Time to Read - 10 minutes
Slowly pulling into the drop-off lane at Jordan High School, David glances at his son Mike. "You got everything?"
Mike nods, runs his hand through his uncombed brown hair, and looks off to the side, anxious to jump out when the car stops. His seat belt is already unbuckled.
"Lunch?"
Another nod.
"Homework?"
"Dad, I got everything, including the excuse note for missing school yesterday."
"Make sure you stay in school today. I don't want another call from the Principal."
Mike opens the car door, mumbling. "I know, Dad. You told me over and over again last night. It won't happen again." He slams the door shut.
The car line moves forward as David watches Mike head towards the entrance. He wonders what Melanie would do if she were still with them. Death took her much too young. It's been three years, and he finally can think about her without his eyes tearing.
One more glance back at the school entrance, and suddenly he jerks forward. The car in front of him has stopped. Fortunately, he had barely begun moving. With his foot lightly on the brake, the impact is slight without engaging the airbag but enough for the driver of the car in front of him to open the door and step out.
David also gets out. As horns begin sounding, one of the teachers directing the drop-off area traffic hurries to them. "Is anyone hurt?"
"I don't think so." David looks at the woman standing next to their cars. He is struck by how familiar she looks. Hauntingly familiar. He quickly tries to place her. Most likely at one of the school functions. "Are you okay?"
She smiles. "I'm fine. "I'm sorry, I saw my daughter's lunch on the back seat and stopped to call her to get it."
David examines both cars, still trying to remember her, feeling it is more than at a school function. Her brown eyes are familiar. He is sure he has looked into them before, but where?
The drop-off cars go around them as the school bell rings.
"I'm David Bridgetree." Holding a business card. "If you find a problem after we leave, please call me."
She glances at his card for a few moments. Looking up at him, she holds his gaze with a knowing smile. "Thank you. I'm sure there won't be a problem." She tucks the card into her jeans pocket.
David notices they are tight-fitting jeans and is aware that he has not paid attention to other women since Melanie's passing. Watching her as she walks to her car, he realizes he is watching all of her. From the shoulder-touching auburn curly hair to the flip-flops, he watches her get into the car and likes what he sees.
Following her off the school grounds, she waves as she turns onto a street. He smiles, wondering again where he has seen her before and realizes she hadn't mentioned her name.
"Damn!" He slaps the steering wheel. "I know I know her. We've met before. This is going to drive me nuts." He heads for his office, deciding he needs to focus on work. During the day, he often visualizes her eyes, the enigmatic smile, and the tight-fitting jeans.
For the next two days, he hopes to see her in the drop off-line. It does not happen, but at least his relationship with Mike is getting better. No calls from the Principal. That is good. Mike is coming home, doing his homework, and going to bed earlier than usual. David asks him if he is okay. Mike assures him he is fine, just tired.
They spend the weekend at Melanie's parent's farm. Mike loves going there. Riding his horse Manchester is something he does nearly the entire time they are there. Not this weekend, as Mike stays inside most of the time staring at the TV. Cell and game devices were taken away as punishment for skipping school.
"I'm worried about Mike," David's mother-in-law says as they sip coffee on the front porch. "He is so pale, almost ghost white, and he seems to have no energy."
Putting her at ease, he promises he will keep an eye on him and take him to the Dr. if he doesn't look better by the end of the week.
Getting home Sunday evening, David checks his voice mail.
"Mr. Bridgetree, it's Susan Fowler, the one who stopped suddenly at the drop-off line at school. Could you call me, please?"
David rolls the name over in his mind. It is familiar but not immediately traceable.
"Mike," he calls upstairs, where Mike has gone to his room as soon as they got home. "Do you know anyone in school named Fowler?
"Can't think of anyone," Mike responds.
David listens to the voicemail again, and punches redial on the landline phone. A voice answers after the first ring.
"Susan?" he asks, smiling as he pictures her in the tight jeans.
"No. I'm sorry. She is out. Can I take a message?"
David quickly snaps his attention away from the image in his mind. "Yes, thank you. Would you tell her David Bridgetree returned her call?"
As he hangs up, his thoughts are diverted as Mike stumbles down the stairs. "Dad, I'm not feeling too good. I think I'm going to be sick."
It is a rough night with Mike throwing up and slurring his words. When he seems delirious, David half carries him to the car. Driving frantically to the local ER, he speed-dials their Doctor, desperately describing the symptoms.
"I'll be there shortly." His Doctor responds, "I'll have someone waiting outside ER."
Slamming on the brakes, David stops in front of the ER doors. Seeing Mike lying unconscious in the back seat, an orderly in green scrubs quickly darts back inside, gets a gurney, and returns with two aides. They lift Mike onto the gurney as David parks near the entrance, his heart pounding as he runs into the hospital. The admitting clerk calls him to the counter.
"Your son is in waiting area 4. I need your information before you see him."
Mike's Dr. arrives as David finishes giving the information. "David, stay here until I see Mike, okay?"
"No Dr. Steele. I want to be with him."
"Let me examine him first and get the vitals from the nurse. Please, wait here and I'll be out as soon as I know something."
Reluctantly David slumps on one of the chairs. Memories of being in this hospital with Melanie creep into his mind. He forces them away. Sitting still is hard. He wants to be with Mike. He thinks about calling Mike's grandparents and decides to wait until he knows something for sure.
"David!" It is Susan Fowler. "What happened?"
Quickly standing, he suddenly realizes where he has seen her before. His emotions begin to swarm. He fights them; he can't let them get into his concern about Mike.
She motions for him to sit and eases into the chair next to him. "I just got off duty and was going to my car when I saw you. What happened?"
"You were Melanie's nurse the last few days she was here." He pauses, looking at her intently. "Just before she left us." It all came flooding back to him. Remembering how attentive and caring she was to Melanie and to him. How could he not remember her?
With a gentle movement, she takes his hand into hers. He remembers her holding Melanie's hand during those last moments. She had been off duty but stayed, knowing the end was near.
"I remember Melanie, David. I recognized you the other day at school, but I didn't want to dredge up the memories."
"It's my son, Mike. Something terrible has happened. I don't know what. He was incoherent, mumbling, and then unconscious. Our Doctor is with him now."
"Have they told you anything?"
Shaking his head, he tightens his lips. He is becoming terribly afraid. Pushing the fear away, he says, "I called you earlier. A girl answered."
"That was my daughter. Pausing, putting together her thoughts, she let go of his hand. "I called you because I thought you should know something about Mike."
Before she continues, Dr. Steele walks toward them. They both stand abruptly. Melanie moves away, giving them privacy.
"Dr. Steele, Is Mike okay? He's going to be al;+' right isn't he?"
"Yes, David, he is going to be okay. We're going to keep him overnight."
"Why? If he's going to be okay, why do you need to keep him?"
"Let's sit down, David. It's nearly morning. and I know you've got to be tired."
"I just want to know what's wrong with my son."
Dr. Steele sits and nods for David to sit next to him. "Your son has alcohol poisoning."
Jumping to his feet, shaking his head, David says. "Are you out of your mind? There's no way. We were at his grandparent's all weekend. They don't drink. Neither do I." David is shouting, unaware of people in the waiting area looking at him.
"Dr. Steele, I would have smelled it if he'd been drinking. You've got to be wrong."
"Do you have hand sanitizer in your house?"
"Yes, but what does that have to do with Mike's situation?"
Taking a long, deep breath, Dr. Steele explains. "It's the latest fad among teenagers. They are drinking hand sanitizer to get high. Actually to get drunk."
David stares at him, not understanding. "The bad part is," Dr. Steele continues to explain, "hand sanitizers are 60 percent alcohol, about 120 proof. We've had quite a few young people here with the same thing as Mike. When you called and described his symptoms, I thought that was what was wrong. We're going to keep him here until he sobers up. I'll release him later today. In the meantime, I suggest you go home and get some sleep."
As Dr. Steele walks away, Susan returns. Seeing the stunned look in his eyes, she asks, "alcohol poisoning?"
David nods.
"That's why I called you." She continues hesitatingly. "I asked my daughter, Olivia, if she knows Mike. She told me she knows of him. She said she'd heard rumors that the crowd he hangs out with is drinking the stuff and getting pretty drunk. I called you because I thought you should know. We lost a young boy here last week because of it."
"I can't believe this. I've got to go see Mike."
He turns, sees a young orderly wheeling Mike out of ER on a hospital bed.
"Mike, do you hear me."
"He's still out of it. Sir. Probably won't wake up for a few hours. We're taking him to room 416."
Susan touches David's shoulder. "You should go home, David. There's nothing you can do here."
"I'm going to stay. I can't go home until I see him and know he is going to be better."
"The cafeteria is open all night. I'll stay with you for a while unless you'd rather be alone."
They sit at a small table near the window. The sun is coming up, and David realizes he is exhausted. His mind is twirling, remembering the times spent in the cafeteria when Melanie was being changed or medicated. He remembers Susan gently caring for her.
"You must be tired." He looks at Susan. "You worked the night shift." She doesn't look as tired as he feels. He is glad she suggested they have coffee.
"I didn't work all night. I came in to take over for one of the nurses who got sick. I'm off for the next three days."
"I never got a chance to thank you for all you did those last few days Melanie was here."
"I liked her very much. When she was lucid she talked a lot about you and Mike and her expectations for him. She said you were a good father and felt your example would help him become as nice as you are."
Looking down at his cup, feeling suddenly like a failure, he whispers. "I guess I failed at that."
Not responding for a few moments, she reaches across the table, placing her hand on his. "You haven't failed. It's tough raising kids alone. I know because it hasn't been easy for me. Olivia's father has been gone since she was five."
"He died?"
"No, we're divorced. He is somewhere in the Middle East working for an oil company. Olivia hasn't seen him in three years."
"I guess in a way I'm glad Melanie isn't here to see this. But then I guess if she was here, it wouldn't have happened."
"David, it's happening to a lot of young people from all different family lives. Single parents, married couples, and grandparents raising kids have been having problems with this awful fad. Our Minister spoke about it at our church on Sunday. "
"What did he say?"
"For one thing, if you are going to have hand sanitizers around, make sure they aren't the gel kind." She grins at him as he seems to relax. "He also said we need to inform our kids about the danger, not just with hand sanitizers but with alcohol and drugs. He has shown a video to the youth group at our church. It was scary showing kids falling down and getting sick."
Maybe I can borrow the video to show Mike and his friends.
"I'm sure there are some online. Looking at her watch, she stands, "I've got to go home and drive Olivia to school. I'm sure Mike will be okay."
"Thank you for staying. I appreciate your company and your input."
"I'm glad I was here."
He walks her to the waiting area. "I'm glad you are here too and also for what you did for Melanie."
She stops at the admission desk, writes on a piece of paper, and hands it to him. "This is my cell number. Call and let me know how Mike is doing. Somehow I think you will work it out with him. Maybe he can talk to our Minister. He's good with young people."
David watches her walk through the doors to the parking area, knowing he will call her and not just to tell her about Mike. Somehow he feels Melanie will be okay with him calling her.
The End
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