The sun fell lightly on a quiet town as the wind rustled through the rural area and swept through buildings. The calm winds danced around the brick building of Alistair High school. On the grass just outside the building laid Jamie whose hair was resting over his eyes. He brought his right arm and rested it over his face to shield his eyes from the sun. His shuffled his legs as the grass stained he blue jeans and pressed on his green tee shirt. Despite it being the middle of the summer he wore a black thermal under his shirt.
He was skipping the school classes he was supposed to be attending but when questioned by staff he would say he graduated last year. They would leave without question which left him to wonder why a teacher is so easily fooled by a student. School itself was a hell for the boy, just a place for authorities to tell him something educational then praise him for remember something he heard not just seconds ago. That's not learning, that's a memory game. The only peace he found was in the silence of the day. He had only two more hours until he would be able to walk home undisturbed.
“Jamie, what are you doing out here?” Spoke a gruff voice who after movie his arm turned out to be Mr. Alberts.
“Skipping your class and lying to the teachers?” Retorted Jamie to the teacher hoping his truthful sarcasm would save his punishment.”
“Why do you always choose to skip my class.” Albert said as he reached his arm out an Jamie took Mr. Alberts's hand to help himself up.
“Because I hate how your name ends in an S, it makes writing a possessive of a noun for you hard...” Jamie joke as both of them began to walk to the building. The teacher gave out a quick chuckle and they walked through the large doors an a cool air from the buildings A/C took them both over. The inside really opened up showing a large empty area which served to keep it less crowded during the morning rush. They made their way to a decent sized office that had the vibe of every dental building you've been too. He was directed to a smaller room were his principle saw him and shook his head.
“You know we have to call your father.” Spoke the principle as he picked up the phone and motioned for Jamie to sit down. He dialed the number and held the phone to his ear.
“Good luck, he's not home. He never is.” Jamie said as he looked down at the fiber on the shaggy rug. He peered around at the several self-hypocritical inspirational posters which were shipped out by people who want nothing more then to gun down their office. He heard the princible hang up his phone and looked back at them. “School ends in about twenty minutes. It's obvious you don't want to be here. Go home and come tomorrow and go to your classes or there will be consequences. Understand?” The principle questioned and Jamie nodded his head and stood up turning around to walk out. Jamie looked back at the tall slender man behind the desk who wore a formal suit everyday and always had his short hair slicked back.
“Principle Barley. Are you okay? You seem different.” Jamie said as he felt like something had changed from the previous times he had been in that office. But the only responds he got was a smile and a wave out the door. He stepped out off the office and made his way out the way to his locker down a long hall across from where he just came out of. He braced his cold lock and twisted it to the required numbers. Fumbling a few times he eventually opened it and grabbed out his black back back and put on and took out his Ipod and placed his headphones on.
The second the music began all other noise from beyond his song melted away. He stepped silently through the building as the sound vibrated through his ears and into his head. He left the cool of the A/C into the harsh beating of the sun outside. He saw a friend walking by and he nodded to him as he turned onto the sidewalk and began to walk home. After some time he turned into an ally that would lead directly to the back of his house. Looking down as he walked he pulled out his wallet and shuffled through the bills and considered walking to the store. As he decided he would he heard a felt as if something was behind him. Turning around he saw nothing.
After a second he turned back and decided to ignore the cliche and went back to walking. Just then he could feel something sharp press lightly on his back. He reached up and pulled his headphones out. Turning around he saw the hooded figure of a desperate man. His hand was shaking and his teeth crashed together. The man was obviously looking for a fix from one substance or another. “Look kid we both know how this goes. Just gimme what you got and you'll get to go home.” Spoke the man while stuttering over his words. Jamie looked around for any sign of salvation. To his disgust he saw and car drive right by them, making eye contact with the driver he saw him mouth 'sorry' as he drove by.
Jamie had no choice. He reached into his pants and pulled his wallet back out and handed the money too the man. He stared putting his hands down and the he saw the figure point at the headphones around his neck. “No please I...” Jamie spoke as he felt a sharp pain invade his shoulder. He looked over at the knife imbedded in him. Felt the man ripping his headphones away from his head and taking his Ipod with it. He watched as the man ran off. Falling to the ground Jamie struggled with pulling the knife out. He yanked violently with a scream as his blood trickled off the blade and onto the concrete of the ally street.
Clutching his shoulder he began to stumble down the alleyway with a thin trail of blood trickling behind him. He alternated between walking on to two feet then also using his good arm the brace before he fell down. He saw his house in the distance as he trembled getting closer and closer to the safety of the structure. He reached the back porch and placing his hand on the flimsy wooden hand rail he pulled himself up each step.
Now shock had set in and he couldn't feel the pain in his shoulder anymore. All he felt was a tightness in his chest that he couldn't shake. He gripped the cold door handle and slowly turned it. Pushing forward the door opened slowly as Jamie lost his grip and fell to the ground spill a small pool of blood onto the ground. Looking up he saw his dad turning the corner “Dad!” he choked out in an empty whisper as his eyes started to dim he saw his father running towards him. Last thing he felt was his father picking him up as he faded from loss of blood and shock. His father rushed the now limb body to their couch and setting Jamie down and pulled his phone out, fumbling over the keys he managed to dial out to the emergency responds. As he explained the situation he took a towel and put pressure on Jamie's wound.
He then though to get his shirt off to observe his would so he disregarded the bloody garment and threw it on the ground where it landed with a smack. He peered at the wound and could identify it as a stab of some sort, but as he watched he could swear the wound was repairing itself. He sat curious as he then put a fresh towel on and waited with his eyes closed. “You'll be okay.” The father spoke out confidently. He could hear the faint sounds of sirens now as they approached closer and closer. Although time seemed to creep on it wasn't long until he heard a frisk pounding at his door. Getting up the father rushed to the door and swung it open. Without a word the paramedics went over to Jamie and examined his then placed him on a stretcher.
The father watched as time continued to creep on, he placed his hands on the back of his head as he watched them take his son without a word or even a glance. He knew there’s no room for him to ride along. So he began walking down to his car and stepped inside and preceded to follow the ambulance.
The drive for him felt completely silent and he watched the red lights pulse on the top of the ambulance. Every so often he would let out a sigh, he knew how close the hospital was but the drive felt as if they were going across the country. He would normally be freaking out but a part of him was full of anxiety for what was to come, a kind of unsettling uncertainty. He could see cars passing by him and the white sedan driving to his right. He peered at the various people on the side of the street who were probably thinking “I wonder what happened?”
It was odd to him how a majority of the time curiosity did not mean sympathy or concern. People just see something they don't know about and naturally they want to know more. He was lost in thought one hand on the wheel with his other arm resting on the window. He almost didn't notice the ambulance pull right into at large parking lot and veer off into the emergency ramp. Both his car and the Ambulance came to a stop and he got out and watched the paramedics scramble to the back opening and pulling his son out. He attempted to follow them in but one of the paramedics told him he would have to sign in at the waiting room and well... wait.
Slightly in dismay the father agreed and trudged his way to the see through automatic doors that slid open as he stepped in front of them. The instant they opened he could feeling the wafting smell of the sick and elderly. And that aroma that said “This place is very clean, but you don't want to touch anything.” That smell always gave him a headache and now was no exception as he reached up to rub his forehead. Letting out a grunt he approached the front desk to be greeted by a rather heavy set woman who was way to happy to be working at a hospital.
“Please take this forum and sign you name and reason for visiting and the other bits of information that's on the forum.” The woman gleefully spoke to him. As if there wasn't a chance someone was dying a few rooms behind her. Annoyed he walked to a ranch of chairs and sat down. He wrote his name down and checked in various boxes and signed his name a few more times. Not understanding why he had to write his name so many time, it's not like halfway through the forum he's going to change into a completely different person. He chuckled at the thought and could almost feel the stares from the people around him as a hospital wasn't a very comical place.
After he was done he stood up and once again walked over the linoleum floor over to the front desk. He flashed a shallow smile at the woman as he handed the paper back over. She stood there and read over it for a second flipping through and making sure everything was in order for him to be there. She smiled back at his as she said “Everything seems fine. You can take a seat and we'll call on you when you can go in and see your son, thank you for the patients.” After she was done talking he walked back and sat down in his already warm plastic chair and sighed as the words 'thank you for the patients' rung through his head. Another way of saying he was going to be here for a while and there's nothing you can do about it.
He looked around at the other people who sat waiting as they read through pamphlets they wouldn't read in any other circumstances. Or as they somehow were comfortable enough to fall asleep in. He watch them as they were called standing up with sighs of “Thank god” and he truly envied them. His back began to sting so he quickly shifted position slightly watching another group of people go up. People he was sure he came in before, maybe some paradox happened and his papers shifted on the waiting list. Yeah, that's the only reasonable explanation for it. Finally he saw a doctor with graying hair that implied seniority and experience approach the door and whisper to the desk lady who then peered in his direction.
She then pointed at him and the doctor took a slight glance at a clipboard in front of him then back up at him. The doctor was about to call out his name but it was obvious the doctor was referring to him so he stood up and walked over.
“Hello sir my name is Dr. Phoenix I am in charge of the well being of you soon and would like you to come look at his condition.” He spoke as he nodded to the long hallway behind him. All the father could think about was the last name Phoenix the kinda name that made someone pretentious about themselves, it's no wonder he became a doctor. He followed the assumed egotistical doctor down the long unnecessary cold hallway. He'd peak through the small glass windows on the several wooden doors. He could see doctors doing any number of things to different people. This kind of perspective made it seem like it was more of a torture compound as opposed to a hospital. Then again the only difference between the two is morphine and you have to pay.
He looked over at the calm confident doctor with his smug look and long stride like he was this hospitals savior. “So about my son's condition, why cant you just tell me before we get there? Is it serious?” The father spoke in an unwavering voice as he grabbed the doctor's attention
“No worries...” The doctor paused for a second as the both walked leading the father to wonder how long this hospital was, A kind of Doctor Who esque phenomenon. “Actually it's rather remarkable. All we did was put him under and from there we just... watched the wound heal itself.” Phoenix peered over at the father to see what his reaction was. He was met with a worried kind of empty daze.
“I've only seen this once before, a middle aged man wandered in after he had been hit by a semi truck going about sixty. As we were using an X-ray on him to see the extent of his injuries we could see the bones physically active and putting themselves together. It was recorded in a medical journal but the records were all burned so of course everyone thinks I’m making it up.” He chucked with a slight sign a depression as he stopped in front of one of the doors. “He's in here.” Dr. Phoenix spoke as he turned the door handle and pushed the heavy wooden block open.
The doctor and father walked in to see an unconcious Jamie laying with an oxygen mask on and IV running into his left arm. The father walked over and placed his hand over Jamie's forehead. He then reached down and pulled the collar of his gown to the side to reveal were the wound once was, only now it was vacant and his skin was perfect with no scarring or any visual sign of injury. The father's eyes darted around the room as it felt his worst fear was now at his door step. He then heard the doctor make a small gasp. Turning he could see the doctor checking his charts then making a double take at the father. “Is everything okay doc?” He asked afraid the concern from the doctor was about his child.
The doctor stood with his eyes wide open as he looked at the father then took another double take to the charts. “Now that I’m looking at you standing there next to your son. That man I said was hit by the semi-truck, that was you wasn't it? I know it was Mr. Lannon. Scott Lannon I remember now... I remember everything, I want answers.” The doctor stood firm with a commanding voice that pounced around the room. Scott just stayed in place shock and turning his gaze back to his son the only thing he could think and the only think he could say resounded through his body.
“Shit.” He said silently once again locking eyes with the doctor as the both stood still in a stalemate.
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