Child of Darkness (Gemini 3)

"He broke something. Maybe his shoulder," he said. "We'll have to call an ambulance. I don't know how to move someone who's broken a bone. I don't want to make it worse."

"You should call the police," Ami told him. "Not an ambulance."

"No!" I screamed.

"I'm calling an ambulance, Ami. Calm things down up there," Wade ordered.

"Calm things down," she muttered, and turned to me. "How could you let this happen, Celeste, and so soon after I caught him up here with you? I did all that I could to prevent it. I trusted you."

"I'm sorry," I said. She thought a moment.

"Do you know if he used any protection? Well," she screamed when I didn't respond immediately. "Do you?"

"Yes," I said, "I believe he did."

"You believe?"

"I'm sure he did, I mean. I'm just so confused. Please."

"Oh, God. And I was just going to see my doctor on Monday and get the pills for you. We'll have to have you examined."

"I'm all right, Ami. I'm worried about Trevor more than I am about myself at the moment."

"You shouldn't worry about him. He should be worrying about himself. When did you have your last period?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"It ended just about a month ago. I'm due any day."

"Good. I want you to tell me the moment it starts again. Do you understand, Celeste? The moment it starts," she said, staring out of my bedroom.

"But I told you he was wearing protection," I said.

"That doesn't always matter. There's always that small percentage, and you don't want to be one of them."

She turned at the door. "Take that sheet off the bed. I'll send Mrs. Cukor up with a clean one. Go take a hot bath," she ordered. "Thank goodness Mrs. Cukor came to me to tell me what was going on. Otherwise this might have continued. I know what men do when they gnaw a path to your heart. They travel it until they wear it out. Clean yourself up," she concluded, and left.

Mrs. Cukor? I thought. If she had seen Trevor climbing the roof and entering my room, why had she waited so long to tell Arai? Why wasn't Ami here sooner? It was almost as if Mrs. Cukor wanted terrible things to happen first, and what was more frightening, almost as if she knew they would.

I looked out the window again. I should go down to him, I thought, but then I thought it might just make things harder for him. Who knew what he might say and what he might reveal had occurred between us? Feeling dazed myself, I began to strip the bed.

A little more than twenty or so minutes later, I heard the ambulance approach the driveway gate, and I rushed back to the window to watch it come up the drive and park. The paramedics hopped out and unloaded a stretcher. Wade heard them too and rushed to them. They quickly approached the bay windows. I was still unable to see Trevor. Finally, they lifted him onto the stretcher and began to carry him away. I saw how he held his right arm, but it was too dark below now t

o see much else. I watched him being loaded into the ambulance. Wade and Mrs. McAlister stood by. The paramedics spoke quickly with him, and then they got in and drove off.

I collapsed onto my desk chair and stared at the floor.

Ami came charging back into my room.

"Why aren't you in the tub already? You haven't even run the water!" she cried, looking into the bathroom. She went in and started the bath.

Mrs. Cukor was right on her heels with a clean new sheet for my bed. She began to put it on, avoiding looking at me while she worked.

"Get in here," Ami commanded, "and get into the tub. You're a mess."

I felt so helpless and distraught, I did what she asked. I complained about the water and then added some cold while she stood by in the doorway watching me and watching Mrs. Cukor. Finally, Mrs. Cukor left, and Ami entered.

"How could you let him sneak into your room like that?" she asked, her voice sounding more curious than angry now. "Didn't you think something like this might happen? Are you really that naive, even after all I told you? I thought you were smart, a good student. How could you do this with the first boy you met?"

I didn't respond. I sat there staring at my legs. It still all felt like I was outside my body, like this was happening to someone else. When would I wake from this dream?