House Number 1402

Maybe You Should Return My Remote

I woke up feeling horrible. Not like sick horrible, but guilty horrible. I had the worst dreams about what the hell could have happened to that kid, not to mention that I just left him there. What was I thinking? Why did I do that? 

I know I couldn't have done much, but I should have stayed. I couldn't have pulled out the arrow, I could have made things worse by doing that. Only a doctor with an x-ray machine should do that. That arrow could have punctured anything and the kid might have only still been alive because it was plugging the hole that it made. If I had pulled it out, I could have killed him. Still, I should have stayed there, monitored his pulse and breathing, and waited for the ambulance to get there.  

The only reason I left was because of Jackson. He had made me so angry, and instead of thinking about everything that was happening around me, I only thought of that. It was like I was consumed with Jackson and how mad I was at him.  

Thank god I remembered that the kid needed help and called 911. I was pretty sure Jackson would be mad at me for that, and probably the kids dad too, who strangely hated hospitals.  

The more I thought about everything, the more worked up I became. I wanted to know if the kid was ok. I wanted to know what had happened to him. So, because I'm the biggest chicken in the world, I called Ken and asked her to check on the situation for me.  

She had already called me and said that she had some information. I was impatiently waiting for her on my porch.  

"Finally!" I yelled when Ken pulled into my driveway. I jumped off the porch and ran over to her car.  

"Wow woman," Ken laughed, stepping out of her car, "simmer down." 

"Ken, this is serious." 

"Ok, I'm sorry. Let's go sit inside, I brought us some Starbucks." She reached down into her car and pulled out two tall cups of iced coffee, my favorite.  

We walked back into my house and sat down at the kitchen table. Ken took her time readjusting her hair and frilly pink sun dress. Then she passed me my drink and readjusted herself again.  

"Any day now Ken," I said, finally losing all my patience with her.  

"Ok, the boy's name is Josh, he is 17, and he is fine. The arrow missed everything important." She began to slurp up her drink, like that would suffice my guilty conscience.  

"How did it happen?" I asked, smacking my hand down on the table to regain her attention.  

"Oh, well he was out hunting with some friends of his, they were drinking and one thing lead to another," she shrugged.  

"Ok, what does that mean?"  

"According to Jackson, the boys got drunk and started shooting arrows at each other instead of the birds, or whatever they were hunting. As for why he was naked, no one knows." 

"So, did he go to the ER?"  

"Yeah, he did. Just so you know, his father was furious and Jackson got the brunt of it since you left. Why did you leave?" Her question made my heart drop down into my stomach, she wasn't judging me or anything, but I was judging me.  

"I don't know," I sighed, throwing my hands in the air, "Mostly I was just so mad at Jackson, but also I didn't know what to do." 

"Sadie, you're a nurse, I'm sure you could have figured it out." 

"No, that's the thing, I don't think I could have. The only time that I had ever worked as a nurse is while I was in school, and then I had an instructor constantly watching me to make sure I didn't screw anyone up."