Homecoming Queen

by Melody Carlson

  “Sounds good to me,” said DJ. “I know I’ve been wanting to see that film.”

  “Me too,” added Conner.

  “So how about you, Casey?” asked Garrison hopefully.

  But now Casey was staring in the other direction, away from the group and toward the street, and DJ was getting seriously irritated. Why was Casey being so stubborn about this? DJ turned and followed Casey’s gaze in time to see a small child about to step into the street where traffic, oblivious to school-zone laws, was rapidly approaching.

  Without thinking or even saying a word — DJ took off. Sprinting as fast as she could, she raced toward the child, who was nearly in the middle of the street now.

  “Look out!” she screamed as she leaped. With arms outstretched like she was diving for a low shot, she grabbed the little boy and pushed him straight toward the curb. In that same instant, a blur of shining metal charged directly into her. And suddenly everything went from light to fuzzy to black.

  “Is she okay?” said a woman’s voice. “It happened so quickly. I didn’t even see her.”

  DJ opened her eyes to see a dark-haired woman putting a blanket over her. Then she noticed Conner was there too, holding her hand in his.

  “What happened?” she muttered.

  “You were hit by a car, DJ.” His eyes were serious. “Don’t move. Garrison already called 911, and an ambulance is coming.”

  Then DJ tried to sit up, but a jolt of sharp pain surged through her left leg and she immediately leaned back again, dizzy with pain.

  “Just be still,” said Conner.

  “Seriously, DJ,” said Casey from the other side. She gently moved some hair from DJ’s eyes. “Don’t move, okay?”

  DJ closed her eyes and mumbled okay. Or at least she thought she did, and once again things got blurry.

  5

  THE TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL was hazy, but DJ vaguely remembered the ambulance’s siren, sort of like an alarm clock that’s been shoved beneath the pillow but still buzzing.

  At the hospital, she did her best to cooperate with doctors and nurses and X-ray technicians and others as they examined and moved her from room to room in what seemed some sort of strange chess game or medical maze. It felt slightly surreal, or maybe that was from the pain medication they gave her. At times she almost felt as if she were watching this happening to someone else — or maybe she’d fallen asleep watching Gray’s Anatomy again.

  Then finally, with something stiff wrapped around the lower part of her leg and pillows propped beneath it, she was settled into yet another room. She fell asleep, and this time when she opened her eyes her grandmother was standing over her.

  “Desiree,” she said softly with a slight frown. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve had better days.” DJ looked around at the sparse, beige room with medical equipment all around. A nurse was standing nearby doing something on a laptop.

  Grandmother nodded. “It seems you have suffered a broken leg, some cracked ribs, as well as a minor concussion.”

  DJ grimaced. “Is that all?”

  “Are you in much pain?” Grandmother asked.

  DJ started to nod then stopped. Her head hurt too much. “Yes,” she muttered.

  The nurse stepped over and held out two little white pills. “I’ve got something for that,” she said. “But it might make you sleepy.”

  DJ didn’t care. She thankfully took the pills with a sip of water and then closed her eyes again.

  “Your friends are still here,” said Grandmother. “They want to know if it’s okay to see you.”

  DJ shrugged and then grimaced again. “It’s okay with me,” she said.

  Casey, Conner, and Garrison came in and visited with her. But she was getting sleepy, and for the most part they chatted amongst themselves, making jokes about how they had missed the movie in order to play doctor. But it got harder to focus, and DJ felt herself drifting away. She was sorry to miss out on her friends, but it was nice to take a break from the pain.

  When DJ awoke, the room was dark, and no one was in sight. She felt thirsty. A cup and a pitcher sat on the bedside table, and she fumbled to pour some water. Just as she took a sip, Casey emerged from the bathroom.

  “You’re awake,” Casey said.

  “Yeah,” DJ said. “What time is it?”

  “It’s after nine.”

  “When do I go home?”

  “Not tonight,” said Casey. “I asked your grandmother if I could stay here with you, and she seemed relieved to go home. I get the impression that she doesn’t like hospitals much.”

  “She hates hospitals. My mom told me that when Grandmother gets her plastic surgery done she goes to this special clinic that looks like a spa, and even then she has to take tranquilizers just to keep from freaking.”

  “I think I’d give up the plastic surgery if I were her,” said Casey.

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “So, how are you feeling?”

  “Sore.”

  “I should warn you, the press came while you were asleep.”

  “The press?”

  “You’re a hero, DJ.”

  “Huh?”

  “Remember, you saved that little boy.”

  “Oh, yeah. The little boy!” DJ couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about that. “He’s okay?”

  “He’s fine. It was Coach Jones’s kid.”

  “Coach Jones has a kid?”

  “Apparently.”

  “I didn’t even know she was married.”

  “She’s not.” Casey grinned. “But if you haven’t heard the news, you can have babies without being married.”

  DJ smiled.

  “Anyway, she’s been here too. Those big yellow flowers are from her.”

  DJ looked over to where several bouquets were lined up by the window. “Oh.”

  “Yeah. You’ve had quite a few visitors. But we’ve kept them at bay.”

  “Did Conner go home?”

  “He didn’t want to, but I said he should. He’s got those soccer matches tomorrow.” Casey brightened now. “Hey, Garrison likes me.”

  “I know.”

  “How do you know?”

  “It’s one of the things I remember before I jumped in front of that truck.”

  “It was an SUV.”

  “SUV, truck, whatever. It felt like a locomotive.”

  “Did your grandmother tell you that you’re scheduled for surgery at six in the morning?”

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah. They’re going to put a piece of metal in your leg. Apparently that’s the latest thing for getting broken bones to heal up more quickly.”

  For the first time that day, DJ felt tears filling her eyes. “I can’t believe this all happened to me, Casey. I mean, one minute I’m just living a normal life, and the next minute I’m — I’m — ” And now she was crying.

  Casey handed her the tissue box. “It’s going to be okay, DJ. Seriously, you could’ve been killed. I heard the doctor saying it was good that you’re in such great shape and that most people would’ve been a lot more messed up than you are. He told your grandmother that you were lucky you only broke your fibula and not your tibia.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “It means you broke the smaller bone in your leg. And apparently it was a clean break, whatever that means. Anyway, he said the prognosis was very good.”

  “But look at me.” DJ blotted her tears. “I’m an invalid.”

  “Hey, you’re lucky you’re not a vegetable.”

  DJ blew her nose.

  “Seriously, DJ, we saw the whole thing, and we thought you were about to be history. By the time we reached you, which seemed to take forever — like who knew you could run that fast — I honestly thought you were dead. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.” Casey shook her head.

  “I guess I should be glad to be alive . . .” DJ forced a weak smile for her friend’s benefit.

  “Just so you know,” Casey con
tinued, “the other girls at the house send their love. Every one of them has either called or stopped by.” She made a face. “Even Taylor acted all concerned when she came. She insisted that she had to see you, but I had already told Eliza to tell everyone it would be better to wait until tomorrow. That’s what the nurse told me to tell them. And so I had to turn her away. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I think I’ve been too out of it to mind.” DJ sighed. “But thanks for sticking around, Casey.”

  “There’s no way I was leaving you here alone.”

  “I appreciate it.” DJ thought about her mom, wondering if she would’ve been here right now if DJ had died after getting hit by that car. Too bad she hadn’t had one of those near-death experiences where you briefly visit loved ones in heaven. That would’ve been pretty cool. She wondered what Mom would’ve said to her. She probably would’ve welcomed her, hugged her, and stroked her hair like she used to do when DJ was little. Then maybe she would’ve sent her back. Thinking of Mom reminded DJ of her dad. What would he think about this? Would he care? Did he even know?

  “Uh, Casey,” DJ began hesitantly. “Do you think Grandmother told my dad about the accident?”

  “I don’t know, but it seems like she would’ve. Do you want me to call and ask her?” Casey started to dig in her backpack.

  “No.” DJ held a hand up to stop her. “That’s okay.”

  “Want me to call him for you?” Casey pulled out her cell phone and opened it.

  DJ shook her head. “To be honest, I don’t think I really care whether he knows or not. It’s not like he can do anything.” Or like he would do anything . . . besides having his wife send flowers or a card.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.” She closed the phone.

  DJ didn’t like to think about her dad. And she certainly didn’t want to talk to him. What if he did something out of character and decided to fly out here? How weird would that be? Seriously, the last thing she needed right now was for him to show up and act like “the loving father.”

  DJ was glad Casey was staying the night. Somehow she didn’t like the idea of being at the hospital alone. DJ had never been in a hospital overnight. “Where are you sleeping tonight?”

  Casey pointed to the vacant bed on the other side of the room. “The nurse said I can sleep there if I want to.”

  “Roommates again.” DJ forced a smile.

  “That’s right.” Casey smiled. “Oh, and the nurse said you’re not supposed to eat anything tonight. For your surgery in the morning, you know. And no fluids after midnight. Just the IV. Hope that’s okay.”

  “I’m not hungry.” DJ closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to be brave, and as much as she wanted to be thankful that she wasn’t severely injured or even dead, she mostly felt sorry for herself. Why had this happened to her? Why hadn’t God been watching out for her better? And how long would she be laid up with a broken leg and cracked ribs? Obviously, she would miss the rest of volleyball season. Maybe even spring soccer too. Why was life so unfair?

  DJ barely opened her eyes when the nurse woke her up the next morning. It took about an hour to get her prepped for surgery, and by the time they wheeled her into the operating room, everything was getting fuzzy again. Then a guy came over and talked to her about breathing and asked her to count backward from ten. She barely reached six when everything slipped away. The next thing she knew she was in what she was informed was a recovery room.

  “What about the surgery?” she asked groggily.

  The nurse smiled. “It’s all done, dear. It went well.”

  After a couple more naps, a vaguely familiar white-haired surgeon came to talk to her. “You’re fortunate that it was a clean break,” he said. “And with the rod now in place, you should be up and moving around in no time.”

  “Really?” DJ blinked. “Will I be able to play volleyball this season?”

  “Well, not this season, but next year.”

  “Oh.”

  “You’ll be on crutches for a few weeks, along with a walking boot. You’ll also need some physical therapy, which we’ll start up first thing next week.”

  “Crutches might be cool.” DJ could imagine herself zinging through the hallways at school.

  “And the scarring should be minimal,” the doctor said.

  “Scarring?”

  “From the surgery. Your grandmother was concerned about the appearance of your legs, Desiree.” He winked at her in a grandfatherly sort of way.

  DJ gave him a smirk. “My grandmother is all about appearances.”

  “Naturally, there is a lot of bruising simply from being hit by the car, and also some swelling from the surgery. But the scar from the incision shouldn’t be too noticeable after a month or so. Especially since I glued it closed.”

  DJ blinked. “You glued it?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. It’s a new technique. No stitches or staples. It’s a kind of superglue that completely closes the wound. It’s a great way to ward off infection, plus you can shower without covering it.”

  “So you put me back together with a rod and superglue?”

  “Something like that.”

  “How long will I be in the hospital?”

  “If all goes well, we might get you released later this afternoon.” He made some final notes on her file then nodded. “As long as you promise to take it easy when you get home. That means no foot races or shenanigans.”

  She assured him that would not be a problem and then, as she was being wheeled back to her room, she noticed a party or something down the hall. But as she got closer she noticed that the crowd consisted of her friends from Carter House, as well as Conner and Harry and a couple of other guys. There were balloons and flowers and get-well signs, but perhaps most surprising was what appeared to be a camera crew milling about the hallway near her door — along with local celebrity Bonnie Hudson, anchor woman of the six o’clock news.

  “Make way, everyone,” ordered Eliza. She waved her arms as if directing traffic or perhaps she was simply trying to hog the cameras. “Let’s give DJ some space,” she commanded as DJ was wheeled into her room. Then Eliza actually shoed everyone out of the room. “Give us a few minutes, please!”

  “What’s going on?” DJ asked Eliza. The nurse and orderly were helping DJ settle into her bed, removing the IV tube, and getting her leg situated on some pillows.

  “You mean besides a circus?” said the nurse as she finished up what she was doing. That’s when Eliza came over and set her Gucci bag on the bedside table as if she were part of the medical staff too.

  “What are you doing?” DJ asked Eliza. “Are you running the hospital now too?”

  “No, I’m here to help you.”

  DJ shrugged then made a feeble wave to Casey, who was now seated in a chair by the window and wearing a slightly unhappy expression, as if she personally resented Eliza’s little takeover. But at least she waved back.

  “Bonnie Hudson is here to see you, DJ,” Eliza informed her.

  “So?” DJ stared at Eliza. “What’s that got to do with you?”

  “Well, we don’t want you being filmed until we’ve fixed you up a little.” Eliza removed a sleek-looking cosmetic bag from her purse then peered down at DJ with a concerned frown.

  “It’s okay.” DJ felt silly over Eliza’s focus on her appearance. “Really, I don’t care how I look.”

  “No, dear, it’s not okay.” Now Eliza held up a hand mirror. “You should care how you look because, trust me, it’s not even close to okay.”

  DJ was shocked to see her reflection. She did look pretty bad. Besides the flattened bed-head hair in need of a good shampoo, she had a brownish yellow bruise on the left side of her forehead and an ugly red abrasion across her cheek. Her lips were cracked and dry and there were even some white tracks of what must’ve been drool alongside both sides of her mouth. Not a pretty picture.

  “See what I mean?” said Eliza.

  “Uh-huh.” And before DJ could say anything e
lse, Eliza was carefully washing her face with a warm washcloth and then gently wiping on something that smelled like roses.

  “You just sit still, dahling,” Eliza said softly. “I’ll have you as good as new in no time. Or almost.”

  After Eliza finished with her face, she fussed a bit with DJ’s hair and finally handed the mirror back to DJ. “Better?”

  DJ nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “Ready for your adoring fans?”

  “I, uh, I guess.”

  “Okay. I’ll tell them to take it easy on you.” Then Eliza went and opened the door and, acting like DJ’s personal publicity agent, she allowed the camera crew and reporter as well as Coach Jones and a slightly familiar looking little boy inside the room.

  “I’m Bonnie Hudson,” said the petite brunette that DJ already recognized from TV. “And I’ve been dying to talk to you, Desiree.”

  “DJ, please.”

  Bonnie smiled. “Sure, DJ. Well, DJ, you are the talk of the town today.” She nodded to her crew, and DJ could tell that their cameras were already rolling. “Your grandmother, Mrs. Carter, gave us permission to speak to you, but I want to be sure you’re okay with it too.”

  DJ shrugged. “I’m fine.”

  “Super.” Bonnie waved over Coach Jones and a small boy with dark curls framing his pixie face. “Come on over here, Ms. Jones. I think it’s high time for introductions.”

  Coach Jones looked slightly uncomfortable, but she forced a nervous smile. “Greetings, DJ. This is my little boy Jackson. He’ll be four in January. And he has recently become your biggest fan.”

  “Hi, DJ,” said the brown-faced little boy in a shy voice.

  “Hey, Jackson,” said DJ. “It’s nice to meet you.” She patted her bed. “Do you want to sit up here so I can see you better?”

  “Okay.” He waited for his mom to help him up then sat quietly looking at her with a somber expression.

  “You’re doing all right then?” asked DJ.

  “Uh-huh.” He nodded.

  “You didn’t get hurt?”

  “Just here.” He pointed to his elbow where a Big Bird bandage with was securely adhered.

  “Ouch,” DJ said.