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Authors: Sharon Canipe
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having visitors this evening,” Lin spoke
quietly as they entered the room. The unhappy girl turned and looked at them. She gave a short gasp, “Dr. Hanna? Is
that you? What are you doing here?” Clearly she’d recognized Lin, although Lin
had to confess that she would’ve had a hard time recognizing Ellen, especially
with all those cuts and bruises. Of
course, it had probably been eight or nine years since she’d seen her and she
would’ve been no more than eleven years old then.
“It’s me, and
you’re Ellen Clark. Your parents
are John and Hillary. You can drop
the title now, you know. I’m no
longer a principal. I’m retired and
you’re all grown up. Call me Lin,” she
suggested.
Ellen shook her
head. “That’s hard for me to
do. How did you know I was here?”
Lin introduced
Sue and asked if Ellen felt like visiting for a bit. The young girl nodded eagerly, “Yes, I’m
all alone right now, please sit down.”
They perched on
the straight chairs that were the only available seating in the small
room. Lin carefully explained how
she and Sue had found Ellen on the Parkway, and how they’d stayed with her
until help arrived.
“I’m so
grateful,” Ellen said, tears still rolling freely. The doctor here told me I could’ve bled
to death if someone hadn’t helped me. Of course, I didn’t know it was you and your friend.” She choked back a
huge sob. “A deputy sheriff was
just here earlier. He told me they
found Pete. Pete’s dead.” Ellen
broke down at that point.
Lin and Sue sat
quietly and waited for Ellen to regain control of herself before they asked her
any more questions. Finally she
appeared calmer and Lin asked about her parents. “Have your parents been
reached yet? Are they coming home
from their trip?”
Ellen nodded
and swallowed hard. Her crying had
abated for the moment. “They called me from Germany this afternoon. The first flight out they could get
leaves early tomorrow. They won’t
get back to Charlotte until tomorrow night because they have lots of
layovers—they couldn’t get a direct flight—but they should be up
here by Wednesday morning. The
doctor said I could probably be discharged by then, but I’ll have to do a lot
of rehab on this shoulder so my folks will probably want me to leave summer
school and go back home with them for that.” Ellen didn’t seem as if she wanted
to do that.
“It might be
easier,” Lin told her. “I had a bad shoulder injury myself about a year
ago. After surgery I needed a good
bit of help while I was rehabbing.”
Ellen nodded
but didn’t say anything more for the moment.
Sue joined the
conversation, “ Mark Scott, the park ranger working on your case, told us you
couldn’t remember anything about how you were hurt. Have you been able to recall anything
about that day?”
Ellen nodded,
“Just a little. I remember that
Pete and I had a picnic. It was a
pretty day so we went up on the Parkway. I think I took a nap after we ate,” she shook her head, “the next thing
I remember is waking up here in the hospital last night. The nurses had to tell me I’d been shot
and then, just a little while ago, the deputy who came by told me Pete’s body
had been found.”
Sue spoke up,
“When we found you, you were still conscious for a few minutes; you were
looking for Pete but couldn’t find him. Then you passed out and didn’t wake up again, not even when the medics
came. It appeared to us that you
had taken a tumble from the overlook, maybe landed on a rocky ledge about six
feet below. Somehow you had managed
to climb back up to the roadside.” Sue smiled, “you must be a very strong girl.”
Ellen could
only nod. “The deputy really has a
lot of questions for me to answer, but I can’t remember anything. The doctor says I have a skull fracture
and a concussion. He says it may
take awhile but my memories might
quietly as they entered the room. The unhappy girl turned and looked at them. She gave a short gasp, “Dr. Hanna? Is
that you? What are you doing here?” Clearly she’d recognized Lin, although Lin
had to confess that she would’ve had a hard time recognizing Ellen, especially
with all those cuts and bruises. Of
course, it had probably been eight or nine years since she’d seen her and she
would’ve been no more than eleven years old then.
“It’s me, and
you’re Ellen Clark. Your parents
are John and Hillary. You can drop
the title now, you know. I’m no
longer a principal. I’m retired and
you’re all grown up. Call me Lin,” she
suggested.
Ellen shook her
head. “That’s hard for me to
do. How did you know I was here?”
Lin introduced
Sue and asked if Ellen felt like visiting for a bit. The young girl nodded eagerly, “Yes, I’m
all alone right now, please sit down.”
They perched on
the straight chairs that were the only available seating in the small
room. Lin carefully explained how
she and Sue had found Ellen on the Parkway, and how they’d stayed with her
until help arrived.
“I’m so
grateful,” Ellen said, tears still rolling freely. The doctor here told me I could’ve bled
to death if someone hadn’t helped me. Of course, I didn’t know it was you and your friend.” She choked back a
huge sob. “A deputy sheriff was
just here earlier. He told me they
found Pete. Pete’s dead.” Ellen
broke down at that point.
Lin and Sue sat
quietly and waited for Ellen to regain control of herself before they asked her
any more questions. Finally she
appeared calmer and Lin asked about her parents. “Have your parents been
reached yet? Are they coming home
from their trip?”
Ellen nodded
and swallowed hard. Her crying had
abated for the moment. “They called me from Germany this afternoon. The first flight out they could get
leaves early tomorrow. They won’t
get back to Charlotte until tomorrow night because they have lots of
layovers—they couldn’t get a direct flight—but they should be up
here by Wednesday morning. The
doctor said I could probably be discharged by then, but I’ll have to do a lot
of rehab on this shoulder so my folks will probably want me to leave summer
school and go back home with them for that.” Ellen didn’t seem as if she wanted
to do that.
“It might be
easier,” Lin told her. “I had a bad shoulder injury myself about a year
ago. After surgery I needed a good
bit of help while I was rehabbing.”
Ellen nodded
but didn’t say anything more for the moment.
Sue joined the
conversation, “ Mark Scott, the park ranger working on your case, told us you
couldn’t remember anything about how you were hurt. Have you been able to recall anything
about that day?”
Ellen nodded,
“Just a little. I remember that
Pete and I had a picnic. It was a
pretty day so we went up on the Parkway. I think I took a nap after we ate,” she shook her head, “the next thing
I remember is waking up here in the hospital last night. The nurses had to tell me I’d been shot
and then, just a little while ago, the deputy who came by told me Pete’s body
had been found.”
Sue spoke up,
“When we found you, you were still conscious for a few minutes; you were
looking for Pete but couldn’t find him. Then you passed out and didn’t wake up again, not even when the medics
came. It appeared to us that you
had taken a tumble from the overlook, maybe landed on a rocky ledge about six
feet below. Somehow you had managed
to climb back up to the roadside.” Sue smiled, “you must be a very strong girl.”
Ellen could
only nod. “The deputy really has a
lot of questions for me to answer, but I can’t remember anything. The doctor says I have a skull fracture
and a concussion. He says it may
take awhile but my memories might
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