Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound - Chapter 4

Chapter FOUR

"Seventeen-year-old female, six inch laceration in left thigh, possible broken left elbow, heart rate one-thirty, BP one-ten over sixty..."

      I was being wheeled into the hospital. They were talking about me. It was loud and bright and Rowan was gone.

    "Can you tell me your name, honey?" A young woman - the doctor? - was leaning over me.

   "Cassidy... Wright," I said, blinking hard.

   Mike, the EMT, was still close by. "She was on the train."

  "The train? From six hours ago?" The doctor sounded surprised.

  "The area was searched, but only the few victims that were brought in earlier were found..." Mike went on.

  "Cassidy..." the doctor said to me, then continued, "were you out there all night?" I nodded, slightly. "Okay, I'm Dr. Allen, we're going to take care of you."

   I stayed quiet while nurses and doctors checked me over, put in IVs, checked my stats, talked in hushed voices. I didn't want to move because I knew it would hurt. Everything hurt. It felt like hours before anyone really spoke to me again.

   "Cassidy, I'm Dr. Williams," a new woman doctor said, smiling at me.

   She was older and had dark skin and hair, and dark blue scrubs.

   They had removed the neck brace after confirming my head and neck were fine, but they had propped up my leg with the wound, and bandaged it. My left arm was in a sling.

   "We're going to take you up for an X-ray for your arm, and check the damage to your thigh," she went on.

   "Okay..."

   "We'll have a nurse call your parents, once we get your file-"

   "My Mom..." I let my voice trail off. I hadn't thought about her yet. Not even once. "I live in Dallas."

   "Dallas?" Dr. Williams repeated.

   "I was on the train, going to Chicago..."

  "By yourself?" she asked, so I nodded. "Okay honey, don't worry. I'll get a hold of your Mom."

   I think I nodded, then nurses were in to rush me away, down a hall and into an elevator. The original doctor - Dr. Allen - was with me, along with another male doctor, young - maybe an Intern?

   It wasn't until I was back in a room after the scans and after someone had come in to stitch up my leg that I realized that Rowan was still gone. And I was very much alone.

   When a nurse came in awhile later to check on me, I took a deep breath.

  "Can you find Rowan?" I asked her, knowing she likely didn't know who he was.

  "Who's Rowan?" The nurse was older, with round cheeks and graying hair.

  "He came in the ambulance with me," I answered. "This morning."

  "Oh? I'll ask around and see..."

   I let out a sigh and she stopped, turning back towards me.

  "You're really lucky, hon," she smiled.

  "Really?" I asked. I didn't feel lucky.

  "Yes, really. These types are things are often much worse..."

   I still didn't know if anyone else on the train was injured, or alive at all. I felt like I didn't know anything. Hours passed, I was sure. Had I imagined Rowan? Was I going crazy? Maybe a head injury that they missed on the scan? I tried to close my eyes but I just kept seeing Rowan, sitting with me in the forest.

   Dr. Allen came back in and let me know there was no long term damage done to my leg and it should heal fully in a few weeks. The feeling had returned to my foot and it hurt, but I knew they were pumping me full of antibiotics and pain medicine. My arm, in the sling once again, was throbbing. She informed me there were no broken bones but it was badly sprained and bruised.

   "Where's Rowan?" I asked her, after she gave me all of this information.

   "The boy who came in with you?" she asked. I nodded. "He was checked over and released."

   Released? He had left the hospital? I felt frozen, completely. Gutted.

   "Did someone call my Mom?" I spat out.

   "I'll check on that, okay? Get some rest." She forced a smile and then was gone.

   I put on the TV, trying to distract myself, but I couldn't focus. Would Rowan really have taken care of me all night and then left the hospital without saying goodbye? Did he even ask about me?

   It felt like night time again by the time the nurse came in, to tell me that they talked to my Mom. Finally I felt something. Relief.

   "She's on her way. It's a long drive, but she'll be here in a few hours. I'll be back with your dinner in a few -"

   "Dinner?" I asked, only now realized I hadn't eaten for an entire day. The last thing I had eaten was a granola bar on the train, likely before midnight. "What time is it?"

   "Five p.m." The nurse smiled. "You like pudding or jello for dessert?"

   It had been just after eight a.m. when I was taken in the ambulance. A whole day had passed since I'd seen Rowan. I should have been in Chicago by noon. Both of my parents were probably worried sick all day until they got the call. My Mom was closer to Little Rock - I knew she would come for me.

   "Pudding," I answered finally, closing my eyes again.

   Dr. Allen came in again just as I was finishing my mashed potatoes. They were actually really good, or I was just starving and didn't care. I put down my fork onto the tray.

   She was tall and thin and didn't look much older than thirty. Now though, she looked tired, like she had been working for days.

   "How are you doing, Cassidy?" she asked, walking towards my bed.

   "I'm... I'm okay."

   "How's your head feeling?" she wanted to know.

   "It's... it's fine. The headache is mostly gone."

   "And your leg?"

   "It hurts," I sighed. "But I'm okay. I really just... I hope my Mom gets here soon."

    She touched my hand, smiling. "I'm sorry, it's been a really hectic day. I bet it was scary for you, being alone. You've been really tough."

   "Yeah," I said, then thought of something. "So, there were others... who were brought here from the train crash?"

   She looked reluctant to answer. "I guess the train derailed around one a.m. One of the passengers must have called in because the first ambulances arrived here just after two, with a few people. So we were very surprised to see you two so many hours later."

   "Rowan... he saved me," I spat out.

   She gave me a apologetic look. "The police have been around... they want to talk to you, but we told them to wait until your Mom arrives."

  "Thank you," I nodded.

   "I'll check back in on you later on," Dr. Allen finished and I closed my eyes again as she left the room.