"Jessy what do you think Mom's gonna do?" Chele asked. "She'll either call the attorney and get his input and stick it to them that way, or she'll just string them along, you know where's my baby, you lost my baby?" Jessy said. "If they know what's good for them, they'll pray her attorney is going to sue, Mom has a real mean streak if she needs it. Especially over one of us." Jessy finished. "Chele did you ask who they were and why?" Jessy asked. "Jessy the one who gave me the towel said they thought they were all alone on the highway and nobody saw us and they were sorry. There was one or two or more by you, the one talking was a guy but I never saw any of them, my eyes were full of tears. I really didnt see until I had taken off and I pulled my shirt up and wiped my tears from my face. So I never saw them. You know that little girl. When we got hit I remember looking up and she had someone with her, I assumed her mom, she looked so familiar." Chele wondered. "Hey there it is, Monicas." Jessy said. Chele beeped the horn. "Jessy. Hey Chele." Monica said. "Monica" Jessy hollered and hugged. "Mom called are you all right?" Mon asked. "Sure. I'm a tuffy. Smack me going 70 any day, just don't keep me from a Hanson Concert. We need a phone, gotta tell Mom we're here safe with you, she's going to give the hospital a heart attack I think." "Come on phone ring." Barbara said pacing in front of her van and she noticed to large blue buses park down the street and she watched a guy around her age head into the hospital as the phone rang, "Girls?" she answered."Good you're safe. What color were those buses? I was wondering because two parked down the street and a guy went in the hospital. These are mostly silver but have blue near the bottom. Well it's time for paybacks. Catch up with you later." Barbara hung up and got in the van and headed in. She pulled up front left the keys in it and rushed in the door, "Excuse please I've just driven in from Michigan, you called my daughter is here unconscious, Jessica Pursley, 13 years old blonde, pretty girl, please what do I need to sign, just save her." she said frantically. "Mrs. Pursley, Dr. Rogers will be right with you." the nurse told her. Barbara glared, thinking are you the bitch that wouldn't check my baby."Please let me see Jessica, is she still unconscious, let me see my daughter." she said desperately. "Academy Award time, maybe tears. I know think about Nick and Ben, that does it every time." she thought to herself. "Please tell me where my baby is or I'll find her myself." she asked tears streaming down her face. "I understand this is just a job to you, my daughter is my life to me and you tell me where she is right this instant, show me Dr. Rogers right this instant, or I'll go over everyone of your heads. Your instant is up." Barbara said and picked up her Cell phone and dialed. "Yes Representative Middaugh please, Barbara Pursley. MaryAnn, Barbara I'm in Illinois at the moment, I was called by my 16 year old Chele and a Dr Rogers of St Johns Medical Center and informed that Jessy, yeah one of the twins, Jessy was unconscious and I needed to get her as soon as possible. I'm here, they tell me nothing, I don't see either Chele, or Jessy or my liitle convertible, yeah serves me right, It's like they're hiding something. Please? Thank you MaryAnn, what's that number, got it. I'll call right now." Barbara hung up and dialed "Yes my name is Barbara Pursley I'd like to speak to the editor. Yes sir, I'm a resident of Michigan, I was called by St Johns Medical Center and informed my thirteen year old daughter had been brought here unconscious, I've driven over 2 hours and gotten myself here, to find nothing, the most I have been offered is Dr. Rogers will be out to speak to me and I haven't seen him yet and now even the nurses are hiding. Yes sir I'm in the emergency room. Thank You, I'll expect your reporter." Barbara hung up and walked to the waiting room and picked up newspapers dialed the editor numbers given and repeated the story time and time again. Within the hour the press was all over the Emergency room, and Barbara dialed the girls, "Monica, Mom here can you put my black bomber underwraps sweetie, yeah that would work Thanks. Having fun. See ya." Barbara said goodbye, noticing the news truck out front and noticed the buses in the distance. She walked to the nurse's station again, no one came so she reached for the keyboard and turned the monitor, she soon did a patient search by name and didn't find anything on Jessica, she searched by each department and found her in the emergency /trauma, she hit print, walked around the desk, pulled the page from the printer and returned to her seat, the reporters lined up to do the same. Barbara read and studied the form. She could see was admitted approximately ten minutes before she received the call. A description of her, description of her condition, unconscious 13 yr old female. She picked up her phone and dialed the doctors office, "Hey Mickey, It's Barbara Pursley, I'm in Illinois, I was called about Jessy, she was hospitalized, unconscious can I talk to Dave or Phyllis even, and give them her chart, I have a question seeings no one here knows anything. Thanks Mickey. Dave thank god it's you, I'm at the hospital in Illinois, did they call you about Jessy, doesn't surprise me, David I sort of made myself to home and looking at Jessy's file, when she was admitted her bp was 99 over 76, that's really low even for her isn't it. David why would she bottom out like that. From what she told me they were cruising the highway so 70 at least and they got caught in a H20 fight, besides being drenched Jessy took a balloon to the left forehead, on the little sketch here it shows high on the forehead Dave, I know at 70 the impact is harder, and the change in temp getting wet and in the open air might chill her. I'm worried now. Have Mickey set up an appointment late next week, with you and call the house and leave a message, I won't feel better until you've looked at her. Thanks for listening, you're a good doctor and better friend." Barbara hung up dialed the girls. "Hey Mon can I have my baby? Hey what's up with you. Tell me what you remember sweetie. You did feel cold. Talked to Dave and he thought that's what triggered the drop in bp too. You just be extra careful, stay warm and dry, I'm on the news, the worried mother, truck says channel 2, sure put weirdo on. Hey not normalz, what's up with you? I'm not mad baby, how can I be mad you didn't do anything. I saw the chicken feathers, I know detours, they always leave off a sign so you get lost. I think it's in their union handbook, never complete the job properly. And how would you ever think to look for falling water balloons, I never would have looked probably not even if there was a sign on the shoulder of the highway. You just keep her dry and warm, Dr Dave thinks it was getting wet and the wind chilling her to the bone that put her here. And they can't find her. You girls go about your plans, head on up to the your hotel rooms as you planned go have yourself a ball! After I drive this place up the walls and back. I'll stop by before I head back home. Oops I better call home. Bye luvs." Barbara said hanging up and dialing again. She noticed the line of reporters had finally ceased so she stepped back up hit print, changed the screen and turned the monitor back and put the keyboard down. She stepped around ripping the form from the printer and then spying an envelope, picked it up and addressed it to her attorney and folded the form and placed it inside, pulled a stamp from her purse and remembered the mailbox out front, headed out the doors and deposited the envelope. No answer at home she dialed her mothers number. "Mom it's me, I'm at the hospital, okie dokie here, low bp. I'll call you later when I can talk, luv ya." Barbara hung up. Still nothing, she read the informational signs on the ceiling and followed the arrow for Administration / Offices. She followed to the far side of the Hospital and found a registry and searched for Chief of Staff, and headed to the fifth floor. "Maybe he'll be as cute as Mike Horton." she thought on the elevator ride up. She searched out 526 and entered and she explained herself to the receptionist, "I won't take no for an answer I've sat for two hours since I entered this facility and have been told nothing and that's two hours after I was called and told she was unconscious. If she's dead just someone tell me and let me have my baby back. Please as a mother, someone tell me something." Barbara said tears welling in her eyes and trailing down her face as she stood motionless, the life drained from her. "Damn I'm good." she thought to herself. "I'd like to thank all the little people because no one else takes the time too. Shit stop that you're laughing. Cry Jessy's dead. That did it." she thought. "Mrs Pursley, if you'll come with me. Ma'am. Yes ma'am. Mrs. Pursley. Dr. Waters could you come out here now. She's like a statue." the receptionist said. "Mrs. Pursley about Jessica." he said and Barbara turned towards the mention of Jessica and she sniffled. He offered her kleenex and she reached for one in slow motion and wiped her nose. She reached another in slow motion and wiped her eyes. She stared at the kleenex in her hand and did a slow search of the room, spotting a garbage can walked towards it sniffling again and blowing her nose again before dropping them in the can. She leaned against the wall shaking her head. "Barbara I'm Doctor Waters, Brad if you don't mind my calling you Barbara." he said extending his hand. She put her hand in his, "Brad where's my baby? Please just tell me. I've asked for two hours now please." she asked. "I apologize for your being ignored, that is not hospital policy, I see I have a problem in Emergency that needs attention." he said. "You can say that again. When I left to find an answer, there were probably 20 reporters, news and press, they all have a copy of this. It's my fault, no one would tell me anything, the nurses wouldn't even return to their station because they had to face me I think, so I just looked for myself and when I found her I was a little relieved. I knew I wasn't crazy, she did exist. Now to find her." she said. "I'd like something to drink, Barbara can I get you something, anything. "A glass of water would be fine Brad." she answered and he left the room. "Go fight your battles, this is war, Brad, you don't mind me calling you Brad." she whispered and chuckled. She heard raised voices in the distance and chuckled to herself again. "Excuse me Brad, I have to go over your head, don't ignore me! I hate being ignored. Ohhhhh a telephone directory, wonder what's under board of directors?" Barbara whispered and headed for his desk. "Let your fingers do the walking, B is for Board and Board of Directors, oh my eight of you boogers." she said and grabbed his pen jotting down names and numbers on the back of the hospital printout Brad had managed to try and keep possession of. Not slick enough Brad." she whispered. "Well I know when I'm not important." she said making her way out the door, heading down the hall and out through the reception area undetected. "No wonder the girls got out unnoticed. Sheeez!" she said to herself. She debated using the elevator and opted for the stairwell and made her way down the five flights and on the main floor entered the restroom. She took off her vest then removed her blouse and put the vest on pulling the ties tighter adjusting the fit of the vest, she took her blouse and tied it around her waist, tugging her pants lower on her hips. She opened her purse and grabbed a contact case and popped them out of her eyes and put them in the case. She pulled out her pair of glasses and grabbed a brush. She took down her hair brushed it out and put her brush away and took out her cell phone and dialed her attorney, explained what had taken place and he asked that she please leave, let him fight her battles. "Oh but I was having such fun." She gave him the names and numbers of the board of directors, hung up. Barbara made her way to the parking lot and opened her van from a distance and when the attendant went inside, she made her way to the van and drove off. In a half hour, she was at Monica's. She shared what she had done, and she took them out to dinner. The talked about the Concert, how wicked Mom could be, at which point she stood and took a bow. They talked about Hanson without screaming. Mom lectured on their behavior backstage, that they were just people like everyone else, only the hottest, to be sensitive to the fact that girls scream and swoon all the time, "If you want to catch their attention, ignore them and pay attention to someone else, a sibling, parent, or something else, their equipment, instrument, how overwhelming everything is." Mom told them. Back at Monica's, she wished them a good concert and headed home in the mustang, leaving the van for the girls. The girls dressed for bed and chatted for hours before falling asleep.
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