"About what?"
"Anything." Crystal shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Whatever you feel like talking about."
"I can't think about anything but Mom right now."
"That's okay. Tell me a story about you and your mom." Crystal glanced at the side mirror before pulling into the left lane and passing a package van. "Tell me anything."
"I remember when I fell from my bike and broke my arm. I came in the house and Mom took one look at me and knew something was wrong. I didn't have to say a word." Laura sniffled and reached into her pocket, retrieving a handkerchief. "She always knew when one of us was hurt."
"Yeah?" That's it, Laura. Keep talking. Don't think about what might be at the hospital. Crystal half listened, putting most of her attention on the traffic ahead of her. She was at least twenty miles over the limit but the exit she needed was still several miles away. Silently praying for the cops to be more interested in donuts than speeders, Crystal took the chance and pressed down even harder on the pedal.
Fortunately for all concerned, the police did not take notice of the speeding Jeep. Crystal even managed to find a parking space near the emergency entrance of the hospital. She had barely shut off the engine when Laura bolted from the vehicle and dashed to the entrance. "Hey, wait for me," Crystal called, freeing herself from the seat belt and running after Laura.
Eighteen year old Bobby Taylor sat on one of the orange plastic chairs in the waiting room, looking forlornly at the floor. His blond hair was tousled about his head and when he looked up and saw his sister, Crystal saw the puffy red rimmed eyes. Damn, this isn't going to be a good one, she thought to herself, stepping aside as the siblings ran into each others arms.
"What happened?" Laura said, her hands gripping Bobby's. "Did she have a heart attack?"
"I don't know. The doctors are in with her now. I can't believe this is happening," he said. "We had breakfast together and everything seemed fine. Well, she seemed a little tired but not like really tired or anything." Bobby sat down again. Laura sat down next to him and motioned for Crystal to take the empty seat next to her.
"Did she ask you to bring her here?"
Bobby shook his head. "No. I thought about having them take her to Saint Thomas but the ambulance guy said the Med Center was closer. I'm glad you're here, Sis. I don't know the answers to half of the questions on those forms."
"Don't you worry about it. I'll take care of them," Laura assured. "So go on. What happened?"
"She said she was tired and wanted to lay down before the news came on. I went in to wake up around six and that's when I saw her all puffed up like that. I couldn't understand what she was saying so I called 911."
"You did fine," Laura said, putting her arm around the young man's shoulders. "Has the doctor said anything yet?"
"He asked if I was the only one here for her, had me sign a few forms then went back in there. I told him you were on your way." Crystal saw the opportunity to help. "Laura, why don't I go let the doctor know you're here?"
"I'd better go find him," the writer replied, rising to her feet. "Can you stay here with Bobby?"
"Sure," Crystal said. "Are you sure you're okay to do this? You want me to call Jenny?"
"Let's not call her until I know what's going on," Laura said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Once Laura left the room, Crystal stood up. "I'm going outside for a minute."
"I'll go with you," Bobby said. "I've been stuck in here for two hours now. Fresh air sounds like a good idea." Standing up, he towered a good four inches over her.
"I don't know how fresh the air will be, I'm going to have a cigarette," she said.
"You got an extra one?" he asked. "I left mine at home and I could really use one right about now."
"Does Laura know you smoke?"
"No. Mom doesn't either unless she does and hasn't said anything yet." He pressed the button to open the double doors. "Please tell me you smoke menthol."
"Light menthols." Crystal reached into her pocket and pulled out her battered pack. Laura knows you smoke even if you don't think she does, she thought to herself, remembering the conversation she had with the writer the day of Bobby's graduation party. What the hell. He's eighteen. If he wants to smoke I'm not going to stop him. "Help yourself," she said, holding the pack out.
Bobby took the cigarette and fished his lighter out of his pocket. "Thanks." He held out the lighter and waited until Crystal's cigarette was burning before lighting his own. "Oh, that's much better," he said as he exhaled. "I was going nuts in there all by myself."
"I bet. A couple of years ago a bunch of us were bar hopping and the guy driving got in an accident. We were at the hospital for almost six hours." It was Crystal's only adult experience with hospitals and most of it was a drunken blur. "He only had a broken wrist."
"I should have brought Mom's purse," he said as he walked over to the decorative half wall that lined thee.g.of the hospital's everlasting garden. Crystal followed and sat a foot away from him.
"You can't be expected to remember everything at a time like that."
"I should have, though." Bobby stared off at the parking lot. "When I got here they wanted her insurance card and they wanted to know if she was allergic to anything. I don't know any of that." He took a long drag, making the end of the cigarette burn a bright orange. "I'm the man of the family now and I don't have a clue how to handle this."
"Has this ever happened before?"
Bobby shook his head, his profile barely visible beneath the sodium lamp. "When Dad had his heart attack no one was home. Laura was in college and I was at school. Mom said she came home from shopping and found him in the chair." Bobby continued to gaze out at nothing. "Laura was on her way home by the time I found out what happened. The two of them handled everything."
"You were pretty young then, weren't you?" she asked.
"Eleven. But I was so upset I just spent most of the time crying." He flicked the half finished cigarette into the darkness. "I guess I always figured they'd both be around to take care of everything. Look at me. My mother is dying and I have to call my sister for help."
"You don't know she's dying," Crystal said although from the little she had heard the comment might not be far off the mark. "And you did take care of your mom. You're the one who called the ambulance." She heard the sniffle and instinctively inched closer to Bobby. "What if you hadn't been there?" Crystal received another sniffle as an answer. "I know what it's like to have an older sister."
"You do?"
"Yeah." Dropping her cigarette to the ground, Crystal watched it slowly burn away. "I used to always depend on her to take care of everything but then one day she was gone and I had to take care of myself. I know what it feels like." Why am I telling him all this? Looking over at him, Crystal realized her answer. Because I know how he's feeling right now and he's Laura's brother. When she had been scared and alone, no one was there to help her. "I understand," she said softly. "You want another smoke?"
"Not now, thanks," he said, pushing himself off the half wall. Crystal hopped down and began walking with him back into the hospital. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her pack and mentally guessed how many cigarettes she had left. Maybe half a pack. Deciding he probably didn't smoke as much as she did, Crystal pulled four cigarettes out of the pack and nudged his arm. "Here. In case you want one later." She held her hand out and smiled slightly when he took the offering. "Just don't tell your sister I gave them to you," she added.
"No prob," he said, tucking the cigarettes into his shirt pocket. "Thanks."
Crystal nodded and followed him through the brightly lit entrance. As they turned the corner she saw Laura standing in the hallway talking with a man that Crystal assumed was the doctor. When Bobby saw them he ran down the hallway to join them. I think I'll wait in here, Crystal said to herself, stopping at the entrance to the waiting room. She was about to go in when she saw Laura and Bobby turn and walk toward her. I hope it's good news. "How is she?"