7. Derek
When life turns upside down, how long does it take to return to normal? And why did people have to be so confusing?
The light in his office flickered over him as his brother, Jake, stepped in. “Kayce wants me home early tonight. Mind locking up the building when you leave?”
Derek nodded and didn’t mention the time. He had no plans, no intention of returning to his empty apartment earlier than needed. Not because he felt lonely without Mel, because a part of him did, but because he’d rather not spend time thinking about that neighbor next door.
She confused him. She acted cold and closed off from the world, like she didn’t know how to be friendly, but spent hours volunteering at a soup kitchen. Not only volunteering, but actively getting to know the patrons. She chased men for their money, but spent an entire evening going from one grocery store and restaurant to the next, never leaving the business with purchases but looking more and more stubborn after each stop. And refusing to say anything more than that she was looking for soup kitchen sponsors.
He couldn”t help but wonder if her actions had something to do with that conversation he’d overheard at the soup kitchen. The one where she’d talked with a woman about looking for a sister.
“Alright, bro, what’s wrong?” Jake asked, stepping into the office.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You have that look, the one where you look like you”re thinking so hard you’ll give yourself a stroke. Tough sell? Trouble with clients?”
“No, just . . .” Jake sat down in the chair opposite his desk, expectant. He always took his older brother role seriously, even though they were now adults and relied equally on each other. But he was also married to Mel’s sister, so how much could he say?
“Mel giving you problems?” Jake asked quietly, as if reading his mind.
“No, not that. Having relationship problems typically requires actually having conversations with the other person.” He let out a long sigh. “We haven’t spoken in a few weeks.”
“And you’re ok with that?” His brother asked slowly.
“What else can I do?”
“Look, she’s my sister-in-law, and we’ve both known their family as long as we can remember. But do you ever think you two should go your separate ways?”
In other words, should he back out of his promise to never leave Mel? “Trust me, I’ve thought about it.”
“But you won’t?”
He raised his hands in a shrug, not sure what to say.
“Look, I know you and Mel had struggles. Kayce still talks about what it was like when Mel had cancer and still worries about Mel’s health, especially overseas. But Mel’s living her life, right?”
“It’s not that easy, Jake. What kind of person would I be if I left her while she’s alone half way across the world?”
“All I’m saying is, don’t waste your life waiting for something to happen.”
“And Mel’s parents? Our parents? What would Sunday afternoons look like? What would holidays look like?” Their families got together for holidays even before Jake and Kayce married. “Either Mel or I would always feel like outsiders at any family event. Her parents would hate me for permanently ending things with her. And how would they treat anyone I dated?” He pictured bringing Theresa over for Sunday dinner, sitting across from Mel’s mom. “It would be a disaster.”
“I have to go. Kayce’s going to kill me if I’m late. But remember, you aren’t married yet, not even engaged. Think about it. You have my support whether you end up with Mel or someone else.”
“Fine.” Derek turned back to the computer screen, letting Jake leave without further argument. His brother had no idea how intense his relationship with Mel had been in the past, how difficult it would be to end things permanently. And what type of man would he be if he abandoned her?
The sun sethours ago and his office filled with artificial light. An offer on a house was accepted that evening, giving him enough paperwork to distract him for several more hours. His phone had been ringing almost nonstop as he finalized the deal, so he didn’t bother to look at the number when it rang again.
“Hello?”
A scratchy male voice responded. “This Derek? You gotta pick up Terri. Theresa. She needs the hospital. Won”t take an ambulance. Bad things happen on the ambulance. Can”t trust them. Might not take you to the hospital. They act nice, like they”re going to help you. But they don”t.”
It took him a minute for the words to sink in. “Theresa”s hurt? What’s wrong? Where is she?”
He heard Theresa in the background. “Is he coming?” Her voice was strained, higher pitched than usual, the pain obvious even over the phone.
“I”m coming, I”m coming. Just give me the address,” he yelled, standing up and grabbing his wallet and keys from the corner of his desk.
The man on the other end of the phone told him two cross streets. He looked up the location on his phone, a feeling of dread washing over him as he realized that Theresa’s location was in one of the roughest sections of the city, one where he didn’t like to drive to after dark, much less walk the streets.
“Is Theresa ok? Is she bleeding?”
The man responded. “I’ll watch her. You come. No ambulance.”
“I’m on my way.”
Derek spedto the intersection that the man on the phone had described. An abandoned building stood at one corner, and another building that looked like it was one gust of wind away from falling down stood on the other corner. The lone streetlamp flickered, threatening to give out entirely at any moment.
Theresa was nowhere in sight, but a man with messy, graying hair and an oversized jacket sat on the corner, glaring at him. He hoped he had arrived in time, and that this was the man from the phone, and that he hadn’t harmed Theresa.
Derek pulled to the side of the street and parked illegally, jumping out of the car. “Where is she?”
“Who”s asking?” He stood up slowly, as if he might attack.
“Derek. You called me. Theresa”s hurt. Where is she?” When he didn’t get an immediate response, he started yelling. “Theresa! Theresa!”
“Quiet down. Don”t look for attention. They listen. They all listen. She’s back here. Hiding.”
He ambled down the alley, walking about ten feet before he came across a large, foul-smelling dumpster. A pile of clothing and blankets was next to it. As he got closer, he saw someone with a lock of blonde hair hunched over next to the clothing.
“You ok?” He knelt in front of her.
She raised her head slightly and looked him in the eyes, shaking her head. “My ankle.” Her voice was strained, her eyes red and swollen. “I think it”s broken.”
“Can you stand up?”
She shook her head.
Derek reached out, putting one hand behind her back and the other under her legs. “Nice and slow, Theresa. Hang on to me. I”ll get you out of here.” He cautiously lifted her up, hesitating as she inhaled sharply and let out a yelp.
“Stop. I can”t do this.”
“You can. We”re in an alley. It isn”t safe here. Trust me. Can you do that?” He stopped short of scolding her for not calling an ambulance. She needed to be out of here as soon as possible.
She nodded and stiffened as he carried her to the car. The man stood by the curb, watching the entire situation unfold.
“Did he have something to do with this?”
Theresa shook her head again. “He heard me yell and helped.” She paused, breathing heavily through the pain. “He”s been keeping watch until you came.”
“Should have called an ambulance.”
“He doesn”t trust them.”
“Why does that matter?” he asked, harsher than he intended.
“It just does.” She let out another yelp as he stepped out of the alley and stumbled over the broken sidewalk.
“Can you get the door?” he called out to the man.
“The moon is bright. Don”t touch the metal when the stars shine at night.” The man looked briefly at Theresa, then turned around and started wandering away.
“Don”t worry about him,” Theresa gasped. “He”s had a hard life. He doesn”t always make sense, but he”s a good guy.”
A good guy would have opened the car door to help get Theresa to the hospital, but he held back the urge to speak. Instead, he reached the car and adjusted his grip on Theresa to open the car door.
He managed to get Theresa tucked into the front seat of the car and to the hospital in less than fifteen minutes. Theresa barely spoke a word along the way, and he didn”t press her for details.
What he really wanted to know was how she had found herself stranded and injured in an alley in one of the most dangerous sections of the city. Alone. At night. If Mel ever pulled a stunt like that . . . well, she didn”t want him in her life at the moment, so he wouldn”t have any influence on her decisions. Just like he had no influence on the choices Theresa had made.
He pulled up to the emergency room door. “Wait here. I”m getting help.”
He ran inside and grabbed the attention of an attendant, who brought a wheelchair to the car. As he rolled her to the doors, Derek paused, feeling helpless and uncertain.
“Theresa?” He jogged up to catch up with her. “What do you want me to do? Stay or go?”
Her face was pale and clammy, and her eyes squeezed shut. She nodded her head.
“What does that mean?” he asked her, but she didn”t respond.
The attendant looked over at him. “She”ll probably be here a few hours and will need someone to take her home unless she”s admitted.”
“So I should stay?” Derek asked.
The attendant shrugged. “If you decide to stay, there’s parking on the second and third level of the garage around the corner.”
Derek nodded and returned to his car. He”d stay.
He”d never noticedhow uncomfortable the seats in hospital waiting rooms were. Even when Mel attended countless chemo appointments, the chairs weren’t this uncomfortable and the wait never this long. The woman at the front desk gave him one update on Theresa, which was to say that she hadn”t been admitted yet, and they didn”t know if she”d need a ride home later.
He wasn”t about to leave her without a ride again. She”d probably say she could take the bus with a newly broken ankle.
Finally, a nurse came out and called his name.
“I need you to come back with me to see her.”
“Is she ok? Is her ankle broken? Is anything else wrong?” He still didn”t know how she ended up injured or if someone attacked her. Should he have called the police on the way to the hospital? Or maybe an officer had met her in the exam area, and he already sent others to search for whoever did this to her? She didn”t have any blood on her clothing, but that didn’t make him any less worried.
“There’s a bit of a situation.” The nurse lowered her voice as she stopped walking and turned to him, standing in front of the heavy doors leading to the patient care area of the emergency department. “She has a severely broken ankle. The orthopedist is reviewing her case right now and considering surgery in the morning. But she”s refusing any pain medication.”
He shook his head. “I don”t know what you want me to do.”
“We don”t want her to go into shock, and she”s suffering needlessly right now. She needs something to take the edge off her pain. She”s refusing. Can you talk to her?”
Theresa obviously hadn”t explained to the nurse that he did not influence her life, that he was little more than a neighbor, but he nodded anyway. She seemed satisfied with his response and led him through the doors, walking down a hallway until she stopped in front of a curtained exam room. Someone was crying loudly on the other side.
He stepped through and saw Theresa lying in a hospital bed, paler than the white sheets, with layers of sweat across her forehead. He stepped up to her bedside and reached for her hand reflexively.
“Theresa, are you ok?”
She shook her head. “I can”t handle this.” Tears fell out of her eyes.
He reached for the box of tissues and grabbed one, gingerly wiping her cheeks. “They”re going to help you. The orthopedist is going to see if you need surgery in the morning. Everything will be alright.”
“They want me to take drugs. They want me to take something for the pain. They”re going to make me do that if I have surgery. I can”t do that.” An edge of panic crept into her voice on top of the pain.
“Your ankle is broken. Of course, you need something.”
She shook her head. “You don”t understand. I can”t be like her. I can”t be like either of them. I can”t do this. Tell them that.”
She wasn”t making sense, probably because of the pain. He looked at her ankle, which was swollen larger than any swollen ankle he”d ever seen and bent at a disturbing angle. Even without viewing an x-ray, he could tell it was broken.
“I”m not going to do it. I can”t do it.”
“Theresa, you can do this. You can get through it. The doctors and nurses will help. Let them take care of you.”
She shook her head again and closed her eyes. “You”re the only person who will understand. I can”t take the drugs. You need to tell them that.”
“I don”t understand, Theresa. They can help you feel better until your surgery. You can”t stay in this much pain all night.” He”d broken his left wrist once when he and Jake were rollerblading in the park as teens. It was a minor break, but enough to make him act like a baby. Her break looked infinitely worse.
“You”re the only one who knows.” She gasped again, releasing more tears.
He wiped her cheeks with a tissue again. “What do I know?”
“You heard me at the soup kitchen. You heard about my twin. She started using drugs in high school.” She stopped again, closing her eyes against the pain.
“What does that have to do with you?”
She squeezed her eyes harder. “She dropped out of school. Drugs took over her life. She was arrested for the first time at 17. Everyone found out. Everyone treated me like I was just like her.”
He looked into her eyes and the realization hit him. She worried about becoming like her sister. Her worry of becoming an addict was stronger than the pain she was feeling.
She opened her eyes slightly and looked at him, her eyes full of pain. “I work here. This is my hospital. I can”t become an addict. Not here. I can”t take drugs. They can”t know about her or my mom. I can”t let them judge me like everyone else used to judge me.”
Derek squeezed her hand. “I don”t know you very well, Theresa, but I know you are strong and stubborn.” She glared at the word stubborn, if you could call it a glare while tears were still falling. “You are definitely stubborn. No one else would call the police on me like you did. No one else would have taken the bus to that neighborhood alone at night.”
She shook her head. “I”ve gone there a hundred times before. I know how to be safe.”
“How”d you break your ankle?” He swore that if someone had attacked her, he”d head back to that same intersection and track down whoever did it and make them pay.
“No one hurt me. I did this myself.”
“What the—” He stopped himself before saying something he”d regret and took a deep breath. “How did you do this??”
“I thought I saw her. My sister. I ran and tripped.”
“Who was the guy who called me? Did he have something to do with this?”
She shook her head. “He helped me. We both thought we saw her. He ran too. But I fell, and he stopped to help me instead of catching up with her.”
Derek didn”t know if he fully believed her, but arguing over this would be pointless. The pain was taking a toll on her. She needed medication.
“You need to take some of the drugs.”
She looked at him, eyes full of trust. “Help me. I can”t do that.”
“That”s the only way I can help you, Theresa. You won”t be an addict if you let them give you pain medication tonight. You won”t turn into your sister.” He focused on rubbing his thumb back and forth over her hand. “I promise, I won”t let you turn into an addict if you take the drugs tonight.”
“You can”t promise that.”
“I can and I will. If you take the pain medication tonight, I”ll keep an eye on you. I”ll keep track of any pain pills they prescribe after you get discharged. Taking them as prescribed is not the same as being addicted to pain pills.” He smiled his best smile, trying to show her that he cared and would take care of her.
She nodded, looking like she was considering his words, but then her eyes narrowed again. “How do I know you aren”t addicted to pills? How do I know you won”t take them and use them yourself?”
He held up his right hand. “Scouts honor. I’ve never tried drugs. I took some pain medication after my wisdom teeth were removed and didn”t like how it made me feel, so I threw out the extra pills. But that was for wisdom teeth surgery. You have a broken ankle.” He emphasized the words and motioned toward her foot. “The staff at the hospital are going to be much more worried about you refusing proper care than anything that happened with your sister years ago. Take the medicine.” He refused to break eye contact with her as she stared at him.
Finally, she looked down. “You promise you won”t let me get addicted?”
He nodded and squeezed her hand. “I promise.” He started to bend over to kiss her forehead, but he stopped himself, instead stroking her hair. The thought of Mel slipped into his mind, but he continued stroking Theresa’s hair anyway.