by Laurie Ames
Allison ran as fact as she could, taking her cellphone out of her pocket as she ran.
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Allison was saying over and over as she hurried to the fallen woman. Just as she reached the woman lying on the ground, an emergency operator came onto the line.
“9-1-1 operator. What is your emergency?” a woman’s voice asked. Allison was frantic.
“Oh, my God! I need an ambulance! Send an ambulance, right away! A woman has just been struck by a speeding vehicle!” Allison’s voice was trembling with urgency.
“OK, I’m patching it in now. Where are you ma’am?” the operator asked, in a calm and soothing voice.
“I’m—I’m at the corner of Bellevue and 29th street in downtown Hartsville!” Allison shouted into the receiver.
“OK, ma’am, the ambulance is on its way. Please stay on the line with me, if you can, until they arrive on the scene, okay?” The tone of the female operator’s voice was calm and composed, yet also had a sense of urgency in it.
“My name is Allison Manning and I’m a registered nurse at Hartsville General. I am going to assess the woman’s injuries,” Allison told the operator. She placed the phone down on the ground and put it on speaker phone.
Allison reached out and placed one hand tenderly under the injured woman’s head. She was a beautiful young African American woman and even with her noticeable injuries, Allison couldn’t help noticing her very pretty face. To Allison’s surprise, the woman opened her eyes when Allison’s hand touched her face. The woman’s eyes were a stunning hazel color and Allison couldn’t help but to notice how radiant they were.
“Miss? Can you hear me?” Allison asked the woman. The woman groaned and muttered something unintelligible in reply. “Miss? My name is Allison and I’m a nurse. I’ve called an ambulance and they’re on the way. Can you tell me your name?”
“Jua—Juanita,” the woman replied in a soft, weak voice. “My…my name is…Juanita.”
“Juanita, that’s a beautiful name,” Allison told her, forcing a smile. The woman looked to be in grave condition, but Allison provided reassurance and comfort. “You’re gonna be okay, Juanita. Help is on the way and I’m going to stay with you, okay? Now, I’m just going to briefly assess some of your injuries.”
The woman nodded her head slightly in reply.
“Thank…you,” she said weakly, and then, her eyes closed again.
“Juanita! Juanita, honey, try to stay with me, okay?” Allison begged as she tried to keep the injured woman conscious as long as possible. Juanita was lying on her back and her long beautiful dress was torn and dishevelled. Allison lifted her head again and saw that she had suffered an injury to the back of her head. She also noticed that Juanita’s left arm and right leg appeared to be broken.
The 9-1-1 operator was still on the line.
“Ma’am? Ma’am are you still there?” the operator asked.
“Yes, I’m here!” Allison replied loudly. “The patient seems to have suffered a head injury and numerous broken bones. What’s taking the ambulance so long to get here? I’m only a few blocks away!”
“Ma’am, the ambulance is on its way. It should be arriving any…” Just then, Allison heard a loud siren and saw flashing lights rushing toward her.
“Oh, thank God!” she said aloud, to no one in particular. She looked back down at Juanita’s face and saw that her eyes had closed again. “Juanita! Juanita honey, the ambulance is here! Can you hear me?”
This time, Juanita didn’t answer.
Chapter 2: The Aftermath
Allison helped the paramedics load Juanita’s unconscious, motionless body onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance van. She gathered the contents that had flown out of Juanita’s briefcase and purse, stuffing them into a clear plastic bag. She had just placed her belongings inside the ambulance when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Ma’am, did you witness the accident that took place?” Allison turned around and saw that a tall female police officer had addressed her.
“Um...yes. Yes, I saw the whole thing, actually,” Allison affirmed.
“I’m Officer Betty Holt and I’d like to ask you a few questions about the incident,” the woman stated dryly.
“I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, officer, but I’m not leaving this woman. I’m going to ride with her in the ambulance to make sure that she gets there safely.” Allison’s voice was adamant.
Officer Holt didn’t argue with her. She offered to meet up with her at the hospital and get her statement there.
Allison rode in the back of the ambulance with Juanita. She felt bad about rooting through the woman’s belongings, but she was trying to find some identifying information, like a driver’s license or a medical card. Finally, she found a black leather wallet with an ID inside. The woman’s name was Juanita Crawford.
The ambulance pulled into the ER parking lot and Allison held Juanita’s hand as she was rushed into a trauma room. Just as they transferred her to the hospital bed, Juanita opened her eyes. She looked up at Allison and moved her mouth as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out. Allison felt Juanita squeeze her hand just before her eyes closed again.
“Ms. Manning?” the sound of Officer Holt’s voice came from the doorway of the trauma room. “Can I speak with you, now, please?”
The doctors and nurses had taken over and Allison knew she had to let them do their job. She looked down at Juanita one final time before leaving the hospital room with the Officer.
Once they arrived in the ER waiting room, Officer Holt handed Allison a cup of coffee. She sat in one of the chairs and began explaining the details of the accident she had witnessed.
“Were you able to see whether the driver of the vehicle was male or female?” The officer asked.
Allison shook her head. “It was really dark, and I think the windows may have been tinted. I couldn’t see inside the car at all.”
“Did you happen to catch the license plate number?” the officer inquired.
“No, the car was moving much too fast, plus I was far away. It was just too dark to tell,” Allison noted.
“Were you able to make out the color, make and/or model of the vehicle?” the officer asked.
Again, Allison shook her head.
“I could see that it was dark-colored car, with a loud motor and I’m pretty sure it only had two doors,” she replied.
“Did the driver of the car stop or slow down at any point in time?” she inquired.
“That’s what’s weird to me, officer,” Allison asserted. “It looked like the car actually sped up when the driver saw Juanita in the street. It almost seemed like the car hit her on purpose.”
Officer Holt’s facial expression changed when she heard Allison’s statement. She wrote meticulous notes on her little note pad and looked back up at her.
“So they never slowed down or stopped at all?” she asked, again, as if seeking further confirmation.
Allison shook her head, again.
“Never once. In fact, it sped up even faster after it hit her,” Allison stated, assuredly.
The police officer seemed a bit perturbed at her statement, but nevertheless thanked her, and left a card. “Please call me asp if you recall or find out anything else. I’ll also be questioning Juanita herself, once she’s awake and in stable condition.”
Allison remained in the ER waiting room, hoping to hear from the doctor before leaving the hospital. Even though she didn’t’ know this woman, she had felt a remarkable connection with her and wanted to make sure everything was okay. She was beginning to nod off when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up to see Dr. Benson standing beside her.
“Nurse Manning?” he addressed her in a soft voice. “Ms. Juanita is going to need surgery, but she’s going to be okay. You should go home and get some rest.” He was smiling down at her with kindness and concern in his eyes.
Allison was so relieved to
hear his kind words. “Oh my goodness, I saw the whole accident and it was just so traumatic. I’m glad to hear all is okay.” She finally felt comfortable enough to go home.
***
The next morning, Allison woke up to her alarm clock in a daze. She hadn’t gotten home until nearly 2:30 the night before, and she had another 12-hour shift to work at the hospital. As she showered and dressed for work, she couldn’t help thinking about Juanita. Even though they had never met before last night, she knew she had felt an instant connection with her. She decided to go check on her before her shift started.
She put on one of her favorite scrubs and pulled her thick, shiny blonde hair back into a tight ponytail. She added an extra coat of lip gloss to her pouty lips and put on some dark eyeliner and mascara to accent her sea green eyes. She checked her appearance in the bedroom mirror and headed out to her car.
Allison walked up to the reception desk and greeted Lisa, the daytime front desk receptionist.
“Morning, Lisa,” Allison said, flashing her a warm smile.
“Morning, Alli. Are you starting early today?” Lisa asked, curiously.
“No, actually, I wanted to check on that hit and run victim from last night, Juanita Crawford,” Allison replied.
Lisa clicked on her computer screen and typed in the name. “She’s been moved to room 423,” Lisa informed her.
“Thanks, Lis,” Allison flashed another smile at Lisa before heading toward the elevators.
Allison knocked on the door of room 423 and waited to hear an answer.
“Come in,” a pleasant female voice said from behind the closed door.
Allison opened the door and entered the small hospital room. Her eyes lit up when she saw Juanita sitting in her hospital bed, finishing the last bite of a meal. She had a bandage wrapped around her head and her left arm was in a cast. She had a cast around the bottom of her right leg and there were a few scratches and bruises on her face, but other than that, she looked much better than the night before, lying motionless in the middle of the street.
“Wow, you look much better!” Allison exclaimed as she closed the hospital room door and walked toward the bed to get a closer look. Juanita smiled when she saw it was Allison, flashing a lovely set of pearly white teeth.
As Allison stepped closer, she was surprised to see so much visible beauty behind Juanita’s facial injuries. She had a creamy caramel-colored complexion and the most beautiful pair of hazel and honey eyes that Allison had ever seen. Her long, tousled dark hair flowed loosely around her face, and was neatly parted in the middle. She was a beautiful young black woman, indeed, and Allison was smitten with her immediately.
“Thank you, Allison,” Juanita replied. Allison was surprised that she remembered her name. She wasn’t quite sure how conscious Juanita had been the night before, and she was flattered that this lovely woman had remembered her at all. Allison wrapped an arm around her shoulders and softly pulled her close, gently rubbing her arm. Juanita sunk into the warmth of her side, appreciative of the simple gesture. Her touch somehow made the room warmer, her future within its walls seemed less bleak.
“How are you feeling?” Allison asked, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.
Juanita looked over at her with a weary looking, yet happy smile on her sweet brown face. Allison couldn’t help but notice how smooth her skin looked, even with the bruises and scratches. She tried hard not to stare too intensively, but the thought of caressing Juanita’s lovely face was racing through her mind.
“I’m pretty sore and a little tired, but I’m doing pretty well, nonetheless,” Juanita replied, and then reached over with her free arm, taking Allison’s hand into her own. “Thanks to you.” She looked deep into Allison’s emerald-green eyes as she spoke.
Just then, there was a knock on the hospital room door, and when it opened, Allison heard the voice of a woman as she entered.
“Hello-o,” she crooned in a singsong tone of voice. “Oh, Nita, honey, how are you?” A tall, lithe woman with fiery red hair entered the room and quickly headed over to Juanita’s bed. Juanita looked very surprised to see her, but Allison could tell she clearly recognized her. Allison quickly pulled her hand away from Juanita, as if intimidated by the presence of the strange, redheaded woman.
The woman went over to Juanita’s right side and embraced her in what looked like an emotional half-hug. Juanita didn’t smile, nor did she return the woman’s embrace; in fact, she looked a little bit distressed with the woman’s behaviour.
“Elaine?” Juanita looked at the woman and then glanced over at Allison. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
The woman pulled back and looked at Juanita’s bandaged face.
“I’ve been so worried! I came as soon as I heard!”
“How did you know I was here?” Juanita asked, her voice full of concern.
“Why, your mother called me, honey,” the woman replied. She leaned down and kissed Juanita softly, affectionately on the mouth.
Allison looked away quickly and stood up to leave.
“I’m gonna…go, now,” Allison said politely.
“No, you don’t have to go,” Juanita told her.
“No, really, I’m—I’m just really glad you’re okay,” she said, looking into Juanita’s beautiful eyes and forcing a smile as she spoke. “I have to go start my shift, anyway.”
She nodded at Juanita, and then glanced over at Elaine before turning to leave the hospital room.
Chapter 3: Visiting Juanita
Allison still had half an hour before the start of her shift but had felt out of place when “Elaine” suddenly showed up. Juanita and herself were “having a moment” before that cagey woman arrived out of the blue and ruined it.
Who was this Elaine character? At least now, though, it was evident to Allison that Juanita was either lesbian or bisexual. That much, Allison knew for sure. She could tell by the way that Elaine had interacted with her—the emotional embrace, the amorous kiss on the lips. Was Elaine her girlfriend? An ex-girlfriend? The show of affection was a bit too personal for her to have simply been a family member or platonic friend. Allison didn’t know why, but it bothered her. She knew she had a crush on Juanita, but she was no longer sure whether she should act on it. It was obvious that Juanita and Elaine had a relationship if Juanita’s mother had called Elaine about the accident.
All throughout her shift, Allison found it difficult to concentrate. She wanted to go back and see Juanita again, but didn’t want another encounter with that Elaine character. Being that she was an emergency room nurse, there was no way she could be scheduled to work on the fourth floor, the floor where Juanita was recovering. But she knew she had to see Juanita again. She hadn’t felt a strong connection like that with anyone since Sara.
During her lunchbreak, Allison called up to Juanita’s room. She smiled when Juanita answered in a sweet voice.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Juanita. It’s Allison. I was just calling to check in on you and see if you, uh…needed anything. Are they taking good care of you up there?”
“Allison, hi!” Juanita sounded happy to hear from her. “You left so abruptly earlier. I was really happy to see you again. I never got the chance to thank you properly.”
“Um, yeah. Sorry—I…uh, it got a little crowded in there and I…uh, didn’t want to impose…”
“Hey listen, they’re about to take me downstairs for some kind of test. But it would be great if you could come visit me again tomorrow,” Juanita said.
“Oh? Well, I’m actually off tomorrow, so…”
“Great! I’ll see you then.”
***
Allison woke up Wednesday morning feeling excited. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Juanita since the night of the accident. But something wasn’t sitting right with her. She truly believed that whomever had hit her with that car had done so on purpose. She wondered if Juanita felt the same way.
This time, when she approached Juanita’s hospit
al room door, it was open. She walked in slowly, peeking around and listening to see if she heard Elaine’s voice.
“Knock, knock,” Allison said cheerily, as she entered the small room.
“Allison!” Juanita’s voice greeted her from over near the bed.
“Hey!” Allison said, excitedly. She was both pleased and relieved to see that Juanita was alone. She was also surprised to see that she was sitting up on her own, and instead of the hospital gown, she was wearing a shiny pink robe. Her bandage was gone and had been replaced by a small butterfly adhesive. Even her scratches and bruises seemed less noticeable than the day before. Juanita looked as if she was glowing.
