I heard Katherine's voice calling to me, but it was as if she was calling to me from the opposite end of a long tunnel. Finally, I came back to reality, and realized that I had slid to the floor in a sitting position, my back against the lockers. Katherine was kneeling beside me, and a small crowd had gathered around us, murmuring at the sight of me on the floor.
"What's going on here?" It was Ms. Taylor, our school's counselor. She had made her way insistently to the front of the crowd.
"Sam just found out about Jim and Sarah, Ms. Taylor," Katherine told her, as she helped me stand up.
Ms. Taylor walked up, looked me in the eyes for a moment, and then patted my cheek. "Well, you don't seem the worst for wear, Mr. Reed. You're body and mind has had a shock, but it's a good shock. Ms. Phillips, escort Mr. Reed to his first class, then make sure you pick him up after his last class. And if you have the time, young lady, I would appreciate it if you drive him over to the hospital to see his friends after school. Mr. Reed doesn't need to drive himself for that meeting."
I started to object, but Ms. Taylor pointed a finger in my face. "No arguments from you, Mr. Reed. I have no doubt that you have an iron constitution, but I will brook no disagreement on this matter." Again, Ms. Taylor patted my cheek. "It's for the best, young man. Your emotions will be running the gambit as it is. No need to burden your intellect with driving an automobile when young Ms. Phillips is at hand. That won't be a problem, will it, Ms. Phillips?"
Katherine blushed, but shook her head rapidly. "No problem at all, Ms. Taylor."
"Good girl," Ms. Taylor replied, giving Katherine a pat on the head. Turning to the gathered students, Ms. Taylor added, "All right, off to your first class with the lot of you. I'll not be signing any excused absences if any of you are marked tardy."
The crowd dispersed, with a few coming over to pat me on the back, congratulating me on the fact that my friends would be returning to me soon. And at that moment, I did feel like the luckiest man alive. Especially when Katherine leaned up, gave me a peck on the cheek, and told me she'd see me after school.
Now I know what you're thinking at this point. How was it that everyone at school had learned about my best friends (and my best friend's mother) coming out of their respective comas before I did? Actually, that was a combination of the late hour, the chess club and my family's cell phone policy.
Did I mention I was in the chess club? Actually, that was Ms. Taylor's idea. Despite the impression I may have given of her earlier on, she really is a great lady, and she was the one who was helping me get into a prestigious university. Although I was hoping for an athletic scholarship, Ms. Taylor got me involved in other extracurricular activities to beef up my records, as well as helping me practice writing essays and taking prep classes for my SATs. So on the first and third Friday mornings of every month (and the rare fifth Friday), I would show up at school an hour early for Chess Club. It would be fair enough to say I was the only athlete in the club, and I think there was some apprehension among the other members the first time I showed up for a meeting, but all in all they weren't a bad crowd, and we all got along okay.
Now, what does this have to do with not getting a call from the hospital about my best friends coming out of their comas? Well, Jim came out of his coma at 1:32 a.m. Upon calling (and waking) his father with the good news, the hospital discovered Sarah had come out of her coma just minutes later. The nurse on duty called Sarah's parents and, since she knew Sarah's parents had been looking after Jim's Dad, the nurse let them know of the news of Jim's wakening as well. Sarah's parents caught Jim's Dad before he left the house and, knowing what his emotional state would be like, insisted that they let him pick him up as they went to the hospital themselves. Agitated, but seeing the logic behind their statement, Jim's Dad agreed to wait. Within forty-five minutes, the van carrying Sarah's parents, Jim's Dad, and Sarah's half-awake siblings arrived at the hospital, only to learn more good news. Jim's Mother had also woken up.
It was a joyful reunion among all those present, and between tests and examinations, mother and son as well as two best friends were allowed to see each other, all under the joyful and watchful eyes and company of their respective families. It wasn't until about seven o'clock that morning when calls began being made to friends and other family members.
Which is where my family's cell phone policy comes in. On Sunday through Thursday nights, my Mom and Dad insist that I turn off my cell phone completely. And completely means completely. No vibrating ring, no text messaging, no other type of social media, nothing. I'm not allowed to turn on my cell phone until the following morning. And since the following morning is a school morning, I'm usually too busy to even think about turning on my cell phone (which I always stick in my daypack the night before) until I get to school. And since my high school has a strict policy about no cell phone use during school hours, I usually don't turn my cell phone on until I get out of school. So if you want to get hold of me at home after dinner, you have to call me through the family land line, which means going through parental gatekeepers.
Which is what Sarah's mother did. She called my house almost right after I left for school. She and my mom cried for awhile (or at least, that's how I imagine it went), before my Mom attempted to call me on my cell phone, leaving several voice mails.
Between first and second period, I snuck into a storage closet to turn on my phone. There were four voice mails there, and I could tell by the missed calls log that they were all from my Mom. When I called my Mom, she told me the good news, and said that Sarah's Mom wanted me to know it was okay to come by the hospital after school.
I went through most of the day in a daze, vaguely aware of friends and teachers coming up to me to make sure I was okay, and congratulating me (as if I had had anything to do with this wonderful news). Katherine came to collect me after school, leading my by the hand to her car, and getting me seated. She even buckled me in before closing the door and getting in on her own side of the car.
As we drove to the hospital, Katherine would reach over and pat me on the knee at every stop light and stop sign. Normally, I would relish even these small moments of physical contacts with Katherine. This afternoon, though...
This afternoon, my world had gone through another major transition, and even though I knew it was for the better, I really didn't know what to expect.
