"She is still sleeping. Is there something I can assist you with?" he asked.
"Maybe, my cast was supposed to be taken off two days, and Mom never took me," Meg explained.
Doug thought for a moment before he realized Meg's calculation was correct. "If you can wait two more hours, I'll take you after I drop your sisters off at school," Doug told her.
"Okay," she replied sitting down at the table.
An hour later, Tess and Kate were bickering over who the sweater Tess was wearing really belonged to, and Andrew was aligning toy cars on the kitchen floor.
"Everyone ready?" Doug asked as he pulled Meg and Andrew's coats out of the closets and handing them to their owners.
"Where is mom?" Meg asked for the second time that morning.
"She isn't feeling very well this morning," Doug told her.
Kate and Tess exchanged smirks on the way out to the car.
Tess suddenly remembered she was missing her math book. She ran back inside to find it. After Tess had returned with her book, they pulled out to begin their day.
After school, Kate made her way down the street from where the bus stop. Once again, Tess needed to stay for cheerleading practice so Kate was making the trek alone.
"Mom?" Kate called through the house when she opened the door. She stopped to listen for a response. Nothing. Kate thought this was odd, but she decide since she parental until free she would take advantage of the opportunity. In her room, she pulled a pack of cigarettes out of a hollow book on her bookshelf. She flipped open the matchbook to reveal she was out of matches. She thought about just putting the cigarettes away, but she remembered there were some matches in the medicine cabinet in her parents bathroom.
Kate grabbed a cigarette and stuffed the pack back into its hiding place. She noticed the light was on in the bathroom as she walked through Doug and Carol's room. She tired to push the bathroom door open, but it only moved slightly. She peered into the bathroom and saw Carol sprawled out on the floor. Kate shoved the door so she could slip into the room.
"Mom!" Kate yelled trying to shake Carol's sunken form.
Kate froze for a moment, but she snapped out of it to remind herself she needed to call 911. She reached for the phone and dialed.
"My mom is lying here. She needs an ambulance," Kate said to the operator.
Kate tired to answer all the operator's questions. She even made an attempt to locate a pulse. She was told to gather any medications she could find. She put them in two separate bags one for the bottles from the medicine cabinet and the other for the empty ones scattered all over the room. After the longest moment of Kate's life, the ambulance arrived. Kate hung up the phone and showed the EMTs to her mother.
The next few hours were a blur. She remembered a neighbor saying she would pick up Meg and Andrew. The next thing she knew Tess was giving her a hug in the hospital waiting room. Tess did not ask her questions, and Kate reminded herself to thank Tess for that later. She sat with her head in Tess' lap waiting for someone to tell them what was going on.
Doug appeared looking extremely wary.
"Is mom going to be okay?" Tess questioned sitting up causing Kate's head to bounce against her knees.
"They had to pump her stomach and give her charcoal. When you see her, there will be black stuff all over her face," Doug explained.
"Can we go see her now?" Tess asked.
"Yeah, I'll take you," Doug told them.
Tess followed, but Kate stayed seated.
"Kate, are you coming? Doug questioned.
Kate shook her head and turned away. Doug took Tess to Carol and left when he was sure Tess was going to be all right alone.
Kate was curled up in the waiting room chair with her arms wrapped around her knees.
"Hey," he said taking a seat beside her, "Are you cold?"
Kate nodded.
"I'll see if I can find a sweatshirt or something for you. Let's go up to my office," Doug told her.
Kate stood up, and Doug wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He did not say anything is the elevator or in the hall. Once in his office Doug opened a closet door and began to search through the contents.
"Here we go," he said pulling out a sweatshirt that read Hallow-Creek Hospital Annual Golf Tournament.
Kate slipped it over her head. It was at least three sizes to large for her and nearly covered her knees.
"Do you want to go see your mom now?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
"Why not? Doug questioned.
"I saw her," Kate said in a raspy voice.
"You found her?" he asked.
She nodded and turned away to wipe her tears.
"They didn't tell me. I'm sorry you had to see her like that. You must have been terrified," Doug told her.
"Why did she do it?" Kate questioned as tears continued to pour down her checks.
"I wish I knew," he answered.
"This isn't the first time. I heard one of the doctor's say she had tried to kill herself before," Kate sobbed.
Doug didn't have a response for that. "Do you want to go home?" he asked her.
"No," she replied.
"The Millers are bringing Meg and Andrew here. I am sure they would let you stay with them," Doug told her.
"Can I stay here?" Kate asked.
"In the office?" he questioned.
She nodded.
"I suppose if that is what you want to do. I should get back down there. Call my cell if you need anything," Doug said.
Kate stood until Doug closed the door then she clasped into a chair and cried.
Kate awoke to Doug gently shaking her shoulder.
"Hey, are you holding up all right?" he questioned.
"Yeah," Kate responded still trying to wake herself up completely.
"You need to talk to the police then I want you to talk to a therapist," Doug told her.
"Do I have to do this right now?" she questioned.
"Yes, it would make things a lot easier," he explained.
"Can I at least get some caffeine?" Kate asked.
"Sure, how about a Coke?" he offered.
"Coffee," she corrected.
"When did you start drinking coffee?" Doug questioned with suspicion.
"A couple of weeks ago," Kate replied nonchalantly.
"I see what we can find," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders to push her off the chair.
Minutes later Kate was sitting across form two uniformed officers sipping her black coffee.
"Why do I have to talk to the cops?" Kate questioned.
"They have to rule any other possibilities," Doug explained.
"Besides that she tried to kill herself," she said.
Doug nodded as two officers stepped into the small conference room.
"Did anything look unusual to you when you arrived home?" one of the officers questioned once they were seated.
Kate looked over at Doug who was in the chair next to her and replied, "No."
"There was an unlit cigarette on the floor of the master bedroom and neither of your parents smoke," the officer stated.
Kate brought the mug to her face and tired to figure a way out of this one. Doug was giving her the "we are going to be talking later" glare.
"I must have dropped it," Kate told them quietly taking care to not look at her father.
"Smoking isn't a good habit," the second officer told her.
Kate nodded but said nothing.
"Well, I believe everything is in order Dr. Ross. Someone from the station will contact you if we need any more information," the first officer said before leaving Doug and Kate alone in the conference room.
"So you drink coffee and smoke now? Doug questioned.
Kate closed her eyes. She did not want to hear a smoking lecture right now. She wanted to curl up and sleep until next week.
"Kate, I'll let this go if you promise me no more smoking," he told her.
"Okay, I won't smoke anymore," she said not really meaning it, but she wanted this conversation to end.
"All right, I want you to go speak with the therapist now," Doug instructed.
"Dad, I am really tired. Can I please do that some other time?" Kate pleaded.
He looked at her she did look tired. "Okay, I'll take you home, but I need to check on your mom first," he said.
"Where is Tess?" Kate questioned.
"She went to the Miller's house with Meg and Andrew," Doug told her.
Kate nodded and followed her father to the psychiatric ward of the hospital.
"You need to wait out here," he explained when they reached the nurses' desk.
"Why?" Kate questioned.
"Mom can't have visitors for a few days," he replied before going to speak with Carol's doctor.
Kate stood looking at the linoleum flooring. She just wanted this to all be over so everything would go back to normal.
Thanks as always for the reviews. Keep them coming.