I would hate myself. “That’s horrible. For Derek and Kyle.”
Dad took his keys out of his pocket. “I hope he understands it isn’t his fault.”
He gave me a quick hug before he left. I returned to my text messages, thinking about Kyle. Even as confident as he was, it had to be hard. I texted Ren back, I knew the kid who hit derek
Ren had only been here for a week—and I was pretty sure he didn’t know Kyle. He answered, F rom school?
Yes
There was too much to say in a text. I would see him on Monday, maybe. My phone buzzed again. It was Ren. Are you ok?
Yes thx That was sweet of him.
See you tomororw?
I don't know, I answered.
Okay. Take care.
The shower turned off and I went upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. “Hey, Big Guy.”
“Kenzie?” he called back, and the scent of orange shampoo wafted out from the door.
“Yeah, it’s me. Dad’s back at the hospital and Mom is coming home. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Mom came home later and then left, just like Dad, and the house was left to James and me. We watched TV and I played some video games with him, trying to keep him busy. We made dinner—pancakes--and I called Dad. It had been a long, lonely day and I wondered what was going on at the hospital and why they weren’t back by now.
“Hi hon,” Dad answered, and he sounded odd.
“Hi Dad. Are you and Mom coming home tonight?” I didn’t want to be pushy, but I wanted to know.
“No, I’m sorry. Derek had a seizure and went into a coma a few hours ago—Granpop is coming over to spend the night.”
I was too shocked to speak, my hand over my mouth, staring out the kitchen window.
“A coma? How? When is he going to wake up?” I asked. I didn’t know very much about comas or how people woke up from them. I couldn’t believe this was happening to my family.
“The doctors don’t why, part of the injury they think—it could be a long time before he wakes up or maybe he’ll wake up tomorrow. We don’t know. We’re hoping something good happens soon, though. Sorry we didn’t call.” He sounded sad. I told him not to worry, that James and I were fine.
After I hung up, I walked around the kitchen with the phone in my hand. It didn’t feel real. How could this happen to Derek? There must be something the doctors could do.
I didn’t want to tell James any more bad news, especially when we were alone. I wanted my parents home, but I knew they needed to be at the hospital in case Derek came out of the coma.
When Granpop came over with his suitcase in one hand and his art box in another I still hadn’t told James about Derek. We finally told James before he went to bed that Derek was in a coma, but he didn’t seem to understand, which was fine with me.
I couldn't make a decision about going to school tomorrow. I didn’t want to go, but waiting around for the phone to ring was just as bad. Maybe we should go to school so we could think about something else.
“I don’t know what to do,” I said miserably to Granpop after we'd talked about it for a while.
“We don’t know what tomorrow may bring,” Granpop said, his soft blue eyes gazing into mine over his reading glasses. “Let’s be home for a little while until we know what will come.”
I felt the same warmth I had last night when I knelt by the bed in his house. Maybe it was just being around Granpop that made everything seem to make more sense. “Thanks, Granpop.”
I knelt at my bed, praying again for Derek and for all of us, and I didn’t forget Kyle. I slid under the covers and opened my phone. I stared at Ren’s number for a while and then texted, Are you awake?
The phone buzzed in reply. yes. Are you ok?
No. Derek is in a coma
The phone was silent for a few moments and then he answered back, I'm sorry. I hope he'll be okay.
Thanks.
Call if you need me.
OK bye
Yes, I needed him, but I probably wouldn’t see him tomorrow. I would be home waiting for a phone call that my brother was all right.
Dad took his keys out of his pocket. “I hope he understands it isn’t his fault.”
He gave me a quick hug before he left. I returned to my text messages, thinking about Kyle. Even as confident as he was, it had to be hard. I texted Ren back, I knew the kid who hit derek
Ren had only been here for a week—and I was pretty sure he didn’t know Kyle. He answered, F rom school?
Yes
There was too much to say in a text. I would see him on Monday, maybe. My phone buzzed again. It was Ren. Are you ok?
Yes thx That was sweet of him.
See you tomororw?
I don't know, I answered.
Okay. Take care.
The shower turned off and I went upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. “Hey, Big Guy.”
“Kenzie?” he called back, and the scent of orange shampoo wafted out from the door.
“Yeah, it’s me. Dad’s back at the hospital and Mom is coming home. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Mom came home later and then left, just like Dad, and the house was left to James and me. We watched TV and I played some video games with him, trying to keep him busy. We made dinner—pancakes--and I called Dad. It had been a long, lonely day and I wondered what was going on at the hospital and why they weren’t back by now.
“Hi hon,” Dad answered, and he sounded odd.
“Hi Dad. Are you and Mom coming home tonight?” I didn’t want to be pushy, but I wanted to know.
“No, I’m sorry. Derek had a seizure and went into a coma a few hours ago—Granpop is coming over to spend the night.”
I was too shocked to speak, my hand over my mouth, staring out the kitchen window.
“A coma? How? When is he going to wake up?” I asked. I didn’t know very much about comas or how people woke up from them. I couldn’t believe this was happening to my family.
“The doctors don’t why, part of the injury they think—it could be a long time before he wakes up or maybe he’ll wake up tomorrow. We don’t know. We’re hoping something good happens soon, though. Sorry we didn’t call.” He sounded sad. I told him not to worry, that James and I were fine.
After I hung up, I walked around the kitchen with the phone in my hand. It didn’t feel real. How could this happen to Derek? There must be something the doctors could do.
I didn’t want to tell James any more bad news, especially when we were alone. I wanted my parents home, but I knew they needed to be at the hospital in case Derek came out of the coma.
When Granpop came over with his suitcase in one hand and his art box in another I still hadn’t told James about Derek. We finally told James before he went to bed that Derek was in a coma, but he didn’t seem to understand, which was fine with me.
I couldn't make a decision about going to school tomorrow. I didn’t want to go, but waiting around for the phone to ring was just as bad. Maybe we should go to school so we could think about something else.
“I don’t know what to do,” I said miserably to Granpop after we'd talked about it for a while.
“We don’t know what tomorrow may bring,” Granpop said, his soft blue eyes gazing into mine over his reading glasses. “Let’s be home for a little while until we know what will come.”
I felt the same warmth I had last night when I knelt by the bed in his house. Maybe it was just being around Granpop that made everything seem to make more sense. “Thanks, Granpop.”
I knelt at my bed, praying again for Derek and for all of us, and I didn’t forget Kyle. I slid under the covers and opened my phone. I stared at Ren’s number for a while and then texted, Are you awake?
The phone buzzed in reply. yes. Are you ok?
No. Derek is in a coma
The phone was silent for a few moments and then he answered back, I'm sorry. I hope he'll be okay.
Thanks.
Call if you need me.
OK bye
Yes, I needed him, but I probably wouldn’t see him tomorrow. I would be home waiting for a phone call that my brother was all right.
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