CHAPTER NINE
"Full name?"
"Kenna Marie Andrews."
"Do you know why you're here?"
"Because I had a concussion."
The nurse clicked on the penlight and the light went out. "She's all good," said the nurse, putting the penlight in her pocket. My dad sat at the edge of his seat. "She's displaying good signs of recovery."
Are there bad signs of recovery?
"Will I be able to be discharged today?" I asked the nurse.
"Honey, you just got here two days ago. You need to rest," she said, revealing a sympathetic smile before leaving the ward.
"Why are you so eager to leave, Kenna?" asked my dad. "You heard the nurse, you need to rest."
"I can rest at home," I replied.
"They need to monitor you, Kenna," my dad explained.
"I want to go home," I whined.
My dad sighs, "I know, Ken. I know. I don't like hospitals either."
It's not because I don't like hospitals, it's because of the hospital bills. It probably costs two hundred dollars just by shining the torch in my eyes. Hundred for each eye.
This was specifically the reason why I didn't want to tell my dad about the concussion the other day because he will worry and bring me to the hospital.
His hospital bill from the shooting-
I closed my eyes and breathed in sharply.
-it racked up to five figures. Until now, we are still not able to pay off the bill. Now with the additional charges of me being in the hospital, fuck, we're dead. This was why I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
I was admitted to the hospital the day I fainted at home. I regained consciousness not long after I was carried into the ambulance with nurses swarming around me, and dad and Archie looking down at me. I ended up having to explain to my dad about how I got the concussion and he got even more angrier at Sheriff Keller.
Since being admitted, dad has stuck by my side even after my persistent encouragement to get him to go to work. Archie. . . not so much, only ocasionally visiting me in the morning and evening. Probably because he is serving community service for doing drugs.
I haven't talked much to my friends either since being admitted. Doctors recommended me to stay away from using the phone because of brightness or radiation or whatever. I only talked to Lzzy yesterday when she asked about the arrest.
Lzzy❤️ (9:23pm) Thursday
Kenna
Hey
How are you?
Heard you got arrested
I did not reply until the morning of the next day, after I had gained full consciousness and was allowed to use my phone.
You (10:03 am) Friday
Ye
You got away right?
Lzzy did not reply until evening later that day. Most likely because she had school and other stuff and did not have time to see my message. When she finally did reply, I answered almost immediately.
Being a patient in a hospital is the most boring thing, watching tv had since became a pastime of mine because it was the only thing we could do. Even with a tv, I had to share it with the person in the bed next to mine.
All I could do was wait patiently for my friends to reply to my messages. Either that or I talk to my dad who was most of the time either sleeping or reading the newspaper.
Lzzy❤️ (6:46pm) Friday
Yeah
You
Lucky bitch
Sent a gif
Lzzy❤️
HAHAHA
heard your dad bust the
Serpents out thanks
You
Thank my dad not me
Lzzy❤️
Thank you Mr Andrews!
So
What was it like to be in jail?
You
Fuck you
Lzzy❤️
You wish ;)
You
You know
The cops right
Slammed me down so hard
That I now have a concussion
Lzzy❤️
My god you okay?
You
Sent a picture
Lzzy❤️
Holy shit
You
Yep
Lzzy❤️
Where are you right now?
What room?
What floor?
I'm calling the police!
You
911 what's your emergency?
🚔 💨
Lzzy❤️
HAHA
You
Room 718 level 7
Lzzy❤️
alrighty I'm coming
Tomorrow cus I have curfew today
You
No don't come I don't want
to see your ugly face
Lzzy❤️
Sent a picture
You
haha
So far none of my friends has visited me yet, so when Lzzy said that she was going visit, I was quite excited. I hoped that talking to her will take my mind off of things.
The whole time I've been in the hospital was just anxiety to the maximum. All I could do was worry about the hospital bills, and the longer I stay here, the more expensive it is gonna get.
Lzzy came to visit around the afternoon, after I had my lunch, which pretty much consisted of gross hospital food of boiled chicken, blanched vegetables and a yogurt. I ate everything but the yogurt.
Lzzy made no problem announcing her arrival. She entered the ward and was practically screaming my name. "Wassup Ken-" she stopped herself when she realised I was not the only person in the ward. She walked over to the foot of my bed and picked up the board with my credentials and read aloud, "Kenna Marie Andrews?"
"Hey," I nodded to her.
"Hello Mr Andrews," Lzzy also greeted my dad, who was chilling on the chair next to my bed, reading the newspaper.
"Good afternoon Elizabeth," greeted my dad.
"It's Lzzy," Lzzy was quick to correct.
"Right," my dad smiled. He folded the newspaper neatly and placed it on the bedside cabinet. He stood up and patted himself down, "Alright, I'm gonna wait outside, let you girls talk."
Before he left, he turned to me and said, "I'll talk to the doctors for you. See if you'll be able to be discharged today." He gave me a reassuring smile.
I smiled back and said, "Thanks dad."
Lzzy waited for my dad to leave the ward before approaching the side of my bed and squeezing into the space next to me. "Scoot," she said.
"Hey, I'm the sick person," I joked.
Lzzy made herself comfortable in the already cramped hospital bed. Her dirty boots outstretched on the clean linen sheets, legs crossed over the other.
"So, how you doing, Ken doll?" asked Lzzy.
"Sucks," I replied.
"Why?" she continued to ask. "May I?" she pointed to the yogurt cup on the tray in front of us.
"Sure," I said. It wasn't like I was going to eat it anyways.
"As far as I'm concerned, you're living the best life," Lzzy peeled back the aluminium lid and started eating away the yogurt with the tiny plastic spoon.
"How so?" I proceeded to ask.
"Oh well, firstly, free food," she held up the yogurt cup to explain her point. "Second of all, no school. Third of all, you're monitored twenty-four-seven. The nurses will feed you if you say the word. Plus, free entertainment." She pointed to the tv hanging from the ceiling.
I frowned, "First of all, no. Nothing is free. Hospital food is shit. I have to share the tv with that person," I pointed to the person in the bed next to mine, "I don't get to hang out with friends, I don't have freedom, and I'm in the constant state of anxiety."
"Wow, don't have to be a killjoy," Lzzy scooped the yogurt into her mouth.
I shrugged, "Sad truth."
"This yogurt is good," noted Lzzy.
"You should've seen what I ate yesterday."
"What are you even anxious about?" Lzzy licked the yogurt cup clean. Wow, that's fast. "You're living the dream."
"What you think medical care is free?" I asked. "Fuck, it's like a ten star hotel, that," I pointed to the yogurt cup in her hand, "probably costs $10. This plus my dad's hospital bill will probably rack up to cost more than my house."
Lzzy set the empty-licked-clean yogurt cup back onto the tray in front of us. "Isn't your brother's girlfriend like- blazing rich?"
"Aren't you blazing rich as well?" I asked.
"Correction, my parents are blazing rich, I'm not."
I sighed and laid my head back on the pillows and closed my eyes. "I can't pay off the billsss. . . " I cried.
Lzzy did not reply immediately, "I can chip in money-"
"No don't," I snapped, sitting up straight. I looked at Lzzy right in the eye. "I'm not going to accept charity."
"I'll probably try to find a job," I continued, slacking into the pillows again, "or maybe I can work for my dad. I'll earn the money to pay off the bills."
Lzzy looked ahead, as if in a deep thought. "We can offer you a job at the Whyte Wyrm," she finally said.
"Yeah sure," I said. "Whatever. I'll do anything."
"Anything?"
"Yeah, anything, I'm desperate."
She chuckled, "Never thought I'd live the day where Kenna Marie Andrews says 'I'm desperate' together with, and quote 'will do anything' to earn money."
I frowned disgustedly, "I'm not going to sell my body for prostitution if that's what you're insinuating."
She winked, "Anything."
"Fuck off," I shoved her, making her almost fall off the side of the bed. I grabbed her arm just before she fell off. We burst out laughing, disturbing the other patients who scowled at us.
We're probably gonna get kicked out.
"Seriously?" Lzzy laughed, "Marie? That's your middle name?"
"Yeah, like my mum, Mary," I replied.
"Huh," she said. "Well anyways, don't worry, I won't sell you out. We can probably get you a job as bartender."
"What's the pay rate?"
She thought about it for a moment before she spoke, "Seven dollars an hour."
Nice. "Can I start working there tonight?"
"Kenna, what's the rush? You're not even discharged yet."
"Gosh, you're starting to sound like my dad," I bit my lip. "I'm in tip-top condition and ready to go."
"Kenna, get some rest."
"I'll rest when I know I don't have to panic about hospital bills."
Lzzy paused before changing the topic. "Well anyways how did you even get caught the other day?"
I told her about how I went to find Ghost but found Sweet Pea first, warned him then went looking for Ghost. Eventually found Ghost but the cops also found us. Ghost got away while Sweet Pea and I were caught. How I got slammed down onto the ground and got a concussion.
"How did you get away?" I asked after I was done telling my story.
"Saw the police and bolted," said Lzzy. "Unlike your dumbass, I didn't run around continuing to warn others."
"Fuck you."
"You wish."
"So what was it like to be arrested?" She continued to ask.
"Fuck. You," I cursed.
She laughed.
"Sheriff Keller was a whole fuckass," I complained, "told him I wasn't a Serpent but he was still persistent in getting information about the serpents out of me- wait, is it true Ghoulies deal drugs?"
"They deal jingle-jangle," she explained. "Which is why, we're having a drag race next week to settle the whole debacle."
"Drag race?"
"Alright," she began to explain, "You know how the Serpents were arrested because Mayor McCoy thought we were dealing jingle-jangle, right?"
"Mmhm," I hummed that I understood.
"Well, it was actually the Ghoulies who were dealing, not the serpents," she continued to explain. "Jughead and your brother went down to The House of the Dead to convince the Ghoulies to stop dealing. They ended up settling it with a drag race."
"Huh," I chuckled. "How did they end up with drag race?"
"It's the Ghoulies' specialty. They like to drag race for fun."
I nodded. "So what happens if you guys win?"
"The Ghoulies will stop dealing."
"And if you guys lose?"
"We won't," she assured.
"How do you know?"
"Ghost has done it before."
"And won?"
"Yeah," she said. "I think he had to drag race because it had something to do with his sister, I'm not sure. I wasn't a Serpent yet at the time."
"Doesn't really sound like the Ghoulies are good at drag racing," I chuckled.
"Drag racing may be their specialty but it doesn't mean they're good at it."
I gulped, "Is uh. . . My brother involved? In the drag race?"
"I think Jughead's the one racing but Archie will be in the car with him."
That doesn't sound right. Pretty sure both of them do not have a driver's licence. Archie definitely can not drive for shit, I mean, I know, I was with him when he wildly drove our dad to the hospital. It doesn't sound safe. It made me feel uneasy.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of other things. I thought about the weight that would be lifted off my shoulders once I am able to pay off the bills.
All I can do now is sit tight and hope I get discharged tonight and start working as soon as possible. . . And also hope to god Archie does not die in the drag race.