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self_composedOn Sunday, Bella drives to the movie theater with Angela in tow, and her car breaks on the way home from Angela's house. She calls a tow truck, and calls her dad, and she goes home in the cop car and her station wagon goes on vacation to the mechanic.
On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.
As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.
Making wishes is easy.
It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.
The van creams Bella, good and proper.
On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.
As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.
Making wishes is easy.
It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.
The van creams Bella, good and proper.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:27 pm (UTC)He hears the van go out of control; he sits up.
He doesn't have time to make any useful wishes, but his body reacts faster than his mind; he bolts across the parking lot toward her.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:31 pm (UTC)Charlie has the dispatcher on the radio and an ambulance on the phone and himself, shielding Bella from onlookers, interposed between Alice and his daughter, before Alice gets there.
"NOBODY TOUCH HER!" Charlie roars. "YOU DO NOT TOUCH A TRAUMA PATIENT. THE AMBULANCE IS ON THE WAY." He points at the nearest able-bodied student, some sophomore girl. "GET THE SCHOOL NURSE NOW."
His voice is all business, all Chief Swan. But he's got tears in his eyes.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:36 pm (UTC)He skids to a halt in time to keep himself from actually colliding with Bella's father. Neither lies nor violence will get him past this man. Nothing he can wish for with six squares, eight triangles, and a pentagon will help.
Alice sits down on the ground, buries his hands in his hair, and shudders.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:38 pm (UTC)The ambulance appears a couple of minutes later. Paramedics pour out, and Charlie yields his daughter to them and rides in the back of the vehicle with her.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:42 pm (UTC)The hospital in town is not that far away. Alice gets up and starts walking.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:47 pm (UTC)The lady at the front desk wants to know what he's there for.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 06:54 pm (UTC)This hospital is tiny and probably contains only one car accident victim, but. Confidentiality.
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Date: 2012-09-21 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 07:02 pm (UTC)Next bad idea: call her cellphone. See if anybody picks up.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:04 pm (UTC)Beep!
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:12 pm (UTC)Okay.
The rules are obviously not working for him here; that means it is time to ignore them.
It is a pretty tiny hospital. Plus side: fewer places Bella could be. Minus side: fewer legitimate reasons people might assume he is wandering around in there. On the other hand, it's not like it's a fucking prison. People come and go.
So he walks back inside.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 07:23 pm (UTC)The door to the men's room is clearly visible from her desk.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:26 pm (UTC)Off he goes.
And once he is in there, he locks himself in a bathroom stall and sits down on the floor and tries to think of his next bad idea.
It's not looking good.
About half an hour later, Alice emerges from the bathroom. His eyes are a little red. He walks right past the front desk and down the hall.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-21 07:46 pm (UTC)So, what'll it be? Last time he was in this hospital, he didn't spend any time in waiting rooms.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:48 pm (UTC)He's on the phone.
"No. No, I don't know, they haven't told me much yet. I just thought you needed to know," he tells the phone.
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Date: 2012-09-21 07:53 pm (UTC)