A Known Stranger

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

                I had always hated hospitals.

                As a child my mother would take me to work with her and sit me down behind the desk and told me to color. I spent hours there, coloring and watching as patients were wheeled in hurt. It wasn’t something an eight year old should see but I did. So once the age came where I could take care of myself, I was more than happy because I had grown to hate hospitals.

                So for the first time, in what seemed like a decade, I sat in the waiting room of the ER.

                Sitting next to me, Zoe sat, leg bouncing as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Next to her, Cole sat arm wrapped around her shoulders in silent comfort. The twins’ parents sat against the wall, Mrs. Meyers crying in her seat as her husband tried to calm her down. We had been waiting for over an hour and we had gotten any news since they wheeled her in.

                Looking down at my hands, I felt sick to my stomach. Kimberly’s dry blood splattered the flesh of my hands, along with my knees and thighs from when I had knelt down next to her. With shaky legs, I stood up and looked around for the bathroom.

                “Where are you going?” Zoe asked, looking up at me with red, swollen eyes.

                “To the restroom,” I told her. “I need to clean up.”

                Walking into the empty bathroom, I turned on the water faucet and grabbed the soap, scrubbing away the guilt that I felt. I was the reason why Kimberly was in the hospital. I was the reason why she fell and hit her head. I was to blame for all of this, and if she seriously hurt, I wouldn’t know what to do. Rinsing off my hands, I wet a few napkins and cleaned off my thighs and knees, getting all the dry blood off.

                Looking up at my reflection, I noticed the fresh tears streaming down my cheeks. This was my fault. Kimberly getting hurt was my fault. Sighing, I frantically wiped away the stray tears and tossed the dirty napkins into the bin. Walking back outside, I noticed my boyfriend talking with Cole off to the side by the vending machines.

                “Hey,” Ryder said as soon as he noticed me walking up to him.

                “Hey,” I replied, crossing my arms across my chest.

                Draping an arm around my shoulders, Ryder pulled me in closer, kissing my temple. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

                Shrugging, I glanced over at Kimberly’s parents. Mrs. and Mr. Meyers were still in the same exact position they had been before I left, while Zoe sat with her elbows to her knees, and head in her hands. “My best friend is in the hospital because of me.” I said.

                “It’s not your fault,” Cole said, reaching out and patting my shoulder.

                “She fell because I basically called her a slut.” I told them, pulling away from Ryder’s grip.

                “Nobody blames you, Fae.” Ry said reaching out for me. “It was an accident. She was drunk and tripped over her own two feet.”

                Pulling away, I turned on the heels of my shoes and walked back to Zoe, who didn’t even look up once I sat down. A few minutes passed before Cole and Ryder came over to us and sat on either side of us, Cole pulling Zoe into him, while Ryder placed an arm over the back of my seat. And for the next hour, we waited for any news and by the time Kimberly’s doctor came out, I was pretty sure I had lost my mind.