Chapter Four
I was in a hospital room, aching from temples to eyeballs like there was a vise grip around my skull. A man in scrubs futzed with an IV next to me, and Quinn and Hana were on my other side, their faces stricken with fear. Well, that’s comforting.
The nurse said, “Hi, Ellie, I’m your nurse, Jim.” He had a drawl and the bushiest mustache I’d ever seen.
Aside from the pain, or maybe because of it, I felt drunk and loopy, even though I hadn’t had a single drink. “Hi. Is my leg a broken disaster? It made a snapping sound.”
Jim gave me a smile. “We took some X-rays, and the doctor will let us know soon.” He gave me a reassuring pat.
I winced at Hana and Quinn. “You guys, never take me to a party again. That was the most embarrassing exit of anyone ever in the history of party exits.”
Quinn squeezed my hand. “The whole thing was crazy. I’m so glad you’re okay. Jason started yelling for someone to call 911, and we found you in a heap on the lawn. It was by far the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s because you don’t keep up on the news.” Through narrow slits of my eyelids, I saw her frowning at me.
“If catapulting off a patio is your way of getting out of making out with a boy, for future reference, you don’t have to be so dramatic,” Hana said.
“I did want to make out with a boy. With Jason. And…”
“Jason,” Quinn said, “was adorable.”
“Adorable,” Hana seconded.
Quinn went on. “You should have seen how he took charge. People went to try to move you, but he said to leave you in case there was any issue with your neck—you landed in a messed-up way. Marissa said he’s a lifeguard so he knows this stuff. He had Owen get a blanket from the living room. ‘Not the wool one, the soft one,’ he ordered.”
I vaguely remembered some of this, and especially remembered Jason saying it was all his fault as he wrapped me in the blanket and held my hand until the paramedics came.
“Serious Prince Charming crap he did with you,” Hana said. “If I hadn’t been so scared, I would have puked at the sweetness.” She pretended to gag.
Quinn sighed. “After you left in the ambulance, he said he was going to come to the hospital as soon as he could get everyone out of the house.”
“He’s coming here? Where he’ll see me like…” I gestured to the hospital bed and my aching head.
“You look fine, just a bit…mangled. Do you want me to call him and tell him not to come?” Quinn asked, her eyes alight with worry.
I was torn. See Jason again? Yes, please. Here, like this? No, thank you. “Make up something good?”
“I can do that,” Quinn said.
“Thanks. Hey, did anyone call my mom?” I asked.
Quinn nodded. “Craig called her as they were getting you into the ambulance, but she was on a date in the city, so it’s going to take her a little longer. She should be here any minute.”
“Oh yeah, the guy Aunt Heather set her up with. Of course, the one night she goes on a date in decades, and I have a catastrophe.” My head pounded.
“Craig’s getting some snacks from the vending machine. He’ll be back soon.” Hana perked up a little. She said this as if he were the greatest hero in all Chicagoland.
Quinn and I glanced at each other with wide eyes, then to Hana, and said, “It’s Craig.”
I sat up, blood sloshing through my brain, and said, “Holy crap. You’re in love with my stepbrother?”
Hana’s entire face flushed pink, and she quickly covered it with both hands. “I’m not in love.” She made that word sound like something disgusting. “He’s just so…so…tall. And he plays the guitar like a god—”
Quinn doubled over laughing. As I laughed, I pounded my fist into the bed because it hurt my head to laugh so hard, but I couldn’t help it.
Quinn recovered somewhat and pried Hana’s hands apart so she could look at her directly. “Hana Yoon, did you just say he plays guitar like a god? Who are you?”
“Shut up, you guys.” Hana clenched her fists by her sides, her face now more the color of a pomegranate. And that was the moment Craig chose to open the door and march in, looking more frazzled than I’d ever seen him, his arms spilling over with bags of chips and cookies. “Aaahh!” Hana screamed. She actually screamed, and then, mumbling, she ran past Craig out the door, the only intelligible word being “bathroom.”
“Do you want a snack?” Craig called after her.
Hana’s hand reached from behind the door, snatched a package of cookies, and slipped back out again.
Quinn grabbed a bag of pretzels from Craig and showed me the phone to confirm she’d complete her Jason-mission before she followed Hana out the door.
Craig surveyed the room like he wasn’t sure what just happened. “You girls are the weirdest. What was up with Hana?”
It took all my strength as a friend to stifle my laughter and Hana’s big secret. Thankfully, I was saved from having to answer his question because Mom arrived.
She rushed to the bed and kissed my forehead and cheeks repeatedly. “What happened, are you okay, sweet pea? I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here.” To Craig she said, “Thanks for calling.”
He nodded.
She bent down to give me a big hug and whispered softly in my ear, “My sweet baby, I love you so much.”
This was what I needed—Mom hugs. If my leg wasn’t broken, why was I still here? “Sorry I ruined your big date. How was it?”
She pulled back from the hug and waved away my concern. She’d dyed her hair—her usual brown—and she was wearing a soft, green sweater. “Actually, sweetie, you saved me. I just wish it wasn’t because of this.” She gestured the length of the hospital bed.
“Really? Why?”
“Stupid man couldn’t stop talking about how much money he makes and how his ex is a B-I-T-C-H who was trying to steal it all from him. Real romantic. Won’t be doing that again for a while.”
On the other side of the room, measuring his height on the metal scale, Craig said, “C’mon, Sonia, you can’t let one jerk keep ya down. I dare you to date three more giant douchebags so you can get them out of the way.”
Mom laughed. “I don’t know, we’ll see. Anyway, who cares right now. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
There was one firm knock on the door, and then a doctor burst into the room, his eyes darting between Mom and me like he wasn’t sure who to talk to first. He had a whole mad-scientist look about him.
Hana and Quinn slipped back into the room.
The doctor strode over to my mom and me. “Hello, I’m Dr. Springfield. Are you the patient’s mother?”
“I am. And her name is Ellie.”
“Yes, of course. Hello, Ellie.” He gestured at Craig, Quinn, and Hana all huddled in the corner. “This is a rather large group. Would you like me to wait for anyone who’s not family to leave before presenting the news?”
Mom gave me a look that told me it was my choice.
“News? That’s ominous.” I laughed like this was a good joke. Why so serious? “No, I want my friends here. They can stay.”
Dr. No-People-Skills disapproved. Or maybe his face always looked like that. “All right then.” He threw the X-rays up onto a light box and flipped on the switch to illuminate them. “The good news is, you didn’t break or even fracture the bone, which, considering how much the bone has weakened, and the nature of your fall, is surprising. However—”
“What do you mean the bone has weakened?” My mom gripped my hand tightly and stood up. “How? Why has it weakened?”
“Yes, I was getting to that.” Dr. Assface pointed to a spot on the long thighbone on the scan, about two inches above my knee. “See, here on the femur. This area here appears to be a tumor.”
“A tumor?” Mom asked, incredulous.
“Most likely an enchondroma. A benign bone tumor that originates from cartilage. It could even be a bone spur, but due to the apparent weakness in the bone, you will have to stay overnight so we can get a better look at it in the morning. We’ll order scans for tomorrow.”
My body froze, except for my heart, which was beating too fast.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. How could I have a tumor, an enchon—whatever it is? I’m only seventeen.” It was all I could think to say.
Dr. No-Bedside-Manners gave the air of zero-time-to-explain. “Yes, they’re rare in someone your age, but that’s why it’s most likely benign.”
“Most likely benign?” Mom asked as her eyebrows shot up her forehead.
Those words. Tumor. Benign. They blew through my center like a cartoon cannon ball, leaving a hole where my stomach used to be.
“Yes. We’ll need a better look. An oncologist will meet you in the morning. They’ll move you to an inpatient bed soon. Mrs. Hartwood, if you could fill this out?” He handed Mom a tablet.
She took it, looking at the doctor as if she might bludgeon him with it as he walked out the door. I wished she would. Mom examined the tablet like the writing was in a foreign language, practically tossed it down on the chair, and came to the side of my bed where Quinn and Hana had already flocked to me. Craig lurked behind them with his head down, hands in his leather jacket.
Quinn started, “Ellie, this is crazy.” She squeezed my hand, and I didn’t squeeze it back, on account of my center being blown through and making me immobile. Her eyes started to well up. “Whatever this is—”
“Dr. Assface is the worst. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Anger brought energy back to my limbs, and I took my hand back from Quinn, squashing the bed sheet between my fists. I needed everyone to leave. “Anyway, all he did know is that if it’s anything, it’s nothing. Benign. So, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me, but thanks.”
They stared at me like maybe I’d hit my head harder than they realized.
“Craig, girls,” Mom said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Ellie’s already had a very long night. Clearly we’re not going to get any answers out of…Dr. Assface. So, I think it would be best if you three head home, and we all get some sleep.”
“Of course,” Quinn said with a sincere smile. “You’re right about that doctor. He’s the worst.”
“Capital D Douchebag,” Craig added.
“My guess is he’s on drugs,” Hana said and leaned down to give me a hug. “Call us the second you hear anything tomorrow.”
Quinn gave me a hug next. “Love you, Ellie.”
Craig didn’t fight his way around Quinn and Hana to give me a hug but just gave a small wave and said, “Night, sis,” being the one person I could count on to not make a big deal out of this. Who knew Craig would ever come in handy?
They trudged out the door and Mom followed them, telling me she was going to see about the room transfer. The quiet of the room hit me, the outline of my legs under the thin sheet looming like a ghost. I shut my eyes and pressed my fists hard against my forehead, breathing deep through my nose, trying to keep the tears at bay.