It Brought Me To You

"We can't release her yet I'm sorry. She's already collapsed once, black out twice and is complaining of abdominal pain. We need to check again for internal bleeding and head injuries. We'll be certain to let you know when she's ready to leave but it's not yet."

"Well be sure to let me know if anything changes. We need to get her situated. Would it be possible to introduce myself?"

"I suppose. Give me a minute though."

I was conscious. Maybe enough to be considered awake. But my eyes were still closed. I guess that was the doctor, but it sounded like he was talking to a woman. Well let them talk. I wanted to snuggle back into the covers and fall asleep again while I still felt ok.

Just then my door decided to open. "Lucia?" So much for that plan.

"Mm?" I replied while trying to force myself awake. When I finally got my eyes to open, everything was blurry. I could barley make out the shape of a person in a coat in front of me.

"Lucia?" he asked looking me in the eyes. "Ah good. I've finally caught you awake. Been here a week and we haven't spoken face to face yet. Well, I'm Dr. Samil Haleem and-"

"Wait!" I interrupted. "Did you say I've been here a week?" I asked panicking. "How long was I out?" I stared at the doctor in front of me. The gray tinges to his black hair gave him a wild look that only added to my sense of panic. The brown color of his skin and eyes however calmed me down again. It reminded me of the dirt I used to play in when I was small.

"Well," he hesitated slightly. "It was about three days before you first woke up. When you collapsed on Monday you were out until Thursday morning, when you saw Ryan. It's now about one, on Friday."

He gave me a minute to fully digest that. A whole week. I've been unconscious most of a week! Not to mention the fact I've been in a hospital and no one's come to visit me.

"If I've been here a week, why hasn't my family come in?" Dr. Haleem and the person behind him, the lady I assume he was talking to before, stared at me quizzically; almost as if wondering how to answer that question.

Pity consumed his eyes as he answered my question, with a question. "Lucia, do you not remember? The nurse tried to tell you and you became hysterical." Oh! Right. I've been an orphan a week too.

I looked into my lap unable to meet his eyes with tears. Dr. Haleem moved away from the bed and the lady behind him took his spot, gently laying her hand on my shoulder. Jerking away I focused on the brown sugar coloring of my skin. I'd inherited that from my mom: the Mexican coloring. Even my hair was black. But unlike the straw texture of my mom's, I got my dad's velvet waves.

The lady gently touched my shoulder, breaking my trance. "Lucia, my name is Carol Smith. I'm a Social Worker and I'm going to help you find a place to live once you leave the hospital."

"You mean, I can't go back and live in my house?"

Carol's blue eyes saddened even more, her blonde locks falling into her face as she slightly bowed her head. "I'm sorry sweetie. The state can't let you go back and live by yourself. We've already contacted your family in Mexico but none, other than very distant relatives, have means to come up here and take care of you. Your grandmother offered to take care of you there but your parents stated in their will that they'd like you raised in the US."

"So where am I supposed to go? Into some strangers’ house and stay there as if nothing was wrong!" I exploded at her. All of the sadness in my body seemed to be transforming into rage. And it was pointed at Carol. "You think you can just walk in here and tell someone who has just lost their entire immediate family, that they can't even see the only living people that share their blood! Dios mios!" Carol stayed calm through my little rant. She looked unchanged but had taken a few steps back from the bed. "VETE! I want you out of my room! Out out out!"

Carol looked at Dr. Haleem and whispered a quick "I'll be back in a few days," before swiftly exiting my room.

Dr. Haleem watched Carol leave before turning back to me with a sigh. He caught a glance of my furious face and left without another word.

~*~

The next hour or so was nothing more than a mental debate. What are my options? Stay here in foster care? Somehow sneak away to Mexico to live with relatives? None of the above? Back and forth my mind raced, playing out different scenarios. What would change? What would stay the same? Most importantly, what would I be leaving behind?

As I was pondering that last one a sharp knock played from the door. Before I could say anything, Ryan poked his head in. "Hey! What's kickin'?"

"My foot." He stared at me for a moment as if wondering if I was insane then burst out laughing.

"Well better your foot then your face eh?"

"Unless you're horribly disfigured and you have a foot on your face." He kept laughing and as I tried to picture what I had just said, I found it impossible not to join him.

Quickly I realized what I was doing and stopped laughing. He stopped laughing to look at me quizzically. I averted his gaze and looked at my hands. He'd already seen an outburst. I couldn't let him get any closer to me.

I guess he sensed the awkwardness because he looked towards the door as if to leave, but he whipped his head back to look at me, an idea shinning though his face. “How much have you been out of bed since you got here?”

“Umm, not really.”

“Well, don’t you think it’s time?”

I looked at him blankly until he stepped outside and returned with a wheelchair. “You don’t mean…?”

“Oh but I do señorita.” A huge grin erupted on my face. Ever since I was a little girl I’d wanted to have someone push me in a wheelchair around the hospital. Just like in the movies. It always looked like so much fun.

I headed to the edge of the bed when Ryan moved the chair closer. I stopped suddenly, and realized what I was doing. This stranger was offering me a ride. That would obligate me to spend time with him – to get to know him! I started to lie back down and Ryan pulled the chair away, his face falling slightly. "Wait!" I called. The lure of excitement was too strong. I'll make up some excuse later.

He brought the chair to the edge of the bed, his smile back. My feet barely had to touch the floor before my butt touched the seat of the chair. “Where to mlady?” He asked as he stood behind the chair, looking down at me, eyes twinkling.

“Anywhere!” I replied breathlessly, ready for some excitement.

Ryan’s POV

I walked the chair to the doorway and paused, looking both ways as if I were driving a car. When the halls were clear and empty except for the lone nurse on duty, I made a sharp right and started jogging down the hall. “And they’re off! The dynamic duo are tearing through the race tracks, heading for the lead.” I heard Lucia start to laugh and took it as a queue to keep going. “They’re approaching their first turn now, can they clear it- yes! Their first left is down solid.” The next leg was down the length of the hospital so it was long and straight. I made “vroom” noises while running. I noticed Lucia grabbing the armrests a little bit tighter than before, her laughter turning into giggles, a very girly “wee” emanating from her throat.

About halfway down the hall came a nurse, but she hadn’t quite seen us yet. I skidded to a stop and began walking. We passed her with a quick "hello" from everyone, checked the hallways, and took off once more.

Lucia kept giggling, but with more gasps in between. I assumed she had just laughed too long and needed air. I kept slow for a little, letting her get it. When the gasping had stopped, I turned around and headed back up the hallway, full speed. Her gasps promptly returned and I was getting a little worried. I thought the sooner we’re back to her room, the better, so I kept speed. “Shh, it’s ok Lucia. We’re almost back to your room.” Thinking I scared her, I changed my mind and slowed down. It didn’t help. Her gasps were turning into sobs. I stopped and tried to comfort her. “Lucia, it’s ok. We stopped. Nothing’s going to happen. You’re ok. Everything’s going to be alright. Just calm down.”

I put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. I was staring at brown orbs with tears at the bottom. Both were getting bigger the longer I looked – maybe all of 2 seconds - before she let a long scream. “Get away from me!” she shrieked, jerking her shoulder from under my arm, and scooting back against the chair. “Leave me alone!”

I took a step back. As I retreated, so did she. Her knees curled up to her chest, her breathing labored, and her eyes darting all around. They glistened momentarily before tears fell with the next blink. Whimpers could softly be heard coming from her.

Suddenly her eyes grew still and glazed over as she looked towards the floor. I waved my hand in front of her face but nothing happened. Thinking this might be my chance to get her back to the room, I slowly moved to the back of the chair. I had grabbed the handles and moved the chair barley an inch before she gave an ear splitting scream and leaped from the chair, landing on the floor with a hard thud.