On the Rocks

Chapter 4

Adira woke up to the rising sun. She tried to stand up and was suddenly reminded of her broken leg with a strike of pain. She sat back down on the ground and reached for two long sticks beside her. She placed one stick on either side of her leg and removed the cloth tied around her leg. She retied the strip around her leg making sure the sticks stayed in place and provided support. She ripped off another piece and tied it around her leg a little lower. She stood up testing the stability of her hand crafted cast. She limped off into the woods taking the pain with every step.

Adira stumbled through the trees dragging her leg behind her. She approached a road that appeared to be lifeless. She crossed the road and began to walk along the side walking in the direction opposite of the way she thought her house was.

Time flew by and the road remained lifeless. A vehicle finally passed by on the road. The truck passed by Adira and stopped a few yards ahead of her. Connlan, the boy driving the old farm truck, pulled over after he saw this beat up looking girl wobbling and limping down the road. He placed his car in park and got out of his truck. He jogged his way back to Adira. "Would you like a hand? My mother is a doctor and will be able to help you."

Adira stopped speechless. She had never interacted with anyone besides her parents. She had learned everything she knew from television shows, magazines or books. Adira shook her head up and down frightened to speak. Connlan swooped her off her feet and carried her in his arms, therefore Adira would not have to walk on her wounded leg.

He opened the passenger door to his truck and set her on the seat. He shut the door and walked to the drivers side. He started his truck and pulled off on the road.

Ten minutes later they arrived to a small town. Adira read a sign saying "Welcome to Hinsdale!" About another ten minutes they parked in front of a small farm house surrounded by trees and sheds. The silence of the ride was broken when Connlan shut off the car and came back around and picked Adira up. He carried her to the side door of the little cottage and a middle aged woman came out.

Dr. Kinsley held the door open for Connlan and advised him to set Adira on the kitchen table. Connlan's mother examined Adira's leg. "Connlan, I would like you to hold this young lady's hand while I maneuver her leg fully into place." Connlan grabbed Adira's hand and she squeezed as she felt the pain of bone on bone. Dr. Kinsley found alcohol disinfection in the cupboard and cleansed her leg and removed the dry blood clumps. Adira remained twitching in pain as the disinfectant soaked into the wound. Mrs. Kinsley went to her home office and came back with some stitches. She stitched Adira's leg shut and applied a bandage to the wound. She covered her led in a hard cast and gave her some wooden crutches left in the house for patients. Adira thanked Dr. Kinsley and Connlan helped her down from the table. Adira practiced walking on the crutches for a few minutes.

"Do you need me to take you somewhere?"

Adira remembered seeing a deli in the town they passed through on their way to the farm. She quickly made up a lie and told Connlan to take her to the deli where she was to meet her parents.

Connlan drove her to the deli and gave her his number in case she ever needed a lift. Adira took the paper and grabbed the crutches from the back of the truck and walked into the deli. She sat at a small table and stared at the paper. She opened her back pack and pulled out the bag of change she rummaged while cleaning the house. She ordered a glass of water and a sandwich when the waitress came to the table. She ate her dinner and left the deli.

The sun was starting to set once again and she began to look for a place to sleep for the night. She found a small motel and laid on a couch out by the dumpster.

She gazed up at the stars once again, but this time she was safe from harm. The damper of the day shut her eyes and Adira drifted off into a silent sleep.