Parallel Visions (17 page)

I nod and close my eyes, and let sleep take me.

My throat feels raw, but at least I can swallow and talk now that the tube is out. It ’
s a relief to breathe on my own. Though now I can smell that mixture of disinfectant and canned air that seems to pervade every hospital. I sigh. My chest hurts deep inside, but at least I ’
m not coughing any more. And I have my own pajamas, instead of that awful hospital gown that opens at the back.

Mom looks up at me from her seat beside me.
“
Everything okay?
”

“
Yeah, ”
I say hoarsely. I pick up a piece of yellow origami paper and fold yet another butterfly. Dad ’
s back at work, Jenna ’
s talking to a counselor, and I ’
m just waiting to go home. Out the window, the sky looks clear and blue and perfect.

There
’
s a rap on the doorframe, and then Gil and Inez walk in, Inez hanging on tightly to Gil ’
s arm.

“
Inez, Gil!
”
I say hoarsely.
“
I ’
m so glad you came!
”
I smile at Inez broadly, trying to reassure her. I ’
ll bet it ’
s the first time she ’
s left the house since her rape. And she ’
s showered and dressed, her hair twisted back behind her head.

“
Hi Kate, hi Mrs. Robbins, ”
Gil says.

“
Hi, ”
Inez says uncertainly.

Mom smoothes her dress and stands.
“
I ’
ll give you three some alone time. All right, sweetie?
”

I nod. Mom pats my knee and leaves.

Inez walks to the edge of my bed and tentatively touches my shoulder.
“
How are you feeling?
”

“
Better. I can go home soon, ”
I say hoarsely.

“
Are you really going to be okay now?
”
Inez says.
“
Gil says you almost died.
”

“
Yeah. I ’
m hanging in. Glad to see you are, too.
”
I study her. Her eyes look brighter, more alive, her face less troubled than when I last saw her—in person and in my visions. There ’
s still pain behind her eyes, but it doesn ’
t look as strong.
“
I hope you ’
re not thinking about a way out anymore, ”
I say.

Inez shakes her head.
“
No. You were right. It would hurt Gil and my nana too much. And I think I want to live now, too. The way you do. I want to change things around here. I can ’
t do that if I ’
m dead.
”

“
Exactly, ”
I say and cough.

Gil leaps forward.
“
You need your inhaler? Oxygen?
”

I laugh, even though it hurts to.
“
I ’
m okay, Gil. My throat ’
s just a little raw. I ’
ll survive.
”

Gil laughs shakily.
“
Okay. You scared the heck out of me, you know.
”

“
I know. I ’
m sorry.
”

Inez cracks her knuckles.

I turn to look at her.

“
I want you to know I ’
m okay now. Well, I will be okay. I ’
m getting better.
”
Inez swallows hard.
“
Gil told me what you did. You don ’
t have to risk your life any more to see my future. I ’
ll be okay.
”

“
You promise?
”
I say, looking at her steadily, knowing that if she promises, she ’
ll keep moving toward life. Toward healing.

“
Yes. I promise, ”
Inez says, nodding curtly.

“
I ’
m glad, ”
I say.
“
Did you already flush the rest of your pills down the toilet?
”

Inez laughs.
“
I shouldn ’
t be surprised; you seem to see everything! Yes. I did it as soon as I heard you were in trouble.
”

“
Good, ”
I say, and grin. I bite back more questions. Maybe she decided not to identify the boys who raped her. I don ’
t want her to feel worse.

“
And yes—I ’
m going to tell the police who raped me, ”
Inez says.
“
I ’
ll bet you saw that, too.
”

“
Some of it, ”
I say, smiling awkwardly.

“
I ’
m glad. Thank you.
”
Inez squeezes my hand.
“
I ’
ll just go get something from the vending machine. Come find me when you ’
re done, Gil.
”

Gil watches her leave, then turns to me.
“
Thank you for saving her.
”

“
You helped save her, too. It wasn ’
t all me. And Inez had to want to be here. In the end, she ’
s the one who saved herself.
”

“
But she needed our help.
”
Gil shakes his head.
“
I didn ’
t even know she was planning to kill herself when you first told me. If it hadn ’
t been for you—”
He sucks in his breath sharply.
“
I don ’
t even want to think about it.
”
Gil unslings his backpack and pulls out a package.
“
This is for you.
”

I rip open the wrapping paper. An origami book and a pack of paper slide out. Beautiful patterned paper, with flowers and vines and butterflies.

“
I thought, while you ’
re in the hospital, you might want—but I didn ’
t realize you ’
d have some already.
”

“
It ’
s perfect, ”
I say hoarsely and grin at him.
“
I love it; thank you. It ’
s so much prettier than the paper I have.
”

Gil presses his fist to his lips.
“
I ’
m sorry I didn ’
t get there in time. The principal caught me as I was leaving. I had to sneak out of the office while she called Nana.
”

“
It ’
s okay!
”
I say.
“
You couldn ’
t have gotten in, anyway.
”

“
No. I should have been there sooner.
”
Gil hangs his head.
“
I should have protected you.
”

“
Gil, I mean it. You couldn ’
t have gotten in. The doors were all locked.
”

“
I was about to break a window when Jenna let me in. When I saw you lying there like that—”
Gil ’
s hands become fists.
“
I could have killed him. I wanted to.
”

I cover his fist with my hand, loosening his fingers until I can get mine in between.
“
I ’
m fine. The police found him this morning. It ’
s okay. If Jenna hadn ’
t been there already, you would ’
ve been the one to save me. And what matters most is that you came.
”

“
Of course I came!
”
Gil swallows.
“
I felt so helpless. So damned scared.
”

“
But it ’
s all over now, ”
I say.
“
And I get out of here tomorrow.
”

“
Can I come see you? Maybe we could do something—at your place, if you still need to rest.
”

“
I ’
d love that, ”
I say.

“
Me, too.
”
Gil leans down and kisses me.

It feels sweeter than before, maybe because I know how lucky I am to be alive. To have people who love me. A family who cares, and who ’
s willing to accept and try to understand something they don ’
t really understand.

For the first time in a long time, I don ’
t care that I ’
m not normal. I love the people in my life. I ’
m grateful to be alive. And I know that my visions aren ’
t a curse; they ’
re a gift. They kept two people alive. They helped me right a wrong. And they helped me find the boy I love.

Thank you for reading PARALLEL VISION. I hope you enjoyed it!

If you enjoyed PARALLEL VISION, I would so appreciate it if you would let others know about it. It would really help if you ’
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Learn more about Cheryl Rainfield ’
s books at
www.CherylRainfield.com
and
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.

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’
re a YA book reviewer and want a digital review copy of one of my books, email me at [email protected].

Origami figures that Kate made:

Origami Butterfly: Step-By-Step Instructions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4L5nDDgEEk

Origami Flying Pig: Step-By-Step Instructions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA5POB9bqSQ