Shadow Man (part 1)

“All I remember is a flash of red, getting the wind knocked out of me, and not being able to get up…” Jesse mumbled as the doctor helped him sit up in his bed.

            “That’s completely normal,” the Dr. Ross said. “An accident like that often causes your brain to hit the inside of your skull, which results in loss of memory. In all honesty, I’m surprised you don’t have more injuries than just your broken arm.”

            “Yeah, I guess I got lucky,” said Jesse looking into his lap.

            “The man who hit you is in prison, at least for now. DUI, I think.”

            Jesse nodded his head, leaning his head back against the bed. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better, but I guess it should.”

            “Well, it’s not as good as preventing an accident, and he didn’t apologize…” said Dr. Ross as he walked to the other side of Jesse’s bed. “...but it’s something. And, in any case, you get to go home today!” Dr. Ross smiled.

            Jesse smiled and blushed a little still looking down. He appreciated Dr. Ross doing everything he could to make him feel better, but he couldn’t bring himself to look the man in the face. Jesse liked his doctor, but Dr. Ross also reminded him of his Uncle Julian. And that was something Jesse didn’t want to think about.

            “Alright,” Dr. Ross scribbled something on a paper on his clipboard. “Everything checks out, so I’ll finish the paperwork, and you can finally get out of here.” He flashed Jesse another one of his genuine smiles.

            Jesse blushed again, “Thanks.”

            “Don’t mention it. Now, I’m also going to prescribe some Percocet for any pain you might feel. Be sure to call if you still feel pain relating to your accident or if it gets worse. Like, if your back pain comes back; something like that.”

            “I will,” Jesse nodded. Not that he’d actually take it. He’d been on Percocet before and hated the withdrawal that came with it.

            “I’ll leave you to get dressed,” said Dr. Ross.

            “Okay. Thanks again.” For the first time since he’d gotten there, Jesse looked directly at Dr. Ross, and returned the smile he received from the doctor.

            “No problem,” Dr. Ross was pleasantly surprised. Until now, he’d thought Jesse was one of those teenagers going through a rebellious phase, and worried he’d have to deal with a kid with an attitude problem. Glad this wasn’t the case, Dr. Ross left the room, and closed the door.

            Jesse got out of bed, and took off the hospital gown. He hated the feel of the paper-plastic amalgamation that reminded Jesse of a grocery store’s checkout counter. But before he could but he could put on the clothes his parents brought for him, Jesse noticed something dashing across the room from the corner of his eye. He turned around, looking for thing that caused the dark grey shadow, but didn’t see anything that wasn’t already there. ‘Well shit,’ Jesse thought. ‘Maybe I’ve been stuck in this room too long.’

 Suddenly, the door to his room opened, and in came his mother and father, excitedly talking about finally bringing Jesse home after his week in the hospital.

“What are you doing just standing in the middle of the room in your underwear?” Jesse’s dad asked.

“I was getting dressed!” Jesse replied more than a little panicked.

“Well hurry up so we can go home!” Jesse’s mother “I told everybody you were getting out of the hospital today!”

“Who is everybody?” Jesse almost yelled. He wasn’t the type to be comfortable in big crowds, and the thought of suddenly being surrounded by people made his heart beat more rapidly than it did when his parents walked in on him mostly naked.

“Oh, just grandma and grandpa…” Jesse’s mom said.

Jesse relaxed a bit. “Oh…I guess that’s not bad.”

“And your Uncle Julian, Aunt Gloria, and your cousins…” Jesse’s dad added.

Jesse’s heart sunk upon hearing his Uncle was going to be at his house, and secretly hoped that he could just hide in his room.

“Please tell me that’s it…” Jesse groaned.

“Almost. We invited your friend Olivia to come, too.” Jesse’s father wiggled his eyebrows at his son.

“It’s not like that,” Jesse said quickly, picking up on his father’s obvious insinuation.

“Sure, it isn’t,” his dad winked.

“It’s not.”

“Hurry and get dressed!” Jesse’s mother said

Jesse did, ignoring his mother every time she asked if he needed help. Even with a broken arm he felt too grown up at fifteen to ask for his mom’s help getting dressed. As soon as Jesse was dressed, and the paperwork was completed a nurse brought him a wheelchair and wheeled him out to his dad's truck that was pulled up in front at the curb near the front doors. It embarrassed him at first, but he soon forgot about the awkwardness of the situation when he noticed another shadow in his peripheral vision. Jesse thought it was a cat, but wasn't sure. He didn't get a good look at it, nor did he think there would be a cat in a hospital. 

"Is something wrong?" the nurse asked Jesse when he turned in his chair.

"No, I just thought... It's nothing," he replied thinking he would sound crazy if he told her what he thought he saw. The last thing Jesse wanted was to be kept in the hospital for a longer period of time.

Jesse's dad helped him out of the chair and into the back seat of his truck, buckling him in as the buckle was on the side of his broken arm. He smiled to himself. 

"I haven't buckled you into your seat since you were six or seven." 

"You're loving this way too much," Jesse said rolling his eyes.

"And you're growing up too quickly."

Jesse looked his father in the face, noticing the wrinkles that weren't there before. 'You smile too much, old man. I love you, though.'

As the family drove away, Jesse's parents talked excitedly about everyone seeing their son now that he wasn't stuck in a hospital. He let them talk, while he watched the world pass by the window. Every now and again he'd see a dark grey blob out of the corner of his eye. He'd ignore it, mostly. Until he could swear he saw a shadow-like claw reach over and tap the window before disappearing. Jesse turned quickly to see what it was that he saw. 

"I'm definitely not taking those meds," he said. "I'm hallucinating enough as it is..."

"What did you say, mijo?" His mother looked slightly concerned. 

"Nothing. Just that we should visit the restaurant we passed someday."

"You'd almost think they were starving you in that hospital," she laughed.