Hazy Days

Tears

"Where is she!?", I ask the nurse who was just leaving my room. 

"Hold on. Let me get the doctor." I can't even think about the crash or MY condition. I want to know if  Penny is okay. It couldn't have been her in that body bag, I just know it... I feel my eyes start to sting and wipe away the few tears that break through. The doctor walks in. 

"Where is she!? Where's Penny!? The girl who was in the crash with me. Is she okay!?" 

The doctor comes and stands next to my very uncomfortable hospital bed, "I'm unaware of her condition. She must be somewhere in the building. What I'M concerned about is you. How's your hearing?" 

"Fine. Perfect.", I say just wanting to get this over with. 

"Blurry vision? Headache? Nausea?" He pulls out a small flashlight. "Look here." I follow his finger as he checks my eyes. "Looks good.", he mumbles to himself while writing something down on a clipboard. "Okay...", he finishes writing.

"Do you remember what happened? Where you were going? Who hit who? Etcetera...", he asks with a concerned face. 

"Umm.. yeah. Me and my friend Penny were driving to school and I reached back to put my bag onto the backseat and she took her eyes off the road for a second to look at me I think. Then... I don't know. I woke up outside the car and saw the other driver and Penny still in the car. Then a body bag. Which is why I want to find her as soon as possible. I didn't put my seatbelt on yet." 

I try to shift my body to sit up more but, when I do, I feel a sharp pain in my left side and arm, as well as my head. I look down and I'm covered in bloody bandages on my waist and arms. I feel the front right of the top of my forehead and wince in pain. 

"Careful! We had to put stitches on the cut. It'll probably leave a scar but nothing too serious." He smiles at me. 

"So can I go?", I ask. 

"Well, I'd like to take a closer look at you. You flew out of a car window onto the road. You could have some serious injuries. It'll only take a little while. Promise.", he says, in a kind of not asking but telling way. I nod my head and wait for this all to go away. For me to just wake up and be in my comfy bed. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe. 

"Do you have an insurance card with you and maybe some parent's phone numbers?", he asks. 

"In my backpack yeah. Wait, where is my stuff?" 

"Oh those were all banged up we put them in a bag and they can be checked out when you're ready to leave. For now let's focus on you." He smiles and leaves the room. I consider leaving and just grabbing clothes from my house but no I couldn't walk out in a hospital gown I'd get arrested as a crazy person for sure. Ugh, my head and my side hurt the worst. I laid down again and looked at the clock hoping Penny was in another room like this and not... After they were all done with me, my mom showed up and she had them release me and let me change back into my clothes. 

Once I'm changed, I realize I do look like I was just in an accident. My mom takes me to the front desk to sign papers and leave and I ask the lady, "I'm looking for a girl, her name is Penny. She was just brought in with me from a car accident. Do you know where she is?" 

She smiles at me "Hold on... Let me check...", she says while typing into her computer. "I'm sorry, I have no record of her getting brought in. Maybe they took her to another hospital. I think the closest one to us would be St. Merrywhether. Do you want the number?" 

"Yes. Please." She looks back at the computer writes something on a sticky note and hands it to me. 

"I hope your friend's okay." 

I give my mom a smile and pull out my phone and turn to walk away from them and quickly respond, "Thank you." I dial the number and get another lady who I assume is at the front with a computer of her own. She asks how she can help me. 

"My friend Penny was just in a car accident with me. I checked and she's not at this hospital and was informed she may be there at St. Merrywhether. Could you check to see her condition?" 

"Oh yes, a young girl was brought in a moment ago. Brown hair? Red shirt and shorts?" 

"Yes, that's her. Please could you check how she's doing? She's like a sister to me." 

She pauses and sounds unsure, "Yes, of course dear. Please hold." I impatiently wait and pace back and forth in the hospital.  My mom comes up to me and mouths, "Is she there?"

The lady on the phone comes back and I shrug to my mom, "Okay, so they have her and are treating her right now. They're gonna do everything they can to help your friend. But I can't tell you her condition unless you're a parent or legal guardian. I'm sorry." 

"Okay, could I have the address of the hospital?" 

"Of course hun. But you know you need one of her parents to check her out." Oh god, her parents... 

"Yes, I know. What's the address?" She gives it to me and my mom takes it as she calls Penny's mom to tell her everything.