Crash

Bruised Ribs and Fractured Dreams

Charles was true to his word. He refused to hang up the phone until the doctor physically took it from Penelope's as they were trying to get her into the x-ray machine. She'd started crying halfway there, the pain fully sinking in and the fear of what had happened all bubbling to a crescendo. She'd begged the nurse, a kind but firm middle aged lady with greying hair, to let her take the phone in with her, but for good reason she'd refused. Finally, she and the nurse had come to a compromise - she would let her hold the phone while Penelope was in the machine, and she'd put him on speaker over the mic system. 

The world seemed a whole lot more scary as she led there in the x-ray. The only thing keeping her from going into a full panic was the sound of her boyfriend's voice, nattering on about car tyre pressures and average speeds. Charles had picked up on her anxiety pretty quickly and his new technique of simply talking to keep her mind occupied was working well. 

"Carlos did well this morning, Penelope," he was saying as she dug her nails into her palms. "Very fast."

Something in her mind clicked. She knew that name, Charles talked about him all the time. "Your teammate?" she asked through tears, trying to blink them away. "Is that good?"

"Yeah. Very good for the team. Not as fast as I'm gonna be though."

A whirring noise began, originating from somewhere near her feet. Through the glass, she could see the nurse give her a reassuring thumbs up. 

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you wear something red when you fly out," he told her. "In support."

The nurse nodded in approval. "Oh yes," she said. "You'd look lovely in red my sweet."

The beginnings of a laugh bubbled in her stomach. Charles seemed just as amused. "I tell her that all the time! You know I even got her a jacket with the team on the back, but has she worn it? No."

The nurse feigned a gasp, but shot Penelope a wink. "You're kidding. Why ever not?"

"Imagine the headlines," Penelope protested, the chamber suddenly not feeling quite as small. "I'll wear it at the airport."

"Sounds like a compromise to me," the nurse said as Charles cheered. "Just in time, too. X-ray is all done, my sweet. I'll help you to the ward."

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As soon as nurse Janet, who Penelope had become quite fond of, wheeled her out of the doors, there was an instant chorus of talking. Penelope was suddenly surrounded by familiar faces - her grandmother, her coach, her assistant. All of them were staring down at her, and the last few strings that were holding her together suddenly gave way. She sobbed as Mirabel hugged her tightly, running her fingers against her hair as Carlisle placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry Carlisle," she insisted, tear drops landing on her leg. "I don't know what happened."

For once, Carlisle wasn't wearing a scowl. Instead, he just looked sympathetic, like he was actually worried about her rather than the opportunity they'd just lost out on. "Don't you worry about that," he told her as Janet began to wheel her down the corridor again. "It's one fall, Penelope. You've done it a thousand times before."

"This time was meant to be different," she whimpered. 

"I promise you, this doesn't matter," he said simply, nudging nurse Janet aside so he could push the chair. "You're gonna rest up, then when you come back you're gonna be better."

Penelope wanted so badly to believe him, but the twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach made her think otherwise. The mere idea of getting back on the ice and doing that routine again made her want to throw up. What was happening to her? This wasn't the first time she'd fell on the ice. When she and Jasper were fifteen, she'd misjudged the height she needed to jump and had ended up taking both of them out in one straight heap. She'd ended up with a broken arm and a concussion, but as soon as she'd been able to walk she'd been straight back out there. Dance used to be exciting, thrilling, cathartic. 

So why was she now so terrified?

*******************

Fortunately, Penelope was right about one thing: nothing was broken. The x-ray had revealed no fractures, but upon inspection the doctor had concluded that she was severely bruised. She'd been sent home with the all clear, but accompanied by a warning that she wasn't to dance for at least two weeks. The cut on her leg would heal in a few days, not even deep enough to warrant stitches. 

In truth, she couldn't wait to get home. Jane doted on her as Penelope struggled to walk back to the car, limping as Carlisle supported most of her weight. 

"Do you need anything?" Jane asked, carrying her bag like it was a new born baby. "Oh, be careful! Watch your step."

"I'm fine, Jane. Can you text Charles and tell him the scan came back clear, please? Oh, and tell him I'm on my way home."

"Of course. Oh, you want me to tell Jasper as well?"

Penelope's expression hardened a little. "Whatever."

At her side, she could feel Carlisle watching her with a careful eye. "He was really worried about you. Almost inconsolable."

She didn't react. "I told him it was fine."

"I'm trying to interfere, Penelope. But don't hold a grudge."

"I'm not!"

"Well, tell that to your face. You look like-"

"Oh look at that!" Jane said suddenly, producing the car keys from her pocket as they stopped by a black SUV. "We found the car. Thanks Carlisle, but we've got it from here."

He looked reluctant, but nodded. "Fine. Penelope, rest up. Think about what I said."

Penelope looked away, deciding to ignore him. It had been a long day, and to put it simply she really wasn't in the mood for a lecture. 

Once Jane had helped her into the car, which had taken a considerable amount of effort and caused Penelope a lot of pain, she found herself overcome with exhaustion. Staring out the window, she watched the world roll by in a greenish grey blur. Despite the agony, she felt a strange sense of numbness, like all the emotions had been somehow drained out of her. Even as she climbed out the car and stumbled down the path towards her house, she still felt nothing. 

It wasn't until she got upstairs, lying on the bed as her grandmother stroked her hair and whispered comforting words into her ear that she felt herself crumble again. She curled into a ball, snuggling against Mirabel and closed her eyes, sensing the tears run onto the pillow but feeling powerless to stop them. 

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