Tracks on the Beach

You're Forever Mine

Aunt Vanessa rushes into Coastal Beachton General Hospital, which is a flurry of medical staff running around.
"Doctor, doctor," a nurse runs out of a room and through the hall shouting, "I need a doctor!"
"Nurse?" another man, dressed in scrubs runs down the hall.
"I have a code blue," a female doctor shouts running down the hall with a few nurses with her as they wheel a cart, "a code blue, people." Aunt Vanessa holds her forearms while looking around.
"Where could she be?" Aunt Vanessa says to herself with worry, look ing around, "my poor Breeze." As she stops, a stretcher is wheeled by her that had just arrived from an ambulance. Aunt Vanessa looks on in shock, worried that is Breeze but is relieved to find out it's only some bald man.
Aunt Vanessa had seen some pictures Ariella had posted online from THE peer, with the caption "Best Friend just fell of THE peer." She had taken four selfies. One with a duckface, at the spot where Breeze fell off. Another with a peace sign and a duckface, a third one that was just a smile, which Aunt Vanessa had liked as her favorite of the bunch and a last one with a frown that Ariella had captioned, "miss you already." These pictures sent Aunt Vanessa into a series of texts where Ariella eventually told her where Breeze was taken. Now here she was, no sign of Breeze and no sign of Ariella.
Aunt Vanessa finally approached a front desk, where the young woman was obviously checking her social media on the hospital computer.
"Excuse me, miss, I'm looking for my niece," Aunt Vanessa tells her. The young receptionist looks up, smacking her gum.
"And what do I look like?" she asks Aunt Vanessa, "gah, you are so rude."
"Here name is Breeze and she-" Aunt Vanessa begins.
"Oh, was she blonde brought in earlier that went swimming from THE peer?" the young receptionist asks without looking up from her computer.
"Yes, she'd be the one," Aunt Vanessa says happily, "what room number is she in?"
"Fourth one down the hall, on the right," the receptionist answers as she stretching her gum from her mouth, "pass all of the dramatic medical staff."
"Oh thank you," Aunt Vanessa bids her runs down the hall. She makes her way through the overly dramatic medical staff, and finally comes to a calmer part of the hall. She counts the rooms as she walks and finally sees the fourth one.
"She's going to be here any minute," she hears Ariella tell Breeze, "we have to think of something." Aunt Vanessa peers into the room and sees Breeze sitting up in bed on her phone.
"I don't want to see her," Breeze shouts out, then looks up and makes eye contact with Aunt Vanessa. "Tell her I'm in a coma," Breeze shouts as Ariella turns and sees Aunt Vanessa and smiles. She walks out of Breeze's room and pulls the door closed.
"Hi," Ariella greets her and then becomes super serious, "I"m afraid our Breeze is in a coma." Aunt Vanessa sighs and folds her arms. "Don't worry, doctors say she'll wake any minute now," Ariella has began to lead her down the hall, "the good news is she is fine."
"Uh-huh," Aunt Vanessa says with some irritation, "I can see that."
"So, how about you just wait in here," Ariella pushes her into a waiting room, "and I'll . . ." Ariella sniffs, as if she has been crying, "I'll go to the chapel and say a prayer for her." Ariella turns down the hall. "I'll say a prayer I'll find Cash," she says to herself and happily goes along her way.

Aunt Vanessa takes a seat in the waiting room where she appears to be alone. As she sits down, she thinks about Ariella and how she hopes the poor girl rises above being just the girl next door. She also thought what a shame it was that she had red hair. Aunt Vanessa digs through her large purse until she finds what she is looking for. She pulls her book, a book in the erotica series that she is reading, and begins to read. She is unaware that she has actually sat down beside of a man with his head held down. He raises it up as he notices Aunt Vanessa. It is Uncle B.
"Hi," he stutters once he realizes who she is. Aunt Vanessa puts her book down, immediately recognizing him.
"Hello," she greets him coldly, "don't worry, I won't be asking you dance this time."
"I suppose I deserve that," Uncle B replies, "after the scene I made that night." Aunt Vanessa doesn't say anything, her silence agreeing him by not correcting him. "Listen, I was a fool that night, just like I was a fool today," Uncle B tells her.
"Oh, yeah, what brings you hear today?" Aunt Vaness asks him.
"My son," Uncle B brings his hands up to head in shame, "Gauge, I was so hard on him and that girl of yours. I . . .I . . .I-I told them I didn't want them together and didn't approve of them and that sent them both off, almost to their deaths. Your girl fell off THE peer and Gauge, oh Gauge, why did I have to be the unapproving father?"
"It's okay," Aunt Vanessa comforts him, "kids will be kids. If we're being honest, I'm relieved Breeze isn't hurt, but there is a very small part of me that is glad she fell off that stupid peer."
"Speaking of stupid, I was might've acted stupid at your party when you asked me to dance," Uncle B admits.
"Yes, yes you were," Aunt Vanessa agrees.
"And I probably ruined my one chance with you," Uncle B laments.
"Now I never said that," Aunt Vanessa stops him, "I learned something about you, from that night. If I had any idea what happened to you all of those years ago, I never would have asked."
"That was fifteen years ago, possibly twenty nine," Uncle B replies, "I sure would like the chance to make it up to you, maybe in the hospital cafeteria over some pound cake?"
"I hear a rumor they have Dr. Pepper pound cake," Aunt Vanessa smiles as she slips her book back in her purse, "I'd love for you to accompany me there." She stands up, as does he and she gives him her arm, so they can walk out arm in arm. That is of course until the reach the door where only one person at a time can fit.

*****

The elevator door dings as it open and Ariella walks out, her hair flopping from side to side as she walks. Halfway down the hall, Cash stands texting on his phone.
"Very funny, sending me the morgue," Ariella tells him as she approaches him. She punches him in the arm and he falls down.
"Why?" he whines as he stands back up.
"Where is Gauge?" she demands to know.
"He's in the psyche ward, being evaluated," Cash tell her, "they wouldn't let me stay and watch because one of the nurses said I was creeping her out."
"Your face creeps me out," she says, then quickly corrects herself, "I mean take me to his room. I have something very important to tell him."
"Fine," Cash sigh, "three doors down, after you." As Ariella walks in front of him, he very obviously checks out her booty. Ariella turns to the door to find only an empty room.
"Cash, he's gone," she gasps.

*****

There is small tap on Breeze's door. She looks up from her phone annoyed.
"Oh, my God!" she whines, "being in a coma is hard!" Gauge peeks his head in the door and smiles. "Oh," Breeze excitingly gasps and throws her phone, down, "I mean, come in."
"Hey," he greets her.
"Hey," she smiles at him. He walks in and closes the door. "Are you my doctor?" Breeze asks in a playful tone.
"No," Gauge grunts, then clears his throat to use his word, "I escaped from the psyche ward, so I don't have much time."
"Oh, my God," Breeze replies with great concern, "why are you in there?" He sits on the bed and takes her hand.
"Cash thinks I tried to kill myself," he explains, "I was really thinking of you."
"Of me?" Breeze gasps, clasping her hand into his.
"Yes," Gauge grunts.
"This was so worth falling-" Breeze stops, "I mean, did you hear, Ariella pushed me off of THE peer?!"
"Gingers have no souls," Gauge grunts.
"That's what I say," Breeze smiles, "thank you for coming down here to visit me."
"I have to tell you something," Gauge tells her, "I . . .I . . . I . . .want you to be my girl."
"Yes!" Breeze squeals so loudly and jumps that her IV comes out and a monitor alarm goes off, "a thousand times yes!" They kiss as five doctors and seven nurses rush in. Soon, three psyche ward guards follow.
"The escaped patient," one of them shouts.
"We have a code blue," the doctor shouts.
"Doctor, doctor," a nurse shouts and the room becomes sheer pandemonium. Breeze and Gauge are torn apart by the guards as they haul him away.
"Breeeeeeeeeeeze" he shouts as they drag him out of the room.
"I'll wait for you, Gauge," Breeze calls back with one hand reached out, "I'll wait for you!" As the doctors and nurses cause chaos around her, Breeze knew in her heart that she was forever Gauges. "You're forever mine," she shouts as a nurse thrusts her back in her bed.