Chapter 6

Lawndale General Hospital parking lot,5:33 PM

"I just don't get it,Jake."Helen sighed,accompanying Jake and Quinn to the hospital's main doors."What kind of person hits someone else's car and just takes off without seeing if they're all right?"

"I'd tell you,"Jake scowled in rage,"but the only words I can think of which describe someone like that are words I don't want to repeat in front of Quinn.Whoever did this to Daria should pray that the cops get their hands on him before I do."

Quinn saw Jane and Trent sitting in the waiting room and hesitated;she didn't know if she should approach them--they might be angry with her for all she knew.After all,Daria had gotten hit after leaving their house to do her a favor.On the other hand,she felt like she needed some company while her parents talked to the doctors about her sister's condition.

Finally,she turned to Helen and said,"Mom,Jane and Trent are in the waiting room.Is it okay if I sit with them while you guys see the doctor?"

"Good idea,Quinn."Helen replied.

"Speaking of doctors,"Jake added,"we should contact Dr.Philips at Cedars as soon as possible."He then followed Helen to the emergency desk while Quinn cautiously approached Jane and Trent,who were thumbing through the usual way-out-of-date waiting room magazines.

Jane was skimming through a four-month-old copy of Time when she saw Quinn at the waiting room doors;putting her magazine aside,she got up and walked over to embrace her friend's sister."How're you holding up,Quinn?"she asked gently.

"Not so good,Jane."Quinn admitted."I'm really scared...I've had this big lump in my stomach ever since Mom called me.I mean,I'm trying hard to be brave for Mom and Dad's sake,but the truth is I can't stop worrying about Daria."Watching her parents follow the attending physician to Trauma Room One,she said,"Even when Dad had his heart attack I wasn't this scared."

"Well,don't start planning your sister's funeral just yet."Jane replied,trying to reassure herself as much as Quinn."If she's survived Ms.Li's paranoia,DeMartino's ranting,Upchuck's cheap come-ons,and the toxic waste Lawndale High's cafeteria dares to call food,she can survive anything."

Getting a candy bar from one of the hospital's vending machines,Trent added,"Janey's right.Daria's one of the strongest people I know--one of the smartest too.She would've put her seat belt on and stuff as soon as she got in her car.Plus,I was reading in the paper the other day where this hospital's been rated as having the best emergency unit in the state--even better than Cedars.She'll probably be back on her feet in no time."

"I hope so,Trent."Quinn nodded."We might not always get along all that great,but..."She hesitated slightly."...but I would miss her a lot if she died."

Lawndale Police Headquarters,Holding Cell 2

"You idiot!"Joey snarled at Jeffy as they sat on a metal bunk near the cell door."If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be in this mess!"Being booked had been the most humiliating experience of his life,and he resented Jeffy for putting him through it.

"Me?!!You're the one who gave Jamie the idea to swipe those six-packs from his dad's stash!"Jeffy shot back defensively."I just wanted to ditch school for a couple of hours!Now thanks to you,we'll be lucky if we don't wind up spending the rest of our lives in jail!"

"Both of you just shut up!"Jamie yelled.He'd had more than he could take of their arguing;as if having a major hangover wasn't bad enough,he also had to listen to his two best friends fighting with each other again over whose fault this was.The only way things could get any worse was if whoever had been driving the other car died....

"Hey,keep it down."groaned the man in the next cell."I got a headache."

Man,I'd be happy if a headache was my biggest problem right now,Jamie thought,turning back to Jeffy and Joey,who glared at each other in sullen silence."Yeah,get a grip,you guys."he ordered."We need to think of an alibi and fast."