Just as the movie started, Heather’s cell phone started ringing. The starting credits were still rolling, so only a few people shushed her, but Heather was still embarrassed.
“Sorry,” Heather apologized as she flipped out her phone, “I must’ve forgotten to silence it.” Heather saw that it was her mother calling, but she figured it could wait, so she forwarded the call to voicemail and put the phone on vibrate. Things were quiet for a moment before the phone started to vibrate, and Heather attempted to forward it once more. When the phone started vibrating for the third time, Heather could tell that people were starting to get annoyed. “She probably just wants to know what I’m doing,” Heather thought to herself as she answered the phone. “Hi, mom,” Heather whispered, “I’m at the mall today and watching a movie, so….”
But Heather stopped when her mother started to talk frantically, “Heather St. Vincent, you pick up the phone when your mother calls! Rebecca got into an accident at the grocery store!”
“What?” Heather shouted as she leaped to her feet, spilling her popcorn and drink on the floor. The entire theater made shushing sounds, “Shush yourselves!” Heather snapped as she ran out of the theater and arranged an Uber.
The five minutes of waiting at the entrance to the mall felt like an eternity to Heather as her head filled with horrible situations for her sister. “Why did I go to the stupid mall today?" Heather demanded of herself. When her Uber finally arrived, Heather dashed into the car and told the driver to get her to the hospital.
Within fifteen horrible minutes, Heather was outside of the hospital and dashed inside to the reception area, where a young woman was sitting at an old computer chewing bubble gum. “I need to see my sister!”
The woman slowly got to her computer, “Name?”
“My name is Heather St. Vincent!”
“No, no,” The woman corrected, “The patient's name.”
“Rebecca St. Vincent!”
The woman typed some information into her computer, “Your name?”
“Heather St. Vincent!” Heather repeated, becoming annoyed.
The woman typed more information, “Your relation to the patient?”
“Look, lady!” Heather shouted, turning several nearby heads, “I’m Heather St. Vincent; my sister Rebecca St. Vincent got into an accident at the grocery store. Now, where is she?”
“Security!” The woman lazily declared.
“Carly!” A nearby male nurse scolded before turning to Heather, “My name is Brad, and I’m your sister’s nurse; I’ll take you right to her.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Heather stammered as Brad led her away.
“Sorry about Carly,” Brad apologized.
“How,” Heather demanded, “does someone like that work here?”
“She’s got an aunt on the board,” Brad explained as he summoned the elevator. “Your sister is on the third floor in room three ninety-nine, down the hall and to the left; if you hit the sunroom, turn around.”
“Thank you so much!” Heather thanked before the elevator took her up. Heather took several deep breaths before the elevator opened on the third floor. Heather was careful to follow the directions she was given, and soon enough, she found her sister’s room.
“Becky!” Heather declared as she barged into the room. Rebecca was lying in a hospital bed, and Miranda was sitting nearby with Delilah in her lap, and tied to the tot’s arm was a bright pink balloon.
“Becca,” Heather told her sister, “I’m so sorry that I went to the mall; you are the best sister in the world, and you can borrow any of my stuff any time, and I’ll do all your chores and….”
“Heather,” Miranda beckoned her elder daughter, “Calm down.”
“Does she have to, mom?” Rebecca inquired, “Because it was starting to get good.”
“Rebecca!” Miranda scolded. “Delilah, sweetheart, what do you say that we go get your sister something from the gift shop and let your sisters talk.”
“Okay!” Delilah smiled, “You gonna check Becky, mommy?”
“Check her?” Heather repeated.
“Delilah!” Rebecca blushed.
“Let’s,” Miranda spoke quickly as she led Delilah out of the room, “Let your sister tell Heather about that, okay, sweetie?”
“Okay,” Delilah remarked as she and Miranda left the girls to talk.
“So, what happened?” Heather asked her sister.
“I was coming out of the store when some idiot from the liquor store slammed into me,” Rebecca explained.
“You were hit by a car?” Heather summarized, “Where is that guy? I’ll strike him….”
“Easy,” Rebecca urged her sister, “The guy was an alcoholic, and his brother sent him to rehab.”
“His brother?” Heather repeated.
“They live together, and the bother said that this was the reality check he needed to give his brother some tough love,” Rebecca explained, “He also said that he would pay for everything to make up for enabling his brother.”
“What about you?” Heather demanded, “Do you need a cast? Surgery? Medicine?”
“God,” Rebecca groaned with a smile, “You’re worse than mom. The doctor said I got away with only a few scrapes and bruises. There is some minor damage to my legs, but he said that if I take it easy for a while, I’ll be fine. The doctor even said I can go home today.”
“Thank God,” Heather sighed, “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” Rebecca chuckled, “Next time, I’ll be sure to let you know if some idiot plans on plowing into me.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Heather remarked as she held out her arms, “Come here.”
Rebecca quickly signaled for her sister to stop, “Uh, could you not? I’m a little sore.”
“I thought you said your legs were hurt,” Heather reminded her sister.
“It was but uh….” Rebecca said nervously.
“Come on, Becca,” Heather urged, “I know it’s a little sappy, but I was really worried.” Heather wrapped her arms gently around her sister, “See was that so bad?”
“No,” Rebecca stammered, not looking Heather in the eye.
Now that she was closer, Heather thought she heard a familiar crinkle from under Rebecca’s blanket, “What was that?” Heather inquired.
“Nothing,” Rebecca insisted.
“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Heather remarked, “Come to think of it, what was Delilah talking about earlier why would mom need to check you?”
“Nothing!” Rebecca repeated.
What happens next?
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