Hold Me Close (Edited Version)

Chapter 34

I grabbed the first aid box off the edge of the bed and pulled out the card for the hospital that had the number for the hospital. The doctor had told me if I ever needed anything, I should use that number as it would send me to an emergency line. This wasn't the type of emergency he had been talking about, but it was an emergency. Ryan handed me the phone and I dialed the number.

Ryan stood tensely to one side, and I chewed my bottom lip nervously as the phone rang and rang and rang. Just when I thought no one would pick up, there was a click and a man's voice asked, "Hello? St. Thomas Hospital."

I recognized the voice immediately as one of the other nurses who had attended to me during my stay at the hospital. I was thankful he was someone I knew. After a brief conversation about my injury needing to be looked at after an 'accident', I asked him for Ms. Silvia's number. He was reluctant at first, saying that it was against the hospital policy to give out employee information, but agreed to call her himself and give her the number I was calling from. I thanked him many times before he hung up and Ryan and I were forced to wait.

It felt like it took much longer than it should have before the phone rang again in my hand and I picked up quickly. "Hello?" I said.

"Hi, this is Silvia, a nurse from the St. Thomas Hospital. I was told this number called to get in contact with me." Silvia's voice came through and I relaxed. 

"This is Jacob, from the hospital," I said.

There was a split second pause before I got my reply. "Hey, Jacob. Is everything okay?" Silvia asked. She sounded worried.

"I need your help," I said, and started into the long explanation. "My mom is trying to kill my dad, and I can't get a hold of the police because they think it's a prank, and I had to climb out my window to get out of my house because I needed a phone. I'm at Ryan's right now, that's where I'm calling from and-"

Silvia had to stop me before I passed out from lack of oxygen from not breathing."Wow, slow down. Your mother us trying to do what?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and started over, slower this time with Ryan's hand rubbing my back. "My mom is trying to kill my dad. He's been saving up a lot of money and she found out and now she wants to kill him so she can have it all." I hoped Sylvia believed me. It sounded so far fetched that even I felt hesitation saying it out loud. "I think she's poisoning him or something," I said.

Sylvia didn't say anything for a couple seconds. Then, "Oh... kay...? I can call the police station from the hospital. They have a separate set of phones for hospital emergencies," she said. "But it will take me some time to get to the hospital."

"Please hurry," I said. "I don't know what my mom is planning to do."

Silvia began to reply when there was a sudden knocking from the downstairs front door. Ryan and I glanced at the door, then at each other. "Are your parents home?" I asked.

Ryan shook his head. "They're not supposed to be home until 8:00pm, besides they have their own keys. I don't have any friends coming over either," he said.

I started sweating. "Maybe it's a solicitor or something," I said hopefully.

"Hello?" Sylvia asked over the phone when she heard us whispering. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know," I said.

Ryan stood up and I followed him to the door cautiously. There was another knock from downstairs, more violent this time, and we both hesitated. "Call the police as soon as you can," I told Sylvia. "Hurry." I told her the address to both mine and Ryan's houses and hung up to follow Ryan as he wandered out of the room.