A Day at the Races

Heroes

"I think I need to leave Mary and Freddie alone for a while. He can piece together everythin' that happened for her. They...they just don't need a lot of people around right now. I mean, you know how Fred gets. Roger, I..," I paused. I was getting ready to ask for the one thing I didn't want to ask for... "...I...I need someone to come pick me up. I need to leave the car here for them. Mary will be discharged tonight and Freddie will need a way to get her back to the hotel." I bit my lip. The last thing on earth I wanted to do was interrupt the party. I had thought of calling a cab but what taxi was going to come all the way out here and pick me up!?

 "I'll come and get you!" Roger said enthusiastically. "Shit, I shouldn't have let you go alone in the first place!"

 "No, no...just...tell my dad to come get me or have him send someone. Roger, it's a half-hour away and you're who everyone wants to see tonight and..." He stopped me.

 "Bullshit, Lydia. It's just a party! There'll probably be another one next week! Look, the other guests can talk to Brian or John or your dad or your jockey or somethin'. I'm gonna get your mum and we are comin' to pick you up. We'll run through a drive-thru cause I know you have to be hungry, you’ve been there forever. We'll go back to the hotel." Roger insisted, giving me a play by play. Maybe all that giving blood and watching over Mary had the emotional side of me going because I was very quiet as I felt myself choking up a little. "Lydia? You there?" He asked.

 "Yeah, yeah..." I cleared my throat." Sure. Sounds good, sweetheart. “How much have you had to drink?” I asked.

 “Not enough. Don’t worry, I can drive.” Roger insisted.

 “When are you leavin'?" I asked.

 "Let me say some goodbyes and find ya' mum. Give me about twenty minutes and then I’ll leave.” He told me.

 “ ‘Kay. I’ll be under the emergency entrance canopy in about 45 minutes. I’ll see you then.” I assured Roger.

 “Bye, babe.” I could hear Roger hang up the phone on his end. I was alone in the waiting area at this point. I sighed and stood up again, ready to head back to the room with Mary and check on she and Freddie. I slowly stood up and heard my stomach growl at me. Roger was right, I was quite hungry and god I still hadn’t had my cigarette that I so desperately wanted. Once again, the sound of my heels resonated through the hall as I headed back to Mary’s room. I tapped the doorframe and the sight I saw was so very endearing. There was Freddie practically force feeding Mary applesauce.

 “You’re back! Where did you go?” Mary asked of me a bit worriedly.

 “It’s okay. I just went to call Roger. He’s gonna’ come pick me up in a bit.” I assured her.

 “Lydia…” Mary began, placing her applesauce aside. “…it was supposed to be about you! Did…did your horse win?”

 “He did.” I smiled at her.

 “Oh my god…it’s just not fair. You were supposed to... It was supposed to be about you!” Mary was upset.

 “You were laying in your blood. Damn it forget about me. Roger handled it. He said everyone is having a wonderful time at the after party.” She smiled, very pleased with this news.

 “Tell me everything. I don’t remember so much.” Mary insisted. I looked to Freddie and took a seat on the edge of Mary’s bed.

 “Well, I asked you to stand at the end of the race because her horse was about to cross the finish line. When you stood up, the cheers drowned out your voice. I felt your hand limply reach for me and you fell over, dead weight, against me. It took me by so much surprise, that I half dropped you into the seats. Chrissie was the first to notice the blood and she gasped and screamed ‘she’s bleeding! She’s bleeding!’ Well, then Brian and John came down to help get you up. Then, Veronica started to fan you off in hopes of getting you to come to, which you did. Roger and Lydia turned around to see what was going on and Roger yelled at Ellie to go get bandages…that was the stupidest thing I had ever heard…I never want Roger taking care of me in an emergency…Lyida you may wanna’ keep that in mind.” Freddie paused and rolled his eyes. Mary laughed. “Anyway, this one then told her mother to call an ambulance or find a medic, however, you passed out again and without thinking at all, Lydia, John and I took you and began leading you out of the stands because Lydia knew the fastest way.” Freddie looked to me.