--I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of my lovely and loyal
readers! School and two jobs prohibit me from updating as much as I would
like to, but thanks for understanding and for the awesome, delicious
reviews! You all rock more than you'll ever know!! Peace, Heather--
Chapter 10
Alicia stared in awe out the car window. As they made the journey to Bucks County Medical Center, she and the rest of the family observed houses and other buildings that had been all but destroyed.
'What if they're still out there?' Alicia thought to herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a numb, tingling sensation in her foot. She looked down and lifted her foot a little. It was swollen and unnaturally discolored.
"Do you think it'll be crowded there?" she asked.
"I hope not," said Graham, holding tight to Morgan in the backseat.
Finally, they arrived at the hospital, and it was a frenzied nightmare. People were bringing in dead loved ones, hoping that there was a chance that they survived the gas poisoning from the aliens.
"We're never gonna see a doctor," Merrill said.
He parked the car in the safest spot he could find and the family all got out. They pushed past crowds of screaming people.
"This is impossible," Alicia said.
Suddenly, she saw a familiar face. It relieved her, but at the same time brought back memories of the accident. It was the doctor who had supervised her recovery.
"Dr. Branson! Dr. Branson, over here!!"
The doctor turned his head and a look of concern came across his face. He wasn't even dressed for work yet; it looked as if he had been called in for the emergency at the last minute.
"Alicia? Is that you?"
"Yeah! My nephew's had a horrible asthma attack! Can you please examine him?"
"Follow me!"
They fought their way through the people and met up with Branson in an abandoned area. While he examined Morgan with the aid of a nurse, Alicia looked around in horror. People were being covered from left to right in death shrouds. She put her arm around Merrill and leaned her head against his upper body. Graham looked up from Morgan to check on Bo, and his face melted into a heartbroken gaze.
"What is it?" asked Merrill.
"Tracey Abernathy's mother and father are standing over there and crying."
They looked behind them and saw the couple sobbing over a body that was covered and still on the exam table. Blonde hair spilled off of the table.
"My God," Alicia said under her breath.
Then her stomach dropped.
"Mom and Dad.." she said aloud.
She ran to the closest payphone and called her parents' home. Each time the phone rang, her worst fears seemed closer. Finally, after about six rings, someone picked up.
"H-Hello?"
"Mom? Mom, it's me!"
"Oh, Alicia! Sweetie, we were so worried about you!"
"Mom, don't cry. We're all OK."
"Did you see them? They were everywhere."
"Mom, they were in our house."
"Oh my God. The kids.."
"Morgan had a really bad asthma attack and.."
She was too overwhelmed to tell the story about the alien in the living room.
"How's Dad?"
"He's right here."
"Did you guys see any of them?"
"Thank God, no."
"Alright, Mom. I have to get back to Morgan. I promise I'll call you when I leave here. Tell Dad I love him."
"I will, baby. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Yeah. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart. Bye."
"Bye."
Alicia hung up, and then called Merrill and Graham's parents, who lived in the Poconos. The phone rang and rang, and the answering machine picked up.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hess. It's Alicia. I was just calling to check up on you guys and to let you know that we're OK. Merrill and Graham are fine and so are the kids. Please call and let us know that you guys are OK. Bye."
Alicia put the phone on its hook and walked back over to the exam area. Morgan had a breathing treatment in his mouth. He waved at Alicia, and she blew him a kiss back.
Dr. Branson said, "Alicia, Merrill told me that you lacerated your foot."
"Yeah, on shattered glass in our basement."
"Let me see."
Alicia lifted up her foot and he said, "Wow. That looks pretty nasty. I'm gonna give you a tetanus shot just to be safe, before the stitches are done.."
Alicia despised shots with every bone in her body.
"I really need one?"
"Yes. You don't want it to become severely infected. Come sit over here."
He directed her to a small table, where she slipped off her shoe and sat down. The nurse approached Alicia with the needle and her heart raced.
Dr. Branson said, "I need to get to these other patients. Beth here is going to take care of you and help get Morgan a bed for overnight."
"Thank you for everything," Graham said.
"You're welcome, Fath..Mr. Hess."
As the nurse prepared the needles, Alicia grabbed Merrill.
"Merrill, I need you," she whimpered, "You know how much I hate shots."
"I know. Just hold my hand, sweetie pie."
Alicia held onto Merrill's hand as he stroked her hair. She felt a prick and before she knew it, it was over. The nurse put the stitches in and then bandaged Alicia's foot.
"Alright. Try not to get it wet and you'll be fine and healed in about two weeks. I'll be right back- I'm going to see if they have a bed for Morgan."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As Graham signed insurance forms for Morgan, Alicia sat outside the admit area and smoked a cigarette. Merrill joined her and took the cigarette out of her mouth.
He threw it on the ground and said, "We're quitting. I've learned in the last 48 hours that life is too valuable to smoke cigarettes."
She couldn't argue with him.
"I called your parents' house, but they didn't answer. I think they'll call, though."
"Me too."
Graham came out and said, "I'm staying with Morgan- he's still a little shaken up. I think that maybe you two and Bo should go to your parents' home, Ali. I want us to all go back to the house together. I'll call you tomorrow morning so that you guys can come pick us up."
"OK."
Alicia and Graham embraced and he whispered in her ear, "Colleen would be so proud of you for being brave like you've been."
"Thank you, Graham."
Graham and Merrill said goodbye, and then Bo hopped in the car with Merrill and Ali.
"Where are we going?" asked Bo.
"To Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Ben's house."
"Are the aliens there, too?"
Merrill turned around from the driver's seat and looked at Bo.
"No, sweetheart. They're all gone. You've got nothing to worry about."
He looked at Alicia and repeated what he said.
"Nothing to worry about.."
Chapter 10
Alicia stared in awe out the car window. As they made the journey to Bucks County Medical Center, she and the rest of the family observed houses and other buildings that had been all but destroyed.
'What if they're still out there?' Alicia thought to herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a numb, tingling sensation in her foot. She looked down and lifted her foot a little. It was swollen and unnaturally discolored.
"Do you think it'll be crowded there?" she asked.
"I hope not," said Graham, holding tight to Morgan in the backseat.
Finally, they arrived at the hospital, and it was a frenzied nightmare. People were bringing in dead loved ones, hoping that there was a chance that they survived the gas poisoning from the aliens.
"We're never gonna see a doctor," Merrill said.
He parked the car in the safest spot he could find and the family all got out. They pushed past crowds of screaming people.
"This is impossible," Alicia said.
Suddenly, she saw a familiar face. It relieved her, but at the same time brought back memories of the accident. It was the doctor who had supervised her recovery.
"Dr. Branson! Dr. Branson, over here!!"
The doctor turned his head and a look of concern came across his face. He wasn't even dressed for work yet; it looked as if he had been called in for the emergency at the last minute.
"Alicia? Is that you?"
"Yeah! My nephew's had a horrible asthma attack! Can you please examine him?"
"Follow me!"
They fought their way through the people and met up with Branson in an abandoned area. While he examined Morgan with the aid of a nurse, Alicia looked around in horror. People were being covered from left to right in death shrouds. She put her arm around Merrill and leaned her head against his upper body. Graham looked up from Morgan to check on Bo, and his face melted into a heartbroken gaze.
"What is it?" asked Merrill.
"Tracey Abernathy's mother and father are standing over there and crying."
They looked behind them and saw the couple sobbing over a body that was covered and still on the exam table. Blonde hair spilled off of the table.
"My God," Alicia said under her breath.
Then her stomach dropped.
"Mom and Dad.." she said aloud.
She ran to the closest payphone and called her parents' home. Each time the phone rang, her worst fears seemed closer. Finally, after about six rings, someone picked up.
"H-Hello?"
"Mom? Mom, it's me!"
"Oh, Alicia! Sweetie, we were so worried about you!"
"Mom, don't cry. We're all OK."
"Did you see them? They were everywhere."
"Mom, they were in our house."
"Oh my God. The kids.."
"Morgan had a really bad asthma attack and.."
She was too overwhelmed to tell the story about the alien in the living room.
"How's Dad?"
"He's right here."
"Did you guys see any of them?"
"Thank God, no."
"Alright, Mom. I have to get back to Morgan. I promise I'll call you when I leave here. Tell Dad I love him."
"I will, baby. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Yeah. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart. Bye."
"Bye."
Alicia hung up, and then called Merrill and Graham's parents, who lived in the Poconos. The phone rang and rang, and the answering machine picked up.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hess. It's Alicia. I was just calling to check up on you guys and to let you know that we're OK. Merrill and Graham are fine and so are the kids. Please call and let us know that you guys are OK. Bye."
Alicia put the phone on its hook and walked back over to the exam area. Morgan had a breathing treatment in his mouth. He waved at Alicia, and she blew him a kiss back.
Dr. Branson said, "Alicia, Merrill told me that you lacerated your foot."
"Yeah, on shattered glass in our basement."
"Let me see."
Alicia lifted up her foot and he said, "Wow. That looks pretty nasty. I'm gonna give you a tetanus shot just to be safe, before the stitches are done.."
Alicia despised shots with every bone in her body.
"I really need one?"
"Yes. You don't want it to become severely infected. Come sit over here."
He directed her to a small table, where she slipped off her shoe and sat down. The nurse approached Alicia with the needle and her heart raced.
Dr. Branson said, "I need to get to these other patients. Beth here is going to take care of you and help get Morgan a bed for overnight."
"Thank you for everything," Graham said.
"You're welcome, Fath..Mr. Hess."
As the nurse prepared the needles, Alicia grabbed Merrill.
"Merrill, I need you," she whimpered, "You know how much I hate shots."
"I know. Just hold my hand, sweetie pie."
Alicia held onto Merrill's hand as he stroked her hair. She felt a prick and before she knew it, it was over. The nurse put the stitches in and then bandaged Alicia's foot.
"Alright. Try not to get it wet and you'll be fine and healed in about two weeks. I'll be right back- I'm going to see if they have a bed for Morgan."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As Graham signed insurance forms for Morgan, Alicia sat outside the admit area and smoked a cigarette. Merrill joined her and took the cigarette out of her mouth.
He threw it on the ground and said, "We're quitting. I've learned in the last 48 hours that life is too valuable to smoke cigarettes."
She couldn't argue with him.
"I called your parents' house, but they didn't answer. I think they'll call, though."
"Me too."
Graham came out and said, "I'm staying with Morgan- he's still a little shaken up. I think that maybe you two and Bo should go to your parents' home, Ali. I want us to all go back to the house together. I'll call you tomorrow morning so that you guys can come pick us up."
"OK."
Alicia and Graham embraced and he whispered in her ear, "Colleen would be so proud of you for being brave like you've been."
"Thank you, Graham."
Graham and Merrill said goodbye, and then Bo hopped in the car with Merrill and Ali.
"Where are we going?" asked Bo.
"To Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Ben's house."
"Are the aliens there, too?"
Merrill turned around from the driver's seat and looked at Bo.
"No, sweetheart. They're all gone. You've got nothing to worry about."
He looked at Alicia and repeated what he said.
"Nothing to worry about.."