From The Wreckage by Michele G Miller Read Free Book Online

crosses them over his chest.
    "I'm West's father, Mr. Rutledge. I helped a crew pull the two of you out of the old Grier house."
    "You did?" She'd met Mr. Rutledge years ago, and she tries to remember him to no avail. "I don't remember anything... Where's West, Katie — my other friends?" She breaks down then; big, hot, fat tears falling down her cheeks as she whispers, "Are my parents here?"
    Mr. Rutledge looks uncomfortable as he watches her breakdown.
    "Dad?" She covers her mouth when she hears West's voice and watches as Mr. Rutledge holds his hand up to pull the curtain back slightly so West can see him.
    "Over here, son."
    "This place is crazy. Did you find..." He comes around the flimsy fabric curtain and stops; relief washing over his features. "...Jules."
    "Hi." She sniffs and wipes the tears from her face with her palms.
     
    "How are we doing here?" asks a young nurse, or maybe she’s a Doctor, Jules can’t tell. Her dark brown hair is pulled back in a ponytail and she barely looks old enough to be out of college. "I'm Dr. Metzger. I checked you out when you were brought in. How are you feeling, Jules?"
    "I guess all right. Um, my vision’s a little blurry and my head hurts."
    "Yes, that's to be expected. You have a concussion, so you're going to have problems with feeling dizzy, as well as spotty vision for a week or so. The good thing is you will heal, and you’ll be okay. You're very lucky. From what I hear, you were buried under a lot of rubble." She smiles and looks between Jules, West and his father.
    "Doctor? Um, I can't remember any of it. Is that normal with concussions?"
    West’s face falls when she mentions having memory loss. His father's arm rests on his shoulder and he gives West a squeeze.
    "Can't remember, huh? Okay, tell me what you recall last?" Dr. Metzger asks and pulls out a pocket light to flash in her eyes.
    "The last thing I recall is West," she gives him a small smile and meets his eyes briefly, "pushing me down and dropping on top of me as the house started to fall. It's all a blur from there. I remember my friends and screaming, and I heard a siren and voices yelling, but nothing is clear."
    Dr. Metzger picks up the chart from the end of her bed and makes some notes. She looks at West's dad and asks about her parents.
    "They're not here, yet. I don't know if they've been contacted. The lines are down."
    Jules gasps and covers her mouth. "Where did the tornado hit? What's going on out there?"
    "Hey — don't do that, Jules. Don't freak out before you know anything." West hurries to her side and starts to reach for her before he decides to stick his hand in his pocket instead. "Don't worry; we'll see if we can get to your parents. Dad?" he asks; his brown eyes pleading with his father.
    Dr. Metzger pipes in before West or his dad can say more. "I'd like you to stay for a while longer, Jules. Just to observe you, since you were in and out of consciousness for so long. As for your lack of memory, let's try to stay calm and not worry too much right now. Amnesia is common with concussions…sometimes people forget a few hours, and sometimes you lose a whole day. Usually the memories come back after a few days, at the most." Jules nods and feels less anxious about her condition now. "As for you two, I would suggest you stay off the roads and let the emergency crews do their jobs. We’ll take care of Ms. Blacklin until her family can get here."
    A series of beeps sounds and Dr. Metzger checks the pager at her hip. "I'll try to check back with you soon. A nurse will come by, as well. If you start to feel worse, hit the red button. Okay?"
    "Yes, Doctor. Thank you."
    Dr. Metzger steps out of the small curtained area and stops by the nurse’s desk as she goes. She waves back towards Jules’ bed and makes some comments before hurrying to her next patient. To her surprise, West decides to sit and pulls the wooden chair beside her bed closer.
    "How about I grab something hot to drink for us?