Fabulous Five 011 - Hit and Run (7 page)

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirwan! Come quickly!" Jana shouted.
"He heard me! I know he did!"

Randy's parents were sitting in a small lounge area near the
door to their son's room. At the sound of Jana's voice, they both looked
startled for an instant and then jumped to their feet, spilling magazines out
of their laps and onto the floor.

"What happened?" gasped Mr. Kirwan.

"Is he awake?" cried his mother as both of them
dashed toward Jana.

The nurse, who had been sitting peacefully at her desk, went
into action, also. She flipped the switch on her intercom and spoke rapidly
into the microphone. "Dr. Garza. Calling Dr. Garza. Please come to the
second floor ICU."

Jana led the Kirwans and the nurse into the dimly lit room where
Randy lay, but his eyes were closed, and he looked as peacefully asleep as
ever. The commotion that had begun in the hall soon died away as the little
group gathered beside his bed, and all Jana could hear over the hum of the
monitors was the sound of anxious breathing.

Before her eyes could adjust, Dr. Garza rushed in and
hurried to Randy's side. After the nurse had filled him in on what had
happened, he said, "Please stand back for a moment, everyone. I'd like to
examine the patient."

Obediently, all of them except the nurse moved away from the
bed to allow the doctor plenty of room. Jana held her breath. Randy
had
heard her. She was positive. "His eyes fluttered," she whispered. "I
know he'll wake up."

When Dr. Garza had finished his examination he motioned them
back to the bedside. "Now, miss, will you tell me exactly what happened
when you thought he heard you?"

"He did hear me," Jana insisted.

The doctor nodded patiently and said, "Please go on."

Jana hesitated. Do I have to tell him the whole story? she
wondered. All the stuff about Sleeping Handsome and the kiss? "Well,"
she began slowly, "I read somewhere that people in comas can sometimes
hear what people say to them so I just came in and started talking."

"What did you say to him?" asked Dr. Garza. "You
don't have to tell me the exact words—just what kinds of things you talked
about."

Jana drew in a deep breath. "I told him how sorry I was
about the accident and that I shouldn't have gotten mad at him and run into the
street in front of a car. I also said I wanted him to wake up so that things
could be the way they were before."

Dr. Garza nodded slowly, as if he was thinking it over
carefully. "And were you sitting in the chair when his eyes fluttered? Or
standing by the bed? And were you speaking? If you can be very specific about
that moment, I'd appreciate it."

Oh, no, she thought. This was what she had dreaded. All four
adults were staring at her now, waiting for her answer.

"Well . . ." she began. "Actually what
happened was . . . I kissed him on the cheek and said, 'Wake up, Sleeping
Handsome.'" Jana dropped her eyes as she felt color seeping into her face.
They would think she was crazy, or at the very least,
boy
crazy.

"Oh, Jana. That's lovely," said Mrs. Kirwan, and
when Jana looked at her, she could see that Randy's mother was misty-eyed.

Dr. Garza cleared his throat and took charge again. "It's
very possible that he did hear you and responded to you emotionally," he
said, looking straight at Jana. "I'd say it's a very good sign, and I'd
like to recommend that you visit Randy as often as you like, with Mr. and Mrs.
Kirwan's approval, of course."

Jana stared at Dr. Garza, only vaguely aware that Randy's
parents were insisting that she spend all the time at their son's bedside that she
could and that Dr. Garza was cautioning all of them to remember that although
this was a good sign, they shouldn't get their hopes up too high. She knew all
that was going on around her, but her thoughts were on Randy and the moment his
eyes had almost opened. She had done something. She had actually done something
that might help him wake up, and she wanted to jump up and down and shout with
joy.

For the next few days Jana divided her time between school
during the day and the hospital in the evening. At school, she was the center
of attention as everyone wanted to ask her how she felt and if she had news of
Randy. Even Laura McCall stopped her in the hall between classes on Monday
morning.

"I'm really sorry about the accident," Laura said.
Her eyes were downcast and she spoke barely above a whisper. "Funny said
that you were upset about Randy's spending so much time with me, and that's why
you ran into the street. I never meant for anything so awful to happen. I was
just asking him to do me a favor. Honest. That's all it was."

Jana looked at Laura thoughtfully. She had never seen Laura
look so genuinely sorry. "I guess I just misunderstood," said Jana,
knowing that she didn't dare betray Funny's confidence.

The biggest surprise came in the cafeteria at noon when the
cheerleading squad went from table to table, pinning small bows made of the red
and gold school colors on everyone and saying that they were for Randy.

Tears of gratitude welled in Jana's eyes as Melanie pinned a
ribbon on her and said, "All the cheerleaders met at my house last night
to make them. We wanted to do
something
."

Jana nodded, afraid her voice would crack with emotion if
she tried to speak. It had seemed right after the accident that nobody was
doing anything to help Randy, but now lots of people were finding things to do.

At the hospital that evening she told him about the red and
gold bows. "Everybody in school is wearing one. Even the teachers and Mr.
Bell, and someone said the custodian, Mr. Bartosik, had on two. Isn't that terrific?"

If Randy heard, he gave no sign. Jana sighed, touching the
small bow pinned to her blouse, and went on talking softly.

"Lots of kids sent messages, too. Scott and Mark said
to hang in there. Clarence said not to flirt with the nurses. Joel and Keith
said to let them know as soon as you can have visitors. Oh, yes, Shane wants to
come to see you, too, and he said he hopes they'll let him bring in Igor."

"Jana, it's time to go now."

Jana looked up at the sound of Mrs. Kirwan's voice. It was
hard to believe that it was time to go already. It seemed that she had just
gotten there, but Mr. Kirwan had arrived for his turn at Randy's bedside, and
he smiled at her as he took off his coat. "Any changes?" he asked.

"No," murmured Jana. She didn't try to hide her
disappointment. Randy hadn't seemed to hear a single word she had said. In
fact, he seemed as deeply asleep as he had before.

"Mrs. Kirwan and I will be in the hall when you're
ready to go," he said.

Jana nodded and turned back toward Randy, dreading to say
good-bye. And yet, he looked so peaceful lying there. She glanced toward the
glass-topped doors that led into the hallway to be sure no one was peering in,
and then she bent toward Randy and softly kissed his cheek. "Good night,
Sleeping Handsome," she whispered. She waited for his eyes to open. At
least to flutter as they had before. But this time nothing happened, and with a
heavy heart, she turned and headed for the door.

The next afternoon Jana left school loaded down with gifts
for Randy. His English class had made a banner that was ten feet long and
signed by everyone. The football team had autographed a football for him, and
students from all three grades had given her get-well cards to take to him.

As she stepped into the hospital lobby with Mrs. Kirwan, she
felt a stab of regret that she had nothing special for him herself. It wasn't
that she hadn't tried to think of something to bring. A card had seemed too
impersonal. A note, too personal until she could be sure that he would be the only
one to read it. Flowers? What good would they be until he woke up and could
smell them? There was nothing. Absolutely nothing, and she gathered her
frustration into the end of her finger and punched the elevator button as hard
as she could.

"Oh, Jana," said Mrs. Kirwan as the doors opened
and several people got out. "Would you go on up without me, dear? I see a
neighbor sitting in the lounge, and I want to speak to her for a moment. I won't
be long."

Jana nodded and boarded alone. She started to direct the
elevator to the second floor but changed her mind, touching the button for the
fourth floor instead. An idea had just occurred to her. Maybe there was
something that she could take to Randy, after all.

A wave of emotion swept over her as she stepped into the
familiar corridor. She had been discharged days ago, but still the sights and
smells brought a rush of tears into her eyes. It was here she had awakened
after the accident and learned of Randy's coma.

As she moved toward the room she had shared with Lisa, Mrs.
Foss stepped out of another room and stopped, looking at her with both pleasure
and surprise. "Jana. How good to see you," she said. "How are
you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine now," Jana assured her.

Mrs. Foss cocked her head to one side and studied Jana's
face. "Even your bruises are almost gone. See? We do good work here at
this hospital." Then she threw back her head and laughed heartily. "So,
what brings you up to see us?"

Jana hesitated. Maybe it was too soon to mention the real
reason, so instead she said, "I came to see Randy, and I thought I'd stop
by and check on Lisa."

Mrs. Foss's face lit up, making Jana feel even more guilty
over her deception. "She's doing beautifully, the little imp. We're having
a devil of a time keeping her in bed—in spite of her cast. And she doesn't have
a roommate since you left, so she rings her call button every fifteen minutes
for company. I don't know what she'll do when she gets home, though. She's
going to be in that cast for a long time. Come on. She'll love seeing you."

Jana followed the nurse down the hall. "Look, Lisa. You
have company," she said as they entered the hospital room.

"Jana! Jana!" the little girl cried happily. "Did
you come to see me and Gorgeous?"

Jana tried to keep the smile on her face as she glanced at
Gorgeous tucked into the covers beside Lisa, arms extended as if waiting for a
hug and a gentle smile on his heart-shaped mouth. It was all she could do to
keep from grabbing him and burying her face in his soft body as she had done so
many times before. She longed to tell him about her fairytale attempt to wake
Randy from his coma and to let the tears that were gathering in her eyes spill
onto his soft fur.

"Want to sign my cast?" Lisa threw back the sheet
to display the long white cast covered with names written in every color of the
rainbow. "Here. You can put your name next to where Gorgeous wrote his."

Puzzled, Jana blinked at a large pink heart with Gorgeous
written neatly inside.

"He wrote that while she was asleep," said Mrs.
Foss, winking at Jana.

Jana couldn't help smiling. "Sure," she said. "I'd
like to sign next to Gorgeous." She chose a green marker out of a cup of
multicolored pens and wrote her name with a flourish. "There. How's that?"

"Well, I have to get back to work," said Mrs.
Foss. "You two girls have a nice visit."

Jana watched her go, wishing she had had time to speak to
her privately about Gorgeous. I
can't
let Lisa keep him any longer, Jana
thought. Randy needs him. But how am I going to get him back?

Lisa was all smiles as Jana sat down gingerly on the side of
her bed.

"Want to play a game?" asked Lisa.

"Maybe," Jana said halfheartedly. She started to
add that she couldn't stay long because she had come to the hospital to visit
someone else, then another idea struck her.

"I'll bet it's pretty lonesome in here all by yourself,
isn't it?" asked Jana.

Lisa nodded. "Yup."

"And Gorgeous is nice to have around, but he's awfully
quiet. Right?"

Lisa looked at her warily and then scooped Gorgeous into her
arms and hugged him. "You can't have him. He's
mine.
"

Jana started to shout that Gorgeous wasn't Lisa's bear and
never had been, then she caught herself. Poor Lisa, she thought, looking
closely at the little girl again. Not only did she have a broken leg, but her
parents were in another part of the hospital. And Lisa's long blond hair hung
limply over her shoulders as if, in spite of the nurses' attempts to brush it,
it badly needed a mother's care.

How can I ask for Gorgeous back? wondered Jana. But then her
thoughts returned to Randy, lying asleep two floors below.
Everyone needs
someone to hug.
Her mother had said that, and so had Mrs. Foss. Well, Randy
needs Gorgeous, she thought stubbornly.

"Have any of your relatives gotten here yet?"
asked Jana.

Nodding, Lisa loosened her grip on Gorgeous and looked at
Jana. "One . . . two . . . three of them," she said proudly. "They
come to see me every day."

"Does it make you feel better to have someone visit
you?" asked Jana.

"Sure. Lots better."

"Just the same as Gorgeous made you feel better before
your family got here?"

Lisa nodded again, but the wary look had returned to her
face.

"Well, I was wondering if you would mind if Gorgeous went
to visit someone else in this hospital who is lonesome? He was hurt in an
accident, too, and"—she paused as her voice cracked with emotion—"and
I think Gorgeous would help him to feel better, just the way he did for you."

Big, solemn eyes stared at Jana, but Lisa did not speak for
a moment. "Does he have a cast on his leg?" she asked finally.

"No," said Jana. "But he has bandages wrapped
all around his head, and the doctors are having a hard time getting him to wake
up."

"Oh," said Lisa.

Jana could tell that Lisa was carefully thinking over what
she had just heard.

"I've been talking to him, too," Jana went on. She
knew she shouldn't bother to tell Lisa about trying to wake Randy. The little
girl was too young to understand. But she couldn't stop the words. "I
thought that maybe if he heard my voice, he would open his eyes, but it didn't
work."

Lisa put a hand on her side and cocked her head at Jana. "Well,
why didn't you say so?" she said. "Gorgeous whispers in my ear and
wakes me up all the time. And he tells me secrets, too. He knows lots of
secrets, and when he whispers in my ear, it tickles!"

Jana looked at Lisa in astonishment, remembering how annoyed
she had been at the little girl for talking to Gorgeous and pretending he was
telling her secrets. No, thought Jana, I was more than annoyed. I was jealous.
And now, she realized, Lisa was holding out Gorgeous to her and smiling.

"Oh, thank you, Lisa," Jana cried, hugging both
Lisa and Gorgeous. "I'll come back and visit you every day. And I'll play
games with you, and read stories to you, and do anything you want me to."

"Will you take me for a ride in the wheelchair?" Lisa
challenged, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Of course I will . . . if Mrs. Foss says it's okay,"
she added. "I have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

"Oh, boy! Oh,
boy!
" Lisa squealed as Jana
scooted out the door.

A few minutes later Jana stood inside the quiet room in the
intensive care unit. She had explained to Mrs. Kirwan why she hadn't come
straight to Randy's room, and then she had arranged the cards, the banner, and
the autographed football on the nightstand where he would be able to see them
when he opened his eyes. Now she held Gorgeous in her arms and walked toward
the bed.

"I've brought a good friend to stay with you at night
and when I'm at school," she began. "It's Gorgeous, and he'll be
better than an alarm clock for waking you up. He knows lots of secrets, too,
but be careful. When he whispers in your ear, he tickles."

Jana couldn't help smiling as she slid Gorgeous under the
covers. At first, she put him on his back beside Randy with his arms reaching
into the air. But after she looked at the two of them for a moment, she turned
the soft white bear on his side so that his arms held Randy in a gentle hug and
his heart-shaped mouth brushed Randy's face with a kiss. Then she tiptoed out
of the room.