The angel and the lightning rod

Phase 3

So, with pain in my heart, I let Nate go and got up. I allowed myself a second to blink away a sudden, immense dizziness, and went in search of a teacher. For the first time in years.

Running out of the door, I immediately bumped into a jolly group of boys. I asked them if they had seen a teacher and they pointed.

"Watch out, she almost saw us."

"Where's your shirt?"

"Is something wrong?" Jamie asked observantly, but I didn't answer.

Fuck, I just realized it was fucking freezing in the cold store where I left Nate. That couldn't be good for him. I wanted to go back, to be with him. Where were these teachers when you needed them?

Suddenly all the boys ran away fast.

"Hey! You! You're supposed to be in bed!"

Thank goodness! It was my English teacher. As fast as I could, and while running towards her, I told her what happened. She didn't understand a thing.

"Calm down." Suddenly she sounded much kinder – and much more anxious. I told her what happened – or tried anyway – and even showed her my bloody hands as if to prove it.

She put a hand to her chest. "Take me there." As we walked she grabbed her cellphone.

"I've already called an ambulance."

"Did you call an ambulance?" she repeated, as if she went through a mental checklist. "Very good. Well done."

She called another teacher and ordered them to bring the ambulance to the kitchens. "A student got injured."

I thought it was nice of her not to mention Nate by his name. People didn't seem to like him very much and I didn't want that to affect the help he received. Moreover, it would make it harder for people to gossip without a name.

Mrs. Stone took a step back when she saw Nate and lingered in the doorway for a quarter of a second. The blood from his head had spread out onto the floor.

I myself was already sitting next to him again with his head in my hands. The shirt I'd put under his head felt damp. He was bleeding badly.

"Nate?"

He still didn't respond. I wanted to cry.

Mrs. Stone crouched in front of me and felt Nate's wrist and his neck.

"It's too cold," she decided. "Step back."

I did as she said and let her carry out a first aid maneuver to drag Nate to the kitchen, where it was slightly warmer.

"Good of you to press something against the wound," she said. "Can you go look what's keeping the ambulance?"

No, I thought. I wanted to hold my friend until I heard his voice again. "Alright."

I ran to the entrance of the campsite and by the time I was there, sirens sounded in the distance. I didn't know how far away they were, because it was so quiet out there that you could hear cars driving on the highway from kilometers away.

My thoughts were spinning out of control. If only I wasn't such a bloody idiot to go break in with Nate. If only I hadn't been such a hungry fool. If only my reaction had been faster when I saw that stupid tub falling. If only Nate wasn't such a good guy to push me away. Why did he even do that?

It felt like at least half an hour before I saw the flashing lights of the ambulance shining against the night sky. I immediately ran back.

Two more teachers were kneeling beside Nate now: my geography teacher, whom I loathed, and a woman who gave biology. I wish they'd go away.