Finally Home

39. Jenna

The next morning, Sam seemed okay. It was still weighing on me a bit that she'd forgotten her math test, and I decided I'd have to just let this one go.

Tyler stayed home with Rosie as I drove Sam to school.

"Have a day!" I said to her, smiling.

"Have a day, too!" Sam called back. She went into the school with Jill and Blaine.

I went back home and while cleaning up from breakfast, called Sam's doctors to see about letting her go away for a week.

None of them saw any issue with her travelling provided she was going to be with people to take care of any issues. And she would be. I figured she'd be happy to hear that once I picked her up from school this afternoon.

Tyler came with Rosie and I to her Mommy and Me class where we sang and played and Rosie got to show off her daddy to her friends.

Rosie loved showing all her friends her daddy and the drawings on his arms and what a great singer he is.

He had a great time just engaging with Rosie. It was sweet to watch. He's such a great dad to our two girls, almost 3. Rosie adores him, Sam just loves him. And me? Well, I married the guy, didn't I?

After Rosie's play group we went home, had lunch and Rosie went down for a nap. It was almost time for Sam to finish school, so I told Tyler I was heading to the school.

"Rosie should be up in about ten minutes," I said, as I grabbed my keys.

"You sure you don't want me to go?" He asked.

"I don't mind. We'll be home in, like, 20 minutes.

I left, closed the door and went to the garage to start the car.

Down the driveway and off to the school I went. I liked the short drive to the school, and I liked the time with Sam in the car. It may be short, but it's alone time for Sam and I and I like having the time with just my teenager.

I was not, however, prepared for the teenager that came out of the school today. Jill was following her while Sam was crutch-walking angrily down the walkway.

"Sam!" Jill cried out as they got to the car and Sam kept going. I opened the passenger window so I could talk to Jill.

"Jill, honey, what's going on?"

"Hey Jenna. I don't know. She's been in a mood since math class and she won't tell me what's wrong. She just stormed out of gym class. I have her bag," she said, putting Sam's bag in the car.

"Do you want a ride? Come with me to catch up with Sam?"

"Thanks. But my mom's waiting. If she calms down, can you try to get her to call me tonight?"

"Sure sweetie. We'll talk later."

I quickly and carefully turned around and followed Samantha down the street.

"Sam!" I called out to her. "Get in the car! What's the matter?"

"Leave me the fuck alone!" She screamed at me. That is not my Samantha. I pulled over and parked. She's on crutches and can't run. I don't need a car to catch up to her.

So, I fast walked and caught up to her. As soon as I did, she dropped her crutches and tried to run. It was obvious the pain in her right leg was too much because she collapsed on the ground after only a few steps and stayed there. I caught up and kneeled beside her.

"Sam, honey," I said, touching her shoulder.

"Go away!" She shouted at me through tears.

"Samantha, what is going on with you? What happened?"

"Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?!"

She tried to get up and run again, but her right leg gave out on her. She crumpled back onto the ground. I felt like I was going to need some backup.

"Ty, is Rosie awake?" I asked as he answered his phone.

"She is. We're just having a chat. What's up? What's taking so long?"

"Can you come meet us, please?" I asked.

"Where? I don't have a car."

"Tyler, it's walking distance to the school. Put Rosie in the stroller, cover her with a blanket and take our usual route to the school. You can't miss us."

He said he would and I hung up and moved over to Samantha, who was still lying in a heap and sobbing.

"Sam, honey?" I asked, touching her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

I sat on the cold ground beside her and occasionally reached out my arm to touch the sobbing teenager. I couldn't help her if she didn't tell me what was wrong, but she couldn't seem to tell me.

I saw Tyler and Rosie making their way up the sidewalk. Tyler burst into a run when he saw us sitting on the ground.

"What happened?  What's wrong?" He dropped beside Sam. "Sam, honey, what's the matter?"

He tried to put his arm around her and she shrugged him off as well. But Tyler is stronger and so he wrapped his arms around Samantha, pulled her up and hugged her to him.

"Shh, shh," he said to her.  "I got you. You're okay.  When you're ready, you can tell us what's wrong."

She tried to pull away, but she couldn't.  Finally, she just gave in and cried into Ty's shoulder.

When she was able to control herself better she turned to us, and still tearfully looked at us and asked:

"What's happening to me?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, risking putting my hand on Sam's back. "What's the matter?"

"I can't concentrate in school.  There's a buzzing in my head and I can't get it to shut up!  I can't concentrate on class because of it. I got a B plus on my math test!"

"A B-Plus isn't so bad," Tyler said.

"In MATH, Dad!  I got a B-Plus in MATH!" She cried. I knew what she was getting at.

"When did the buzzing start?" I asked her.

"Since the accident, I think," she said. "Since I woke up."

"How come you never said anything?" Tyler asked, rubbing Sam's arm.

"I hoped it would go away. But it hasn't. It's worse. And it's making me forget things!"

"What else have you forgotten?" I asked.

"I missed practice yesterday because I forgot there was a practice. I forgot my locker combination and had to get the office to write it down for me."

"Okay," Tyler said. "It's okay. You're still healing. But maybe let's talk to your doctors and get that ear checked out, huh?"

"Will that help my memory?" She asked.

"I don't know sweetheart. But maybe at least we can figure out how to quiet the buzzing to help you concentrate."

Tyler managed to coax Sam up and we got her in the car. I got Rosie in the car too, and we drove home. Sam was quiet the whole way.