Hospitals

Misconception

"Hello, Helena? Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, Donna."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Gerard left to go admire stuff, at least I think he said that, at the nature section of the park. It's been over four hours and I still don't know where he is. If it's okay with your parents, can I take you to the park, not like a little kid or anything, but to look for him?"

"Okay."

"I'll be there in five minutes. "

Donna hung up. Helena pulled on her old blue jacket.

"HEY MOM, MRS. DONNA'S TAKING ME TO THE PARK!!"

"Okay, but be back as soon as possible. "

And,  three very long minutes later, sharp knocking at the door diverted the girl's attention.

------------

They were driving along now. The car smelled like a mixture of bubblegum, pencil shavings, Sharpie, and hand sanitizer.

They were nearing the brightly lit park. The girl squinted.

There was something that looked.... dead.

On the sidewalk. The girl screamed.

"MRS. DONNA, THERE'S A DEAD SOMEONE!!!!"

"Where?!"

The girl pointed to the sidewalk.

Donna drove towards the sidewalk as fast as she could.

"SEE WHO IT IS!!!!" she screamed at the girl.

The girl flung herself out of the car and raced towards the sidealk.

She recognized who it was...

"GERARD!!!!"

The same armband that read MCR.  His first face was bloody and bruised. Blood poured from a gash in his stomach.

The girl started crying in the hopes that he'd wake up and recognize her. It was a bad dream it was a bad dream it was a bad dream...

Donna parked the car and ran out. She knew who it was in an instant. She flung out her cell phone, and typed fyriously into the keypad, 9-1-1.

The receptionist answered a moment later.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

"MY SON GOT ATTACKED, MUGGED OR SOMETHING, AND HE'S BLEEDING REALLY BADLY, COME ON!!!!!!"

"Do you need an ambulance? "

"YES!!"

"We will send it over as quick as we can."

The call hung up.

Donna knelt beside the girl. She was crying too.

As they waited for the familiar sound of sirens to come....