Osmosis

by Susan X Meagher

  Just under the hour limit, Juliet walked across the parking lot, heading for the front door. “Hey!” Jamie called out.

  Juliet gave her a brief glance and kept going.

  “I’ve got your room key. You left both of them.” Jamie could see the heavy sigh leave Juliet’s lungs. She approached rather tentatively and held out her hand. Jamie pulled the key from her pocket, but didn’t offer it up. “I’m sorry for the things I said.”

  “Sure you are.”

  “I believe them,” Jamie clarified, “but I know you don’t wanna hear them. And it’s none of my business how you live your life. If you wanna build a nuclear bomb-proof closet—go right ahead. I just know how lonely it is.”

  Surprising Jamie, Juliet flopped down next to her on the bench. “You don’t know anything,” she said, sounding tired.

  “I really do. I know what it’s like to have feelings that you’re afraid of. I know what it’s like to be terrified of disappointing people. I get that,” she said earnestly.

  “I have …” Juliet’s mouth tightened. “I have a problem with alcohol. When I drink, I do crazy things. That’s why I … did whatever I did to you. I don’t remember it, so I can’t really know what I was thinking, but I’m sure I was just out of my mind.”

  “Alcohol lowers inhibitions; it doesn’t make you into a different person.”

  “What are you, a psychiatrist? You don’t know me, and you don’t know what was going on in my head. For all I know, you were hitting on me! Maybe you just came up with this story to … convince your girlfriend you didn’t start it!”

  Jamie’s anger had faded and she didn’t have the desire to continue the argument. She laughed softly. “Yeah. That’s probably it. I’m always trying to think of ways to cheat on Ryan.”

  “I don’t know how you people behave. You might fool around with anyone who’ll let you.”

  “Yeah, we do,” Jamie said, smiling agreeably. “All of the stories you’ve heard are true. We’re like wild dogs. My favorite trick is to go to someone’s house and get so drunk she has to take me home. Then, when I get her into my room, I try to hump her. Oh, wait! That’s what you did!”

  “I didn’t do that! You must have been drunk if that’s what you thought!”

  “Nope. I wasn’t drunk. But even if I had been, I wouldn’t have hit on you.”

  Stung, Juliet drew back, looking like Jamie had hit her.

  “I didn’t mean it that way,” Jamie said. “I just mean that I’m happy and fulfilled in my relationship. Even though you probably find it hard to believe, lesbians can be happy.”

  “Whatever,” Juliet said, trying to look like she didn’t care. “I only want to make sure that people don’t associate me with you. I’ve got to make sure sponsors don’t think I’m gay, because even though you don’t have much contact with the real world, people still want to sign straight women to endorsement contracts.”

  Once again, Jamie couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “And what kind of endorsement contracts do you think you’re gonna get?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Juliet snapped.

  “You heard me. Who do you think’s gonna sign you?”

  “The usual—a resort, a ball company, a shoe company. Maybe a watch or a car manufacturer.”

  “And why would they do that?”

  “Are you stupid?” Juliet asked. “They sign people who they think present a good image and make people want to buy their products.”

  “I’m not stupid,” Jamie said, feeling her temper flare again. “And you’re no Anna Kournikova. You’re a decent looking woman, but no one’s gonna sign you to make you an X-rated screensaver.”

  “You’re such a bitch!”

  “And you’re delusional! The only way for you to get endorsement contracts is to play well. Really, really well. You’re never going to get signed because you’re sizzling hot, Juliet, so the only thing … truly the only thing that matters … is how well you play. So stop your ridiculous paranoia and focus on your game! My guess is that you screwed up today partly because you were paired with me.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “While I was sitting out here, I was thinking about your play and it dawned on me that you have a shitty round every time we’re paired. I think you’ve got half of your brain on your game and half on making sure no one thinks of me when they see you.”

  “Do you blame me?” Juliet jumped to her feet. “You’ve been on the cover of every tabloid in the country! Everywhere we go, people follow you just to see the woman they saw every night on TV. I don’t wanna be associated with that!” She was so upset she was panting, and she stepped back just enough to lose her balance on the sidewalk. She started to wave her arms to right herself.

  Jamie jumped up and grabbed her flailing hand. But Juliet was too far gone and she started to fall. Jamie should have let go, but she tried to pull her back—only to have the heavier, taller woman pull her down on top of her. Seeing that she was going to fall, Jamie pushed off the sidewalk, trying not to land on Juliet. It seemed like everything was in slow motion. Jamie knew she was going to hit the ground, but her feet still tried to come down first. They didn’t. She felt her right arm hit the ground, then her chin hit her chest. She knew her legs were on something soft, and she assumed that softness was Juliet, but she couldn’t make herself move. Everything seemed very quiet, and her brain didn’t accept that she’d fallen. It was very much like a movie that she wanted to rewind, but she didn’t quite know how.

  “Oh, shit!”

  Juliet’s voice sounded far away, and isolated—like it was the only sound besides the pounding of blood that was throbbing in Jamie’s ears. Struggling to move, Juliet got hold of Jamie’s hips and tried to push her, but as soon as her body moved, Jamie felt a jolt of pain in her arm that made her scream. “Don’t! Don’t touch me!”

  “You’re lying on me! Get off, God damn it!”

  “Don’t move me!” Jamie cried. “I’m hurt!”

  “I’m hurt too and you’re making it worse!” Ignoring Jamie’s protests, Juliet again tried to slide out from under her hips.

  “Stop!” Jamie cried. “God damn it. Stop!”

  A security guard saw them and ran across the parking lot. “What’s going on?” he demanded.

  “We fell,” Juliet said. “And she can’t get off me.”

  “Are you two drunk?”

  “No!” Juliet snapped. “Help get her off me!”

  “Don’t you dare!” Jamie said just as firmly. “Just let me make sure I’m okay.”

  “You’re okay? I think I broke my tailbone!”

  “Juliet! Will you shut up for a second? I’m trying to make sure I can move my legs.”

  When the guard heard that, he ran for the lobby to alert the manager on duty. Both the manager and the guard ran back outside to where Jamie was assessing her injuries.

  “Don’t move!” the manager said. “I called an ambulance and they’ll be here in just a minute. They’ll know what to do.”

  “It’s okay,” Jamie said. “I think I’m all right.” She tried to roll off Juliet, but the pain hit her again and she gasped. “Fuck.”

  A cab pulled up in front of the hotel and Ryan got out and spent a moment paying the driver. She saw the men standing over a couple of people on the ground and assumed it was a liquor-driven fight, but she took a quick look before going inside and saw a body that she knew in an instant was her lover. Dropping her bag, she ran over to the scene and fell to her knees. “Baby! What happened?”

  “God, I’m glad to see you,” Jamie said, then she started to cry.

  Ryan was desperate for information, but a quick look at the men showed her that either they didn’t know or weren’t going to say what had happened. She looked down again and saw Juliet. Her stomach flipped at the thought of Jamie lying atop Juliet, but she swallowed her anxiety and asked again, “What happened?”

  “I started to fall and Jamie tried to catch me. I went down
and she fell on top of me. Now she won’t get off.”

  “I can’t,” Jamie sobbed. “It hurts.”

  “Okay. Let’s take this one step at a time. Tell me where the pain is, Jamie.”

  “My right … everything. My arm and my chest. And my knee.”

  “How about your head? Any pain there?”

  Juliet interrupted. “I’m in pain too, and it doesn’t help to have her on me!”

  Ryan looked her right in the eye. “I don’t care about you. So just shut up and wait.” She shifted her gaze to Jamie and her expression softened. “How’s your head?”

  “Okay, but it hurts. I feel like I hit my chin.”

  Jamie’s head was resting on her right cheek, and Ryan reached down and touched her face. “You’re not bleeding. Is your neck stiff?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I think I’m fine, honey. I just hurt my arm. Can you help me up?”

  “I’m not sure,” Ryan said. “I’m worried you might have injured your head or your neck.” She looked up and asked, “Is an ambulance coming?”

  The manager pointed in the distance, and Ryan looked up to see the vehicle screaming up the highway. “We’ll let the paramedics do this, baby. They’ll make sure you’re fine.”

  “Damn it,” Juliet cried. “Get her off me!’

  Ryan leaned down once again and got so close their noses nearly touched. “I’d be happy to knock you out so you don’t notice her. Wanna give it a try?”

  “Oh, you’re tough, real tough. Just try it!”

  “You’re obviously fine,” Ryan said, standing up and brushing off her knees as the ambulance pulled up. “If you were really hurt, you wouldn’t have the strength to be a jerk.”

  The ambulance squealed to a stop and the driver walked over to the women while the passenger opened the back door of their vehicle. “What happened?” the driver asked.

  Juliet volunteered, “I started to fall backwards and she grabbed me. But I fell and she fell on top of me. Can you get her off?”

  “In a moment, ma’am. Can you tell me how you’re feeling?”

  “My butt hurts and she’s crushing me, but other than that I think I’m okay.”

  He got down on his knees beside Jamie. “Did you lose consciousness?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “Things felt really funny. I think I hit my chin. Maybe … I don’t know.”

  He looked at the other paramedic and said, “Backboard.” The woman pulled out a stretcher with a backboard on top of it. She rolled it over to the pair and they began attaching Jamie to it.

  It took them quite a while, but Ryan was thankful that they worked carefully, making sure to secure Jamie’s head and neck before they allowed her to move. The driver checked everything one last time, then looked at his partner. “Ready?”

  “Yeah,” she said. They both crouched and lifted the backboard, then set it on the edge of the stretcher and slowly turned it so Jamie lay on her back. Ryan was right there, holding her hand and smiling encouragingly.

  Juliet started to get up but the hotel manager said, “Wait! They didn’t tell you to get up!”

  “Oh, quit worrying about your insurance.” She sat up before the paramedics could say a word. “Damn, my butt hurts!” She rolled over and got to her knees, then stood. Just as she got steady on her feet, Scott Godfrey, the golf coach, ran out.

  “What happened? Ryan?” he said, looking at her quickly. “What are you doing here?”

  “Softball,” she said. “Jamie and Juliet got tangled up somehow and they fell. Juliet seems fine, but she’s a pain in the ass. I mean, she has a pain in the ass. Jamie’s banged up, but it doesn’t look too serious.”

  “Says you,” Jamie said, wincing.

  “I just meant it doesn’t seem life threatening or anything,” Ryan rushed to explain.

  “Where I’m from, this is serious.” Jamie managed a half smile, but looked startled when they started to move her into the ambulance. “Don’t leave!’ she said, grabbing Ryan’s hand.

  “I won’t.” Ryan looked at the ambulance driver and he shrugged.

  “You can ride up front in the passenger seat.”

  “I’ll take Juliet to the hospital,” Scott said.

  “I don’t need to go!’

  “Yeah, you do. If there’s any possibility that you’re hurt, we can’t take any chances.”

  “I’m fine!”

  “No arguments,” he said. “We’ll get a cab.”

  She sighed, but nodded. The manager went in to call a cab and the attendant closed one side of the ambulance door, then jumped in. “We’re going to St. Luke’s,” she said.

  “We’re right behind you,” Scott said, watching the ambulance pull away.

  Ryan got in and buckled up, then turned around to check on Jamie while the driver pulled into traffic. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, but I wish you were back here.”

  “Stop!” Ryan ordered, making the driver do a double-take.

  “What?”

  “Stop the ambulance! My partner wants me in the back with her.”

  “Honey, it’s all right,” Jamie said. “Really.”

  “You’re sure?” Ryan’s tone indicated that she’d figure out a way to get back there, even if she had to take hostages.

  “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  The woman sitting beside Jamie started to take her blood pressure. “We’ll be at the hospital in less than five minutes. Let’s all calm down.”

  “I started it,” Jamie said. “I know Ryan does whatever I ask of her. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “Being injured is hard,” the woman said. “Nobody really likes being back here.” She checked the readout and said, “Your pressure’s low. Do you know what your normal reading is?”

  “I forget,” Jamie said. “But it’s usually a little low.”

  The woman nodded and made a note, then carefully put pressure on various parts of Jamie’s body and asked if she could feel them. Ryan was practically turned around in her seat, watching the woman like a hawk. They pulled up at the emergency room entrance before the paramedic could finish her cursory evaluation, and in just a few moments they were inside.

  A nurse approached and spoke to the paramedics, their voices too quiet for Ryan to hear—even though she tried. They moved Jamie into a large room filled with other patients on gurneys, then they pulled some blue drapes around her spot and took their leave.

  It took a few minutes for anyone to appear; Ryan was just about to go collar someone when a young woman came in.

  “Hi. I’m Doctor Singh. I’m going to examine you.”

  “Hi,” Jamie said. Too intent on watching the doctor, Ryan didn’t speak.

  “So, tell me what happened.”

  “I was talking with someone and she started to fall backwards. She was kinda on the edge of a sidewalk. I grabbed at her hand but she fell anyway. I remember trying to jump so I didn’t land right on her. Then … I remember falling … and that’s about it.”

  “Did you black out?”

  “I’m not sure,” Jamie said. “But things got … fuzzy.”

  “Did you hit your head?”

  “I don’t think so, but I hit my chin … somewhere.”

  “Hmm …” The doctor looked at her face. “No marks.”

  “It’s her arm that hurts,” Ryan said, unable to stay quiet.

  “Yeah. My arm,” Jamie said.

  “Okay.” The doctor looked into Jamie’s eyes with a small penlight, and had her follow the pinpoint. She spent a few minutes making sure Jamie could focus, then asked her some simple questions, which Jamie answered without problem. “Any stiffness in your neck?”

  “Hard to tell,” Jamie said, “but I don’t think so.”

  The doctor reached out to test her grip. When Jamie explained that her left arm hurt too much to move it, the doctor positioned herself so Jamie could keep it where it was, then asked her to grip. Then she removed Jamie’s shoes and had her press against her
hands with her feet. She continued doing all sorts of small tests for a few minutes, then said, “Okay. You seem fine, but I’ll order a CAT scan just to make sure.” She smiled and was gone before Ryan could grab her by the lapels of her starched white coat.

  “She didn’t look at your arm!”

  “I noticed,” Jamie said, scowling. “It’s throbbing like a bitch!”

  “I’ll get somebody to come in and look at it,” Ryan said, starting to take off.

  “No, no, baby. Stay here. They know what they’re doing.”

  “Says you!”

  A nurse came in and said, “Do you need help getting undressed?”

  Jamie blinked. “Uhm … no, why?”

  “I’d like you to put on a gown.”

  “We can do it,” Ryan said, taking it from her. “When is somebody gonna look at what hurts her?”

  The nurse looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

  “That doctor just looked at her head.”

  “Right. This is the neurology E.R. The doctor said we could take your friend off the backboard. She just wants a CAT scan to be sure.”

  Ryan’s look could have melted ice. “It’s her arm that hurts.”

  “Oh. Right. Well, after the CAT scan, we’ll move her to orthopedics.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “I’m not sure. We’re busy tonight.” She took out a scissors and cut the tape that was holding Jamie’s head still. She gently pulled the remnants away from her face and loosened the straps that held her. “Sure you can undress without help?”

  “Yeah. I’m certain,” Ryan said.

  The nurse left and Ryan spent some time organizing the straps and pieces of tape that were far too haphazard for her tastes. “You just lie still and I’ll get you undressed.”

  “Kinda like home.”