The Unknown

Jack had gone back to his mom the following day, without saying goodbye; I just watched the world go by outside my window, I watched as he got into his mom's car.

“Ash!” I heard my mom yell
I rolled my eyes and went to the top of the stairs “What?”
“There’s someone on the phone for you.” My mom smiled at me
I swiftly walked down the stairs, I never got phone calls, and so I was wondering, who this would be, my mom handed me the phone,
“Hello?” I spoke clearly
There was a quiet, gentle unmistakable voice on the other end “Hello Ash…”
“Wren?”
“Yep… how are… you?” her voice sounded weak
“I’m alright, are you okay Angel?”
There was a silence for a moment and then she replied “I’m fine, just a bit ill…”
Just a bit? I thought, “I hope you get better soon.”
“What… have you been… doing since I… last saw you?”
“I’ve been out and about moving school soon cause Mom wants a new start, I start next week, I hung out with Jack recently, he seems to think we have a thing, it was fun though, I went for a run and a bike ride and walks and…” I couldn’t lie to her anymore, “I’ve been sat in my room most of the time, I’m moving school cause mom thinks I’ll benefit from a new start, I start next week, I hung out with Jack – he seems to think I have a thing for you, he was angry, he told me you were in hospital, he told me what happened. I went for a run. Not much at all, when I’m not going for a jog or run, I’m sat in my window watching the world go by…”
She listened quietly, she was always a good listener, when she knew I was finished she spoke softly, “You shouldn’t… shut yourself away like that, you’ll get… cabin fever and I don’t mean… the one where your skin rots away and your willy gets eaten by stuff… I mean the one… where – now nurses are looking at me… like I’m crazy, anyway the… one where you go… crazy, I’m starting… school next week… too, ignore Jack. Running is good… but don’t hurt yourself, and no… shutting yourself in… your room.”
“I’ll try not to, maybe you’re not crazy, maybe it’s the nurses that are crazy…” I smiled
“You… can’t say that… you’re the one that’s… crazy… not me… or the nurses… ” her accent was so sweet
“Why what are they gonna do” I chuckled
“They’ll put me in… the psycho ward because… they’re staring at me…”
“Gee, the psycho ward, it can’t be that bad, I hear the food very good, but then that’s from most hospitals, I guess, and then there’s that thing where you always have good company, there’s always that funny person running down the hallway toilet paper hanging off him and I dunno, forgot to pull his pants up, talking to himself, muttering…”
She laughed lightly.
I realised that I was looking down the whole time, I decided to look up and saw my mom, she was smiling at me, and I smiled back.
“What school are you going to?” I asked her
“I don’t know what… it’s called but… it’s near where you live… I’m sorry Ash but… I have to go the… nurses are getting angry… Thanks for the talk… it was nice… bye…”
“That’s cool, it’s alright, anytime Wren, anytime, bye…” I hesitantly put the phone down after she did.

“How is she?” My mom smiled and gave me a cup of soda,
“She still sounds really ill but better than she was I guess” I sipped it and smiled, “She likes Dr Pepper…”
My mom smiled at me, “Do you want to take her some?”
I half smiled “Yeah but I can’t it’s too far away.” I looked at the floor again
“I was implying I’d take you Ash.” She laughed
My head shot up to look at her “Really?” I gasped
She nodded, “Now go get the unopened bottle out the fridge and meet me in the car in 5 minutes…” she waddled away to get some things

When we pulled up in the hospital car park, my stomach was twisting and turning, I hoped my vision and my nightmares wouldn’t happen…
“You ready?” my mom looked deep into my eyes, as if it was a hard question; I thought about it, did I really want to see my friend connected to all sorts of machines? What if Jack had something to say about me being there, wouldn’t he be at school? It was a Thursday, last time I checked.
I sucked in a deep breath, “Yeah I’m ready, I think…”
She smiled, “Go head I’ll catch up with you… When you get to the desk I’m sure Julia will be there so just ask her to take you to Wren’s room.”
I climbed out the car, and then popped my head back in the car, “Does Wren know we’re here?” I asked as I grabbed the cool bottle of Dr Pepper.
“I don’t think so, but I called Julia before we came.”
I nodded and shut the car door and began walking up toward the hospital doors.
I entered, it smelt clean, too clean, and it smelt of disinfectant and overwhelming cleanliness, I saw Julia, Wren’s mother, she strode up to me.
“Hello, Ash. Wren’s right this way…” She began walking down a corridor I clutched the bottle and followed close behind, I didn’t pay attention to anything as I sort of jogged, I almost skidded into Julia as she stopped outside the room, it had blinds on the windows.
“Want me to go in with you or do you want sometime alone with her?” she said amusedly as I stopped just in time
“I’ll be fine” I smiled, she patted my head and walked back down the passage
I stood outside the room for a while; I was staring at the door handle and then the lid of the bottle of Dr Pepper.