ALPHA BECK

CHAPTER 2

The trees whizzed by outside of the car window as Sandra and Millie drove down the mountain highway, through large sweeping corners and over tall bridges that looked down on dark rivers. The peaks were still grand and white, taking up the horizon. The sky way quickly approaching the rainbow sorbet color of sunset. Millie kept her eyes on the clouds, exhausted by her day, and the rest of the week that spread out expansively ahead of her.

Sandra had been circling back to the same tiring conversation every ten minutes, deviating only to scold her and worry and curse. "Did you actually eat and then take your medicine this morning?"

"Mom, for the hundredth time: yes, I did. Like I said, I had a headache from the time I woke up. You heard the doctor; it was just another episode."

Sandra shook her head and Millie knew her nurse-brain just wouldn't take that answer. There was always a reason for something, they just didn't know what. And Sandra wanted to find out, desperately. At least for the next twenty-four hours, before she would spiral into a self-loathing, denial-fueled slump and forget about her daughter going missing or being sick. Millie didn't hold that against her, it was just how she was, and it couldn't be helped.

From what she had gathered, Millie had experienced a head rush that morning—or, at least, that was the best excuse they could make. Tara and Mitch had immediately stooped down to check on her as the teacher shoved her way to the back of the room to see for herself what had caused the students to rise and gather around the unconscious girl. It took only a minute for someone to pull out a phone and dial 9-1-1. It took fifteen minutes for the ambulance to arrive and by that time, Millie had been walked to the nurse's office with her cheeks pink with embarrassment. The school nurse had begun to assess her, asking questions, shining a light in her eyes. But Millie was just as confused as she was, except she also had a still throbbing headache and a bit of nausea. With that, she was deemed concussed by the time the medic arrived, and she agreed as well.

The nurse called her mother too, who insisted she be transported for further scans. So, they drug Millie to Kalispel where she was poked, prodded, and scanned for the rest of the day. Which was how she was driving back to Sapher with her mother at sundown, two hours before Sandra's shift technically ended.

For the rest of the drive, the two were silent, both trapped in their own thoughts. Millie was exhausted and all she could think about was her bed and sleeping for the next year. When they got home, Millie B-lined for her bedroom, bidding her mother goodnight as Sandra was scrounging up food in the kitchen.

"Millie, no school for at least the next three days. I still have work, so you'll be stuck here." Her mother said, peering down the hall at her daughter who paused in her bedroom doorway.

"I know." Millie sighed, feeling put-out, sick, and frankly quite embarrassed. She didn't really want to go to school yet after that episode anyways. "I'm just going to sleep anyways."

"Rest is good. Don't forget to eat." It was sort of funny to Millie that Sandra felt the constant need to remind her of what she already knew. As if she had no trust in her daughter. Millie had decided long ago that it was okay, she didn't trust her mother either.

Millie nodded, "Goodnight." And she disappeared into her room. Without bothering to turn on the light, she flopped down on her light gray duvet. Flipping over onto her back, she groaned and covered her face with her hands. Admittedly, she was more than a little embarrassed, she was mortified. And when her phone started to ring, she debated for a long time if she should answer it, or escape with whatever dignity she could scrounge and disappear from Sapher for good.