Expect the Unexpected, chapter 2
After a few minutes, I calmed myself down enough to remember that the man had told me to come to the hospital. So I got up, and decided the first thing I would do was change my clothes. I walked into my bedroom and searched my closet for something, I had mostly prep clothes, but I wasn't feeling very preppy anymore. So I reached up to the top where I kept the clothes I never wore and pulled down a pair of jeans, and black hoodie, but that's not the only thing that came down.
An old shoebox fell down as I pulled out the hoodie. It fell to the floor and the lid came of spilling out the contents, which mostly consisted of old photographs. Quickly, I got down on my hands and knees and began to put the pictures back. But one caught my eye for some reason, mostly because it was torn in half. I picked it up and looked at it, it was a picture of a young girl with long black hair and blue eyes. She was grinning and holding up a bottle of beer. I had never seen this woman before, but with the exception of her eyes, she looked a lot like me. I turned to photo around and looked on the back, since it was torn, I couldn't read the whole thing, but what I had was 'Joe and Carly.'
"Carly," I whispered looking back at the front.
After a minute, I got dressed, put the photo in my pocket and ran out the door.
**
I took the bus to the hospital. Once I got inside I immediately ran over to the reception area.
"Hi I'm Elizabeth Gold, I'm here to see my parents Ronald and Margaret Gold," I said quickly.
"Yes, they're on the third floor, Intensive Care Unit," said the lady without looking up. I thanked her quickly and ran to the elevator.
Once I got to the third floor, I walked up to the nearest doctor, she looked at me and said, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah um, I'm here to see Ronald and Margaret Gold," I said.
"Oh, you must be Elizabeth Gold, I'm Dr. Zimmerman; I was treating your parents," She said. I nodded slowly.
"How are they?" I asked.
Dr. Zimmerman sighed, "Well, I'm sorry to have to informed you of this but, your father died about five minutes ago, I'm very sorry."
I suddenly didn't feel really good, "A-and my mom?" I asked softly, afraid of what the answer might be.
"Well, she's still alive, but she probably only has a few more minutes, if you want to go in and talk to her you can, but if you don't-
"No," I said, "I have to see her."
"Alright then, right this way." She led me down the hall to a door and opened it. Inside I could she my mother lying on a hospital bed. She looked terrible, she was covered in bandages and had a long scar running down her face. It almost pained me to look at her. Slowly, I walked over to her. Dr. Zimmerman left to give us some privacy. I knelt down on the side of the bed and took my mothers hand. She turned her head to look at me.
"Li- Liz... " she whispered.
"Yeah, mom, it's me," I said.
"Li-Liz... I'm dying... " she said.
"No, mom, don't talk like that, you're going to be okay," I said, of course I knew she wouldn't, but I didn't want her to know that.
"No Liz...listen to me...I'm not going to make it...Dad's waiting for me up in heaven...just know that we love you very much and that we will always be with you."
I really wanted to cry there, but I couldn't some how, so instead, I reached for the photo in my pocket and held it up for her to see. "Who is this?" I asked.
She made a funny noise and then answered me, "That is your birth mother, it was the only thing of hers they gave us, we were going to give it to you when you were older, but now... well, at least you found it, I hope that one day, maybe you could find your family, or maybe even your birth father...I think he would want to see you Liz...I love you dear...always know that."
Then, mom close her eyes, the heart monitor went flat, and her hand went limp. Slowly, I got up, and took a last look at her before leaving the room. Out side, Dr. Zimmerman was waiting, "Is she... ?" she started.
Slowly, with tears falling freely down my face, I nodded.
"Do you have any other family?" she asked me.
I shook my head.
"Nobody you can stay with?"
Again, I shook my head.
"Well then, I think your going to have to go to an orphanage then," She said.
At that moment I started feeling sick again, only this time it was worse. It felt like my throat was closing up, I couldn't breath, the room seems to be spinning, I wanted to throw up. Finally, when I couldn't take it anymore, I ran. I could hear Dr. Zimmerman calling me back, but I ignored her and just kept going until I reached the elevator.
**
After leaving the hospital, I went for a walk. I must have walked for hours, eventually; I ended up in a part of town I had never been in before. By now it was dark, but I didn't care. I walked by a group of kids, some I recognized from school, including Liz.
As I walked past them, I heard someone call out my name, "Liz?" they said.
I turned around, it was Kathy. I turned back around and continued walking, but Kathy ran after me. When she caught up with me she said, "Liz, what are you doing here?"
"Leave me alone Kathy," I said. I really didn't want to talk to anyone, but Kathy persisted.
"Liz what's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing is wrong Kathy, I'm fine just leave me alone," I snapped at her.
"Liz come on I know you better then that, you're not fine, now please tell what's wrong."
Did I ever mention that Kathy has got to be the most stubborn person I know? Well she is. At that point I realize I'd better just tell her.
"My parents," I began, "They were in a car accident."
"Are they okay?" she asked, sounding concerned.
I shook my head. "No Kathy, they're dead." She stopped walking and so did I; again I could feel tears forming in my eyes.
"Oh my god Liz, I'm so sorry," she said, and unlike Jenny, I knew Kathy meant it.
Then, she reached over and hugged me. "It'll be okay." She said trying to sound comforting.
"No it won't Kathy, I have nowhere to go now, and they're going to put me in an orphanage." I told her.
"You can't go to an orphanage," Kathy said.
"I have to, what else can I do?"
At that, Kathy suddenly looked thoughtful, and then she said. "You could stay with me."
At first, I didn't think I'd heard right. "What, you would let me stay with you?"
"Of course." She answered.
"But why, I've been such a bitch these last few years, I thought you would hate me," I said.
"I don't hate you Liz, I hate that you became a prep, but I don't hate you, you were my best friend for years, and I've really missed you."
"I missed you too Kathy."
After a few seconds of silence, Kathy spoke again, "Now come on, come stay with me you don't really want to go to an orphanage do you."
I shook my head. "Okay, I'll stay with you... but you're mom won't mind right?"
"No of course not, believe it or not my mom is actually okay, I don't think she'll mind much, especially after hearing what you're other option is."
"Great," I said and smiled, for the first time today, I was actually felt like things would be okay.
An old shoebox fell down as I pulled out the hoodie. It fell to the floor and the lid came of spilling out the contents, which mostly consisted of old photographs. Quickly, I got down on my hands and knees and began to put the pictures back. But one caught my eye for some reason, mostly because it was torn in half. I picked it up and looked at it, it was a picture of a young girl with long black hair and blue eyes. She was grinning and holding up a bottle of beer. I had never seen this woman before, but with the exception of her eyes, she looked a lot like me. I turned to photo around and looked on the back, since it was torn, I couldn't read the whole thing, but what I had was 'Joe and Carly.'
"Carly," I whispered looking back at the front.
After a minute, I got dressed, put the photo in my pocket and ran out the door.
**
I took the bus to the hospital. Once I got inside I immediately ran over to the reception area.
"Hi I'm Elizabeth Gold, I'm here to see my parents Ronald and Margaret Gold," I said quickly.
"Yes, they're on the third floor, Intensive Care Unit," said the lady without looking up. I thanked her quickly and ran to the elevator.
Once I got to the third floor, I walked up to the nearest doctor, she looked at me and said, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah um, I'm here to see Ronald and Margaret Gold," I said.
"Oh, you must be Elizabeth Gold, I'm Dr. Zimmerman; I was treating your parents," She said. I nodded slowly.
"How are they?" I asked.
Dr. Zimmerman sighed, "Well, I'm sorry to have to informed you of this but, your father died about five minutes ago, I'm very sorry."
I suddenly didn't feel really good, "A-and my mom?" I asked softly, afraid of what the answer might be.
"Well, she's still alive, but she probably only has a few more minutes, if you want to go in and talk to her you can, but if you don't-
"No," I said, "I have to see her."
"Alright then, right this way." She led me down the hall to a door and opened it. Inside I could she my mother lying on a hospital bed. She looked terrible, she was covered in bandages and had a long scar running down her face. It almost pained me to look at her. Slowly, I walked over to her. Dr. Zimmerman left to give us some privacy. I knelt down on the side of the bed and took my mothers hand. She turned her head to look at me.
"Li- Liz... " she whispered.
"Yeah, mom, it's me," I said.
"Li-Liz... I'm dying... " she said.
"No, mom, don't talk like that, you're going to be okay," I said, of course I knew she wouldn't, but I didn't want her to know that.
"No Liz...listen to me...I'm not going to make it...Dad's waiting for me up in heaven...just know that we love you very much and that we will always be with you."
I really wanted to cry there, but I couldn't some how, so instead, I reached for the photo in my pocket and held it up for her to see. "Who is this?" I asked.
She made a funny noise and then answered me, "That is your birth mother, it was the only thing of hers they gave us, we were going to give it to you when you were older, but now... well, at least you found it, I hope that one day, maybe you could find your family, or maybe even your birth father...I think he would want to see you Liz...I love you dear...always know that."
Then, mom close her eyes, the heart monitor went flat, and her hand went limp. Slowly, I got up, and took a last look at her before leaving the room. Out side, Dr. Zimmerman was waiting, "Is she... ?" she started.
Slowly, with tears falling freely down my face, I nodded.
"Do you have any other family?" she asked me.
I shook my head.
"Nobody you can stay with?"
Again, I shook my head.
"Well then, I think your going to have to go to an orphanage then," She said.
At that moment I started feeling sick again, only this time it was worse. It felt like my throat was closing up, I couldn't breath, the room seems to be spinning, I wanted to throw up. Finally, when I couldn't take it anymore, I ran. I could hear Dr. Zimmerman calling me back, but I ignored her and just kept going until I reached the elevator.
**
After leaving the hospital, I went for a walk. I must have walked for hours, eventually; I ended up in a part of town I had never been in before. By now it was dark, but I didn't care. I walked by a group of kids, some I recognized from school, including Liz.
As I walked past them, I heard someone call out my name, "Liz?" they said.
I turned around, it was Kathy. I turned back around and continued walking, but Kathy ran after me. When she caught up with me she said, "Liz, what are you doing here?"
"Leave me alone Kathy," I said. I really didn't want to talk to anyone, but Kathy persisted.
"Liz what's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing is wrong Kathy, I'm fine just leave me alone," I snapped at her.
"Liz come on I know you better then that, you're not fine, now please tell what's wrong."
Did I ever mention that Kathy has got to be the most stubborn person I know? Well she is. At that point I realize I'd better just tell her.
"My parents," I began, "They were in a car accident."
"Are they okay?" she asked, sounding concerned.
I shook my head. "No Kathy, they're dead." She stopped walking and so did I; again I could feel tears forming in my eyes.
"Oh my god Liz, I'm so sorry," she said, and unlike Jenny, I knew Kathy meant it.
Then, she reached over and hugged me. "It'll be okay." She said trying to sound comforting.
"No it won't Kathy, I have nowhere to go now, and they're going to put me in an orphanage." I told her.
"You can't go to an orphanage," Kathy said.
"I have to, what else can I do?"
At that, Kathy suddenly looked thoughtful, and then she said. "You could stay with me."
At first, I didn't think I'd heard right. "What, you would let me stay with you?"
"Of course." She answered.
"But why, I've been such a bitch these last few years, I thought you would hate me," I said.
"I don't hate you Liz, I hate that you became a prep, but I don't hate you, you were my best friend for years, and I've really missed you."
"I missed you too Kathy."
After a few seconds of silence, Kathy spoke again, "Now come on, come stay with me you don't really want to go to an orphanage do you."
I shook my head. "Okay, I'll stay with you... but you're mom won't mind right?"
"No of course not, believe it or not my mom is actually okay, I don't think she'll mind much, especially after hearing what you're other option is."
"Great," I said and smiled, for the first time today, I was actually felt like things would be okay.
