Only One (Reed Brothers)(14)

She gurgles like she’s choking, so I roll her onto her side. She goes limp.

“Mom!”

I jump to my feet and rush to the phone to call 9-1-1. I confirm the address. No, she’s not responsive. Yes, she has been going through chemo. She makes a gurgling noise again. I throw the phone down, run back to her, and roll her over. I’m terrified she’s going to drown in her own blood.

I run to the door and see a man getting something out of a car next door. “Help me!” I cry. Then I rush back to Mom.

The man opens the door. He’s blond and covered in tattoos, but I don’t care. He could be a serial killer and I would welcome having someone to help me. I pull Mom up so that she’s reclining against me, braced by my arms. She’s only barely conscious.

“Help me!” I sob.

He runs forward, and a woman comes in the door behind him. “Did you call 9-1-1?” he asks.

“They’re on the phone,” I say. The woman picks the phone up and starts to talk to them.

“They’re on the way,” she calls out. She stays on the phone with them while the man comes to kneel by me.

“My name is Matt,” he says. His voice is calm, even though his muscles are bunched tightly. His eyes are so serious as he takes in the situation. “What kind of treatment is she having?” he asks.

“I…I don’t know,” I say. I suddenly hate that I don’t know.

He takes a corner of the towel and wipes Mom’s face very gently. Why didn’t I think of that? “What’s your name?” he asks me.

“Carrie,” I choke out. I start to rock. Mom moans in my arms so I stop. I squeeze her tighter, because I don’t know what else to do.

“Carrie,” he says softly, “would it be okay with you if I take your mom from you so that you can go and get dressed?” I look down and see that I’m wearing a T-shirt and some tiny sleep shorts. “You’re going to want to ride in the ambulance. I want you to be ready.” He motions like he’s asking for permission to take her from me.

I slide out from beneath Mom and he very gently takes my place. He feels for her pulse at the same time and says something to the woman with him. I run into my room and jump into a pair of jean shorts and put on a bra. I don’t even take off my sleep shorts. I don’t have time. I rush back out to my mom.

The paramedics are in the house now, and there’s a flurry of activity as they bring a stretcher inside.

“Are you alone here, Carrie?” Matt asks.

I nod.

“Do you need to call someone to tell them about this?” he asks.

“My dad,” I say. I step back as a paramedic rushes past me. “Is she okay?” I ask hesitantly. No one answers.

“Do you want to give Sky your dad’s number so she can call him for you?”

I look up at him. His eyes are soft. “What?” I ask. I heard him clearly, but I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“We need to let your dad know what’s going on,” he says gently.

“I can do it.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial. It rings twice.

“Carrie?” Dad barks. His voice is nasally from sleep. “What’s wrong?”

My voice breaks. “Daddy,” I whisper.

“What is it, Carrie?”

They take Mom out the door on the stretcher, and I follow. The woman the neighbor called Sky puts a pair of sandals on my feet. I keep walking, the phone pressed against my wet face. I watch as they put Mom into the ambulance.

They motion for me to climb in too, so I do, and they buckle me in.

“Carrie!” Dad yells through the phone. The doors of the ambulance close. “Carrie, you have to speak to me!”

I swallow hard. “I think I wasted my one last moment,” I whisper.





Nick

My bed dips and I roll toward the middle. “Nick,” someone says impatiently, calling my name. I open my eyes and see Jack.

“Get out of my bed, Jack,” I say, and stuff my face into my pillow, drawing it under my head and plumping it.

“Nick,” she says, a little more impatiently. She shoves my shoulder. “Get up!”

I open my eyes. “Why?” She has her clothes on and her eyes are clear. She’s not drunk.

“It’s Carrie,” she says.

My eyes fly open. “What about Carrie?”

She gets up and opens my drawers, passing me a shirt and pants. “Get dressed,” she says. “It’s her mom.”

I start to pull my pants on. “What’s wrong with her?”

“My aunt works at the hospital, and she was there when they brought her in, but she couldn’t give me any more information. Carrie’s all by herself, except for some strange men no one knows.” She shoves me again. “Go,” she says, and she points toward the door.

I jam my feet into my sneakers. I walk by Jack and stop quickly to kiss her on the forehead. She scrunches up her face and pushes me away. She wipes a hand across her skin.

“Eww,” she says. But she’s smiling.

“Thank you,” I say.

She flops back onto my bed and pulls the covers under her chin. “I’m just going to say right here,” she says.

I don’t have time to move her out of my bed, so I let her stay. She can’t go home at this time of the night anyway. I flip the light off on my way out.