The Consequences of Hell Week (Blue Ridge)

Chapter 6: Bad Calls

"Are you this rude to everyone?" Turner threw back.

"I don't have time to argue with you. I need to handle this" I turned away from him and started to push toward the center of the crowd.

"Let the adults handle this. You can't do anything to help" Turner grabbed my arm.

"Watch me" I shrugged his hand off before continuing to elbow my way forward. I was tired of this guy underestimating me. If Ski Patrol couldn't handle this then I would. Maybe if Turner hadn't said what he did I would've backed off, but for some reason I let my stubbornness get the best of me.

"Hey," I shouted, "break it up now. If this area isn't clear in five minutes people are going to be kicked out"

About four of the eight guys involved in the scuffle looked at me, but chose to ignore what I was saying.

I looked around for Jonathan, hoping to have another employee back me up, but he was nowhere to be seen.

My common sense told me to get Ski Patrol into the middle of this, but now everyone was watching me, and I would look like a fool if I just walked away.

Without really thinking it through, I walked up to the closest guy and grabbed his arm.

He wrenched his arm free and pulled it back to aim another punch at the guy in front of him.

"If you don't knock it off right now I'm calling the police" I threatened right before an elbow flew back and hit me square in the face.

Falling. I could feel myself falling. Grasping for something, anything to stop my fall, but I found only air. Then that air was knocked out of my lungs when I hit the ground. The silence of the fall was broken by the loud cracking noise of my head hitting the ice.

After that the chaotic situation around me blurred in and out as I tried desperately to stop consciousness from slipping through my fingers.

Beeping.

Incessant, irritating, illusive beeping.

Each ping seeming to stab my brain. That brought to my attention the throbbing in my head. Once I became conscious enough to notice it, it was all I could think about.

When I slowly opened my eyes, I couldn't figure out where I was. The light was blinding. After several minutes of blinking and slowly opening my eyes little by little I could finally take in the room around me.

My mother was sleeping in a chair next to me. My father was pacing back and forth across the room, probably wearing a rut in the floor.

White walls and machines. That explained the beeping.

Tubes in my arms.

Throbbing in my head.

When my dad saw my eyes open, he rushed over and woke my mom.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling?" my mom clutched my hand.

"Like a truck ran over my head. What happened?" I tried to sit up, but she gently pushed me back against the hospital bed.

"You got hit by one of those insubordinate snowboarders and fractured your skull. You have a serious concussion and four staples in your head. What were you thinking? Why were you even there? You shouldn't have gotten involved? I swear they are never coming back—" my mother grabbed his arm to silence his rant.

"A concussion? Staples? Qualifiers are in two weeks. Please tell my I'll be cleared to race by then" I begged.

"Sweetheart. It will be at least a month before you can ski again" my mom squeezed my hand as if she was trying to hold me together.

"If I don't race in Qualifiers and make it to State then I won't get recruited for college" I tried to run my hand through my hair, but the IVs just got all tangled and made me even more frustrated.

"We'll figure something out sweetheart" my mom just kept patting my hand. It was clear she didn't know what else to do or say.

"No we won't. I have to race at State to get recruited. That's a fact. This is kissing my college career goodbye" I felt the tears start to swell in my eyes, but I held them back.

"This is why you don't get involved or even associate with that type. They cause nothing but trouble. I have told you time and time again not—"

"Dad please. My head is pounding and I can't digest all of this with you lecturing me. Can I please just have some time to myself to think this all through?" I pleaded.

My mom nodded understandingly and pulled my dad out of the room.

The nurse came in and injected something else into my IV that she said would help the pain. I slowly felt it start to kick in and as the pain dulled I slowly drifted off to sleep.

Some undeterminable amount of time later I felt the edge of my bed dip down before someone lightly kissed my forehead. They brushed the hair out of my face before getting up and shuffling across the room.

With all the pain meds and the pounding in my head it took me a few seconds to open my eyes. The only thing I saw was a pair of black and green Nikes before they were gone.

Sleep pulled me back under.

The next thing I knew someone was shaking me.

"Sienna wake up" Mason wasn't afraid to shake me roughly given the fact that I was lying in the hospital.

"What time is it?" I groaned and peeled my eyes open.

"The nurse said you've been sleeping for three hours. This was our only chance to sneak in here without your parents seeing, so I made the executive decision to wake you up" Mason seemed proud of himself.

"We?"

"Jayden and Turner came too. Well Jayden brought you food and Turner just complained the whole time" Mason whispered. I looked up to see Jayden hugging a big bag of popcorn and Turner leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Thanks for coming, but I'm afraid all I've got is bad news. I won't be cleared in time for Qualifiers so the odds of me skiing in college are slim to none" I tried not to let the tears come back. I wasn't about to cry in front of Jayden and Turner.

"I'm sorry Sienna that stinks. I'm sure we'll figure out something!" Mason ruffled my hair.

"Why don't you just go to Qualifiers for snowboarding? They're five weeks away. That'd give you more time" Jayden shrugged.

"Jayden I know you're trying to help, but we need real ideas that might actually... wait a minute that might work" Mason stopped his rehearsed response and actually thought about what Jayden said.

"I haven't been snowboarding half as long as everyone else that'll be there. What are the odds?" I shook my head not wanting to get my hopes up.

"It's worth a shot kid" Mason pointed out.

"I'll think about it. And don't call me kid. I'm three months older than you, you goon" I threatened him light heartedly.

"No promises. Well we better go before your dad catches us. Keep me posted on how you're doing and I'll try and sneak over to your house and visit you later this week. Feel better kid" Mason grinned before standing up as Jayden came over.

"Thanks Jayden that was sweet" I smiled as he placed the popcorn next to me on the hospital bed, "and thanks for coming with Mason" Jayden just nodded in return.

"You're welcome" Turner raised his eyebrows at me from across the room. When I rolled my eyes it hurt, but it was instinctual.

"Wow looks like that fall didn't knock any sense into you. You're still rude" Turner mumbled.

"Why did you even come if you hate me so much?" I asked. My patience was nonexistent at this point.

"Good question. I'll meet you guys in the lobby" Turner stalked out of the room in a pair of black and green Nikes.

Sorry I missed the update on Saturday.  It was a crazy busy weekend.  Let me know what you think of this chapter and don't forget to vote!