Ertifferrah Written By: Elay Understood CHAPTER 22 HOSPITAL... Elay TV Content Creator

The doors burst open and the paramedics came rushing in, determination plastered on the face of the middle-aged man who led the team into the office doors. As they laid the stretcher on the floor where Erica now lay, Octavious dove to her side, calling for her in small short breaths as he wiped matted hair away from her eyes. Taking the bandana out of her hand, he quickly wiped the sweat away from her forehead before the medics wheeled her away.

“Hey, hey! Can I come with her? I’m with her!”

“You her boyfriend?” The middle-aged man asked.

“…yeah.”

 “Come on, you're gonna need you to talk for her, tell us what happened to her.” 

The hall filled with curious students as they pushed, shoved and stood on tiptoes to get a better view of the scene.

“Out of the way! Back to your classes” Principal Veedra ordered through an emerald and gold blow-horn. “Please, back to your classes or you all get detentions! She yelled sternly.

The ride to the hospital seemed to take longer than it really was for Octavious as he focused only on her. About the time they pulled into the emergency entrance, Erica was waking.

Roughly, two hours later, a nurse knocked on the door with another cup filled with some kind of electrolytes for Erica. Checking the chart at the foot of the bed, the nurse asked if she had anyone to take her home.

Unsure how to answer that, Erica remained silent.

Picking up on the vibe, Octavious jumped in and said “She’s my girlfriend, I have a car, but I left it at school because I rode in the ambulance with her.  Do you need to see my I.D, because I brought it with me? I can have my friend drive it here so I can drive Erica home.

He looked at the nurse, waiting for an answer, holding his breath until she replied “Okay, it sounds fine with me, but since this happened on school grounds, I will still have to clear this with the principal. Sit tight while I make a couple calls.”

He nodded.

The sounds of a drink being chugged down to its last sip filled the room as Erica sipped the last of the electrolyte drink through a pink crazy straw that Octavious bought for her in the gift shop, three floors down.

“Wow, ma, you’re a thirsty little devil aren’t you?” He teased. “Want some water?” Before she answered, he already started unwrapping the plastic wrap from off another tall plastic cup and begun filling it.

“Thanks.”

Laughing to himself, he joked as he read the medical band taped around her small wrist, “The initials of your name spells out ‘end’. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud. I mean, look where you’re at now.”

The comment kind of scared her. Answering in a huff of anguish, she said dryly “it’s just, if you’re into all that fate and horoscope stuff, then having those initials isn’t exactly the grocer’s choice. I’ve tried so hard to ignore it that I think I actually did forget.”

“Your name is Erica. Why would you have someone else’s name written in that bear notebook so nicely if it didn’t mean anything to you? You know, if it wasn’t your book at first, then why not tear out the page or cross out the name before you started writing in it? I mean, that’s what most people would have done. Make something previously used their own.”

Three taps on the door on the door and the nurse let herself in. “Okay, you two lovebirds, the principal said it would be fine for you to leave together if I drove you back to the school, courtesy of the hospital.” She said with a pleasant smile.

*

The company car the three of them rode in was a silver, four-door, Ford Mercury. Windows down, the breeze traveled through black, shoulder-length hair, brushing against Octavious face as he rested her head on his strong chest. He enjoyed the moment and summer scenery of the trees in full bloom, the smell of the sizzling hot-dogs from the numerous stands invading almost every other corner, and how the sun radiated so brightly. As the nurse weaved in and out of traffic, he inhaled deep with appreciation and closed his eyes.

The ride back to Tarsus High could have gone on forever but it ended almost as soon as it began.

The nurse parked in front of the school turned off the engine and scurried around to let Octavious and Erica from out the back.

“Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest, and in a few days you’ll be fine,” the nurse said while quickly walking into the school main office. “Here’s the pamphlet to show the proper foods you need to eat. I’ve already called your mother, and she will pick up some vitamins from the drug store. You have to eat more than junk food to make that pretty, little body of yours function, young lady. Or next time, when your body shuts down from malnourishment, the results won’t be as simple to patch up as today. Also, stress can heighten this ordeal as well, so sort out your priorities and take it easy. You’re still young, so try to enjoy life a little more.”  

The nurse pulled her away from Octavious a little and whispered to her “Have a little fun, you know, get into some trouble.” She said pointing to Octavious. “He’s a hunk.” She said with a wink and a smile.

After Principal Veedra spoke with the two of them, she asked if Erica wanted to go home, mentioning that her mother was on the phone, on hold.

“Is she at work still?” Asked Erica.

“No, she’s on her way here and about forty minutes away. I called her cell phone number.”

“Then, I guess, I’ll go home then.”

“Very good. Erica, final exams are a few weeks away, so if you think you will need a little more time to prepare, let me know.  I will allow the test to get pushed back until you’re ready. By the way, Mr. Wennefer, way to go. Thanks for stopping in. You will be rewarded.”

They both thanked her before leaving.