An Open Sky

Chapter Thirty-Eight ~Alexa~

The receptionist pulled her glasses down her nose and peered over them at me. “Yes?”

                The inconvenience of my presence to her was obvious. I hesitated before answering, “Um, I’m looking for Aidan. I think he’s here.”

                She met me with a blank stare. “I’m afraid I’m going to need more than that, honey.” The sadistic tone of her voice only fed my anxiety.  

                It never occurred to me to acquire Aidan’s last name. I had no idea. “Um, I don’t really know his last name, but he was in a car accident this afternoon,” I stuttered, trying not to sound like a complete idiot.

                She rolled her eyes and rapidly keyed something into her computer. “Aidan Mercer is his name. You might want to keep that somewhere in your memory for future reference.” She smiled, but I couldn’t return her enthusiasm for sarcasm. After getting no response, she turned back to her screen. “He’s in room one thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight. That’s one, one, three, eight.”

                “Got it,” I said coolly, turning on my heel and stepping down the hallway. The air was tainted with the smells of bleach and various other lemon-scented cleansers. I prayed that I’d gone down the right hallway; the last thing I sought to do was return to the receptionist to tell her I was lost. I glanced above the door which read 1124. So I guess I’m going the right way.

                I made my way past several people in casts and gowns, not knowing what else to do but smile at them. It felt wrong to be there when I’d never experienced any physical pain like that myself.

                Room 1138 was at the end of the hallway. I found myself walking slower and slower as I came upon it. I didn’t know how to face him, how he was, how I should react. I had so many questions rattling through my mind; I could barely hear the voices coming from within the room. I stood against the door, listening for Dale’s voice but only hearing the ruff slur of a woman. I glanced up to see if the room was right. 1138, this is it. Unless she told me the wrong room, which I didn’t doubt either.

                “You’re such an idiot; do you even want to live? You don’t deserve it, you know that? Aidan, do you even hear me? I asked you a question.” The voice was hard, unforgiving. I heard Aidan’s groan from inside the room. “This is your problem,” she continued, “You figure it out. And don’t you even think to show your face at home again, you understand? You’re a disgrace, how can you even look at yourself? You’re weak, like a child. It’s time to grow up.”

                I jerked back from the door just in time to not receive a broken nose from the force of which it was thrown open by. I watched a tall, middle-aged woman stumble out of the room, half-empty bottle of whiskey in hand. She turned to me, “You wouldn’t know where the bathroom is, would you? I have to get rid of this before I leave.” She gestured toward the bottle. I shook my head, unable to comprehend the woman that I assumed to be Aidan’s mother. She had his green eyes. They were so similar to his, but more different than I could imagine. They were the same tree-green that I had almost grown used to; the reflection of myself in them was the same. Everything appeared the same, but I could tell that deeper inside of them was a different story, a story much darker, much more complex than the whiskey on her breath told.

                She muttered something to herself and started down the hallway, only making it a few yards before being interrogated by a nurse. I watched her hand the nurse the bottle and loudly announce that she was never coming back, and how it was inhumane to not let her drink before shoving past the wide-eyed girl.