The Arcade
Chapter 24

The day flew by for some, and dragged for others. In this case, it passed at a glacial rate for Cosmo, Holly, and Bobby. They met as usual for lunch, at which time Cosmo and Holly filled Bobby in on the details regarding the after-school hospital visit. Bobby, complaining how is always the last to know everything, was also filled in on the known extent of Theo’s injuries, and how those injuries came to be.

“Seriously?! Like – you were there??” Bobby’s eyes seemed on the brink of popping clean out of their sockets.

Casually nodding while sipping his orange juice, he replied “Yup. Me and my dad were at the Mickey-Dees’ when it happened. He’s lucky it happened where it did, otherwise he might have been hit by a car as well.”

Shaking his head and looking down at the table, Bobby said “It sure was a good thing he was wearing his helmet.” Looking back at his friends, he continued. “My dad has told me plenty of horror stories about bikers who wrecked their bikes, or were hit by cars. The worst stories were always about the guys who weren’t wearing helmets. He’d say ’They call ‘em “brain buckets” for a reason, kid.’”

Holly shivered at the nickname, and Cosmo squinched up his face. “Well,” Holly said “Theo’s brain seems to be just fine – for Theo. The worst thing he’s going to have to deal with is being laid up for a while because of the casts on his arm and leg.”

“Yeah,” added Cosmo “So that means we’re gonna be spending a lot more time at his house for the next couple of months.”

Bobby smiled. “That’s cool. His mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies on earth!”

Holly groaned. “Does this mean I’m gonna have to learn the rules of D&D?”

Cosmo grinned. “It does if you’re going to hang out with us at Theo’s house.”

“Great.” Holly mumbled into her chicken sandwich.

The bell rang about thirty minutes later, and the friends collected their things and headed to their respective classes. Cosmo and Holly walked off together of course, since most of their classes were either together or in the same wing of the school.

Later that afternoon, the three friends were waiting out in front of Forrest Glenn High School for Cosmo’s father Joe to arrive. Classes had been let out no more than ten minutes by the time the trio had made their way to the spot by the tree where Cosmo, Bobby, and Theo usually met up after school to make or confirm plans. It wasn’t lost on Cosmo. Now it was a meeting of a different sort. Bobby interrupted Cosmo’s reverie, asking “So – do we bring him flowers, a fruit basket, stuffed bears…or what?”

Holly piped up. “I’m gonna get him a teddy bear if they sell them in the hospital gift shop. Maybe they have those cute ones with little casts on their legs.”

“Yeah,” Bobby snorted “and little crutches, too.”

Holly batted at the shoulder. “I’m serious. It’d be cute.” Looking to Cosmo, she asked “Don’t you think so?”

Holding up his hands in mock defense, he said “Hey – I’m an innocent bystander here, but if you think it would be cute then that’s all that matters. I’m on your side, remember?”

Holly turned away to look at Bobby with her eyebrows raised in an expression of See, I told you so. When she did, Cosmo shrugged and mouthed a silent What? at Bobby.

Before anyone could say anything else regarding possible gift choices, Cosmo’s mother and father pulled up along the curb of the semi-circular drive. Joe and Rosie smiled at everyone as they were piling in to the car, throwing backpacks on the floor and jackets on the seats.

“How we doin’, gang?” Joe asked as he pulled away from the curb and around the drive. He stopped before pulling onto the tree-lined street.

“Okay,” Rosie asked “do everyone’s folks know where you are going? Cosmo does not have to answer this question.” She winked at her son. Cosmo smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Yes!” chirped Holly.

“Posilutely!” cracked Bobby.

“Then off we go, ‘Team Theo’!” declared Joe, then hung a right on to the street heading downtown and to the hospital.

It only took about twenty-five minutes to reach Holy Family Hospital from the school, so in all it was a relatively short trip filled mostly with idle banter and questions about Theo’s injuries and rehabilitation, the answers to most of which were ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I’m not sure’.

Pulling into the visitor parking lot, Joe found a spot near the entrance and eased his car into the parking space. He noticed on his left was one of those new ‘mini-vans’.

He thought to himself that it looked for all the world like the man designing the vehicle had intended to design a regular van, but then ran out of either time or ideas and just gave up, settling for what was on the drawing board.

Clearly the auto execs had bought into it, but Joe thought it was a fad. After all, his Volvo station wagon was far more practical and roomy, and definitely sleeker and more refined than the box on wheels parked in the space next to him.

They all got out and walked toward the main entrance to the hospital, past the statue of Joseph with Mary holding the Infant Jesus. Joe and Rosie crossed themselves as they walked past, with Bobby, Cosmo and Holly doing likewise. Cosmo also said a brief prayer as he passed the statue of The Holy Family.

The lobby of the hospital was cool and quiet. There weren’t many people in the waiting room, and the only real activity was the few people going in and coming out of the gift shop. Just a few feet within the entrance was the visitors and information desk. Behind the desk sat Sister Michael Martha, a Carmelite nun.

She had been volunteering at Holy Family for the last ten years. Sister Michael Martha could tell you who worked there and for how long, when they came in, when they took their breaks, and when they’d be back. She never forgot a birthday, anniversary, or confirmation day – and she never, ever forgot to let you know that you were loved.

She smiled warmly as Joe, Rosie, and the teens walked up to her desk (she always referred to it as her desk, even though others used it), and immediately said “You all must be here to see Theo.”

“You always seem to know everything, Sister. Are you sure you aren’t an angel?” Joe teased.

Leaning toward Joe conspiratorially, Sister Michael replied with a wink “I’ll never tell!” Looking at Cosmo she asked “And how are you, young man?”

Cosmo smiled at the nun, who appeared to be in her early seventies. He knew her from his catechism classes at Saint Andrew’s, where she had been his teacher. He always remembered her as being very kind, but very firm. There was very little room for jokes and pranks in her classroom. She was, however, the first person to lend an ear to listen, and two arms with which to hug those in need of such – be they children or adults. She was an equal opportunity comforter. Cosmo remembered, too, that Sister Michael Martha would die in two years from a stroke that she suffered – ironically – while sitting behind that very desk.

“I’m just fine, Sister,” Cosmo replied “and how are you?”

She smiled and said “I’m as fit as I’ve ever been, and praising God for each day!”

Joe quietly chuckled and said “Sister Michael will never fully retire – will you Sister?”

“Only when God decides to take me home.” She said with a wink and a smile.

After being told by Sister Michael what floor Theo’s room was on, Joe and Rosie thanked her and, pointing the friends toward the gift shop, followed behind. They hadn’t been in the shop very long when Holly was heard to call out “A-HA!”

Walking over to where she was standing, Rosie saw that Holly was holding a stuffed bear that was about six inches tall, with his little leg in a cast, and his little arm in a sling, complete with a singular crutch under one arm. Looking up at Rosie with triumph in her eyes, Holly called over to Bobby.

“Ahem! Oh Bobby? I have something to show you.”

Bobby was reading gift cards and answered absently over his shoulder “Yeah? Wazzit?”

Cosmo walked up behind Bobby and said “Dude. You totally have to see this.” The two boys walked over to where Holly and Rosie were standing, where Bobby was the first to notice Holly wiggling the bear next to her cheek, her eyes lit up with triumph.

“No. Way.” Bobby’s jaw was hanging open at the sight of the very bear whose existence he had earlier mocked Holly over. “You can’t be serious! How did you…?”

Cosmo was standing next to Bobby laughing. Rosie stood next to Holly quietly giggling to herself, having only just been told of Bobby’s earlier jabs at Holly’s gift idea. When Joe walked up, he asked “What’d I miss?”

Everyone was laughing except Bobby. He had walked back to the card rack shaking his head.