hustling.”
Then it was her turn at bat.
Mike decided to walk her. But as the fourth ball came in high and wide, she stretched to every inch of her modest height and bunted. The ball sailed over Mike’s head. The second baseman went after it, but it came to rest right beside a dead horseshoe crab, and he was too disgusted to pick it up. Meanwhile Kathy had rounded first. By the time the ball skimmed by the third baseman’s shoulder, she was on her way to home plate.
“Slide, Kathy, slide, ” Melanie screamed.
Closing her eyes, Kathy threw up her arms and dove. The ball was hurtling toward the catcher’s outstretched glove. Eric knelt for it, and his knee caught Kathy in the middle of her forehead.
There was a crack like the sound of a golf ball being hit.
Kathy and the shortstop lay sprawled in the sand.
He picked himself up.
She didn’t.
“Kathy!” Paula screamed.
Everyone rushed up at once.
A large, purplish bubble was distending Kathy’s forehead. Her eyes were half open, but she said nothing, nor did she move. Putting her hands under Kathy’s head, Paula yelled, “Somebody give me a coat or sweater to make a pillow for her. Roll it up. And for God’s sake put something over her to keep her warm.”
“Call an ambulance, somebody. Quick,” David was shouting. “Oh, forget it. I’ll call one.” He ran for the row of closed shops across the street from the beach.
It took forever for the ambulance to arrive.
After ten minutes had passed, Melanie had to sit down and take some slow, deep breaths.
When the ambulance finally did arrive, after nearly a half hour, Melanie and Paula got into it with Kathy. David and Mike wanted to go with her too. David was vehement.
Closing the door in his face, Melanie said, “There’s no room, for Christ’s sake, and you’re holding us up. Follow us, if you want to. And make sure Riddiford or somebody finds out so they can call her parents.”
“I don’t know where the fuck Riddiford is,” David screamed.
“He’s there,” said Melanie, throwing David a matchbook as the ambulance pulled away.
It was from a motel on Route 1 in Saugus.
David stared dumbly at it.
“Where’d she get this?” he asked.
“Lauren left a couple of them in the dressing room,” Mike replied. “Where they’d be easy to find. Melanie probably forgot that she gave me the other one. To put in my yearbook, she said.”
“Fuck Riddiford,” said David. “I just wanna get to that hospital. You got your car, right? Come on, I’ll drive.”
“I’ll drive,” Mike replied. “It’s my car.”
“I wanna get there,” David yelled.
“So do I,” Mike said. “And you’re shaking.”
11
Kathy had a concussion. Melanie and Paula learned the next day that she would be in the hospital for a week. They vowed to visit her every afternoon, and in their relief at learning she was in no danger, immediately began work on a fruit basket. The concept of the fruit basket grew in the theater’s green room. Papier-mâché and wire mesh were introduced. The final result was a six-foot fruit sculpture that Melanie said looked like the Jolly Green Giant in a state of sexual arousal. She and Paula carried it into the hospital under a white sheet. A nurse walked into Kathy’s room just as the gift was unveiled.
“Wowee,” said Kathy.
“It’s been a long while since I’ve had that effect on a banana,” sighed the nurse.
After she left, Kathy confided to her friends that she was a little worried about Eric.
“What about him?” Paula asked.
“He’s been here five times already, and he keeps apologizing all over the place.”
“So, he feels guilty,” Paula replied. “Didn’t you say David’s been here about every hour on the hour?”
“Yeah,” Kathy said. “Look at these candies he brought me. A two-pound box of kosher chocolates. He must have been thinking about those deli breakfasts we used to have. But I’m not worried about David the way I am about Eric.
Then it was her turn at bat.
Mike decided to walk her. But as the fourth ball came in high and wide, she stretched to every inch of her modest height and bunted. The ball sailed over Mike’s head. The second baseman went after it, but it came to rest right beside a dead horseshoe crab, and he was too disgusted to pick it up. Meanwhile Kathy had rounded first. By the time the ball skimmed by the third baseman’s shoulder, she was on her way to home plate.
“Slide, Kathy, slide, ” Melanie screamed.
Closing her eyes, Kathy threw up her arms and dove. The ball was hurtling toward the catcher’s outstretched glove. Eric knelt for it, and his knee caught Kathy in the middle of her forehead.
There was a crack like the sound of a golf ball being hit.
Kathy and the shortstop lay sprawled in the sand.
He picked himself up.
She didn’t.
“Kathy!” Paula screamed.
Everyone rushed up at once.
A large, purplish bubble was distending Kathy’s forehead. Her eyes were half open, but she said nothing, nor did she move. Putting her hands under Kathy’s head, Paula yelled, “Somebody give me a coat or sweater to make a pillow for her. Roll it up. And for God’s sake put something over her to keep her warm.”
“Call an ambulance, somebody. Quick,” David was shouting. “Oh, forget it. I’ll call one.” He ran for the row of closed shops across the street from the beach.
It took forever for the ambulance to arrive.
After ten minutes had passed, Melanie had to sit down and take some slow, deep breaths.
When the ambulance finally did arrive, after nearly a half hour, Melanie and Paula got into it with Kathy. David and Mike wanted to go with her too. David was vehement.
Closing the door in his face, Melanie said, “There’s no room, for Christ’s sake, and you’re holding us up. Follow us, if you want to. And make sure Riddiford or somebody finds out so they can call her parents.”
“I don’t know where the fuck Riddiford is,” David screamed.
“He’s there,” said Melanie, throwing David a matchbook as the ambulance pulled away.
It was from a motel on Route 1 in Saugus.
David stared dumbly at it.
“Where’d she get this?” he asked.
“Lauren left a couple of them in the dressing room,” Mike replied. “Where they’d be easy to find. Melanie probably forgot that she gave me the other one. To put in my yearbook, she said.”
“Fuck Riddiford,” said David. “I just wanna get to that hospital. You got your car, right? Come on, I’ll drive.”
“I’ll drive,” Mike replied. “It’s my car.”
“I wanna get there,” David yelled.
“So do I,” Mike said. “And you’re shaking.”
11
Kathy had a concussion. Melanie and Paula learned the next day that she would be in the hospital for a week. They vowed to visit her every afternoon, and in their relief at learning she was in no danger, immediately began work on a fruit basket. The concept of the fruit basket grew in the theater’s green room. Papier-mâché and wire mesh were introduced. The final result was a six-foot fruit sculpture that Melanie said looked like the Jolly Green Giant in a state of sexual arousal. She and Paula carried it into the hospital under a white sheet. A nurse walked into Kathy’s room just as the gift was unveiled.
“Wowee,” said Kathy.
“It’s been a long while since I’ve had that effect on a banana,” sighed the nurse.
After she left, Kathy confided to her friends that she was a little worried about Eric.
“What about him?” Paula asked.
“He’s been here five times already, and he keeps apologizing all over the place.”
“So, he feels guilty,” Paula replied. “Didn’t you say David’s been here about every hour on the hour?”
“Yeah,” Kathy said. “Look at these candies he brought me. A two-pound box of kosher chocolates. He must have been thinking about those deli breakfasts we used to have. But I’m not worried about David the way I am about Eric.
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