Kale's pov
I woke up today with a strange thought and a strange feeling, it was stuck there at the centre of my chest prodding and tugging at me, it was a feeling I could not describe since it's my first time experiencing it, even though I couldn't place my hand on the feeling itself but I know what I was thinking about or rather of whom has consumed my thoughts and built a nest in that part of my brain that has remained blank and empty for as long as I can remember.
Things of this nature are actually not received or welcomed in my system, my nature as an autistic person does not accept it at least not without rebellion, what I woke up with this morning is enough to send my head into cacophony of alarm blaring in distress, but because of the recent happenings and consistent change in feelings, I have been able to manage it without shutting down, not without practice though.
So what I just did was to calm down, breathe in and slowly start to prepare for class and follow my regular routine, the thoughts did not stop neither did the prodding cease, but I have come to terms with it and with an expectant heart, I am going to class.
I was aware that the thought of Amory was predominant in my mind as I walked into the school premises with precise and concise step, taking one before the other or maybe slower than before, because my eyes was searching for something or rather someone, I didn't initiate it willingly it was on pure instincts, without conventional thinking I sought her out, my heart did even before I got here and now my eyes is doing the mechanical job.
I don't know how long I stalled outside before my class, my brain sorting out the students that started swarming inside the hallway, in their numbers but still not spotting the familiar Oreo colour chaos, I tightened my hands in my backpack as I'm immediately accosted by an image of her that is just in my head, the chaos of white and black color on her head, strings of silver hair blown about by the wind, thereby covering her eyes and causing her more distress, How does an image make someone feel things ?? Unnatural.
I finally went inside when it was clear she's not coming, at least not for this class. I sat down in my usual seat that was left empty for me. The teacher came in and started teaching and I just stared blankly at the board and the hoarse voice of the teacher resounded in the room while I was lost, I don't understand it, it felt weird to actually be lost in class because I didn't see Amory today, she was probably running late and I'll see her in lunch but for some reason it's like I can't feel her presence anywhere around the school premises, maybe because she always seeks me out first as soon as I enter the school premises and today was different or I'm just overthinking things.
It was after lunch that I stood in the cafeteria feeling a bit frustrated, I wanted to see Amory.
I don't see Carmen either. Eli disappeared yesterday with a flimsy lie of going to see his grandma in the next town. I wonder what he is up to. I was kind of alone but the person I really wanted to see was Amory.
School wasn't over but I wanted to go home or call Amory and wait to call Amory... Why didn't I think of that before?
I took out my phone and dialled her number but it was switched off which worked perfectly to deflate me. I dialed Carmen's number and it went through. I looked at my phone in my hand calling Carmen's number And I couldn't help but get nervous, what am I going to say to her... I didn't see Amory one day at school and I'm already calling everyone I know, I facepalmed myself and went to cut the call but she already picked the call...great
" Oh thank God you called Kale, I was about to call you, I can't get a hold of Rasheed"
"Rasheed??"
I asked confused, since when is she close to Rasheed to ask of his whereabouts
" We need him the hospital, the Doctor asked for him"
That was enough to make me shoot up from my seat, as I felt electricity move to my fingerprint
" What! What hospital, who is hospitalized??"
" Ooh, he didn't tell you yet, Amory is hospitalized, I don't know the full story but I think she was involved in an accident "
The electricity that shot up on my fingers earlier spread to my whole body, shooting up adrenaline that coursed through my entire system...
" Em... Amory is... Did you say Amory is hospitalized " I asked, my voice a little shaky, I don't know why it seemed like I had lost my ability to speak
" Yeah... I'm trying to... Gimme a minute"
The line went dead silent, before I quickly asked
" Which hospital??" I didn't get an answer, after a while she replied and sent me the address of the hospital and even after I drove out of the parking lot, I still hadn't processed what she told me, I just knew by default that I needed to get to that hospital and see Amory.
I stood in front of the hospital, my eyes darting around the building but not going inside, I fixed my eyes on the floor and closed my eyes and started counting... I need to get myself back to order so I can go inside and find Amory.
My entire being was roughed up, I can't deal with that, at least not now, something is happening to me, I just know it, something is beating louder... Louder
I reached my hand to my chest and I can feel the heavy this is abnormal, now not the act of my heart pumping blood but the act of me hearing my heartbeat so fast, I have always had a very slow heartbeat, it's hardly there but it was still there, I mean I'm alive and breathing, but now I can almost hear the sound of my heartbeat without even touching my chest.... Very unusual.
I ignored my abnormal heart and counted till 10 before walking inside to find her ward. 10 wasn't the ideal number for me but everything in my system didn't give a shit about my autistic ass and just demanded I find Amory, so I did.
After I found Carmen, I followed her till we got to the room where she was sleeping, I stared at her face as she lay on the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully, her head was wrapped with a capelin bandage and her hands rested beside her unharmed, my eyes continued to search around her neck, her face and every other part of her body to see further injuries but I didn't, it was just her bloodied bandaged head, her breathing has evened out, she is just sleeping... I breathed out a sigh of relief for a second, as I stared at her without moving or saying anything, I just felt that a need inside of me has been satiated just a little, even though it's not complete, considering she's not awake and not speaking to me and her head injury that unsettled me but I can see her, she lay in front of me sleeping peacefully and I can deal with this now.
Carmen walked inside the room looking haggard and rough, was she like this when she came to direct me inside? Or I just didn't notice, she looks tired too
" Kale, I think I'll be heading home, I have been with her since last night, I need to at least change and freshen up, and someone else is coming" she said looking at me
"Her parents, they're coming right??"
I asked, but she shook her head
"Amory's mom has something urgent to attend to, her dad is on a business trip, but she sent someone, Nancy, the woman that takes care of their family "
I didn't say anything for a while, just processed what she said, " I'll be here till she comes "
I said, she smiled and thanked me before leaving the room and headed downstairs. My eyes was trained on the door as the thought crossed my head
None of her parents were coming, not one.
She will be hurt, and she will frown, probably cry, like girls used to right??
Did she cry when the accident happened? I looked at her head, it was just her head that was hurt, specifically the back of her head, other than that...
This is no accident, she has been hit, from the back too, probably with an iron object, so she was attacked, my hands clenched involuntarily at the thought and just at that moment, the door opened and Rasheed walked in and walked to me.
" You're here"
" What happened here and why wasn't I informed about this??"
I asked not looking at him " I couldn't tell you"
He answered without giving me more specifics .
I ignored it and with my eyes trained on the bandage on her head
" This isn't an accident" I said as a matter of factly and he nodded,
" She was hit with a baseball bat from the back"
He paused for a while before he added. " In Jaguar's Den"
" What! What was she doing there" I asked a bit shocked
" Still don't know she hasn't woken up, but before that I need to tell you something, it's regarding the family."