him…irritation, jealousy, hate. I don’t know. “Are you okay, P.J.?” my father asked in a nice voice, and I relaxed.
“I’m okay,” P.J. answered, looking up at him like he was God or something. “How are you?” I had to roll my eyes. He’s such a little old man. Before my dad could answer, an ancient-looking woman with short, poodle-permed gray hair and a white coat came over to us.
“I’m Dr. Ahern,” she introduced herself, shaking each of our hands, even P.J.’s. “You’re the family of Holly Baker?”
“Yes,” my father said. “Well, I’m Holly’s ex-husband, and these are her children, Augie and P.J.”
Dr. Ahern nodded in understanding. “The burns on Holly’s hands and arms appear to be quite severe. We’ve started an IV of antibiotics to prevent infection and we have her heavily sedated to keep her comfortable. The other burns, on her face and ear, appear to be less severe, but we will monitor her carefully.”
“Is she coming home tonight?” P.J. asked. His lower lip quivered and his eyes filled.
The doctor shook her head. “I’m sorry, your mother will be in the hospital for several days. The burn team will assess her injuries, but I imagine that she will be with us for a while.”
One fat tear rolled down P.J.’s face, leaving a dirty path down his cheek. He looked over at me. “Where will we go?” I was wondering the same thing and I looked over at my dad, who was doing his best to not look back.
“Can we go and see her?” I sniffed, trying to keep my own tears from falling. If it hadn’t been for my stupidity my mother wouldn’t even be in the hospital.
She shook her head no. “Not just yet. We’ll get her settled and have someone check in with you periodically. If you’d like to go and get cleaned up, you can leave your number at the nurses’ station and we can call you when you’ll be able to see her.”
P.J. and I both looked over at my dad. “I’ll take you over to the house and you can shower, and we’ll get you some clean clothes.” He pulled me close to him and it felt so good, but I couldn’t help but notice P.J. standing off on his own a bit. No hugs for him.
“P.J., too?” I asked.
“Of course,” my father said, as if it was a silly question, though I knew better.
Before I can tell Mr. Ellery that I need to go find my brother he slides off his desk. “Stay here,” he orders. “I’m going to look just outside the door.”
“I don’t think you should,” Beth says, scrambling to her feet and reaching out for his sleeve.
“It’s okay, Beth,” he tells her. “I’m just going to take a look out into the hall.” He walks over to the door and presses his face onto the window, rolling his forehead against the glass, first left, then right, trying to see down the long hallway.
He turns the knob and silently, slowly, opens the door, being careful not to let it squeak.
“Where are you going?” Beth says frantically. “You can’t leave us.”
“Shhh, Beth,” Mr. Ellery orders. “Go back and sit down.”
“No, don’t go out there,” Beth insists. I’m surprised at the panic in her voice. She is usually so calm and unbothered by anything.
I stand and go to her and pull at her elbow, trying to lead her away from Mr. Ellery. “Come on,” I say softly into her ear.
“What if he comes in here?” Beth asks in a wobbly voice. “What if he’s here to get me?”
“Who?” Mr. Ellery says, looking hard at Beth’s pale face. “Do you know anything about this?”
“She thinks it’s her dad.” I whisper so no one else can hear. “She thinks he’s coming to get her.”
Beth glares at me; her scared eyes have become hard and angry. There went my one friendship in Broken Branch. Gone, just like that.
I hear the faintest click as Mr. Ellery closes the door. He leads Beth away from the door, away from the other students to another corner of the room. I want to go with them, hoping to make it up to Beth, but Mr. Ellery
“I’m okay,” P.J. answered, looking up at him like he was God or something. “How are you?” I had to roll my eyes. He’s such a little old man. Before my dad could answer, an ancient-looking woman with short, poodle-permed gray hair and a white coat came over to us.
“I’m Dr. Ahern,” she introduced herself, shaking each of our hands, even P.J.’s. “You’re the family of Holly Baker?”
“Yes,” my father said. “Well, I’m Holly’s ex-husband, and these are her children, Augie and P.J.”
Dr. Ahern nodded in understanding. “The burns on Holly’s hands and arms appear to be quite severe. We’ve started an IV of antibiotics to prevent infection and we have her heavily sedated to keep her comfortable. The other burns, on her face and ear, appear to be less severe, but we will monitor her carefully.”
“Is she coming home tonight?” P.J. asked. His lower lip quivered and his eyes filled.
The doctor shook her head. “I’m sorry, your mother will be in the hospital for several days. The burn team will assess her injuries, but I imagine that she will be with us for a while.”
One fat tear rolled down P.J.’s face, leaving a dirty path down his cheek. He looked over at me. “Where will we go?” I was wondering the same thing and I looked over at my dad, who was doing his best to not look back.
“Can we go and see her?” I sniffed, trying to keep my own tears from falling. If it hadn’t been for my stupidity my mother wouldn’t even be in the hospital.
She shook her head no. “Not just yet. We’ll get her settled and have someone check in with you periodically. If you’d like to go and get cleaned up, you can leave your number at the nurses’ station and we can call you when you’ll be able to see her.”
P.J. and I both looked over at my dad. “I’ll take you over to the house and you can shower, and we’ll get you some clean clothes.” He pulled me close to him and it felt so good, but I couldn’t help but notice P.J. standing off on his own a bit. No hugs for him.
“P.J., too?” I asked.
“Of course,” my father said, as if it was a silly question, though I knew better.
Before I can tell Mr. Ellery that I need to go find my brother he slides off his desk. “Stay here,” he orders. “I’m going to look just outside the door.”
“I don’t think you should,” Beth says, scrambling to her feet and reaching out for his sleeve.
“It’s okay, Beth,” he tells her. “I’m just going to take a look out into the hall.” He walks over to the door and presses his face onto the window, rolling his forehead against the glass, first left, then right, trying to see down the long hallway.
He turns the knob and silently, slowly, opens the door, being careful not to let it squeak.
“Where are you going?” Beth says frantically. “You can’t leave us.”
“Shhh, Beth,” Mr. Ellery orders. “Go back and sit down.”
“No, don’t go out there,” Beth insists. I’m surprised at the panic in her voice. She is usually so calm and unbothered by anything.
I stand and go to her and pull at her elbow, trying to lead her away from Mr. Ellery. “Come on,” I say softly into her ear.
“What if he comes in here?” Beth asks in a wobbly voice. “What if he’s here to get me?”
“Who?” Mr. Ellery says, looking hard at Beth’s pale face. “Do you know anything about this?”
“She thinks it’s her dad.” I whisper so no one else can hear. “She thinks he’s coming to get her.”
Beth glares at me; her scared eyes have become hard and angry. There went my one friendship in Broken Branch. Gone, just like that.
I hear the faintest click as Mr. Ellery closes the door. He leads Beth away from the door, away from the other students to another corner of the room. I want to go with them, hoping to make it up to Beth, but Mr. Ellery
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