The Courage Within (Riley Bennett)

by Andy Coltart

  ‘You’ll let me know if you find anything, won’t you, doctor?’ said Alex.

  ‘Of course we will,’ replied the doctor.

  After Casey and Alex had both had something to eat the nurses came by and removed some of the monitors that were no longer required now they were awake. They were both finally free to get up and move around. Casey came out of her room into the ICU. The door to the next room was open so she looked in. There was Riley, lying on her bed, still unconscious. Casey looked around; everyone seemed to be distracted with other things so she slipped into Riley’s room and sat in the chair next to her bed. She wasn’t quite sure why she was there. It’s not as if they ever talked at school. In fact, Casey only knew of Riley because so many of the kids picked on her.

  As she sat there staring at Riley and watching the monitors beeping away behind her a voice in the door way said, ‘Hello.’ Casey nearly jumped out of her skin. Spinning round she saw Alex standing there.

  ‘Who are you?’ she said.

  ‘Alex,’ replied Alex.

  ‘Are you one of the kids struck by lightning today?’ said Casey.

  ‘Yes,’ he replied.

  ‘Me too. I’m Casey, and this is Riley from my school,’ she said.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ said Alex as he pulled up a chair and sat down. The two of them looked at Riley.

  ‘I wonder when she’ll wake up,’ said Casey.

  ‘Who knows,’ said Alex. ‘I guess everyone is different.’

  The two of them sat and talked for a while. They told each other their stories, what they could remember that is. ‘Joanne said the lightning split in two in the sky. Half hit me and Riley and the other half hit you,’ said Casey.

  ‘I didn’t know that,’ said Alex. ‘So we were all struck by the same lightning bolt at the same time. I wonder what else we have in common,’ he added.

  ‘I wonder,’ said Casey rubbing her sore right thigh. ‘See if anyone’s coming, will you?’ she said to Alex.

  ‘Can’t really help you there as the lightning strike has left me almost blind, he replied.

  ‘Oh my God, really?’ said Casey. ‘Okay, just listen out then will you, I want to check something.’

  Alex got up and stood by the door. Casey looked around then lifted the sheet covering Riley’s right leg.

  ‘What are you doing?’ said Alex.

  ‘I’m just checking something,’ Casey replied. She lifted Riley’s hospital gown up to reveal a mark on her right leg. Alex walked back over.

  ‘Hey I’ve got one of those,’ he said.

  ‘Me too,’ added Casey.

  ‘Weird,’ said Alex.

  ‘Just a bit,’ said Casey.

  Suddenly Riley started to stir. Opening her eyes she very quickly began to make anxious short breaths. Casey grabbed her hand and said, ‘Hey Riley, it’s okay. Riley, look at me. It’s Casey from school.’

  Riley looked at her and asked, ‘Where am I?’ She then looked at Alex and asked; ‘Who are you?’

  ‘You’re in hospital,’ said Casey. ‘You were struck by lightning when we were playing hockey. This is Alex, he’s a college student who was hit at the same time.’

  Alex decided to let the nurses know Riley was awake. Joanne was still on duty so she came in to speak to Riley.

  ‘I see you’ve all met,’ she said as she looked around the room at the three of them. ‘Riley, my name is Joanne and I’m one of the nurses. How are you feeling?’

  ‘I’ve got a headache and pain in my right leg,’ she replied, still a little dazed.

  ‘Same as us,’ said Casey.

  ‘Any other pains?’ asked Joanne.

  ‘Not that I can think of,’ replied Riley. ‘Where’s my mom?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh,’ said Joanne, ‘all your parents have been here but went home a while ago. They’ll be back in the morning.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Riley, sounding deflated that her mum wasn’t there.

  Joanne offered to get some food for Riley and then suggested that the three of them should all be in bed getting some rest.

  ‘You’re welcome to see each other in the morning,’ said Joanne.

  ‘Thanks, nurse,’ said Alex and Casey as they went back to their rooms and got into bed.

  Chapter 8

  Missing

  Everyone was woken early the next morning by nurses coming to check their medical condition.

  ‘Would you like some breakfast?’ said the nurse to Riley as she finished taking her blood pressure.

  ‘Yes please,’ said Riley. ‘What is there?’

  ‘The usual, cereal and toast but I think they have sausages on offer today too,’ said the nurse.

  ‘Sausages on toast sound good,’ replied Riley. She could feel her tummy rumbling like some sort of internal earthquake.

  ‘Okay, I’ll let them know,’ said the nurse as she left the room.

  Moments later Casey and Alex walked in carrying their breakfast trays.

  ‘Hey how come you got your food before me?’ said Riley, sounding a little put out.

  ‘I guess it’s because we got woken first for blood pressure tests. So at least you got the lie in!’ said Alex smiling.

  ‘Yeah, wasn’t that much of a lie in to be honest,’ said Riley. The nurse returned with a breakfast tray for Riley.

  ‘Oh, hello you two,’ she said to Casey and Alex. ‘You joining Riley for breakfast?’

  ‘We are,’ said Casey, sitting herself down on the end of the bed.

  When the nurse had gone Riley asked ‘How long do you think they’ll keep us here?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ said Casey.

  ‘I guess until they’ve decided we’re not suffering any effects from the lightning strike,’ said Alex.

  ‘I wonder what time our parents will come in?’ said Casey.

  ‘I expect it’ll be after the doctor has been round to see us,’ said Alex. ‘That’s normally what happens in a hospital.’

  ‘How are your eyes today?’ asked Casey.

  ‘Still not great,’ said Alex. ‘I can see a bit, I just can’t focus on anything clearly.’

  ‘That’s something that’ll need sorting before you leave here,’ said Riley.

  ‘True,’ said Alex.

  After breakfast the three of them sat and talked. Alex told them about his college course and the study that he and Will were doing on fossils. Casey talked about school but Riley kept quiet.

  ‘How come you’re not saying much?’ said Alex.

  ‘Not a lot to say really,’ replied Riley.

  ‘She’s keeping quiet because the kids at our school aren’t very nice to her, including me, which I’m really sorry about,’ said Casey.

  ‘That’s okay,’ replied Riley.

  ‘Why? What do they do?’ asked Alex.

  ‘They call me Crazy Curls, because of my epilepsy and my curly hair. I’ve had a few seizures in school, which has caused great amusement for those watching,’ said Riley.

  ‘That’s awful,’ said Alex.

  Riley sighed and looked at Casey. She wanted to talk but didn’t want to offend her.

  ‘It’s okay,’ said Casey, realising what the look was for. ‘You say what you want to. Don’t worry about offending me.’

  Riley smiled. ‘Well, you get used to it after years of being told you’re crazy,’ she said. ‘Then there’s the comments about my body in the changing rooms and being tripped up in the corridors. It all adds up to a miserable time at school. I’ll be glad when it’s over if I’m honest.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Casey, ‘I didn’t know it was that bad.’

  ‘Perhaps people will leave you alone after what you’ve been through with the lightning strike,’ said Alex.

  ‘I doubt it,’ said Riley. ‘If there’s an opportunity to be cruel, the kids in my school will take it.’

  The door opened and the doctor came in. ‘Good morning all,’ he said. ‘My name is Doctor Wu and I run the ICU. Would you mind if I talked with you all together?
’

  ‘No, that’s fine,’ they all replied.

  ‘Wonderful,’ said Doctor Wu as he pulled up a chair to join them. ‘I wanted to talk to you before your parents arrive. I have the results of your brain scans and there is something unusual about them,’ he said.

  ‘In what way?’ asked Alex.

  ‘Your brains seem to be highly electrically charged which should be killing you, but here you all are!’

  ‘That doesn’t sound good!’ said Casey.

  Doctor Wu sat forward in his chair and said, ‘To be honest, it’s not good. In the sense that if you were a house with this kind of energy surge the trip switch in the fuse box would have shut the power down.’

  ‘So what are you saying, doctor?’ asked Riley.

  ‘I’m saying your brains should have shut you down by now, but they haven’t and until I know what this electrical energy in your heads is doing, you’re going to have to stay here. The one good thing about all this is the fact you’re all awake, talking and moving around,’ he said, then added, ‘if this was life threatening I’m convinced there would be other serious problems which there don’t seem to be.’

  ‘Well I guess that’s a good thing,’ said Alex.

  ‘It is,’ replied Doctor Wu. ‘Oh, and I forgot to tell you your parents should all be here shortly.’ With that the doctor got up from his chair and left the room.

  ‘Wow,’ said Casey, ‘super charged brains. My mother won’t believe that about me!’

  It wasn’t long before there was a knock on Riley’s door. Before she could answer, it opened and in rushed her brother and sister. They didn’t stop to say hi to Casey and Alex. Instead they leaped onto Riley’s bed to give her a hug.

  ‘Yay, you’re awake,’ said Max.

  ‘I am,’ said Riley.

  ‘Hi Riley, hi guys,’ said Riley’s mum coming through the door carrying a box of chocolates and a bag with clothes in.

  ‘Oh, have you brought some clothes, Mom?’ asked Riley.

  ‘Yes, dear,’ said her mum.

  ‘Great, I’m not a fan of this hospital gown,’ replied Riley.

  ‘Oh, you two should head to your rooms,’ said Riley’s mum to Alex and Casey. ‘Your parents were just behind me, and a lad called Will.’

  ‘Thanks, we’ll see you later,’ they said, getting up and leaving Riley with her family.

  ‘Making new friends?’ said Riley’s mum.

  ‘Kind of,’ said Riley.

  ‘Anyway, how are you feeling and what have the doctors said?’ asked her mum. Riley explained what Doctor Wu had told them earlier that morning. In the rooms next door, Alex and Will were talking about what had happened and Casey was going through the bag of clothes her mum had brought in.

  ‘Really, Mom, tracky bottoms!’ she said.

  ‘Well I thought you’d want comfortable clothes,’ replied her mum.

  ‘What else have you brought?’ said Casey.

  ‘Well your skin tight jeans are in there too,’ said her mum.

  ‘Oh, thank God,’ said Casey, as if she’d just been saved from some sort of fashion disaster!

  ‘So you were here last night then,’ said Alex to Will.

  ‘Yeah, I came in the ambulance with you,’ said Will.

  ‘Thanks bud, I appreciate it,’ said Alex.

  ‘No problem, I’m just glad you’re awake now,’ replied Will. Alex explained that his eyes were still not working clearly and told Will and his father what Doctor Wu had said.

  ‘So how long will they keep you in, son?’ said Mr Manning.

  ‘Until they know what this electrical energy is doing, I guess,’ said Alex. ‘The doctor did say he’d talk to the parents later,’ he added.

  ‘Mom, would you mind if I go take a shower?’ said Riley. She hadn’t had the chance since the previous day before school and she’d played hockey and been struck by lightning since then.

  ‘Of course, dear,’ said her mum. ‘I’ll wait here with the twins in case the doctor calls round.’ Riley took some of the clothes her mum had brought in and her wash kit and towel and headed down the unit to the shower room at the end. The nurse stopped her at the door to the room.

  ‘Any problems in there just pull the red emergency cord,’ she said.

  ‘Okay, thanks,’ said Riley as she disappeared inside.

  Locking the door behind her she placed her towel on the chair and her clothes on the hook behind the door. She took the shampoo from her wash bag and put it in the shower cubicle. She took off her gown and underwear and looked at herself in the mirror. Those mean girls haven’t got a clue, she thought to herself. She could see the lightning scar on her thigh reflected in the mirror. Although it was still hurting a little she decided it made her look quite bad ass so wasn’t bothered it was there. She turned on the shower and let it run hot before stepping in. It was such a relief to feel clean again.

  As soon as she was finished and dressed, Alex and Casey took turns to do the same and get changed out of their hospital gowns. Doctor Wu came by and talked to the parents. He reassured them that their children were not in any danger as far as he could tell.

  ‘I hope you’ll be able to tell soon,’ said Casey’s mum.

  ‘With some further tests, yes we should,’ said Doctor Woo.

  Max and Beth were pulling on their mother’s sleeve.

  ‘Mum, we’re hungry,’ they were saying.

  ‘Riley, I’m going to take these two for some lunch. Do you want me to bring you anything?’ said her mum.

  ‘I’m okay,’ replied Riley, ‘I have this big box of chocolates,’ she said smiling. The other parents decided to go with Riley’s mum for some lunch and Will said goodbye as the college had let him have the morning off to visit but wanted him in lectures that afternoon.

  ‘I’ll take notes for you, bud,’ he said to Alex as he left.

  ‘Thanks,’ replied Alex.

  Riley was sitting on her bed wearing the jeans and vest top her mum had brought in. She was flicking through the television channels when suddenly she got an intense burning sensation in her head. She dropped the TV controls onto the bed as she grabbed her head with both hands. The pain was so overwhelming she ended up curled up in a ball on her bed. A nurse opened the door to look in. Standing in the doorway she shouted back to the main desk, ‘Did Riley go to lunch with her Mom?’

  ‘Not that we know of,’ came the reply. Riley sat up but said nothing, wondering what was wrong with the nurse’s eyes as she was right there in front of her.

  Alex and Casey had both just experienced the same burning sensation in their heads and had just about managed to stand up after a few minutes curled up on their beds. They came into Riley’s room walking past the nurse, who was still in the open doorway. The nurse didn’t seem to notice them.

  ‘Hi Riley,’ said Casey, ‘I’ve just had the most awful pain in my head.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Riley and Alex together.

  ‘Plus, that nurse doesn’t think I’m in my room, even though she was staring right at me,’ said Riley.

  ‘That’s weird,’ said Casey.

  The nurse had gone from the doorway and there seemed to be some sort of commotion out in the corridor. Riley, Casey and Alex went to the door to see what was going on.

  ‘Has anyone seen them since their parents left?’ said one of the doctors.

  ‘No, but the parents definitely left without them,’ said a nurse. ‘I saw them go.’

  ‘Well where are they then?’ said the doctor. Riley, Casey and Alex looked at each other, very confused. They could see the doctor and nurses, why couldn’t the staff see Riley and the others?

  ‘I want to test a theory,’ said Alex. The girls watched as he walked right up to the doctor. Standing in front of him he said ‘Hello,’ and waved his hand in the doctor’s face. The doctor did nothing. Alex came back to the girls. ‘We have a problem,’ he said. ‘We’re invisible!’

  The three of them went into Riley’s room and sat down.


  ‘How on earth has this happened?’ said Riley.

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ said Casey.

  ‘I expect it has something to do with those painful headaches we had ten minutes ago,’ said Alex.

  ‘What are we going to do if no one can see or hear us?’ said Riley. She looked like she was about to cry, but she didn’t.

  ‘Don’t panic,’ said Alex, ‘we’ll figure it out.’

  Riley looked at Casey and Alex. ‘What’s that on your hands?’ she said. The two of them looked at their hands and noticed a slight shimmering.

  ‘Yours are doing the same,’ said Casey.

  ‘Perhaps this has something to do with our invisibility,’ added Alex.

  By now the parents had arrived back and were stood with the doctor at the reception desk.

  ‘So where are they?’ said Casey’s mum, sounding very frustrated.

  ‘You can’t call us back from lunch and just say “your kids are missing!”’ added Riley’s mum.

  ‘We don’t know,’ said the doctor.

  ‘There is currently a hospital-wide search for them,’ said the nurse.

  Chapter 9

  So What Next?

  As the afternoon went on and then became evening, it was clear nothing was going to change. The hospital had made the decision to report the three teenagers as missing to the police. Riley, Casey and Alex had sat and watched in utter amazement as the police had interviewed their parents and staff about their disappearance.

  ‘This is nuts,’ said Casey. ‘We are right here in front of them!’

  ‘It’s getting late,’ said Riley’s mum. ‘I’m going to take the twins home. If Riley doesn’t return to her room let me know and I’ll collect her things in the morning.’ The other parents decided to do the same and left for the night. Sitting in Riley’s room the three of them wondered what exactly they should do next.