Sweet Whispers Chapter 5

As Dad, Anna, and I are on our way to the hospital the pain starts to subside in my whole back and now it's just centered right below my shoulder blade on the right side. When we get to the hospital dad sends me and Anna back to the emergency room with the doctors and he stays to fill out paperwork. Normally I would want it the other way round but he seemed so angry with me.

I started crying again, and Anna grabbed my hand and held it lightly while telling me everything was going to be alright. I looked at her and said "no it is not! Why is dad so angry with me? I didn't mean for that to happen it just did!" Anna squeezed my hand harder and made me look her straight in the eyes as she told me "your father is NOT mad at you, he's scared and probably feels guilty" I stared at her; we had never talked like this before. "Why would he feel guilty? It was my stupid idea to go in there?" "Because hunny, we were picking on you about it, no one meant any harm in what they were doing, he knows that" she said looking me in the eyes. "He is upset with himself not with you, okay".

Then the doctor and dad came in. The doctor informed us that he was going to have a look at me now, and my dad turned right around and left the room, Anna was right on his heels. I suppose that they waited just outside the room while the doctor looked me over. He made me move this and that, and cough. When I coughed I wanted to die it hurt so badly. He told me that he wanted to get some x-rays done that way he could make sure that nothing was broken, but it was going to need some stitches.

I turned around and looked at him with big eyes "stitches! What do you mean stitches! I didn't even know that I was bleeding!" he told me to calm down, and that the reason that I probably hadn't noticed was because of adrenalin. I looked at him "I am not stupid doc if I were bleeding I think that I would have noticed some red stuff... you know they normally call it blood" plus Anna would have said something to me wouldn't she?

As he pulled his exam gloves off I noticed the red hue on them and suddenly I didn't feel so good, I really was bleeding! My dad and Anna walked back in the room after the doctor had left. Dad sat down on one side of me and Anna sat down on the exam bed on the other side. He wouldn't look at me and it was killing me. Anna looked at me and then to my dad, "Richard....." he looked up at her. I watched her nod her head towards me. I sighed heavy and was repaid for doing so with a very sharp pain, she had told him.

Dad looked up at me, grabbed my hand, and said "hunny I am not mad at you". At that a nurse came in and gave me some pain killers to take while we waited for the results to come back. We were waiting for about 30 minutes when the nurse that was supposed to stitch me up came in. I didn't like the idea but she said that she was going to put something around the skin to numb it. So I agreed. While she was finishing up my stitches the doctor came back in and told us that nothing was broken. I had a few bruised ribs and that I was going to be very sore. He told me that I was going to have to wear a sling on my arm so that I wouldn't pull the stitches out. Then he sent me on my way with some prescriptions for pain killers and antibiotics that way nothing would get infected.

My dad didn't make me do much the next day just regular easy things, like run the water for the animals and make sure that the horses got fed. Nothing to difficult.

At lunch that day they told me that they were going to start hiring on ranch hands, because it was obvious that dad and I couldn't take care of the ranch with just the to of us. I agreed so I didn't complain. It's not like I can help a whole lot till I am healed any way and dad needs someone that knows something about ranching. Where I know nothing.

So the next dad and I went into town and put up help wanted papers, dad told me that I should hang some in the high school but I told him that he didn't need any kids messing around with the ranch and that told to get to the house. He agreed.... Thank god because mostly I just didn't want a whole bunch of people working on the ranch that i went to school with.

Monday came to soon and now to add on to the fact that I had looked completely stupid at the party and made and ass out of myself with Sean I was going to have to go to school in a sling and explain to everyone what happened because you know that they are going to ask. Plus to make things worse since I can't drive while I am in the sling with the stitches in my back I was going to have to get a ride from Anna to school and then I was probably going to have to take the bus home. If there was one that went by the ranch or even got close to the ranch. Life as I knew it couldn't possibly be worse.

I walked in the front doors while Anna carried my back pack to my locker, I couldn't carry it myself yet I would pull at the stitches. This was mortifying! I saw Sean and my heart started pounding... What if he got nasty in front of everyone I couldn't say that I didn't deserve it. He walked up to Anna and me leaving his friends where they were standing. I stopped and looked at him but didn't say anything... I couldn't I was all tongue-tied, I tried to give the best I am sorry for being such a jerk look I could and hoped that he was reading it, because I wasn't about to say anything to him while Anna was there.

He didn't ask what happened he just smiled at me. Then he looked at Anna "Hello Miss. Whitlock" Anna looked at me and I turned to introduce them but didn't know what to say, do I call her Anna or do I call her mom, I can't say my father's wife that's not fair to Anna. Finally I said "this is Sean" directing the words at Anna. They shook hands and seemed pleased enough to just be introduced. Thank god for that too, I was going to need to think of how I was going to introduce her in the future.

"Well hey Miss. Whitlock would you like me to take that bag for you, I can see Max to her locker and class, we have most of the same classes?" Anna looked at me as if trying to see if it was okay. I nodded at her and then said "I am sure that you have better things you can be doing Ann..." I stumbled over the last bit I didn't want to call her Anna in front of everyone and I was sure about calling her mom yet. Anna caught it and jumped right in before anyone could possibly hear. "Yeah actually I have some stuff i need to do so if it's okay with you I will" I answered her with a smile and a soft hug "that's fine" she gave the bag to Sean and then turned to leave.
She stopped and turned around "remember to call when you figure out what's going on with your ride situation" "I will" I answered and about that moment Sean butted in " don't worry mama I will take her home" Sean said I looked at him, but before I could say anything to protest or agree Anna said "great I will tell your father" and headed for the door.

What was this boy up to? Wasn't Melody going to get angry about all of this? I looked up at him and then quickly looked away, my eyes traveled to the floor and that's where I stared I couldn't help it. I felt his fingers on the bottom of my chin as he lifted my face to look him in the eyes. I quickly and without much thought said "I am really sorry about the other night I shouldn't have treated you like that" he let his hand drop then and just gave me a soft smile. I felt butterflies bouncing off the walls of my stomach. Sean looked me straight in the eyes "not a big deal" I smiled at him then.