Chapter 19 - AVA CAME BACK TO ST. ANNE'S
A year later, Ava returned to St. Anne’s Medical Center.
Not as a patient.
Her arm had healed beautifully.
She wore red sneakers.
Blue jeans.
And a purple raincoat.
No yellow.
Not yet.
Laura brought cookies for the emergency department.
Ava carried a drawing.
Dr. Nina Patel came out first.
Then Carla.
Then the nurse who had originally caught Dean’s wrist.
Ava held up the picture.
It showed a hospital bed.
A woman in green.
A doctor.
A police officer.
And a giant yellow boot.
Inside the boot, Ava had drawn a tiny phone with motion lines around it.
Nina laughed.
“What is this?”
“The thing moving.”
Ava said.
Then she added.
“It wasn’t really moving.”
“It was buzzing.”
Everyone laughed.
Laura did too.
Ava looked toward the hallway.
“Can I see where my bed was?”
Only briefly.
The treatment room was empty.
Ava stood inside.
She looked at the white lights.
Then at the curtain.
“Daddy was really mad here.”
Laura knelt beside her.
“Yes.”
“Are you scared?”
Ava considered.
“No.”
Then corrected herself.
“A little.”
Laura smiled.
“You can be both.”
May you like
Ava nodded.
She had learned that fear and courage could occupy the same room.
