Special

Chapter 16

Police officers questioned witnesses about the robbery outside the hospital. Nurses and doctors examined the injured on EMS stretchers. Cody huddled beside Mum while we sat by the sidewalk waiting to be cleared. Nasty abrasions covered Cody's hands. Mum sustained deep cuts on her forehead and right leg. Apart from a bruised shoulder and a sore knee, I came out unscathed.

A young male paramedic knelt before us.

He greeted us, opened his medical kit and retrieved a pair of rubber gloves. Putting them on, he asked, 'You mind if I take a look?' referring to Cody's bloody hands.

Cody looked at Mum for confirmation.

'It's okay,' she told him.

He extended his hands, flinching as the first responder cleaned the wounds.

'These are some rough cuts,' said the jovial emergency worker. 'How'd you get them?'

Cody was silent.

Mum responded for him. 'He got them saving me.'

'Is that so?' the medic asked.

Cody nodded.

'You're really brave,' the paramedic told Cody while he finished wrapping bandages around the wounds.

He put on a fresh pair of rubber gloves and told Mum, 'Your turn Ms.'

'I'm good,' said Mum. 'I heal fast.'

Although exposure to the handheld inhibitor slowed down her healing, Mum's wounds looked like they were a few days old.

'It still wouldn't hurt to make sure you don't have a concussion,' the medic offered. 'Looks like you banged your head pretty hard.'

'All right,' Mum responded.

The medic extended his right index finger, pointing up. 'I need you to follow my finger with your eyes only. Don't move your head.'

He moved his hand from side to side, slowly then fast.

Mum followed the instructions, moving her eyes left and right with the speed of the finger.

'Let me know if you feel any signs of nausea, headache or dizziness,' the medic said.

'Dad!' Cody called, bolting towards Dad who navigated through the chaos to get to us.

Dad knelt down with open arms, wrapping them around Cody who crashed into him.

'I saw Titan!' Cody rambled. 'He helped Mum and saluted me.'

The paramedic cleared Mum but advised her to consult a doctor if she experienced any symptoms.

'Titan was fighting a bad guy —' Cody continued.

'Your hands,' Dad said, caressing Cody's bandages.

'I hurt myself trying to help Mum,' Cody responded. 'I wasn't strong enough, though. Titan helped me, but the bad guy got away.'

'I'm just glad you're all right,' Dad assured Cody, hugging him once more. 'You're pretty brave.'

He walked over to me, squeezing me tight, pressing my head against his chest. Looking me over, he asked, 'Are you all right?'

'Yeah,' I told him.

He kissed me on the forehead and proceeded to check on Mum.

He froze, staring at her wounds before they both rushed forward, falling into each other's arms, neither letting go for a long moment.

Dad ran his fingers over the bruise on Mum's forehead, pulling her in for another long hug.

***

Riley walked up to a group of three girls standing a few lockers away from mine while I stored some books. He greeted the girl in the middle, saying in an overly smooth tone, 'Hey, Bree.'