This Life Of Mine

Chapter 5

Trina
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Trina must have passed out in the car. It could have been from exhaustion or having to look at her grossly deformed leg, that now hurt so much that there must have been powder in her mouth from grinding her teeth.
"Hey Karen, when do you think we'll get there?" Trina managed to say.
"It's not far from here," Karen sympathized, "it shouldn't be taking this long anyway, there must be a lot of traffic. Oh! I see why now. There are a lot of people in the streets from the protest in Carlson Field. A tree was cut down there, you know."
Trina feigned surprise, "I had no idea."
"Well, there was," she declared.
"Are there any backroads? Anything? How long have we been in traffic?" Trina was getting hysterical.
"We've been here for about 20 minutes. And as a matter of fact, I do know a secret backroad," she smirked.
"I'm very sorry for being rude, but can we please hurry?"
Karen snapped out of her daze, "Right, of course, sorry," Karen turned her head. There was no one behind her, so she pulled out backward and swerved onto a small road. Trina was not paying much attention, but she saw some schools in passing as they whizzed down Graniteville Road.
"We should be there soon, it's only a couple of miles off," said Karen jovially.
"Great."
Karen's expression fell, "Was that sarcasm?" She asked, hurt.
"Oh no, it was not. I'm just in a lot of pain and it is hard to show emotion," said Trina spluttered quickly, trying to justify what actually was sarcasm. It must have worked though because Karen looked relieved.
Karen was right, for they arrived at Lowell General Hospital in mere minutes.
"I'll have to carry you to the door and to the ER unless they give us a wheelchair or something," laughed Karen nervously, "I don't really know how this stuff works. I have never broken a bone or anything."
"Me neither," because this is my first day as a human, she thought.
Karen sighed, "Well, let's go," She climbed out of her seat and walked around to Trina's side, opening her door, "Can you, uh, maybe scooch over this way a bit?"
"Um, I'll try," Trina mumbled.
"That's right, here we go," Encouraged Karen. She grabbed Trina's legs and put her arm under hers, hauling Trina out of the car, "Do you think I could run while holding you?"
"There is only one way to find out, I guess," Trina stretched her arm out behind her and slammed the door shut.
Karen groaned as she attempted to move her legs faster. At least the hospital appeared to be downhill from where they were parked, so Karen got some momentum, "Ha ha!" She laughed, "I'm doing it, I am doing it!"
"Yes!"
"OH MY GOD!" Screamed Karen, as they approached the door.
'What is it? What?"
"I CAN'T STOP!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T STOP?"
They both screamed as they quickly approached the door, skidding across the grass. Karen dug her heels into it, and slowly, with great effort, they stopped.
A confused nurse looked up from his clipboard to see a girl with a grotesquely bent leg, being carried by a manic-looking woman covered in dirt, trailed by tracks in the newly planted grass, "Come on guys!" He exclaimed, "We just planted that."
Karen smiled guiltily, "Sorry. While we are here though, she has a broken leg. Can you help us, uh, James? Jimmy. Jimothy," Karen said, squinting at his name tag
"I prefer James, thanks," he corrected, ¨You are really supposed to go to the ER, but I can bring you there, I guess. That is my job after all," he chuckled.
Trina and Karen stared at him blankly.
He sighed, ¨No one ever appreciates my jokes. This way please," he started walking through the fancy doors and down the too-sterile corridor. Trina shivered and wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming smell of antiseptic. It was just too much for her nature-trained senses.
Karen leaned down towards Trina and whispered in her ear, "That was supposed to be a joke?"
Trina gave a half-hearted, pained shrug, "I guess so."
Karen look at her face, concerned. It was very pale, "Hey, are you okay? You don't look great. It is your leg?"
"Yep, that's it," That wasn't it. It was the smell. She would have told Karen, but she was afraid that she would have to explain why she was so susceptible to the aroma.
James stopped outside of a small room, "We are in the Emergency Room, and you will wait in here until you can get an X-ray, and you might be waiting for a while, so I will give you some painkillers now. Do you take pills?" He asked, looking up from the cabinet he was rummaging through.
"Uh, yes?" Trina said with uncertainty. She leaned over to Karen, "What's a pill?" She whispered. Karen gave her an odd look.
James raised an eyebrow, questioning Trina. Dismissing it, he handed her the pill and a small cup of water. She accepted them with shaking hands, the water rippling dangerously.
"So, uh, how do I do this?" Inquired Trina.
Karen rolled her eyes, "Have you never taken a pill before? You just put the pill in your mouth, and swallow it with some water."
Trina looked dubious, "Alright, if you say so." She popped the pill in her mouth and immediately recoiled.
"Now you drink the water," Karen said, mildly condescending.
Hazel decided to ignore her tone and listen to the instructions. She drank the water and was surprised when she felt it go down with the water, "I did it! I swallowed it!"
James and Karen shared a look that was between confusion and exasperation.
"Miss, you are going to have to wait here, and I apologize in advance for how long the wait will take. We had an astonishing amount of X-rays to take today, " said James after Trina finished her victory dance.
"Thank you, " said Karen warmly. As soon as James walked out the door, Karen rounded on Trina, "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"Why don't you know how to take a pill, or better yet, what a pill even is?"
She knew that something was up, "I, uh-"
"I don't know anything about you! Is Trina your real name? How old are you?"
Trina gulped. She was getting close. She lifted her chin and steeled herself, "My name is Trina, I am fourteen years old and I don't know how to take a pill because..." Trina paused, fumbling. Suddenly an idea struck her, "I don't know how to take a pill because I was abused. My father never gave me any medicine, so I didn't know what it was or how to take it!" Trina began tearing up, "In fact," She sniffled, "You are the closest thing I've ever had to a parental figure."
Karen melted and rushed to embrace Trina, "Oh my god honey, I'm so sorry."
Trina sniffed again, "It's okay," she smirked from behind Karen's back. Sold, She thought. Quickly she added, "Also, he never signed me up for school," There. Now she wouldn't have to explain why she didn't know what school to go to or anything else.
"You poor thing!" She cooed, "Well, I'll just have to do it myself I guess. The last thing I will ever do is bring you back to your dad,"
"Thank you," she sobbed.
Just then, James walked in, "I can bring you to the X-ray room now."
Karen brightened, "Oh, that wasn't too long."
"Right this way," he said, ushering them down the hallway, "Oh, I almost forgot! Here is a wheelchair for you," James pulled a wheelchair out from a nearby room.
Trina immediately looked relieved, "Thank you," she climbed into the chair and was wheeled down the hallway by Karen, who would occasionally stroke Trina's hair. Trina almost regretted lying to her. Almost.
"Here you are," said James diplomatically, opening a door labeled "X-RAY". They walked in, and Trina lied down on the table. A doctor briskly walked in and turned on the looming machine in the corner. As it buzzed to life, he turned to Trina and said, "Hi honey, I'm going to give you this little apron thing to put on, okay?"
"Yup," She grumbled. Even, no, especially as a tree, she hated being talked down to. She still begrudgingly put on the smock, and Karen helped her onto the table.
The doctor turned to Karen and gestured to the door, "I'm sorry, but you can't stay for this part. Risk of radiation poison, you know?" He chortled.
"You can't stay?" Trina sounded betrayed.
"I'm really sorry," Karen turned to leave.
"Karen?" She said quietly.
"Yes?"
"I'm scared."
"I know, but I'll be right outside. You will be fine."
She closed the door behind her with a clanging finality. Trina gulped.
"Okay sweetie, I'm going to do your X-ray now. You don't need to be scared. As long as you don't move, " he added quickly. He chuckled as he saw her eyes widen, "I'm just kidding, you are completely safe."
The machine didn't seem to be moving, but it still whirred and creaked. Some lights flashed over her, and she braced herself for some pain or something to show that it was working. Nothing. She didn't feel a thing. She decided to still keep her eyes squeezed shut anyway. Suddenly she shivered as she felt a cold wave pass through her.
"Nice job! Do you want a sticker?"
Trina curled her lip in distaste, "How old do you think I am? And please don't be so condescending. I sincerely hope you're not like this with all of your patients."
The doctor looked appalled. He sputtered, and couldn't find a suitable response. They remained in a silent staring contest, waiting to see who would break their gaze, his being mildly confused, and hers being reproachful. Both of their heads turned as they heard a knock on the door.
"Are you guys almost done in there?" Asked a muffled voice.
The doctor's cheerful tone came back, but he still watched Trina, "I was just about to come to get you, how funny!" He opened the heavy wooden door and ushered Karen inside, "The X-ray is done, but it will take a little while for them to come back, so James will take you back to the room you were in."
"Okay, sounds good," replied Karen.
The doctor stuck his head out the door and said, "James? Can you please bring them back to their room?"
They could hear James' voice, eager to impress the doctor, "Sure thing!"
Trina elbowed Karen in the dubs and rolled her eyes, "Can you believe this guy?"
Karen nodded vehemently, "I know, right?" They continued sharing disbelieving glances as they listened to the conversation unfolding before them, the excited nurse and the bored doctor.
Suddenly they heard someone clearing their throat, "Are we boring you?" Asked the doctor, almost passive aggressively.
Karen's eyes widened, "Oh, um, no sir. I'm sorry."
He laughed, "I'm just messing with you, go ahead with James. Here is your wheelchair, young lady."
"Thank you," managed Trina, painfully formally, climbing in, "Oh, and here is your lead blanket, or whatever," she unclasped the Velcro from behind her neck.
He accepted it with a tight-lipped smile.
James was already walking down the hallway before Karen noticed he had left. She was trying to decipher what had happened between Trina and the doctor. He seemed nice enough, even if he was a bit condescending at times, but she still couldn't tell what could have provoked this stare down, "Oh! Trina, we have to go!"
Trina wheeled herself away, maintaining rigid eye contact.
Out in the hallway, Karen demanded an explanation, "What could have possibly happened in there?"
Trina glanced around guiltily, while still being pushed down the hall, "In my defense, he was being really insulting and condescending."
Karen narrowed her eyes, "What did you do?"
"Ha, well, he was being all stupid and stuff. He said, and I quote, 'Do you want a sticker?'"
Karen cringed.
"I know! After he said that I got all defensive and said something, like 'How old do you think I am,' and, 'I hope you don't treat all of your patients like this,' and probably something else, but I can't remember."
Karen nodded approvingly, "Nice job. I probably would not have been able to say that."
Trina laughed, "Why not?"
"I don't know, I've just never been the best at confrontation."
"You're pretty good at handling me," Trina laughed.
"That's different though. I feel like I know you, or I have known you before, but that doctor was a stranger, and he was kind of strange, so I wouldn't really have been able to defend myself as you did. Bravo."
Trina felt strangely proud, "Thanks," she said, her voice warbling.
"What's wrong?"
Oh great. She'd have to lie her way out of this one too, "It's just, uh, where I came from, I never felt loved, or had someone be proud of me. It, uh, it feels nice," Trina was surprised to find that almost all of her story was true, even for trees. While you were a tree, you didn't have parents, and in most cases, friends. You would speak with trees nearby you, but it was only, barely acquaintances.
"We've been outside your room for about five minutes, but I didn't want to interrupt your deep, emotional conversation," based on the two matching glares he received, he could guess that he did interrupt their deep, emotional conversation.
Karen wheeled Trina into their room from before, both of them glaring at him the whole time. James' confused and slightly terrified face remained, even after he closed the door. Seriously, he thought, how had they not noticed that we had stopped walking? Some people.
Well that's rude, James heard a strong, female voice, that sounded very much like the one that belonged to the girl who had just wheeled into the room he was standing in front of.
Trina nearly jumped out of her wheelchair when she heard James' thoughts. This was the first time she had heard anyone's thoughts since she was a tree, and thoughts were trees only mode of communication. She decided to reply with a sarcastic quip, Well that's rude, she thought, smiled smugly when she felt his extreme confusion. That'll teach him to be careful of what he thinks. If he were a tree, everyone would know what he was thinking all the time. That is, of course, until he learned how to filter what he thought and what he said.
"Karen," said Trina, looking up, "can you lift me onto that bed thing? Please?"
Karen sighed, remembering how hard it was to carry her to her car, "I'll try," she hooked one arm under Trina's legs and the other arm under her armpits. Grunting she hoisted her onto the bed covered in a thin, uncomfortable layer of paper, "Huh. That was considerably easier this time," Karen marveled.
"Probably because you moved me about two feet this time," Trina said, grinning.
Karen rolled her eyes, "Whatever."
Trina yawned and stretched her arms, "Is it okay if I go to sleep? I'm exhausted," She asked Karen.
"Of course. I think I'll sleep in this chair over here too."
Laying down, Trina did her best to block out all of the surrounding sounds, like the bustle from right outside her door, and Karen trying to find a comfortable position on her small, cramped chair. Her last thought as she drifted off was, I hope the person I swapped with learns everything quickly... before it's too late.