Flight Risk

"Everly Granger," a nurse called into the waiting room.

I looked up and met the gaze of a nurse dressed in purple scrubs with a clipboard in her hands. I grabbed Zacky's hand and stood up. "Come on," I demanded, pulling him with me, "I flipping hate the hospital."

Zacky chuckled and tossed his magazine back onto the table next to our chairs. "It's not a scary place, Grange," he muttered, his eyes widening as I tripped on the edge of the carpet, "Shit, are you alright?"

I sighed and nodded my head, seeing the look that the nurse gave me as we walked closer. "Yeah, I'm fine," I promised, "Just clumsy."

"Everly, I'm Dina, follow me," the nurse introduced before heading through a thick brown door. She led Zack and I down a wide hallway and then flipped a colored flag up that hung on the wall next to a door. "Follow me so we can get your height and weight." She turned away from the door and moved towards a scale that sat on the floor.

I glared at the machine. "Is this really necessary?" I questioned as she motioned for me to take my shoes off, "I'm here to make sure nothing is wrong with my head, not to find out how fat I am."

Dina was about to reply when Zacky nudged me towards the scale. "Shut up and just do it, Granger," he demanded, "I don't care how much you weigh and neither should you."

I trained my glare on him. "Shut up, Zack," I grumbled, "I don't like to be reminded how fat I am every time I'm dying."

Zacky rolled his eyes. "You're not fat and you're not dying, now just do it so that you can stop wasting everyone's time."

My lips parted in surprise. "Jerk," I muttered, ignoring him as he smirked and folded his arms over his chest. I stepped onto the scale and looked away from the scale as it electronically calculated how much I weighed.

"Okay, you can step off," Nurse Dina allowed.

I picked my shoes up from the floor instead of putting them back on. Zacky grabbed them from me and took my hand in his. "I didn't even look," he stated as we followed Dina back into the room.

"Hop up onto the bed so I can check you out," she directed.

"Okay," I agreed. Zacky sat down a chair as I climbed onto the bed, frowning as the paper that covered the medical bed wrinkled and crinkled underneath me.

"So what happened?" she questioned as she grabbed the little machine to look into my eyes with the light.

I scowled. "A girl ran me down during a game."

The nurse looked at my uniform. "Softball?" she questioned, "My daughter played when she was in high school."

"Mhm," I hummed as she switched eyes.

She put the little machine away. "Well, your pupils are dilated," she told me, "That's a sign of a concussion, so we should have you looked at by a doctor. Are you parents on their way? We'll need them to sign some paper work since you're underage."

I groaned softly and nodded. "My mom should be coming soon." I looked at Zacky as I spoke.

"Alright, dear. I'll send the doctor in. He should be with you shortly." She touched my hand softly and exited the room, leaving Zacky and I safely behind the closed door so we could talk.

"You have to go," I said as soon as she was gone, "My mom is going to be here and then we'll both be in trouble if she sees you."

Zacky nodded and stood, leaving my shoes on the chair where he was sitting. "I probably shouldn't have come in at all," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist, "They might mention that you came in with me."

I knew he was right but I pushed away the spark of fear in the pit of my stomach. "I don't want you to go," I said softly, cupping his cheeks against the palms of my hands.

Zacky leaned down and touched his forehead to mine. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you in the hospital all by yourself," he apologized, "I don't want to."

I ran my fingers through his dark hair. "I don't want you too, either."

He pressed his full lips against mine slowly and softly.

"Are you coming over tonight?" I whispered against his mouth.

He shook his head before kissing me again.

"Why not?" I asked, pulling away from him with confusion on my face.

He chuckled huskily and shook his head. "It's not because I don't want to, Grange," he promised, "But your mom is not going to leave you home alone tonight. Even if you don't have a confirmed concussion."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "It's not fair," I whined, curling my fingers through two of his belt loops.

"I know," he agreed, "But I better go." He kissed me once more before he slipped out of the door and left me there alone. I slid off of the bed and peaked my head out of the door, looking for my nurse.

"Dina," I called tentatively as she came around the corner.

Her eyes widened and she hurried over to me. "What's wrong, Honey?" she questioned, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I questioned, motioning for her to come into the room.

"Of course." She followed me into the little room and looked at me with worried, dark eyes. "What's wrong, Sweet Pea?"

I sighed deeply and spoke. "That guy that was just here with me," I started, "He's my boyfriend. We go to school together and my mom doesn't like him very much. But I really like him and he was the only one that would drive me here so that I didn't have to take an ambulance..." I lied, hoping that she would feel bad for me. "And well, if my mom found out that he brought me here tonight she would never let me out of the house again and I don't know what I would do without him."

Nurse Dina frowned slightly. "Honey, I'm not allowed to withhold information from your legal guardian."

I nodded. "I know," I stated, "But I was hoping that maybe you could just this one time. She'd lock me away from him if she knew and well, I can't live without him," I dramatized, "He's the only person who's ever been nice to me."

She looked at me with nervous eyes. "How long have you known him?" she questioned, "He seems like an awfully nice boy."

"He is," I agreed, "But my mom doesn't like people like him. The only reason she tolerates me the way I am is because she's my mom."

Dina patted my shoulder. "Oh, darling, that's terrible."

I nodded slowly. "She just doesn't understand," I said honestly, all lies leaving me as I thought about it, "She doesn't realize that he's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I really can't see myself without him anymore."

For the first time, Dina smiled. "I won't say anything," she promised, "Just be careful. I would hate for you to get your heart broken."

I smiled too. "He would never," I told her, "If anything I'd be the one breaking him."

"Just be careful anyways," she advised, reaching for the silver door handle, "Teenage love doesn't last forever."

I nodded as she left the room, leaving me with relief instead of terror. I climbed back onto the bed and laid back, my arms under my head. Just a couple of minutes later there was a knock at the door and a man entered, a pleasant smile on his face and his white hair combed neatly into place.

"Everly," he greeted, "I'm Doctor Augden. I see a knock in the head brings you here today. What happened?" He shook my hand warmly and then pulled up his stood and sat at the end of the bed.

"I got knocked over while playing softball." I shrugged. "I hit my head pretty hard when I hit the ground."

He nodded and set his clipboard on the desk next to the chairs. "Well, lets have a look at you." He stood up and looked in my eyes just like the nurse had done. "Does your head hurt in the spot where you fell or does it feel like a headache?" he questioned, gently touching the back of my head.

I thought about it for a moment. "Both," I said finally, wincing as he pressed against the tender spot on my skull.

"Did your headache increase when I shined the light in your eyes?" he questioned, reaching for it again.

"No," I said after he was finished, "Still the same."

"Have you had any dizzy spells or fainting? Have you been really clumsy since you were knocked down?"

I shook my head. "Just at first when I moved really quickly, but I didn't faint or anything. And no more clumsy than usual"

After about fifteen minutes of looking me over and asking questions, he clapped his hands together and smiled brightly. "I think you're just fine, Everly. Some Asprin should take care of your headache and the bump on the back of your head should go down within a couple days with the help of some ice. Fifteen minutes on, fifteen minutes off - remember."

"Great," I said excitedly, "Just tell that to my mom so she doesn't keep me awake all night."

Dr. Augden chuckled and nodded. "I'll let her know."

My mom was waiting in the small area down the hall. When I emerged, her eyes widened and she rushed to me. "Are you okay, Sweet heart?" she asked loudly, grabbing onto my forearms.

I nodded. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine. I didn't even need to go to the hospital. Just came so that I could get back onto the field as soon as possible."

"Everly, I've been so worried about you," she breathed, "When your coach called me and told me that you'd hit your head, I thought for sure that you'd have a concussion."

I shook my head and jabbed a finger over my shoulder. "Nope, the doctor said I'm good to go. Do you want to talk to him? He'll tell you himself."

My mom listened as Dr. Augden explained what he'd said to me and she sighed dramatically and told him, too, about how worried she was when she found out 'her only daughter was on the way to the hospital'. I stood beside her with my arms crossed and a bored expression on my face as tiredness set in.

"Come back if your headache continues for more than a day or two," Dr. Augden advised as we headed away from him, "Or if any more symptoms arise."

"I will," I called back, "But trust me, I'm fine."

He chuckled and waved. "I believe you."

"At least someone does," I grumbled as my mom led me out of the building and across the parking lot, her arm wrapped around me like I would fall over.

I climbed into the car and buckled my seat belt. I listened to my mom talk the entire way home, telling me that she was going to stay home from work tonight 'just in case' I needed her.

"I'm fine, Mom," I replied, "We can't afford for you to miss tonight."

"Everly," she scolded, "You're hurt. I'm not leaving you home alone all night when you've just been released from the hospital."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "Fine, your loss."

When we got home I went straight to my room and shut the door. I climbed into bed and laid on my stomach, my phone in my hand. Before I fell asleep, I texted Micki and Zacky and let them know I was okay. I fell asleep before either of them replied.