In a flash AJ was across the parking lot. Bending over, he saw that she was unconcious. "D, man, call 911!" he yelled, but Howie was already on the phone. Allona attempted to run over to her friend, but Howie held her back.
"Let AJ...." he said, holding her as tears began to stream down her cheeks. The driver grabbed a blanket from the bus and covered her until the ambulance arrived a few moments later. They quickly checked her over and carefully moved her to a stretcher before loading her into the ambulance.
"I've got to go....to the hospital," Allona said, trying to get out of Howie's grasp and over to Allona.
"We will, we will," he assured her. "Come on, the driver will get us there. They won't let you ride in the ambulance sweetie," he said, attempting to calm her. He ushered her back to the bus where they pulled out, following the ambulance.
Once they arrived at the hospital, the waiting began. Allona paced back and forth through the waiting room, unable to sit still. Howie went to the small snack bar and got them each a coffee, frowning somewhat when Allona shrugged hers off and kept wandering back and forth, starring at the double swinging doors from time to time as if willing the attendants to come out and tell them something.
AJ sat next to Howie, starring at the floor. He couldn't help but feel that if he hadn't been urging her to hurry, she wouldn't have gotten hit. As if he could read his mind, Howie leaned over to AJ and patted him gently on the shoulder. "AJ, it's not your fault. The truck came out of nowhere," he assured him as his best friend sighed in response.
"I know D, but still...." he trailed off, unable to finish his response.
A good hour passed before someone finally came out to speak to them. "Your friend is resting comfortably. She has broken her leg in three places, sprained a wrist, and unfortunately has a concusion. None of the injuries are serious. We're going to get her leg into a cast and get her wrist wrapped, then release her later this afternoon. She's going to be stiff and sore for quite some time, so rest only...no work or physical exertion of any kind for at least 3 weeks. Her cast will be on for at least 4-6 weeks. You can go see her now if you'd like," he added finally, and AJ jumped up the minute the words were from his mouth.
"Where?" AJ asked frantically.
"Follow me young man," the doctor motioned, leading AJ towards Maya's spot.
Allona watched AJ disappear into the back of the emergency room. "Damn," she muttered, finally sitting and resting her head in her hands. What were they going to do now?
Maya lay looking up at the ceiling, a floaty sensation from the medications making her feel as if she was under water. She understood that her leg was broken, and her wrist was hurt and her head ached... but in a kind of removed, fictionalized way.
Suddenly AJ's face was above her, tortured and concerned, tears coming out of the corners of his eyes. "AJ?" she said and heard her voice echo.
"Rumple, honey, I'm here..." here...here...here...
Maya giggled a bit at the echo. "Guess I won' be throwing anyone for a while..." while...while...while...
AJ picked up her uninjured hand and kissed it. "Rest, Rumple..." umple...umple...
She closed her eyes and sank back into the dark.
~~~
The next time Maya woke she was full of pain. Her head felt cracked and she could see the big cast running from her toes to her waist. "Uuuuugh." she moaned, and a nurse came over witha pain pill.
"Damn, did I go against a Samurai Rhino?" she groaned.
"Nope... a Chevy F10 pickup." said Allona quietly.
"Hey partner. God, I hurt."
Allona walked over and put a cool hand to her friend's brow. "Maya, I was so scared. You must have flown 15 feet into the air."
"Wish I coulda seen it." said Maya, smiling weakly.
"Well, um... now what are we going to do?" said Allona.
Maya closed her eyes. "I don't know. It will be a year before I'm anywhere near teaching level. I guess..." Maya sighed. "I have to go home. Can't exactly justify keeping on a Hapkido instructor who can't stand up. So... we go home, I guess."
Allona felt a sinking sensation in her heart. "Wh-what about AJ? Howie?"
"AJ wanted to have some fun and we did. He's a rock star, for crying out loud. He'll forget me the next time a leggy blonde looks his way." Maya said, hiding her bitterness.
"I don't think so." said Allona quietly. "And Howie isn't that way... at least I don't think he is..."
"You want to stay." said Maya flatly.
"Well..."
A small tight ball of hurt began to form inside Maya's gut. Allona could stay, sleep with Howie, have a fab career as masseuse to the rock stars..."Honey, that's fine. But you'll have to do it freelance. Pohoja Ch'onsa is our baby. Together. If you want to stay that's... understandable. But... it will be freelance."
"What are you saying?" said Allona, eyes wide with shock.
"Just this, hon. Don't take it wrong. Pohoja Ch'onsa is you and me together. I won't hold you back... I have an injury that will keep me out of the work I love for at least a year. But Pohoja Ch'onsa will have to dissolve."
Allona gasped, gave Maya a hurt look, and ran out of the room. Maya looked down at her hands. She felt small and mean and hurt... and she had taken it out on Allona. Damn. Well, I guess that's the cards life dealt.
~~~~
Allona walked quickly through the waiting room and directly out to the bus, ignoring the calls from Howie and AJ. She barrelled to the back of the bus and threw herself into her bunk and let the tears flow.
A moment later she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Allona, baby, what's wrong? Maya's going to be ok," he said, assuming she was upset at Maya's condition.
"It's not that," she mumbled, attempting to wipe away her tears before turning to look at him.
"Come here, climb down and talk to me...." he urged her. He helped her down from the bunk and sat her down. "Now, what's wrong? What's got you so upset?"
"This whole thing Howie....Maya is going to go home. She wants US to go home," she sighed, fighting back more tears. "She said her injury will keep her from working for at least a year and she can't expect The Firm to keep around a teacher that can't teach...."
"What about AJ?" he asked as he put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
"She said the two of them agreed to have fun, and did. She thinks AJ will get over her pretty quick," she answsered starring down at her hands.
Howie felt a lurching feeling in his gut. "So you two are going?" he asked flatly.
"I don't want to," she explained. "that's why I'm so upset Howie. This job is the chance of a lifetime! And then there's.....there's you..." she added, admitting more than she wanted to, scared he might not feel the same way. "She told me I could stay, but that if I do, it's freelance....no Pohoja Ch'onsa," she shook her head still in disbelief.
"What? She'll dissolve the company?"
Allona just nodded quietly. "I don't know what to do....." she sighed heavily, feeling like a huge weight was on her shoulders. She wanted to ask Howie what he felt, what the previous night had meant for him, if anything, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After the nurse checked her over and gave her a pain pill, Maya was left alone in her room. She had the nurse shut off the light and close the door on her way out. It was a cold rainy evening, and a gray hush was only interrupted by rattling hospital noises and the patter of raindrops on her window. The gloom was only relieved by the huge bunch of yellow roses AJ and Howie had brought for her.
Maya looked out the window and sighed. She let the rain cry for her. She felt awful and mean inside. She felt... black and charred and dark and gray like an old briquette. She hated that she was hurt... her body and what she could do with it was her life, her living, her identity... broken. And she was sure that there was a chance that she would never regain the level of performance. She knew that part of the martial art philosophy was banishing such unproductive thoughts, but they were too powerful for her to combat.
And AJ... she felt bad that she let herself get so involved, so intimate with him. She consciously hardened her heart toward him, telling herself that it was sex for convenience, and now that she was a virtual cripple there was no way he would have any interest in her. She went through her mind like a black list, hardening her heart.
Pohoja Ch'onsa. Guardian Angel. HER company, her baby, she had named it, brought Allona in... and now, Allona, beautiful gorgeous Allona with men, men like Howie falling all over her, didn't want to come home with her. Well, to hell with her then. But she couldn't have Pohoja. She would cut her off and find a NEW partner... if and when she healed properly. Hell, Allona would probably go much farther without this ugly, hurt Hapkido freak weighing her down.
There was a tap at the door, and a nurse came in with a telegraph. Maya
took it, and when she was alone again, she opened it. It was from Master
Lee, her Master teacher, her Kwan-Jahng-Nim. It held one word: P'yong Hwa.
Peace. Tears filled her eyes and she wept, crushing the telegraph into a
ball and throwing it across the room.
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