The Ghost of the Lake

Chapter 13

Reu arrived at the hospital a while after they had taken Jackson in for X-rays.  It was 4:48 when he arrived.  Summer school ends at 3:25, but he had to stay after for a meeting.  That was what he had told me.
"What happened?" he asked as soon as he had arrived.
"Jackson broke his leg," May answered.
"How did he break it?" he questioned.
"He fell down the basement stairs," I said.
"What were you doing in the basement?" Reu continued to ask.
"Jackson said he heard a noise down there," responds Nelly, who had come into the waiting room when Jackson was taken to get X-rays.  She starts to tell him the story she had told May and Leo in our way here.
I watched as the time went by.  May had started to play a game on her iPod.  Leo just sat there looking at his phone.
Nelly finished and Reu asked, "Does anyone want me to take them home?"
"Why? Are you leaving?" asked May.
"Yeah.  I've had a hard day at work today.  I need some rest and food," he says.
"I'll go with you," May volunteers.
"Alright.  Leo, do you want me to take you home?" Reu asks Leo.
"No thank you.  I'll leave with my mom."
"Okay then.  Lets go children."  Reu, May, and Jackson leave the building.  Nelly sits back down. 
Just then the door to the X-rays open.  Out walks Laura and her assistant.  They are taking Jackson to a different room.  Laura tells her assistant something that I can't quite hear.  Her assistant leaves and closes the door behind her.  Another group of people walk in the same room The room she and Jackson had just entered read Surgery Room.  My heart kind of skipped a beat.  Jackson was going to have surgery.
Laura comes over to where we are sitting and says, "We have confirmed that Jackson has broken his leg.  The only way to get it fixed is through surgery.  It might take a couple of hours."
"Alright.  We will be waiting," Nelly says.
Laura goes back into the surgery room.
"Leo, do you know where the bathroom is at?" She asks nervously.
"Yeah. Its um... down that hallway.  Turn left at the first intersection.  Its the first door on your left," responds Leo.
"Okay thank you.  I'll be right back," says Nelly as she leaves for the bathroom.
"So what happened?" asks Leo as soon as Nelly is out of earshot.
"I told you.  Jackson heard something," I respond.
"Thats not all.  You're not telling me something.  Jackson looked paler."
I was caught.  Leo would just keep asking questions.  So I said, "Jackson saw the ghost too."
"He did.  Was he scared?"
"Of course he was scared.  I went down to the basement and saw the ghost.  She didn't do anything, though.  She didn't hurt him or anything like that.  Actually, she didn't hurt anyone.  It was Jackson's fault that he slipped and fall. It wasn't the ghost's fault."
"Well then, what was she doing there?"  I have asked this question multiple times since we left the house.
"I don't know.  Do you think that she really wants to kill me?"
"What does she usually do when she appears to you?"
"I don't know.  She's only appeared to me a couple of times without doing anything," I answer.  Then I remember that night in my bedroom. She had started to whisper something.  I decided not to tell Leo.
"So what's your favorite band?" he asks.  I was confused at the change of topic.  Why would he want to know, anyways?  Then I noticed that Nelly was coming back.
"Uh... probably All Time Low, 30h3, or All American Rejects."
Nelly came back and took a seat.
"Really.  You look like a One Direction fan."
That made me laugh.  "Me?  A Directioner?  Nah.  I like only some of their songs, though.  Not like I'm obsessed with them or anything. What about you?"
"Huh?"
"What do you like to listen to?"
"Oh.  Maybe Imagine Dragons or something like that."
"I like their songs.  A good band."
"Yeah.  What do you like, Mrs. Ballwin?"
"Oh me... uh... probably Luke Bryan," responds Nelly.  Ugh, country.  I hate it, but she loves it.
"Oh, country huh," says Leo.
"Yeah pretty nice music," responds Nelly.
I go back to watching the time go by.  Leo continues to watch his phone.  Nelly just sits there with a worried expression on her face.  I wouldn't blame her.

***

After about an hour or two Laura and her assistant come out.   I notice that the assistant's name is Cindy. 
"Jackson's bone has been placed back in its position.  He will have to keep it in a cast for probably ten weeks," says Laura.
"Right now he is resting.  He will have to stay the night to see how he is doing," says the assistant, Cindy.
"Alright then.  We'll be on our way now. We'll come tomorrow morning to get him," states Nelly.
"Hey Leo, I'm going to stay at work a little later than usual," says Laura.
"Oh okay then.  I'll let Dad know," he responds.
"Nelly, you wouldn't mind taking Leo back, would you?" asks Laura.
"No of course not," says Nelly.
"Ok then. I'll see you guys later," states Laura.
"Bye Mom," says Leo.
"Bye Laura," Nelly and I say together.
We walk out into the parking lot.  I get into the front seat.  Leo gets into the back.  Nelly enters the car and starts the engine.
"Do you guys want to stop somewhere before heading for home?" asks Nelly.
"I don't.  Do you Leo?" I ask.
"No I'm fine," he answers.
"Okay then," says Nelly.
Nelly starts a conversation with Leo.  Something I am not part of.  I don't care, though.  I can't think of anything else other than Balto.  Poor Balto.  I wonder where you're at.  All I'm thinking is about Balto.  I looked over to Nelly and then laid my eyes on the road.  It was too late when I yelled Nelly to watch out.  I said it just as the car coming toward us ran into us.