, moving his hand closer to her cheek. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers, eventually gently sliding his wet tongue into her mouth, which all lasted for a couple of moments, and ended smoothly.
"So what time are you picking me up for the Snowflake Dance this Saturday?" Simara asked.
"How's seven sound?" Marc asked, stealing another quick soundly kiss from her.
"Great," Simara smiled, stealing a kiss back from him, "But for now it's time for me to go home and go to bed." Simara gathered her books and put them into her backpack, as Marc got up to get her coat as well as his.
"Hey," Lou said coming through the front door.
"Hi, Mom," Marc greeted as Simara joined him, "I'm going to walk her home and I'll be back."
"Okay," Lou said, flipping through the mail, "See ya later Simara."
"Bye Lou," Simara responded.
Saturday, the night of the Snowflake Dance had finally arrived. Marc had looked forward to this night for a while. He couldn't wait to see what Simara's dress looked like, even though he knew she would looking beautiful in whatever she chose to wear.
"Just relax," Lou said as she fixed Marc's tie, "Why should you be nervous? You've dated her for a while now. You guys have done plenty of stuff together."
"Yeah, but Mom this is different," Marc said as he followed Lou downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Not really," She said taking the bouquet of red roses that Marc had gotten for Simara out of the fridge, "You look very hansom. Go, relax and have a good time." Lou smiled.
Marc took a deep breath as he walked up to Simara's door. She answered, and her presence took Marc's breath away. The long, strapless ice blue dress gown complimented her baby blue eyes. The light hit her necklace and earrings at the perfect angle, creating an illusion of scattered colors in the gems. Her hair was pulled up out of her face and into a French twist. A few wisps of hair were flowing freely but had been spiral curled.
They danced the night away and the air was filled with laughing and happiness. But like all good things it came to an end, and everything went back to normal, including Trina's hanging out regularly once again.
"I won't be able to talk to you until tomorrow afternoon okay?" Simara informed Marc who stood at her locker.
"Why?" Marc asked.
"Because I have that Rainforest Environment Awareness fundraiser to go to and then I'll be straight home." Simara shut her locker door.
"Okay," Marc said, taking her hand, "I guess I'll just have to learn to deal."
Simara laughed, "Yeah I guess you will."
The next morning, Simara had over slept and was in a major hurry. She ran downstairs, rushed to the kitchen and gulped a glass of orange juice that her Mom had sat out for her. She picked the phone up and dialed Marc's number, even though it was early. She knew he was probably still sleeping but he wouldn't mind if she woke him up to tell him she was thinking about him and she would talk to him later.
The phone rang and rang in the Delgado house, but Lou had to go to the clinic for a little while, she wasn't there to answer the phone, and Marc was in too deep of a sleep to hear the phone ring so the answering machine picked up and Simara left a quick message for Marc. As soon as she hung up the phone a car horn sounded from outside and she grabbed her keys and shut the door behind her.
"Hey Simara," the driver greeted as Simara got into the front seat.
"These are my two friends who wanted to come along today. This is Tim and this is Abe," the girl introduced.
Simara turned around and said hello.
"Simara just moved here from California you guys," The driver, who was another friend from one of Simara's classes, informed the two guys in the back seat.
It was a long day, but Simara and her friend enjoyed it while the other two guys just tagged along. There were exhibits there that had endangered rainforest animals on display and information about them. Other exhibits had rare leaves on display along with what they were used for, such as medications that were used to treat many deadly diseases.
"Do you mind if I sit in the front?" Abe asked Simara on the way out to the car after the event was over, "I get car sick."
"Um sure. That's fine," Simara opened a back door.
Simara was exhausted and the rhythm of the wheels along with road made her drift off into dreamland. But little did she know, that would be her last time to close her eyes. Visions played like a film strip in her head. Most of them were of when she first moved and when she first met Marc. Then the visions played images of more recent things, such as the dance they went too, and their first kiss but then all of it was interrupted by a sudden image of nothing but pitch black.
"Well I don't know. I mean, he really likes her. He's been hanging around her a lot," Lou stood at the desk talking to Lana, "Don't get me wrong, I mean I liker her. She's really nice."
"So the simple idea of puppy love is out of the question ya think?" Lana asked, resting her face in her hand.
"Well, I don't think it's puppy love-" Lou was interrupted.
"Car crash victim coming through!" A paramedic shouted, as he and a few other paramedics pushed a stretcher through the emergency doors.
The paramedic informed Lou of the victim's medical condition as Lou listened for a heart beat as they raced through the halls to an emergency room.
"Oh my God," Lou took the stethoscope off of her ears, "Oh my God that's Simara. On my count people," Lou continued taking the edge of the stretcher along with the paramedics, "1, 2, 3."
They lifted her onto a table and Lou start C.P.R.
"Oh God, her breath smells like blood," Lou said after giving her a rescue breath.
"Internal bleeding?" A medical student suggested.
Meanwhile at home, Marc sat in front of the television flipping through channels and enjoying his last piece of pizza. He got up to go throw his paper plate away and on the way back from the kitchen he noticed the red button on the answering machine was blinking. He smiled, hoping it might have been Simara, and he was right.
"Hey sweetie, it's me. I was just calling to say that I'll be thinking about you and I hope you have a good day. Um, I'll talk to you when I get home okay? Bye sweetie." The tape played Simara's message.
He smiled as he collapsed back onto the couch. But something wasn't right. He glanced at the clock and it was seven thirty p.m. She said she would call when she got home, which was suppose to be that afternoon. He shrugged the thought off, just figuring she had stopped to get a bite to eat with her friends.
"Call it," Peter said, knowing there was no hope. They had worked on getting her back for twenty minutes and no success came of it.
"No, we have to keep going!" Lou said, pumping Simara's chest with her hands, trying to hang on for Marc's sake.
"Lou," Peter pulled her away from the body, "She's gone. She's gone just let her go."
"Thank you for coming," Lou said to Simara's parents who were sitting in the waiting room.
:"Is she okay?" Simara's mother asked, wiping away tears.
"Let's go into my office," Lou lead the way, closing the door behind them, "Have a seat."
"What's going on doctor?" Simara's mother asked again.
Lou sat down across from them at her desk and tried to gather and organize her thoughts in her head. She had no idea where to start.
"We tried for twenty minutes to bring her back. We did everything we could, and this isn't easy to say, but I'm sorry. Simara's dead, Mr. and Mrs. Evans. She had an enormous amount of internal bleeding and she probably died instantly from the impact," Lou blinked back tears.
"Mom!" Marc busted through the door, "Mom, what's going on?"
Lou took a deep breath. It was bad enough that she had to deal with Simara's parents right now, but now she had to deal with Marc at the same time. Marc glanced and saw Lou blinking back tears and then saw Simara's mother and father holding each other, as they sobbed in sorrow. He knew automatically she was dead, but he refused to accept it.
"No," he shook his head back and forth, "No, no. She's fine. She's okay Mom, tell me she's okay."
Lou got up from her desk and walked over to Marc. "She went peacefully Marc. She didn't feel a thing."
"No." Marc again shook his head in denial, "No."
Marc ran out of the office slamming the door behind him. He ran past Lana and out of the exit doors and out into the fresh air. He put his hands on the side of his head with his arms bent at the elbow and took in deep breaths of panic.
Lou sat back down at the desk. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, the toxicology reports indicate that the driver and the other two passengers had been smoking pot, not to mention the strong smell of marijuana coming from the car on the scene, and not to mention the half smoked joint that had been knocked onto the floorboard from the driver's hand."
"Simara didn't do that type of thing. You're lying. You're lying because you just couldn't save her!" Simara's mother shouted in rage and anger.
"However," Lou continued, "Simara's toxicology reports came back clear. So, I'm guessing what probably happened is, due to the effect of the drugs, the driver might of lost control of the car and wrecked. But Simara was clean. She was a good kid."
Marc sat on one of the bench's in the cemetery, holding a picture of himself and Simara that had been taking at the Snowflake Dance. The happiness and the positive mood had been captured in time. He moved it in between his fingers. People paid their respects as Simara's casket was lowered into the ground and then started to leave.
"Hi," Lou sat down beside Marc.
"Hi," Marc said along with a sniff.
"How ya doin'?" Lou couldn't find the right words to say.
"Okay for now I guess," Marc said, "but what now Mom? I mean, I just don't know what to do. We were so happy and one minute she's here and the next she's gone. What am I suppose to do? I can't help but feel angry at those people. God Mom. Drugs. Drugs, which were being done by others, and an innocent life was taken."
"I don't know what you're suppose to do. All I know is I'll be right here when ya need me, okay?" Lou rubbed her hand across the top of Marc's shoulders.
"Thanks," Marc said, wiping away his tears, "I wish there were a cure for grief. Or some kind of medicine to numb the pain or something."
"I know," Lou comforted.
"Mom, the only thing that kills me, is that I really loved her," Tears raced down Marc's face, "And now I have to live with the fact that I never told her. God that kills me. And what kills me even more, is knowing I'll never have the chance to tell her, she'll never know."
Lou slowly shook her head, "I think she knows now."
"I know," Marc said after a few moments, "I would just feel better if I could tell her to her face."
"I know you're hurting Marc," Lou said, hugging her son, "And I know this might be hard to realize now, but this will get better. The only medicine for something like this cannot be found through prescription or behind the counter. It's time. Time will help. The pain will never fully go away, but time will help put the pain at ease."