The Day I Wore Purple

3.1 The Vaccine

2010

March

"Pick up, damnit. Pick up." Gavin paced his bedroom, cellphone in hand, naked except his boxers and watch. It was one in the morning in Chicago, which meant it was two in Connecticut. "Hannah Lynn, pick up the damn phone..."

She answered. "What."

"Thank God." He slumped in his chair and lowered his voice. Sam was asleep in the next room. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She was drunk. Maybe high.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Mayyybe."

"Hannah, did you hurt yourself?"

"Yes. Is that what you wanna hear?"

Definitely high. "Where are you?"

"College."

"Your dorm?"

"Mayyybe."

"Did you cut yourself?"

"Yes."

Gavin's palms were already wet and he remembered again why he would never be an ER nurse. He struggled to recall standard procedure for cutting, but his mind was blank. He knew he should call 911... but he didn't want the cops involved.

He swiveled his chair to his computer, swiped away his biology homework, minimized Hannah's email, and opened the browser. "Where did you cut yourself, Hannah? Your wrists?"

"A little."

"What do you mean 'a little?'"

"Not a lot."

"Are they bleeding?"

"A little. My legs are worse."

"Your legs?"

"My feet."

"You cut your feet?"

"Yes."

He typed "Lyme University" and searched their homepage for a contact link. "Is anybody with you?"

"No..." Her voice was drifting.

"Hannah, listen to me. I— Shit. I want you to find a towel or shirt; anything you can tie around your ankles. Can you do that?"

"I'll be okay in a minute."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm almost done."

"Almost done with what?"

"Cutting."

"Hannah, put the fucking knife down."

No response.

"Hannah Lynn?"

Gavin ended the call, scoured the website for a number for the dorms but only found contact information for the admissions office. He dialed. They were closed. Fuck. He redialed Hannah. The phone rang three times, before jumping to voice mail. He ended the call and dialed again.

"What?" Hannah said.

"Thank God. Put the knife down."

"It's down."

"You swear it's down?"

"Yeah."

"Get two shirts and tie them around your ankles."