Chapter 37 Zeke
thirty-seven
Zeke
When I arrive, the front door is wide open; Avalon’s things are in the doorway. She didn’t ask me to come here, I honestly don’t even know if she’d want me to witness something like this, but the second I heard her voice, how broken it was, I was out of the house and on my way here.
“Avalon!” I yell, walking into her house, and that’s when I hear it—the running water. I head toward the bathroom in her mom’s room, and that’s when I see her sitting in the tub with her mom while the shower head sprays down on them.
“Zeke?” You’d think by how she’s shaking as she runs her hand through her mom’s hair that the water pounding on them is ice cold, but the steam proves otherwise.
“I-I didn’t know what to do. I turned her on her side in the living room, but it didn’t help.
I haven’t been in this situation since I was a kid, and I didn’t even really know what to do then; I just remember standing and staring, so I grabbed my phone, and it said to keep her warm, but I didn’t know how else to keep her warm and—oh my god, I didn’t call an ambulance, I was so panicked and—”
“Hey,” I squat down next to the tub, “I called them on my way here. They should be here shortly, okay?”
“How did you get here so fast anyway?” Her voice trembles. “You told me you were waiting for Jeremy to get home to borrow his car.”
“I, um, ran.”
“You ran?”
“Yeah, I didn’t want you to be alone.”
Her breath is shaky as she tries to control her sobs, and as I reach out to brush her hair away from her face, we hear sirens outside the apartment.
“She’s going to be okay, Avalon, alright?”
She nods her head as paramedics raid the apartment, pulling her mom out of the tub like it’s nothing and placing her onto a backboard. Avalon’s eyes stay glued to her mom as they attend to her.
“She’s responding.”
Avalon’s shoulders drop. They don’t know how much of a relief those two words are.
“We’re going to transport your mom to St. Peters Hospital to help get her stable,” one of the paramedics says, looking at Avalon. “Would you like to ride with her?”
Avalon doesn’t reply. Her eyes look empty like she’s completely checked out.
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” I respond, and he gives me a small nod before leaving to catch up with the other paramedics.
I don’t know how we’ll get there since neither of us has a car, but I felt like Avalon needed a second away from that situation.
“Stewart,” I reach out and grab her hand, “hey, you with me?” She blinks up at me, her tears mixing with the water from the shower. “She’s awake. She’s responsive, right? That’s a good thing.”
She doesn’t say anything; she just stares at the bathroom wall. As if this is just some nightmare she’ll eventually wake up from.
I hop into the tub next to her, letting the water run down my body as I pull her into my arms.
She melts into me, and her breathing slows down, returning to normal.
I rub circles on her back to try and comfort her.
I don’t know what to do in this situation; how do I help someone I care about when they just witnessed one of the worst things possible?
So, I do the only logical thing I can think of.
I just sit with her under the water and hold her while she cries.
Thanks for coming with me,” Avalon whispers as we walk through the hospital halls. “I don’t know if I could’ve come alone.”
“Am I just chopped liver or something?” Jay wonders, causing us to look at him.
Jay seems like a great guy. He definitely cares about Avalon as if she were his own. He stayed with us at Avalon’s last night; we slept in the living room like little kids having a sleepover.
I guess the paramedics were from his fire station, so he knew something was wrong when he saw the address.
Not exactly how I thought I’d meet him for the first time, and I’m sure he probably felt the same way, but it worked out since he was able to drive us to the hospital so Avalon could see her mom.
They moved her mom to Westlake Memorial early this morning. I guess Jay called them and wanted her to move because Westlake is the best hospital in Illinois, even though it’s kind of a drive.
“Obviously not.” She smiles. “My mom wouldn’t be getting this kind of help if it wasn’t for you.”
“The doctors told me she’ll be in here for at least a week. Her kidneys are failing, probably because of the drugs, and they’re hoping to get her healthy before—”
“Before she goes out and starts doing drugs again?” Avalon stops, turning towards Jay.
“Maybe this will be a wake-up call,” I begin.
“It’s never been a wake-up call,” she responds. “It’s only a matter of time before she returns to her old ways.”
“Maybe she’ll agree to that six-month program,” Jay adds, “the one I was trying to get her into before she met that asshole in AA. If she agrees, it’d be a leap in the right direction.”
“If she agrees to that, then maybe I’ll have hope that something like this won’t happen again.”
We reach her mom’s room, and Avalon peeks through the small glass square. Her mom’s up and watching television like this whole situation is normal.
I guess for her mom, it might be.
“Do you mind, maybe waiting out here?” Avalon asks, turning toward me. “I don’t want you to meet her like this. I guess you technically met her when she was in worse condition, but I don’t—”
“No.” I shake my head. “I get it, of course I get it. I’m gonna go see my mom, okay? If you need me, just call.”
She grabs my hand and pulls me toward her, kissing my cheek before giving me a small smile, “Thank you.”
I watch her and Jay walk into her mom’s room, and I can feel the tension in the hall. I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now. That love/hate feeling she has toward her mom.
I brush away the tear on my cheek and then head back through the hospital to my mom’s room.
I tap on her door frame to get her attention before walking inside.
“Hey, baby.” Her smile is bright, and she seems in better spirits than usual. “I didn’t know you were coming by today. Did you get your car fixed?”
“No, actually. I go a ride.”
“Is Ember with you again?” She sits up a little higher.
“No.” I chuckle. “She’s not here this time, but there’s actually something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
“What’s her name?” She folds her arms, and I freeze.
“What?”
“Oh honey, I’m not stupid,” she continues. “I’ve known something was going on with you for months; I just didn’t want to push it until you wanted to talk about it. Why do you think I assumed Ember was your girlfriend?”
“I don’t know. I just thought you were hoping that I’d finally met someone.”
“Of course, I’ve wanted you to meet someone. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. I know why you’ve been so scared to give someone your heart.” She reaches for my hands, causing me to move closer. “But all I’ve ever wanted is to see my baby boy fall in love.”
I sit on the edge of her bed as she caresses my face.
“And I can tell you have.”
“What?”
“You’re in love.” She grins. “A mother knows.”
“How do I know?” I rub my hands together. “The last time I was in love, or thought I was, I was sixteen. I haven’t even thought about being in love for so long; how do I know if I am?”
“Who’s the first person you think of when you wake up?”
“Avalon.”
I’ve always been so focused on my mom that she was always the first person I thought of; I never imagined someone else would take that place. But the second I open my eyes, I see Avalon lying next to me, and all I can think about is how lucky I am to have her.
“When you picture your first pro game, is she there?”
“Yeah.” I feel the heat in my cheeks. “She told me I’m stuck with her.”
“And how did you feel when she told you that?”
“Happy.”
“I could go on, but I think you’re getting my point, sweet boy.” She pats my hands. “You’re in love. I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I grin, pulling away from her. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” she replies. “Now, when do I get to meet this, Avalon?”