CHAPTER TWO
"Callie!" Melissa leaned over her sister. Tears welled in her eyes. Instantly, the snowball fight stopped.
"What happened?" Judy asked as she and May gathered around Callie.
"I-I don't know," Melissa choked out. "Brittany and I were talking while Callie tried to get a snowball out of her shirt. I threw a snowball, and when I ducked down Brittany was staring at Callie."
"Hello? Callie, this isn't a joke, is it?" Brittany shook Callie, but Callie didn't giggle or move.
"I think she's really hurt," May spoke up. Melissa swallowed hard-and noticed something in Callie's hand. Melissa leaned over-and gasped. A long, sharp knife was in Callie's hand.
"It's a knife," Melissa told the others. "Callie's holding a knife."
"But I don't see any blood," May said. Melissa looked at her sister's hand more closely and saw that Callie wasn't holding the knife at all. Her palm was around the handle, but her hand hung loosely.
"She was set up," Melissa announced. "The knife was put there."
"How dumb," Judy remarked. "Why would somebody put a knife in somebody's hand if it doesn't look like the person stabbed the victim?"
"I don't-"Melissa started, but Brittany's shout interrupted her.
"Hey, guys!" Brittany said. "Callie was hurt after all. There's a deep gash in her neck. It's really bad, and she's losing blood fast."
Melissa kneeled down and saw that Brittany was right.
"But how could this happen if you were watching Callie? And I got up and down so fast that this couldn't have happened in second or two."
"Well, I was watching May and Judy, Melissa. And actually, this could have happened quickly. The murderer could have snuck up behind Callie and stabbed her. Then he could run away. See? The knife has blood on it, and the gash is in the back of her neck." Brittany looked down at Callie, but Melissa stood up and told May to go inside and phone the ambulance.
"I'll have to watch Callie, so Brittany, you go to my house and tell Mom and Dad what happened." Melissa looked at her lifeless sister, thinking, Please be okay!
In a few minutes, Brittany was back in the Crochet's car with Mr. and Mrs. Crochet. Callie was loaded into the ambulance, and Melissa climbed into the car with Brittany and her parents.
Melissa sat nervously in the Emergency Room waiting room. She was biting her nails, which she didn't do very often. She wasn't even talking to Brittany, although her best friend was trying to cheer her. It wasn't really working, and Melissa wanted to tell her to be quiet. But even those words would have been too harsh for Brittany.
Suddenly, a doctor with the name Dr. Morris on his name tag stood in front of the room and motioned for the Crochets to follow him. Melissa and Brittany tiptoed side by side, neither of them saying a word. Melissa knew what she would see: Lots of machines, a hospital bed, and her sister.
Melissa was the first one in the room. She took one look at her sister and gasped. Callie's eyes were tiny and red, and a huge mark was where she had been stabbed. Blood machines and other machines were hooked up to Callie's arms, neck, and head.
"What's wrong with her?" Melissa asked the doctor. Brittany grasped her friend's hand tightly.
"Well," Dr. Morris replied, "Callie has lost a lot of blood, mostly from her neck. But we also found a very, very, very huge and deep gash in her head, so not only will her neck be in pain, she also suffered memory loss-a bunch of memory, I'm afraid. Sadly, her memory will most likely never come back."
"What do you recommend we do?" Mrs. Crochet asked.
"Talk to her as much as possible," Dr. Morris said. "And she will need to come back once a week for shots."
"Okay," Mrs. Crochet said, taking her daughter's hand. But the doctor put his hand up and said, "Callie will need tests-a lot of them. We recommend that Callie stay overnight in the hospital and be returned to you tomorrow morning."
While Dr. Morris and the Crochets made arrangements, Melissa held Callie's hand and spoke to her softly.
"It'll be okay," Melissa told her sister. "You'll come back tomorrow and we'll help you remember us. Brittany will be there too, so you can see her again, although it'll be like meeting us for the first time."
Melissa felt an arm on her shoulder. She looked up into her mother's tear- streaked face.
"Callie will be okay, sweetie," Mrs. Crochet said with a smile. "But it's time to go."
Melissa looked down at Callie and stood up. With Brittany at her side, Melissa walked out of the room.
"Callie!" Melissa leaned over her sister. Tears welled in her eyes. Instantly, the snowball fight stopped.
"What happened?" Judy asked as she and May gathered around Callie.
"I-I don't know," Melissa choked out. "Brittany and I were talking while Callie tried to get a snowball out of her shirt. I threw a snowball, and when I ducked down Brittany was staring at Callie."
"Hello? Callie, this isn't a joke, is it?" Brittany shook Callie, but Callie didn't giggle or move.
"I think she's really hurt," May spoke up. Melissa swallowed hard-and noticed something in Callie's hand. Melissa leaned over-and gasped. A long, sharp knife was in Callie's hand.
"It's a knife," Melissa told the others. "Callie's holding a knife."
"But I don't see any blood," May said. Melissa looked at her sister's hand more closely and saw that Callie wasn't holding the knife at all. Her palm was around the handle, but her hand hung loosely.
"She was set up," Melissa announced. "The knife was put there."
"How dumb," Judy remarked. "Why would somebody put a knife in somebody's hand if it doesn't look like the person stabbed the victim?"
"I don't-"Melissa started, but Brittany's shout interrupted her.
"Hey, guys!" Brittany said. "Callie was hurt after all. There's a deep gash in her neck. It's really bad, and she's losing blood fast."
Melissa kneeled down and saw that Brittany was right.
"But how could this happen if you were watching Callie? And I got up and down so fast that this couldn't have happened in second or two."
"Well, I was watching May and Judy, Melissa. And actually, this could have happened quickly. The murderer could have snuck up behind Callie and stabbed her. Then he could run away. See? The knife has blood on it, and the gash is in the back of her neck." Brittany looked down at Callie, but Melissa stood up and told May to go inside and phone the ambulance.
"I'll have to watch Callie, so Brittany, you go to my house and tell Mom and Dad what happened." Melissa looked at her lifeless sister, thinking, Please be okay!
In a few minutes, Brittany was back in the Crochet's car with Mr. and Mrs. Crochet. Callie was loaded into the ambulance, and Melissa climbed into the car with Brittany and her parents.
Melissa sat nervously in the Emergency Room waiting room. She was biting her nails, which she didn't do very often. She wasn't even talking to Brittany, although her best friend was trying to cheer her. It wasn't really working, and Melissa wanted to tell her to be quiet. But even those words would have been too harsh for Brittany.
Suddenly, a doctor with the name Dr. Morris on his name tag stood in front of the room and motioned for the Crochets to follow him. Melissa and Brittany tiptoed side by side, neither of them saying a word. Melissa knew what she would see: Lots of machines, a hospital bed, and her sister.
Melissa was the first one in the room. She took one look at her sister and gasped. Callie's eyes were tiny and red, and a huge mark was where she had been stabbed. Blood machines and other machines were hooked up to Callie's arms, neck, and head.
"What's wrong with her?" Melissa asked the doctor. Brittany grasped her friend's hand tightly.
"Well," Dr. Morris replied, "Callie has lost a lot of blood, mostly from her neck. But we also found a very, very, very huge and deep gash in her head, so not only will her neck be in pain, she also suffered memory loss-a bunch of memory, I'm afraid. Sadly, her memory will most likely never come back."
"What do you recommend we do?" Mrs. Crochet asked.
"Talk to her as much as possible," Dr. Morris said. "And she will need to come back once a week for shots."
"Okay," Mrs. Crochet said, taking her daughter's hand. But the doctor put his hand up and said, "Callie will need tests-a lot of them. We recommend that Callie stay overnight in the hospital and be returned to you tomorrow morning."
While Dr. Morris and the Crochets made arrangements, Melissa held Callie's hand and spoke to her softly.
"It'll be okay," Melissa told her sister. "You'll come back tomorrow and we'll help you remember us. Brittany will be there too, so you can see her again, although it'll be like meeting us for the first time."
Melissa felt an arm on her shoulder. She looked up into her mother's tear- streaked face.
"Callie will be okay, sweetie," Mrs. Crochet said with a smile. "But it's time to go."
Melissa looked down at Callie and stood up. With Brittany at her side, Melissa walked out of the room.