Read Online What She Left Us by Stephanie Elliot - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Elliot
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Crand
was trying really hard to be nice, by giving her these yucky raisin oatmeal cookies.
And she was only trying to make stupid talk because she was lonely. But Jenna
was sad, and scared and wanted to go home.
“Can
I go watch TV please?” she asked.
When
Mrs. Crand nodded her okay, Jenna picked up the orange and brown tabby and went
into the TV room.
Chapter 19
Jenna
parked the car in the garage at the hospital, the same hospital where the ambulance
had taken her dead mother’s body that night. She never understood why they had
insisted on taking her mother’s body to the hospital. After all, she was
already dead, but she hadn’t thought to ask.
The
night they found her mother on the floor, Darren practically had to carry Jenna
into his car. She was numb. They drove behind the ambulance, which had its
lights on but no siren. She always heard that silent ambulances with lights on meant
they were carrying dead people, and now she knew that was, in fact, true.
She
remembered Darren’s hand on her leg and him telling her how much he loved her,
and that everything was going to be okay. He was trying so hard to console her.
She wasn’t crying hysterically yet. She was trying to get from point A to point
B: From her mother’s house to the hospital. Her mind had been reeling. Why
hadn't Darren done anything? He was in the medical field. Why had Darren been
late to pick her up that night? If they had gotten to her mother's minutes
earlier, maybe her mother wouldn't be dead? Maybe all three of them would be in
the car that very minute, heading to the Italian bistro, talking about the warm
bread and the spicy red bottle of wine they'd all be enjoying soon.
Darren
was telling her that they would figure everything out when Jenna said, “There’s
nothing to figure out.”
“I
know honey, but it will be okay.”
“Stop
saying that, nothing is okay,” she snapped at him. “Just shut up, please. I
cannot hear myself think. Just please drive.” She pushed his hand away from her
leg.
He
followed the ambulance into the ER entrance and parked the car. Jenna got out
and rushed over to the ambulance as soon as the EMTs moved to the back of the
vehicle. An orderly came out of the ER and rushed to the back of the ambulance.
He recognized Darren.
“Darren,
hey buddy,” he said to him.
“Hey,
it’s Jenna’s mother,” he, motioning toward Jenna.
“Oh
man, I’m sorry. The guys called it in. You know she’s DOA?”
That’s
when Jenna lost it. She collapsed to the ground and started wailing. Darren
called for more help as he reached for Jenna. She wept uncontrollably, clinging
to Darren, crying for her mother, saying, please don’t be dead, you’re not
dead, don’t be dead, that it was too soon, and she was too young to not have a
mom anymore.
Darren
pulled her to a sitting position and looked at her. “Jenna, Jenna, hold on
baby, you’ll be okay. I’m here with you. I’m going to take care of you forever.
I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you baby. I love you.”
“It’s
too late. It’s too late. The bad’s already happened. The bad’s already here.”
**
Courtney
looked at her sister who was still sitting in the driver’s seat but not making
any move to get out of the car. “You ready to go in?” she asked.
“Not
really,” Jenna said.
“The
sooner we get in and have our blood taken, the sooner we’ll be done and that
much closer to having this be over with.”
“I
know. I was thinking about Mom. I never did tell you about that night I found
her.”
“Not
now. Come on, hon, you’ve got to get a grip. Okay?”
Jenna
didn’t say anything. The keys were still in the ignition. Van Morrison played
on the radio.
Courtney
missed Mitch and wished he were there with her. He had played Brown Eyed
Girl for her on the guitar that day at the gazebo. Maybe she should have
asked him to come home with her? No, it was too soon. And now, she was
especially glad she hadn’t brought him
was trying really hard to be nice, by giving her these yucky raisin oatmeal cookies.
And she was only trying to make stupid talk because she was lonely. But Jenna
was sad, and scared and wanted to go home.
“Can
I go watch TV please?” she asked.
When
Mrs. Crand nodded her okay, Jenna picked up the orange and brown tabby and went
into the TV room.
Chapter 19
Jenna
parked the car in the garage at the hospital, the same hospital where the ambulance
had taken her dead mother’s body that night. She never understood why they had
insisted on taking her mother’s body to the hospital. After all, she was
already dead, but she hadn’t thought to ask.
The
night they found her mother on the floor, Darren practically had to carry Jenna
into his car. She was numb. They drove behind the ambulance, which had its
lights on but no siren. She always heard that silent ambulances with lights on meant
they were carrying dead people, and now she knew that was, in fact, true.
She
remembered Darren’s hand on her leg and him telling her how much he loved her,
and that everything was going to be okay. He was trying so hard to console her.
She wasn’t crying hysterically yet. She was trying to get from point A to point
B: From her mother’s house to the hospital. Her mind had been reeling. Why
hadn't Darren done anything? He was in the medical field. Why had Darren been
late to pick her up that night? If they had gotten to her mother's minutes
earlier, maybe her mother wouldn't be dead? Maybe all three of them would be in
the car that very minute, heading to the Italian bistro, talking about the warm
bread and the spicy red bottle of wine they'd all be enjoying soon.
Darren
was telling her that they would figure everything out when Jenna said, “There’s
nothing to figure out.”
“I
know honey, but it will be okay.”
“Stop
saying that, nothing is okay,” she snapped at him. “Just shut up, please. I
cannot hear myself think. Just please drive.” She pushed his hand away from her
leg.
He
followed the ambulance into the ER entrance and parked the car. Jenna got out
and rushed over to the ambulance as soon as the EMTs moved to the back of the
vehicle. An orderly came out of the ER and rushed to the back of the ambulance.
He recognized Darren.
“Darren,
hey buddy,” he said to him.
“Hey,
it’s Jenna’s mother,” he, motioning toward Jenna.
“Oh
man, I’m sorry. The guys called it in. You know she’s DOA?”
That’s
when Jenna lost it. She collapsed to the ground and started wailing. Darren
called for more help as he reached for Jenna. She wept uncontrollably, clinging
to Darren, crying for her mother, saying, please don’t be dead, you’re not
dead, don’t be dead, that it was too soon, and she was too young to not have a
mom anymore.
Darren
pulled her to a sitting position and looked at her. “Jenna, Jenna, hold on
baby, you’ll be okay. I’m here with you. I’m going to take care of you forever.
I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you baby. I love you.”
“It’s
too late. It’s too late. The bad’s already happened. The bad’s already here.”
**
Courtney
looked at her sister who was still sitting in the driver’s seat but not making
any move to get out of the car. “You ready to go in?” she asked.
“Not
really,” Jenna said.
“The
sooner we get in and have our blood taken, the sooner we’ll be done and that
much closer to having this be over with.”
“I
know. I was thinking about Mom. I never did tell you about that night I found
her.”
“Not
now. Come on, hon, you’ve got to get a grip. Okay?”
Jenna
didn’t say anything. The keys were still in the ignition. Van Morrison played
on the radio.
Courtney
missed Mitch and wished he were there with her. He had played Brown Eyed
Girl for her on the guitar that day at the gazebo. Maybe she should have
asked him to come home with her? No, it was too soon. And now, she was
especially glad she hadn’t brought him
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