There is Something...

“Where’s Mary?” Rory asked Rob while the other was coming out of the house with a shit eating grin plastered all over his face.

“Well, she’s coming…” he answered and went behind the plants near the sliding doors.

Rory looked at his friend with a raised brow. He wanted to ask him what he was doing but quickly shrugged it off and went to Rou who seconds ago asked him if he wanted some beer. They clinked their bottles together and took a swig. They saw Alice running away from Chris and exchanged looks. Rou wiggled his brows at his band mate and they both placed their bottles on the table and started to surround Alice.

At that very moment Mary-Ann appeared at the sliding doors brightly smiling. Her smile quickly faded when she was suddenly tackled to the ground by Rob. He then placed her on his shoulder and marched to the pool.

“Hey!” Alice shouted, “leave her alone!” she was about to run to Rob and rescue her friend when Rou grabbed her from behind and squeezed in his deadly grip.

“DROP! DROP!” the boys started chanting and Rob couldn’t let down his cheering crowd. He dropped Mary into the water in one moment. A few seconds later he was pushed into the water himself and felt his leg got stuck in something. He hit the water with his stomach and chin which sent stars into his eyes. Before his full submersion he heard splashes of water somewhere to his left. When he felt the bottom of the pool with his legs he pushed off from it and came to the surface. He instantly grabbed his throbbing chin and thanked God that his teeth were at place. He wondered for a moment what caused the trauma which possibly needed some medical intervention and his eyes snapped open. Instead of clear blue water and scolding Ann he saw a big spot of red before him. His heart sunk and he dove to grab Mary-Ann.

Rory placed the towel on the ground and helped Rob to lay Mary-Ann on it. Rob checked her eyes and if she had pulse and was breathing. Everything was normal except for her faint pulse and a big bleeding gush on her head. Many thoughts started swirling in Rob’s mind. He looked around and met concerned look of Rory’s and saw Chris squatting beside Rou in a blood stained t-shirt who was sitting on a beach chair with his head thrown back and his hands on his nose.

A telephone fell and crashed not far away from Rob and Alice fell on her knees at Mary’s side. “Oh god, we killed Mary!” she whispered and tears started to appear at the corners of her eyes.

“Alice,” Rob said sternly, “call an ambulance. Now!”

“I…I already did,” she answered choking.

“Alie, go and get changed..and make some tea. Everything will be alright.” Her brother spoke to her soothingly. She nodded and went into the house.

“Oi! Mate!” Rob shouted to Chris, “what’s with Rou?”

Chris patted his injured friend on the shoulder and came closer to Rory and Rob clutching his right upper arm, “Alice got him good in the nose.” He tried to suppress smile threatening to appear. His cheerfulness died down at the sight of Mary-Ann lying motionless, “Is she alright?”

Rob rubbed his face in frustration but tried to remain and speak calm, “she’s breathing, but I think a gave her a concussion.” He looked at his friends with a guilty look.

“Nah..Alice was the one who pushed you.” Rory smiled trying to ease the situation and he managed to do it for a second. “Mate, your chin is bleeding too,” Rory pointed at Rob and he remembered the pain. But he knew that there was someone who needed more help than himself.

In a matter of minutes a few people in white along with Alice rushed to the back yard. One of the men wanted to speak but after he looked around he quickly said with a strong voice to two medical assistants, “in the car all of them.”

One of the assistants rushed to Rou and the other to the boys with Mary-Ann, he immediately checked her eyes and pulse. He quickly examined her head, “A slight concussion,” he told the man who was shouting orders and kneeled beside him. “Can you walk on your own?” he then asked the three boys before him. They nodded in response and stood up. They saw Alice walk away with Rou helping him and the other assistant rushing to them with a hand barrow. The doctors placed Mary-Ann on a barrow and took her into the car and boys followed suit.

Rob glanced at Mary-Ann just in time when her hand fell from the barrow and his legs became weak in the knees. He nearly fell but was caught by Rory who gave him and an encouraging smile.

They arrived at the hospital shortly after and were immediately attended by nurses. Chris’s hand was examined but he had only several bruises and no broken tissues or bones. Robs chin got several stitches. Rou received 2 massive black eyes, luckily his nose wasn’t broken. He even liked the blue mask on his face except for the pain it gave him. Rory and Alice were perfectly fine, but the latter one was shaken from the events and was prescribed some sedative pills. As for Mary-Ann she had no internal injuries. The doctors patched her head and she was left in the private room to rest.

Meanwhile the doctor Stevens, as his badge said, was speaking with the boys and Alice.

“I guess fun went a little too far.” He chuckled and looked at Mary’s English friends. He saw their blank faces and cleared his throat, “Ms. Michel is resting right now and I can assure you that there’s no major problems with her health. She got a minor concussion and we gave her head about 8 stitches. A concussion means that she might experience a loss of memory.” Alice gasped in horror, the doctor looked at her and continued, “But it won’t last long, she will regain her memory and will be alright. We need her insurance and you have to contact her relatives. We have to keep her overnight to run some more tests and examine her overall condition. You can take her home tomorrow evening if nothing changes to the worst.” Alice gasped again and covered her mouth with her hand, the doctor sighed, “she is resting right now, but I think you can visit her and see that nothing horrible has happened.” He gestured to the door behind which Mary-Ann was and the group piled into the room.

Rob at once placed the stool beside Mary’s bed and took her hand in his. He blamed himself for what happened to her. Alice came closer and placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. The boys gathered around and they watched their new friend in silence.

Mary-Ann stirred her fingers and furrowed her brows. Rob was the first one to react. “Guys,” he said almost in a whisper but it was enough to get their attention, “she’s waking up.”

She opened her eyes and winced. Alice closed curtains and spoke to Mary, “Lay still, Mary. You need to rest. All your friends here.”

Doctor Stevens came into the room, “Ah, she’s awake. That’s a good sign…”

Mary-Ann opened her eyes again and opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. “Water, now!” Dr. Stevens ordered to Rory and he was very quick to assist. He came back with a glass of water and helped Rob to put her in a sitting position and give some liquid. Mary drunk a little and she was put back again on the pillow. She looked at the crowd hovering over her and tried to speak again.

“Wo bin ich?” she asked quietly.

They looked at each other with puzzled looks on their faces. Alice was the first one to react, “Does somebody speak German?”

“Um… you are in England on a summer vacation… with your new friends.” Rory shifted uncomfortably after what he told Mary-Ann.

After that Mary started screaming, but nobody could understand her. She suddenly got quiet and started to cry. Alice couldn’t bear seeing her friend like that she left the room covering her mouth on the verge of tears.

“Now, you should leave. All of you. She needs some rest.” Dr. Stevens said after scribbling on his pad and followed Alice.

Rob nodded to his friends and started to stroke Mary’s hair. He contemplated for a second on his next move. He didn’t want to leave her alone. He pressed his lips to her forehead and stood to leave. She was pale. Her hair was dump and on her face was a worried expression; she furrowed her brows now and then in her sleep. He glanced at her again, sighed and closed the door behind him.