Teachers Pet: Whiteout Part 1

Teachers Pet: White Out
Sunday night I got no sleep at all. All I could think about was never being able to be with her again. As I lay in bed I could see the snow kept falling throughout the night. As dawn approached I heard the phone ring downstairs. It was the school calling in a snow day. My grams yelled up the stairs to me, no school! I realized I wouldn’t be able see Kathleen and wondered what I was going to do with myself. I figured I’d go visit cousin Jimmy they had snowmobiles so maybe I could keep my mind off of the situation at hand. I got up, got dressed, put on my insulated underwear and went down for morning coffee. Gram had me eggs, bacon and toast almost ready so I ate and out the door I went thanking her. Kathleen was in my head and I wondered what kind of day she would have. What she was thinking after last night when I walked out. I paused a moment in the silence looking up to listen to the whisper of the falling snow. Huge flakes and heavy. It was about a mile down the road to Jim’s. As I walked up I could hear shoveling. Jim was outside cleaning the walkway. He was 3 years older. Whatsup man I said. Just getting chores done he replied. I’ll get mine done later I said. What all you gotta do? Shovel the walk, get coal in the coal bin and fix the fire dads on the road and mom has to go in to the store today for work he said. I’ll help y’all with that can we go riding after? Man, dad told me don’t be running the sleds all over hell without him here. Man, I said I really need to get away today get my head right and a good sled ride would help a bunch. Ok he said. We’ ll go out but not all day besides this weather will keep him away awhile. Cool, thanks man! I said. We got everything done and went to the garage to fuel up and fire up the sleds. Let’s go to the playground I said. The playground had a lot of hill climbs and spoil piles to jump where we’d made tracks to race our dirt bikes in summer but it made for a playground in winter as well. The snow intensified as the day went on. There was at least 18-24 inches on the ground now from Friday night into Saturday-Sunday when Kathleen and I were on the slopes. We’d played for a few hours at the playground and were running low on fuel. I said to Jimmy I’m gonna run over the other side through Wolf Run hollow and drop into the house from the back side. I’ll meet you there. Ok he said but be safe don’t get crazy across those open flats visibility is getting low keep your eyes open. I’ll be aiight I reassured him. Wolf Run hollow was a wooded small creek that separated two large strip areas. I made my way down through the wooded area across the creek and as I came out into the open on the other side Kathleen was heavy on my mind. I kept replaying the last moments we spent together Sunday night as I walked out of her apartment maybe her life. I shouldn’t have left it like that. It was complete white out now out there in the strippins all snow covered and no trees. I got an exhilarating feeling as I opened up that ol Artic Cat 660 into white nothingness. Faster and faster I poured on the throttle. It was like a white out oblivion. As I sped along I got an eerie weightless feeling like I was flying it was so surreal and it seemed like I was flying in that whiteout for days.
When I finally came out of it I didn’t know where I was. I was extremely groggy and my eyes struggled to focus on my surroundings. I had tubes in my arms, oxygen mask, tube up my nose, leg raised up in traction. It must have been wee hours of the night because at first I didn’t see anyone. A nurse was tending to me, when she noticed my eyes were opened she perked up and said well, welcome back to the real world Mr Molina. Where am I, I asked weakly. You’re in intensive care at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh Mr Molina you’ve given everyone quite the scare. I hurt all over I said. She said yes well according to what you’ve just been through you’re lucky to be alive young man. What happened I probed. I’m not sure all I know is you had a snowmobile accident somewhere and they life flighted you here to us. How long am I gonna be like this I asked. She stopped and looked right at me. Look son, you have bruised lungs, you have a fractured skull, 5 broken ribs 3 on one side two on the other, a ruptured spleen, fractured hip, compound fracture or your right femur, bruised kidney, dislocated right shoulder, broken left wrist. and your bleeding internally. So you’ll be healing for awhile. Great! I said. Well like I said thank God you’re alive she repeated. According to whom, I chirped sarcastically. She gave me a scowl and shook her head. It was dark in my room and private but I could see someone sitting just out of view behind a curtain. Visiting hours are well over young man she said, but there’s a young lady here who insists we allow her to be here when you wake so make it quick we have rules to abide by, your allowed only immediate family and we have other patients to tend to do you understand? Yes ma’am I mumbled. I knew exactly who it was. It was Kathleen.
The nurse left and Kathleen came out from behind a curtain with tears in her eyes. Oh my gawd Julian thank god you’re alive! She sobbed trying to hug me without hurting me putting her cheek to mine. I hugged her back with both good and bad arm. It felt so good to hold her and inhaling her being once again filled me with life. She smelled amazing!
Kathleen you can’t see me like this what are you doing here? I said. I wanted to be the first thing you saw when you came to Julian it was very important for me to be here! I appreciate y’all girl I really do. How did you know? It’s was all around the school she said some kids said you died! I was a wreck! I had to go to your house to get the truth. I spoke with your mother and grandmother, they’re a wreck also! Y’all went to my house? Yes!
I’d ask how you feel but that’s a silly question is there anything I can do for you? She asked. Y’all can tell me what happened if you know. I said. Nobody really knows Julian they found you at the bottom of a huge hole out in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard snowstorm, you fell like 50 feet. They said the snow helped cushion your fall. Probably saved your life! It took them awhile to find you , you were on the verge of hypothermia. You’re lucky to be alive Julian. Yeah. I’ve heard that already. I’m going to ask you a question Julian and I want the truth don’t get mad at me, did you do this on purpose? Because of our situation?
Hell no Kathleen y’all really think that? Don’t you know me?
It was whiteout conditions out there on those flats and I was wide open. I know now what happened I drove off a high wall into a strippin cut I couldn’t see.
Sounds pretty reckless to me, said Kathleen. I’m not going to lie about it Kathleen I said. No doubt y’all were on my mind. Replaying our last moments together right before it happened. I was frustrated, emotional but I swear and know this woman, this would be the last place I wanted to be to end up like this. Kathleen sobbed. I’m so sorry Julian I feel partly responsible. It’s no one’s fault but my own beautiful. I told you before I crash at many things in life this is just an example. How long have I been here? It’s late Wednesday night you crashed Monday about 11 am. No one knew exactly where you were luckily your cousin traced back the tracks left in the snow before they were covered. It took them 3 hours to find you two hours to get you out and to the life flight. Thank god they found you before dark. I’ve been unconscious for almost 3 days? Yes! Your core temp was down by the time they got you to the helicopter and with your head injury and internal bleeding it was touch and go for 24-48 hours. There was over 2 feet of snow out there they struggled to get you out with the primitive equipment search and rescue has around there. They used other people’s sleds to to bring stuff to pull you on a makeshift gurney behind them out to the road below where they found you. Your family has been here to see you. Your aunt,uncle, cousin, mom, grandma. You just weren’t awake. They’ve gone home for now. Your uncle said “Dammit I told those boys not to be raising hell with those sleds while I’m gone now look!”
Yeah I’ll have to face that music when the time comes. I said. How did you explain your presence to everyone? No one thought anything about it Julian we were all consumed with concern for your condition. I’ve been here since Monday night I told the school I had a family emergency. Aww babe you’re really something else. I don’t imagine any classmates or other teachers will come here to see me since I’m so popular so I reckon y’all will be safe.
I’m not concerned with any of that Julio I’m concerned with y’all. We both laughed at her jokes. Oww, ohh, don’t make me laugh babe, I hurts! I held my sides as we both lost it. Little miss busy body came scurrying back in at our laughter. Ok enough! You get going young lady Mr Molina needs his rest and we need quiet on this ward! Kathleen rolled her eyes at me while she kissed me on the cheek, I haven’t been scolded since high school she whispered. I wanna sleep with you all fucking night and make you feel good! Please stop! I whispered back hurting as she made me laugh even more. Good night Julio she said blowing a kiss. I’ll be back tomorrow. Night Miss Kathleen I said while the nurse was still there.

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