539 words. One scene I realized I missed is back right after the car accident. It introduces Tracy at an earlier point in the story.At Alicia's request, the hospital had called her parents. It took them less time than it should have to make it to visit her.
"Alicia!" her mother called from the doorway to the room she was being kept in. "Are you alright?!"
"Mom! Dad!" Alicia replied with a grin through a pain killer induced haze. "Oh I'm swell! How are you?"
"She's going to be fine until those drugs wear off," her father observed.
"They wouldn't say what was wrong," her mother continued right over Alicia's father. "Just that you had been in an accident and were keeping you overnight."
Alicia scrunched her face up and waved her mother off. "What-ev-er! Hey Mom, look! I got a cast. Isn't it great?" With her left hand she tapped the case that traveled from her wrist up over her right shoulder. "All stiff and everything!"
Alicia's mother regarded the cast with a sigh and shake of her head. "You're not going to be able to take care of yourself with that," she said.
"Yeah," Alicia agreed with a grin. "And I can't turn my head either, see?" She tried to demonstrate, but between the neck brace and the pain her neck shot her as a reminder she didn't get far. "Ow," she complained with real emotion.
"If it hurts, don't do that, silly!" a voice from the doorway admonished playfully.
Alicia carefully looked over. "Tracy!" she identified her best friend with glee. "So nice of you to come! Here, sit here," she said and patted the air next to her.
"Ah ha, yeah," Tracy said as comprehension hit her. She looked to Alicia's parents. "Those must be some good drugs."
"Only the best," a nurse replied as he walked in behind Tracy. "I'm sorry," he informed them, "but can't all be here, visiting hours are almost over."
"Awww!" Alicia replied and started to pout.
Tracy smiled. "That's okay, I just had to make sure she was alright."
"Oh no, Tracy," Alicia's father said, motioning for her to stay. "We're going to go get Alicia some things she'll need from her place. Why don't you stay until we get back?"
"That'd be great," Tracy replied. "Thanks, Dad Monroe. And thanks for calling me, Mom Monroe."
"We know how close you two are," Alicia's mother replied with a smile.
"There never was a better friend," Alicia agreed.
The nurse nodded the arrangement would be fine, and left the room.
Tracy gently hugged Alicia, who returned the hug with her good arm.
Then Tracy regarded Alicia's parents as they headed out. "Wait a minute, how did you two beat me here?"
"Our daughter is in the hospital," Alicia's mother replied as if that explained it all.
Tracy shook her head with a small smile. "You do know she was in a car accident, right? Didn't learn anything from that?"
"Since when did you start talking to us like that?" Alicia's mother asked.
Tracy stifled a laugh. "Sorry. Won't happen again."
"I'm sure," Alicia's father replied with a tone that indicated he wasn't at all upset, and that he didn't believe her. "Come on," he said to his wife. "The sooner we leave the sooner we'll be back."
Alicia's mother nodded and they headed out.
Labels: BoD, NaNoWriMo 2005, Story
