Rough Road Ahead (In Progress)

Chapter 22

                     ****

            Brad stayed home with Max as me and my father went in the ambulance with mom. Max was still in his room, his headphones in, so he didn't know what had happened. We decided it was best to keep it that way until we knew what we were dealing with. Was it a rash? An infection? All these things ran though my head as I sat holding my mothers hand.

            The paramedics were asking her a series of questions from what she had eaten that day to when she had had sex last. She looked at me, telling me not to listen as she answered the question. They pulled her out of the ambulance and into emergency where they asked her more questions and then put an I'V in. She wasn't fond of this, seeing as she hated needles, but the nurse stressed its importance. They gave her anti-inflammatory and a series of antibiotics before the doctor came in with a clip board.

            He was clad in the standard white uniform matched with white shoes. He pulled the blanket back and I saw his eyes widen with surprise as he jotted something down. My father asked him what he thought it was, but there was something behind the doctors eyes that told me he had no clue. Responding with a standard answer he continued checking her vital signs and jotting more notes down before doing some blood work and taking a swab of her tong. He didn't say much as he did this, he had to deal with my mothers protest as he stuck the needle in, taking the blood, but she was much too weak to fight too hard. Lastly he took a swab of her legs and placed them all in plastic bags before walking out of the room, telling us he would be back after he had the test results.

            The hours passed by rather slowly as I sat in the hard hospital chair. My ass hurt and my new dress was a tad too cold for the fall weather. Finally a nurse returned, telling us that we should go home, get some sleep and return in the morning when we could get an update. My father declined the offer, staying in the chair, holding my mothers hand, but both my mother and father told me that I should leave and watch my brothers. I disagreed at first, but then succumbed to their whim, blowing them air kiss's as I walked out.

            Having driven in the ambulance to the hospital, I had no car of my own to take home, so I had to wait for the bus. Since it was Sunday, however, it took more than an hour for the 34 to come, and even longer to climb up the hill from downtown to my house. There was a strange lady on the bus, coughing her lungs out. I turned away, trying to not catch whatever she had when I saw red dust shoot from her mouth across the bus. No one else, however, seemed to see it, so I moved to the far end of the bus and got off a few stops early, walking the rest of the way.

            Brad was there, he was sitting on the sofa watching TV with a bag of chips in his left hand, "Max is up stairs. He hasn't come down yet." He declared, his hand reaching into the bag over and over again, covering it in goop.

            "You didn't check on him?" I asked, my eyes in slits. I was still standing above him, but his eyes stayed locked on the TV program.

            "No." Was his monotone reply as he crunched the chips between his teeth. I let out a cry of frustration as I ran up the stairs. Max's bedroom was next to mine, so I stood outside the door, knocking on it gently. When he didn't answer I knocked on it again, this time harder. There was still no answer so I leaned down beside the door, peaking under it, but the carpet was much too thick and I couldn't see a thing.

            Putting my hands in fists I knocked again, even harder this time. Still no answer, so I reached for the door handle, wiggling it and to my surprise the door had been open all along.