Shaken

Chapter 4

     On the way back to Traci’s house, Abby felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Not having to worry about the right thingy to wear or having to think about every word she said. Not having to care what anyone thought. It all sat in her mind. They stopped by the apartment complex to pick up Abby’s bike, and drop it off at Traci’s house. Then they went to the hospital.

     As they walked into the hospital lobby, a knot filled Abby’s stomach. She didn’t want to see her dad, lying helplessly in a hospital bed. He was probably being fed through tubes. They took the elevator up to the Urgent Care section. Dr. Pecilton was waiting for them at the desk. He brought them to the new room that her dad had been moved to. Abby walked through the door behind Dr. Pecilton, and there was her dad. She walked slowly up to his bed. An oxygen mask was strapped over his mouth, and several different tubes stuck into his arm. 

     Abby didn’t stand there long. Instead, she reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a stained glass sun catcher and placed it on the window sill.

     “I love you dad.” Abby said quietly.

     Then she walked out of the room. Traci stood outside the door, waiting for her.

     “You okay?” Traci asked her.

     “Yeah… No…” Abby said wobbly.

     “Let’s go get something to eat.”

     As they walked down the hallway to towards the elevator, Abby couldn’t help but notice someone sitting in the very chair she had been sitting in, with his shoulders hunched and head bowed. He had brown hair, small ears and tears stains on his dark jeans. As they got into the elevator, Abby leaned over to Traci and whispered,

     “Traci, did you see that guy?”

     “Yeah… So?” Traci answered.

     “He looks familiar...”

     “I don’t recognize him.” Traci said matter-of-factly.

     “Huh...”    

     When Traci and Abby arrived back at the house, Traci’s parents had left for a church meeting, and the girls had the whole house to themselves. Being the responsible teenagers that they were, Traci and Abby made spaghetti for dinner, washed the dishes and then did their homework. When they had finished, they talked for a while, their conversation slowly shifting to the guy at the hospital.  They finally agreed that it was someone they saw frequently at school; but who?

     Traci’s parents came home at 9:00, and Abby and Traci went to bed. But tonight, Abby felt very much awake. Her dreams had seeped back into her thoughts, and she was afraid to fall asleep. Would she have another one? Abby tried to relax. One sheep… Two sheep… three sheep… Abby continued until midnight, when she finally dropped off.

     “Abby,” a voice called. “Abby, you will rise.”

     Abby tried to open her eyes.

    “You will rise. You will rise.” the voice repeated.

     All of a sudden, Abby was falling. Then she landed on the carpeted floor of Traci’s bedroom. It was 6:15 and Traci’s CD alarm was blaring one of Traci’s favorite Chris Tomlin songs,

     “I will ri-se, I will ri-se…”

      “Traci! Wake up, it is 6:15” Abby poked Traci in the face.

     “Huh..?” Traci opened her eyes.

     “Oh, phew, I thought you were dead.” Abby said in mock relief.