Traffic

Ch 21: Familiar

She turned, seeing his anxious face, "It's Kelly!" she called back.

He smiled, "My name is Wesley."

She smiled and nodded, walking away. She pushed her way trough the people, starting to run as she grew anxious. She made he way to the sidewalk, but kept running. As she ran, she stumbled many times, ran into people, and at one point, twisted her ankle. She was searching for anything familiar.

She noticed signs for the hospital and started following them. It was the same hospital where she had once stayed two long years ago. She took a deep breath before entering, limping over to a nurse.

"Excuse me?" she said after clearing her throat.

She turned, "Yes?"

"Could I get a room please? I think I sprained my ankle..."

The nurse smiled, "You don't need a room for that, we'll just get you fixed up in an office. Do you have a doctor here?"

Kelly racked her brain, trying to remember her nurse's name from two years ago, "Um..." she stammered, "Mrs. Coleson?"

"Mrs. Coleson is a nurse--"

"I know...Just...I want her, please..."

The woman nodded and led her to a room where Kelly sat down to wait. She rested on the comfortable chair, waiting for Mrs. Coleson to arrive.

"Sorry it took so long," she said, "I was with another patient. Now, what seems--" she stopped when she saw Kelly.

"Kelly! What are you doing back here? I thought you went home with your family?"

Kelly shook her head, tears coming to her eyes, "No."

"What's wrong, my dear? What's happened?"

Kelly did her best to explain the past four years of her life as briefly as possible, but she ended up taking near to an hour explaining. When she was finished, she had no tears left, but the nurse had shed a few. When she finished, she just hugged her tightly, not speaking for a few minutes. The silence and feeling a strong, but feminine hug felt all new to Kelly. She hadn't felt the motherly hug of a woman in over four years and she started crying all over again as she hugged her back.

"What do you need, Kelly? Just name it and it's yours."

Kelly sniffled, calming her crying, "I could use a glass of water."

"A glass of water," the nurse smirked, "Okay. I can do that. What else?"

"My ankle hurts a lot..."

She nodded and sent for a pitcher of ice water and bandaging. When it arrived, Kelly drank heartily as her ankle was bandaged. Mrs. Coleson was careful, but quick in bandaging the sprained ankle.

"You'll walk with a limp for a few days, but it's not bad. Just try to rest it for now..."

"Thank you. For everything you've done. I don't know how much to pay you, but I've only got a little..."

Mrs. Coleson shook her head, "Don't worry about it. It's my gift to you. Now, what else do you need?"

"I don't need anythin--"

"Let me rephrase that. Kelly, dear, what do you WANT?"

Kelly looked down, "Do you remember when I was first brought here? I had been hit by a car?"

"Yes...You were bruised and bleeding but only had a broken arm from the car. Why?"

"Not that part...The...The boy that brought me in?"

"Do you mean the one who hit you? The one who visited you every SINGLE day? The one who found your brother and brought him back to you? The one who almost had you freed, but then lost you again? That boy?"

Kelly nodded, "Do you remember who he was? And do you know where I can find him?"

Mrs. Coleson nodded, smiling, "If you're willing to wait, I can look at our records."

Kelly nodded, "Thank you."

"Do you happen to remember his name, dear? It might make it go faster."

Kelly smiled slightly, mostly to herself as she remembered the first time the shy boy had told her his name. She had been panicking and given a seditive to go to sleep and she barely heard his name before she blanked out. She remembered how kind he had been to her and how much she'd grown accustomed to the sound of his voice and his presence in her room. She paused for a long while, thinking about this boy, but finally, she said, "Peter. Peter Jeffereys."

Mrs. Coleson nodded and left the room. Kelly waited as Mrs. Coleson left her alone, going to search the records for two years previous, trying to locate this boy. She soon returned and held up a piece of paper with a name and address written on it.

"Peter Jeffreys. 217 North Main, New York City, New York."

Kelly smiled, taking the paper, "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. And good luck. You know where to find me if you ever need anything."

Kelly nodded and thanked her again before leaving. She limped down the hallways and out the door, unrecognized and unimportant. She looked at the paper: her only chance at finding the only person she trusted at the moment, and sighed. She started walking, heading out into the now darkening day just as clouds started rolling in.