Page 78 of Pen Me

“Yeah. That isn’t what you do.” I popped the top button of her night shirt and ran my knuckle over her sternum.

Rumi was right. She was non-responsive.

“Fuck, you’re gonna have to call for an ambulance.”

“Wh–? Rumi. Address.” Menace jerked her back and looked down at her.

Rumi blinked and started to hyperventilate.

“Stay here.” I scrambled off the bed and sprinted through the kitchen. I stumbled down the steps but managed to right myself without slowing my pace too much. My lungs burned as I raced down the lane, praying for a mailbox.

Tears stung my eyes as I turned in a slow circle.

“Please, please–” I begged whatever was out there listening.

When I finally accepted the cabin didn’t have a residential mailbox, I visually searched the wooded lane for neighboring mailboxes, but I couldn’t see anything, and I didn’t know how long I’d have to trot. Who knew how long she had before respiratory distress did set in.

“Goddamn it.” I raced back to the house, breathless and desperately trying to pull it together.

I couldn’t let Rumi see me this torn up. My panic wouldn’t help her any.

I stepped inside and froze as I heard my father’s voice from upstairs.

“Where? Menace, what the fuck—?” Dad’s bewildered voice boomed through a speaker.

“Just tell him,” Menace shouted. “Tell him to get his ass out to Octavia’s fuckin’ grandpa’s fishin’ cabin, damn it!”

“Tell him to have Auggie meet me at the hospital,” I didn’t wait for his permission, I shot toward the bedroom, undid her sheet, wrapped it around her and began to slide Octavia toward the stairs.

I couldn’t make heads or tails of the shouting match Menace, and my father were having, but it sounded like I was at the heart of it.

“I don’t have time for this shit, and neither does she. Rumi, get my purse. Throw it in the car. Get your mother’s purse and take it, too, if that is where her insurance shit is.”

“You can’t fuckin’ take her–” Menace threw the phone down, and I went right on shouting like he hadn’t as I bounced her feet off one step and the next. “Call Henny. Have him call Auggie and have her meet me at the hospital.”

“You don’t know where the hospital is!” Menace screamed.

“Fine. Tell her to get her ass to the cabin. I’ll meet her on the way to the main road. Bye, Dad.”

“What the fuck is going—?” My dad began, but I just repeated myself a little bit louder.

“Bye. Dad.”

“Fine. Fuck. Shit.” He hung up and I turned my attention to Menace, still not having stopped.

“Get her feet or shut the fuck up and stay out of my way.” I paused momentarily to glare at him, so he’d know I meant it. He growled low and snatched her feet up, making it possible for me to finally move with purpose.

We got her in the car, and I glanced around, certain Rumi had been there only a moment ago.

“Come on!” she shouted from the back seat.

“Oh.” I looked at Menace and shook my head. “If she stops breathing, she’s got four minutes or so until brain damage will begin. If that happens, I won’t be able to drive the way I need to with a kid in the car.”

He jerked the door open, and Rumi whirled in the seat, kicking him before he could even make a grab for her.

“Hey!” he barked, grabbing her ankle. “If Mama needs her to speed and get there in a hurry, she can’t be driving ambulance style with you back here. Let her get your mother to the hospital as fast as she can. Come on, now.”

I was proud of him, having feared he was going to sling her right out of there without taking the time to reason.

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