“She’s in the hospital,” she said. It sounded like she was shaking. I froze. How bad was it? “She swallowed some tab...tablets.” I felt like the floor had been whipped away. She tried to kill herself. “Kai? Are you there?”
“I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone and pulled my keys out of my pocket, running out of the house without pausing to explain what’d happened. Nothing else mattered but getting to her.
“Kai! Kai!” Dad grabbed my arm just as I was about to get in the car. “Stop a second. What’s going on?”
“Tegan. I have to go, Dad,” I said, shaking his hand off. “She’s in hospital. I gotta go.” I suddenly felt like throwing my guts up. She fucking tried to end her own life. How the hell could I not have noticed her sinking that low? I’d been there for fuck sake.
“I’m driving,” Dad said, snatching the keys from my clenched fist. I nodded and ran around to the other side of the car.
I stared out the window as Dad drove as fast as he could towards the hospital. It would be a couple hours before I got to her. Anything could happen in that time. I didn’t know how bad the situation was and I was too scared to call. If it was the worst then at the very least I’d have another two hours of thinking she was still breathing.
For the first time since I found out Isaac had leukaemia, I prayed. I wasn’t sure what I was praying to. Anything or anyone that could do something.
“What happened, Kai?” Dad asked after twenty-five minutes of listening to me tap my fingers on the leather seat.
“She tried to…” Fuck. “Kill herself.” God that wasn’t easy to say out loud. I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my jaw. Dad said nothing. “I don’t know how she is,” I said.
Jesus, I needed to know. It couldn’t wait. Fuck ignorance or whatever, I found the number for the hospital and dialled.
I was put through to two different people before someone could help. “Tegan Pennells,” I said. “She was brought in a little while ago. I need to know how she is?” I was put through to a ward and felt myself lose patience every time I had to wait to know if the girl that had stole my heart had crushed it completely. When a nurse picked up I relayed the same message.
“Are you family?” she asked.
“No, I’m her friend, but please, can you just tell me if she’s okay?”
“I can’t give out any information without the patient or guardian’s permission. I’m sorry.”
“Well, can you ask her mum to give her permission?” I asked through clenched teeth.
She sighed. Fucking sighed. “What’s your name?”
“Kai Chambers.”
“Hold a minute.” Like I could do anything else. She was gone for what felt like an eternity. “Hello?” she said.
“I’m here. Is she okay?”
“She’s had her stomach pumped and is quite drowsy but is doing well considering.”
“So she’s going to be okay?”
“She’s doing fine.”
That wasn’t exactly what I asked but I’d take it right now. Leaning back against the headrest, I let out a deep breath. “Okay, thanks.”
She hung up first without another word.
Dad looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Is she okay?”
“At the minute, yeah.” Physically anyway.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. Dad made a couple phone calls to Mum and I was under strict instructions to tell Tegan Mum’d upped her sessions to two a week, more if she felt she needed it. I called the hospital again a few times and was greeted by the same incredibly rude nurse who’d reluctantly given me information on how Tegan was doing again. I knew she was doing better but I still couldn’t relax until I’d seen her.
Finally, we arrived at the hospital. I jumped out at the entrance and Dad went to park up. I walked through the doors and immediately wanted to turn around again. Isaac died in here. I felt physically ill as I tried to force out the images of his final days.
Thankfully I didn’t have to go anywhere near the children’s ward as Tegan had been put with the adults and had her own room.
“I’m here to see Tegan Pennells, where is she?” I said, leaning on the reception desk of her ward.
“Are you family?” she asked. The nurse, an aging woman with deep wrinkles and grey hair, was obviously a different woman to before, she was polite.
I was fucking fed up of people asking me that. “No, I’m her friend but–”
“I’m very sorry but only family can visit right now.”
Like hell, I bet Lucas was in there.
“Please, I’m a friend and I just need to see her. I won’t get in the way. Come on, five minutes, please.” God, if she’d been young I would’ve flirted but that wouldn’t get me anywhere with her.
“You’re not family, sir, so I’m sorry but I can’t allow you to go in.”
“I don’t care,” I snapped.
“Sir, I understand–”
“In here, Kai!” Tegan shouted from a room next to reception. Her voice, although weak and groggy, was all I needed. My heart started beating again.
The nurse sighed. “Five minutes.”