20. The Hospital
The cup of coffee sat on the table in front of her, steam wafting gently from the Styrofoam cup. The contrast in the atmosphere jarred her for a moment.
Where am I? She glanced down at her appearance and recognized the brown dress with little white flowers as she was being wheeled by in Darla’s body. More importantly, who am I?
Her hands sat neatly in her lap, the skin was soft and wrinkled. Her brain was still scanning for injuries and all she could feel was some soreness in her withered knees.
Darla dropped her head into her hands. Sobs broke out as she processed the situation she found herself in. She thought about Kinley. Could it have been just that morning they were shopping for clothes?
How many hours had it been, she wondered, since we were jamming out to the music on the radio? And Jenkins—the image of his small body with his ragged breathing, hanging slack against the seatbelt—was scorched into her mind.
I need to find out what happened to him, to see if he is okay.
“Mrs. Brown?” A small hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up and was met with a little old lady in a clean-cut nurse’s uniform. Her hands went instinctively to her face to wipe the tears.
“Um, yes? Can I help you?”
“The doctors wanted me to come let you know that even though they did everything they could, your husband didn’t make it out of surgery.”
“Didn’t make it out of surgery. What do you mean, it just started?”
The nurse scrunched her eyebrows, “No, Mrs. Brown, they have been working on your husband for a couple of hours now.”
“Oh, right.” Not my Darla body. But the woman’s husband who I am now inside. Ok. Get it together. Don’t look at the past, just keep looking forward.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have any emotional ties to this stranger’s husband, but she seized the opportunity to allow herself to feel the loss of Kinley, and possibly Jenkins. Her mind swirled with memories of their short time together. Images of Kinley chewing with her mouth open and full of food.
Oh, how I wish I could see her eat again. To see her shine on the big screen. She reflected as she allowed herself to mourn. And what of Jenkins? If he survives, surely, he will never forgive me.
“How could this happen?” The idea that she came so close to having a family again and it being ripped from her was more than she could bear.
“Well, I am sure the doctors would be able to provide a better explanation, but I understand your hesitancy to speak to men you don’t know.
There were a lot more injuries internally that didn’t show up on the scans.
His brain began swelling and they tried to relieve the pressure, but his body just couldn’t handle all the ailments while under. ”
She wanted to scream at this nurse, instead she screamed internally. I don’t care about this man, tell me about the boy, about Jenkins!
“Is there anyone we can call for you?” The nurse put a hand on her shoulder.
Mrs. Brown shook her head, allowing fresh tears to fall. Even as Darla, she would have no one to call. No one would be here waiting to find out if she would make it out of surgery.
My fans would mourn, they would celebrate my life. But no one that I cared for. Not even the adoration of my fans would be enough for me to feel loved.
“Even if there was, I wouldn't know what to say to them.” The nurse nodded in understanding.
“Just know that your husband did fight hard. He was a healthy man. This was a tragic car accident.”
Mrs. Brown stiffened, the hairs on her neck stood up as she listened to the nurse. It isn’t possible he was in the same accident as I was, is it?
“That is true. Was anyone else involved in this accident?” Mrs. Brown stiffened her jaw, not wanting to hear the answer but needing to all at the same time.
“Well, yes,” the nurse glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “The woman who caused the accident is also here. She is currently in surgery. She may not make it either though. She was in worse shape than your husband.”
Her blood ran cold. The man was the truck driver who hit her. She had killed two innocent people today. The idea that her body, that now had the truck driver’s wife inside, could be the third innocent death today, was more than she could bear.
It was true she’d killed men before in cold blood, but those were needed to serve her purpose. These deaths were not needed and just added to the complexity of her situation.
Her chest tightened as she tried to process what she was feeling inside. Mrs. Brown stared at the nurse until she awkwardly walked away, giving her space she needed to process all of this information.
I can’t look back. I need to keep looking ahead, to come up with a plan if I don’t get back into my Darla body. She considered her options as she watched the nurse’s retreating frame.
“Ma’am,” Mrs. Brown called after the nurse. “I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. Is it possible you can let me know when the woman who killed my husband is out of surgery?”
“We don’t normally share patient information with non-relatives.” The nurse paused, moved by the pleading on Mrs. Brown’s kind old face. “Okay, I will let you know. But I won’t be able to give you any additional details.”
“Thank you.” She sat down and picked up the coffee, which was still warm thankfully, and gulped it down.
Her fingers started twitching as adrenaline coursed through her. The first obstacle was whether she needed to make the switch back to Darla’s body or stay as Mrs. Brown.
At least temporarily, she considered as she flexed her stiff fingers. If I can come up with some solid backup plans, there won’t be a need to worry.
She leaned back, and the elder body ached in response, so she closed her eyes and weighed her options. I can’t stay in this body for long, A hospital isn’t the best place to find someone. I need to figure out how this woman got here and see if I am able to get to a city.
Soft voices approached and she kept her eyes closed, hoping the voices weren’t coming for her.
“Here, let me set this tray down for you. You need to eat and keep your strength up. That’s what she would want.
” Sounds of tray scuffing against the table in front of her and retreating feet piqued her interest. Her eyes opened enough to see Jenkins sitting hunched on the couch adjacent to her.
She sat up quicker than her body was equipped for, and a stabbing pain shot through her spine.
I need to get into a younger body.
Jenkins’s feet dangled a foot from the floor.
He had a bandage above his left eye, and there were some bruises starting to form on his arms. Other than a few scrapes, he looked perfectly healthy.
She let out a relieved sigh, and Jenkins looked over at her, his blue eyes darkened as he watched the older woman.
He shrunk back, cautious of the stranger he sat near.
“I’m sorry, I lost—” she almost finished with Kinley but remembered that the body she was in didn’t know Kinley. She recovered quickly: “—my husband today. So, I am not quite myself.”
Jenkins’s face softened, and he leaned forward again. “I lost my sister today.” He sniffled as tears flowed down his face. He lifted his puffy red rimmed eyes to meet her gaze and her heart broke all over again.
Her voice cracked. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m sure she was a wonderful girl who loved you so very much.” He nodded and rubbed his nose on his hospital gown sleeve.
Was it just this morning we were eating sandwiches and buying new clothes? Her heart pounded at the thought, a new lump formed in her throat. Kinley was the person she felt so attached to, a reminder of her own dark-haired, blue-eyed daughter, Lizzie. Now she was gone, and she had no one.
What is the point of opening yourself up to loving someone if life is fleeting? When I kept myself closed off, I may have felt lonely at times, but at least my heart didn’t ache for those I’ve lost.
“Would you like some of my food?” Jenkins pushed the tray towards her.
“You’d share your food? With me?” She stared down at this young boy who simply nodded at her. He came from an abusive home, had little food to eat, just lost his sister, and was now willing to share the small amount he was given, to who he thought was a complete stranger.
The world collapsed around her. In all her lives, she hadn’t been met with this level of sacrifice, and she wanted to give him the world.
Oh Darla, please be okay. Pull through, not just for me, but for Jenkins, she thought and gave him a warm smile.
“Yeah, I think my new mom would be proud of me for sharing.”
New mom. He thinks of me as his new mom? Her new body reacted easily as new tears formed, not tears of sadness, but tears of something else, something new.
“I’m sure she would be very proud of you.” She reached out and gave his small hand a squeeze. He smiled in response and looked back down at his food tray.
“How about I eat those vegetables for you, and you eat all the yummy things?” She gave him a wink. He smiled big and took a big bite of the ham and cheese sandwich.
She reached down and grabbed a cold sliced carrot and popped it in her mouth. Asking more about his mom seemed unnecessary. A new sense of urgency blossomed deep inside her as she thought about her old body and that it was still being operated on.
Jenkins ate quietly and offered the occasional smile at Mrs. Brown.
I knew so much about Kinley, but never took the time to get to know him. He’s my family now. I won’t switch with him. I swear, if I can get back to my wealth and power, I am going to give him the best life possible. She thought as she grabbed the last carrot from his tray.
“How old are you?” His face lit up at the direct question.
“I’m fourteen, just like my sister is. Um, was.” His voice got low, and his eyes lowered.