A Tragic Hero

Chapter 5

   

    "Ryder, come on man. Sit down. You're gonna wear out the brand new carpet they just installed in here a couple of weeks ago."
    Ryder glanced at Winston, finally stopping his never ending pace that had started 2 hours ago. He had sped back to the hospital in a crazed rush, his mind set on one goal, saving Sky and Jake. He had wheeled in Sky, Winston having been with Jake in tow right behind him.
    Sky had been moaning and sobbing when he parked her gurney in an open room. The nurses had then taken over. He had been forced to leave the room and had been waiting in the break room with Winston since then.
    "Ryder, relax," Winston stood up from his seat and approached him. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, he gave him sorry smile.
    "It's gonna be alright. Just, let the doctors work it out like they always do."
    "But they're not always right and they don't always win the battle."
    Ryder moved away from his friend. Winston sighed.
    "I know. Just...trust that God will make a way through all of this for the best."
    "Yah."
    He made his way over to the single table placed in the corner of the now claustrophobic feeling room. That what he felt like, trapped. Here, in a blank moment of life, not knowing what would come next. Stuck.
    Ryder flopped down onto a wooden stool and covered his face with his palms.
    "What did you do with Jake?" His voice came out hoarse, not able to hide his deep concern for the boy.
    "He was sent straight into the O.R. They wanted to get working on him right away. He was...pretty mangled."
    "Yah, I saw."
     Ryder dragged his hands down his face, trying to wipe all worry from his mind. He wasn't successful though. Winston still stared at him with a pitied look.
    "They also said...they don't expect him to come out of this completely injured free. He had some serious neck and back damage."
    He balled his left hand into a fist. He needed to contain himself. He was not gonna break down.
    Feeling his phone vibrate in his back pocket, Ryder glanced at Winston who still stood in the middle of the break room. After getting a quick nod from him, he clicked the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear.
    "Hello?"
    "Hey bro!"
    Wendy's calming voice washed over him, relieving him of some of his worries. She lived in Salem, Oregon, ruffly two hours away from his house. She was a substitute teacher at a local elementary in her city, the wife of a gentle business man named Danny Scale, and a mother of two beautiful twin boys, Elijah and Elisha. She was older than him by 3 years. She was his anchor to reality, his helper when life started going crazy. He was honored to be called Wendy Scale's lil brother.
    "You still there?" Wendy questioned him lightly from the other side of the line.
    "Yes. Sorry, my mind is not here right now."
    "Everything alright over there? Are you okay?"
    "Yes," Ryder tapped his fingers on the table,"I'm alright."
    "Okay...wanna elaborate at all?"
    "Not really. It's complicated."
    "Not the first time I've heard that from you."
    Despite his mood, Ryder found himself chuckling at his sister's jibe.
    "You're 100% correct. Anyways, how are you? Did you need anything?"
    "Actually," shuffling noises filled his ear, probably from his sister getting dinner ready.
    "I was wondering if maybe...next week you could come over for the weekend. Mom and Dad will be here too. I just want to have a little- family get together. Maybe relax and go shopping or something on Saturday, then go to church and have a big lunch on Sunday before y'all leave. The boys have been asking for you too. They miss you. I miss you too."
    "Well, I don't know," Ryder frowned, bringing his schedule to the front of his mind.
    "On Saturdays it's pretty hectic here. I may be able to come over on Sunday though. It's usually slow for the most part. "
    "Alright. I can work with that."
    He could hear the smile in his sister's voice.
     A crashing sound came through the speaker.
    "Boys! What are you doing now?"
    "Mom, Elijah took my Spider Man toy!" 7 year old Elisha cried out from somewhere in his sister's house.
    "I did not! You lost it!" Elijah protested.
    "I'm gonna have to let you go bud. Love you!"
    "Love you to sis. Don't be too hard on them, okay?"
    Wendy's laughter was the last thing he heard before she disconnected the call.
    "How's Wendy?" Winston took a seat across from him and folded his hands together.
    "Lovely as ever."
    A silence settled between them. It was soothing almost, pushing away all of Ryder's fears for a second.
    In the next second, the door to the break room swung open and a surgeon, mask and all still covering his tanned face, locked eyes with him.
    "Technician Clinton, we have news about our patient that you wanted to hear."
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    Ryder couldn't believe it. Connor, the surgeon who had operated on Jake, stood in front of him, a grim look plastered onto his face. The hallway was silent, leaving him to deal with his emotions alone.
     Jake was officially a paraplegic. He had taken most of the blow from the truck and it had affected him greatly.
    "It's not good. We were able to shift his facial features some, but not completely. His seat belt may have come undone when the car rolled. He's pretty battered. His outcome doesn't look all that promising either and he's still in a deep coma."
    He couldn't stop the tears that began to blur his vision. His brain hurt and a part of him wanted to go to Jake, but protocol forbid him to. He couldn't stop the buzz flowing through his body though, hoping for the best.
    "What about Sky?" He asked next.
    "Sky is doing well actually. She sustained minor injuries, the biggest being a pretty deep cut on her side. She'll heal relatively quick."
    "Thank God. Am I able to go and see her?"
    Just then, emergency bells sounded in the hallways. Winston emerged from the break room and caught his gaze.
    "I'll take this one, Ryder. You just stay here."
    Ryder sent him a grateful smile and nodded. He watched as his friend dashed down the hallway, off to save someone else's life, thankful that he had such a great friend.
    "Yes," Connor's voice brought him back to his situation,"you are allowed to go and see her now if you'd like."
    "Wonderful. Thanks."
    "No problem."
    With that, Ryder headed off to Sky's room. He prayed as he made his way over. He asked God to keep Jake, to not let him pass away. He also prayed that God would show him how to comfort Sky in her time of trouble. He felt like he was obliged to do just that, protect Sky. Not a feeling you would usually have for a person you had only talked with 3 times in the past. There was nothing he could do about his growing feelings for Sky though, so he let them settle in his heart and continued on.
He finally turned the corner down the long hallway and spotted Sky's hospital room.
    When he stood directly in front of her door, he reached for the knob, but paused. A crashing sound came from inside in the next second, a painful yelp following it. He shoved open the door in one swift motion.
    "Sky!"
    Rushing inside, Ryder came to a complete stop and assessed the scene before him. Sky had some how managed to swing her legs over the bed and was half way off, a tray of medical supplies on the floor next to her foot. Its contents had been scattered on the ground and a fresh cut on her foot began to bleed.
    "Oh great. You're one of them too?"
    Sky's tone was not friendly or welcoming at all like he had expected.
    "Look," she sent him a stern glare,"you can't keep me here. I'm fine, and I want to see my son, now."
    Even though she claimed she was alright, her face was pale and she could not hide the pained look from her injures in her eyes as she stared back at him.
    Ryder made his way over to her bed side, not uttering a single word. Stooping down, he collected the misplaced supplies and put them back onto the flipped tray. He glanced at her foot which was still bleeding, inches away from him now.
    "You're bleeding."
    Before he could stop himself, he reached out and lightly touched her damaged foot. Her rose petal skin was indeed as soft as it appeared.
     Sky kicked his hand in response.
    "Don't touch me!"
    Surprised, Ryder pulled his hand back and shot his gaze to Sky's angered face.
"I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help! I just want to see my son! Where's my son?!"