"Alice, are you okay?" Gordie's gentle but worried voice asked. I struggled to open my eyes. Two Gordie's flashed before my eyes, but I closed them tight, and opened them again. Now there was only one of him like there was supposed to be. "Damn, girl. You need to learn not to lie to your friends," said another voice, coming from behind me. It was Chris. He had a sort of scowl on his face, but his eyes told me he wasn't really mad.
"Sorry, Chris. I didn't want you to get hurt," I whispered. My throat felt like a dried-up well, and talking hurt. "Water, please," I croaked. Gordie rushed into the kitchen, and returned with a tall, green-mottled glass filled with icy water. I drank more than half of it the first go. "Thanks," I gasped, wiping my mouth with the back of my blood-encrusted hand. "Here's a wet towel for your head too," said Gordie, still looking worried. "I think we should go see Dr. Parker, Alice. You could have a concussion. You don't have to mention Ace. Please?"
I sighed. My head did hurt. And my ankle still hurt. It was probably sprained. That bastard. I knew Gordie wouldn't stop worrying about me unless I went to the doctor, so I agreed. Chris squeezed my shoulder in reassurance. "D'you need help up," Chris asked. I shook my head no, but as I tried to get up from the floor, the black dots swarmed in front of my eyes again. "Owwww," I groaned, squeezing tighter on the wet towel. "Yeah, I need help, guys." Chris hefted me up under my right arm, and Gordie, under my left. On the count of three, they hoisted me to my feet. I staggered forward a couple of inches, almost falling into the coffee table.
"You definitely need a doctor," Chris confirmed. "You're really out of it." "I know," I said, grimacing. "Do you think I can make it down the street, guys?" Chris shot a look at Gordie. "We'll help you walk down the street, okay? You'll make it." Cold fear washed over me for the third time that day, making goose-pimples pock out all over my skinny arms. "What if Ace sees us," I asked fearfully. "I can't take anymore. I can't..." That's when I started blubbering like a baby, big heaving sobs that got me choked up, and tears that soaked my dirty t-shirt. Chris put his arm across my shoulder, and gave me a very gentle hug. "Hey, you'll be okay. If I can survive living with asshole's like Rich and my Dad, then you will too. We'll make sure you will." He rubbed my shoulder reassuringly, and Gordie gave me a smile for the first time since I'd come to his house that day. He handed me a tissue from the box on the coffee table, and I wiped off my face. "Thanks, guys."
"Ready," Chris asked me. "Ready," I said firmly, wanting to get this day over with at last. He gave me one last shoulder squeeze, then hoisted me under the arm once more. Gordie took his place on my other side, and with counting out the steps, "One step, two step, one step...," over and over, we eventually made it to Dr. Parker's office at the end of Mayberry Street. A trip that normally would've taken less than a five minute walk from Gordie's house, ended up being almost twenty. The longevity of it made me almost want to cry again. I had to heave a big sigh of relief when there was no sight of Ace nor his buddies in sight. Dr. Parker usually took emergencies, since the closest hospital was two hours away in Portland. And thank the Lord, because there was no way we could've made it out there unless we hitchhiked. And to that, I would've put my foot down, no matter how much it hurt, I wasn't that crazy.
Gordie opened the door to the office, and the little bell at the top made the secretary know we were there. Norma Woodward, her nameplate read. She seemed annoyed that we had interrupted her crossword puzzle, but asked us how we were anyway.
"Can I help you kids," she asked. "Yeah, we need to see Dr. Parker. Our friend here was in an accident. She's lost quite a bit of blood, and we don't know if she has a concussion." Norma blinked at Chris, looking forever like a dense frog that had just missed out on its' dinner. I guess she wasn't expecting that long of an answer. Her mouth hung open for a moment, eyed me with my hand still clamped to the back of my head, and pressed the button on the intercom on her desk.
"Dr. Parker, there's a young lady here to see you. She may have substantial injuries." She let go of the button, and waited for his response. "Send 'em in," he said, pleasantly. Well, that was something. At least I didn't have to wait ages before the doctor could see me. "Right on in that way," Norma said, offhandedly, pointing to the oak door ten feet from her desk. She immediately went back to her crossword. "Thank you ever so much," I said sweetly, giving her the finger when her back was turned to us. Chris snorted under his breath. "Boss," he said, quietly, clapping me again on the shoulder. I gave him a quick grin, to show him it wasn't all bad.
Dr. Parker stood up to greet us. "Ms. Tessio," he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in here since you fell out of that treehouse two years ago. What's happened today?" I rolled my eyes, but took the soggy towel from the back of my head. The doc's eyes went huge. "Oh, my. Well, we're gonna need to stitch that up." I groaned. If there was anything I hated, it was anything involving needles, or the sewing up of my own fucking head. "Any sign of concussion, boys," he asked Chris and Gordie. "Yeah. She passed out not even a half hour ago. Then she almost tripped over herself. So we're thinking she's, uh, well, not all there, Doctor." Chris gave me a huge, exaggerated wink, and I resisted the urge to give him the finger.
"Well, let's get your head fixed up first, young lady. Hop up." Dr. Parker got out a First Aid kit from a top shelf, and pulled out a long needle and thread. I thought I would pass out again, but the good doctor got an ice-pack from the mini-fridge by the door. "Hold this too your head for a few minutes to numb the area. Then it won't hurt so much." I took it, and held it to my head, sure I looked like a dolt. Ten minutes later, my head was stiched up, and the doctor said I should be fine in the concussion area. He said if I had any more spots when I woke up the next morning, to see him immediately. My friends tried to give him the only money on them they had, which was five dollars, but he refused, telling them to "Just keep an eye on her."
We left the office, Norma not even looking up from her crossword, and headed back to Gordie's house. We weren't even three feet down the street when Ace and my older brother came out of Jake's Billiards. I swear to God, I pissed myself. Where the hell was a hole when you needed to drop in one and die?