Chapter 8
The warm air whipped at my face as we raced down the mountain. Noah and Rachel were just ahead, and I could hear them shouting as they enjoyed cutting each other off. Anna was trailing close behind me. We had been going all morning, and I was starting to feel famished. I reached the bottom of the hill and came to a stop beside Noah and Rachel. I turned, expecting to see Anna right behind me, but she was nowhere in sight. I surveyed the area, but I couldn’t see her white jacket in the crowd of other skiers.
“Did you see Anna?” I asked Noah and Rachel.
“No, I didn’t see her. Wasn’t she right behind you?” Noah asked.
“I thought so.”
A minute passed before Rachel said, “Hmph. I wonder if she wiped out already.”
Her choice of words alerted me to the fact that she knew something.
“Rachel, what do you know?” My eyes and voice threatened her.
“Well . . . I sort of had a vision that Anna breaks her arm this weekend. She wipes out, we go to the hospital and she gets a cast. But I didn’t think it would happen so soon.” She scrunched her eyebrows and tapped her finger to her lip. “I thought for sure it was going to be tomorrow.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded.
“Because someone wanted me to mind my own business and keep my visions to myself.”
Never hit a girl. Never hit a girl. “Unbelievable!” I launched myself off with my poles and pushed myself toward the chairlift, fighting my way to the front of the line.
“Jake, where are you going?” Noah called after me.
“To find her! You stay here in case she comes down. Call me if you see her!”
“Why don’t you just call her?” Rachel said.
“She doesn’t have a cell phone,” I growled.
“Who doesn’t have a cell phone in grade eleven?” Rachel scoffed.
I heard Noah shush her, which was enough for me to ignore her comment as I pressed on. I hopped on the next lift and sat impatiently as we crept to the top of the hill, keeping my eyes open for Anna.
We finally reached the top and just as I was pushing off toward the same trail that Anna and I were on, my cell phone rang. I fumbled for it in my jacket pocket.
“Noah! Do you see her?”
“Dude, she’s on her way to the medical clinic here at the lodge. Rachel’s with her.”
“Rachel,” I muttered under my breath. “And her arm?”
“She’s in pain. Eric said it’s broken.”
“Eric? Why?” I pushed off and started racing back down the hill, clutching my poles in one hand and my phone in the other. I hated being so far away from her when she needed me. I needed to be by her side.
“Eric saw her crash and helped her down the hill.”
“Tell her I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’ll meet you at the clinic.”
We knew the clinic well. Noah required a visit there last year when he lost control and wrapped himself around the chairlift post. And I was there earlier this year when I twisted my knee during a race through the moguls.
The trip down the hill seemed at least twice as long as it had earlier felt. When I reached the bottom, I popped off my skis, leaving them near the front steps and ran around the side of the building to the medical clinic. Noah and Rachel were waiting outside the door.
“How is she?” I asked when I caught up.
“She’s fine, Jake. It’s just a broken arm.” Rachel rolled her eyes in disapproval.
I pushed past and opened the door. Anna was sitting in a chair against the far wall, holding her arm. Eric was standing beside her with his hands on her shoulders. I instantly felt nauseous.
“Jake.” Anna’s eyes lit up as she tried to stand.
Eric held her back. “Anna, sit still. You’re in a lot of pain.”
“I’ve got it from here, Eric, thanks.” I jerked my head toward the door as an invitation for him to leave. He hesitated but then squeezed Anna’s shoulders and wisely left.
“Anna, I am so sorry. I didn’t know you wiped out. I feel awful that I wasn’t there.” I knelt down in front of her and held her hand.
“Oh, stop it. It’s not your fault. I was stupid, trying to catch up to you. I should’ve known better.” She laughed, and then clutched her arm in pain.
I turned to the nurse and asked, “Is it broken?” even though I already knew it was.
“Looks like it.” The nurse gently ran her fingers over a large bump on Anna’s forearm. “I’ve seen enough broken bones in my time to know one when I see one. We’re going to have to get her off to the hospital once I get this form filled out.” She held up a clipboard with a page of questions for Anna. Half were already answered and I finally understood why she was annoyed at my bursting into the room—I was slowing things up.
“Oh, sorry. Go ahead, ask away.”
As the nurse continued with her questions for Anna, I had a thought—I was a healer. I could heal Anna. Sure, Ms. Peters said I wasn’t yet trained to heal others, but if I could heal myself, maybe I could heal the one person I cared about most.
I gently laid my hands on Anna’s forearm as she squirmed in discomfort. Closing my eyes, I tried to recall the thoughts I was thinking when I had healed my own hand in Ms. Peters’ office. I imagined her arm in perfect form. I imagined all the bones, tissues, ligaments and tendons all intact and working normally. I remembered Anna swimming in the lake last summer. I remembered her climbing the big oak tree on the island. When my eyes finally opened, the nurse and Anna were both staring at me. I quickly released my grip on her arm.
“What are you doing?” Anna asked as she raised her eyebrows and gently rubbed her arm.
“I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?” I stammered as I reached for her arm again. She pulled away.
“Strangely,” she said as she raised her arm in front of her and twisted it slightly, “it doesn’t hurt that bad.”
“You shouldn’t have squeezed her arm,” the nurse scolded.
“Again, I’m sorry,” I said.
Anna was still twisting her arm as she peered at it questionably. “Does the bump look smaller to you?” she asked the nurse.
The nurse studied Anna’s arm and ran her fingers over it again. “This doesn’t hurt?”
“No,” Anna confirmed. “In fact, it feels much better, actually.”
“What about when you squeeze my fingers?” the nurse prompted Anna to tighten her grip.
“Nothing,” Anna laughed.
“Well, kids, I don’t know what to tell you. Anna, I don’t think there’s much sense in sending you to the hospital. Perhaps it’s just a sprain. Take it easy for a little while, okay? And come back if it starts to hurt again.”
“But you said it was broken,” I challenged.
“I know. I thought it was.” The nurse scratched her head. “I don't really understand it, but she seems fine now. The lump is gone.”
Anna reached around and grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair. “Well, that’s great news. Sorry to have wasted your time though.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. That’s what I’m here for. Now run along and be careful.” The nurse chuckled as she held the door open for us.
I nodded thanks and followed Anna through the door.
“We headin’ to the hospital?” Noah asked as our eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors. Quite a group had gathered. Word had travelled fast. The girls crowded around Anna to see if she was okay, while I watched protectively from behind.
“It’s not broken,” Anna said. I looked away to avoid Rachel’s eyes, which were clearly aimed in my direction.
“Really?” Noah said, his confusion apparent. “But I thought . . .” He glanced quickly at Rachel.
“Yeah, it was weird. It felt broken. It hurt a lot, but then it started to feel a lot better as we sat there. And now it doesn’t hurt at all.” Anna wiggled her arm as proof.
“Yes, very strange indeed,” Rachel agreed.
My eyes focused on Rachel who was now politely smiling at Anna. I put my arm around Anna’s waist, led her toward the front of the lodge, and said, “I’m hungry. Who wants to eat?”
Halfway through lunch I got up to use the washroom. I hadn’t noticed I was being followed until I rounded the corner and felt someone grab my arm and spin me around.
“Rachel, what the hell?”
“You,” she hissed. “You used your gift.”
“Pretty impressive, right?” I grinned as I pulled my arm from her grip.
“Impressive?” Her stone-cold eyes were far from impressed. “You could’ve been caught. That was just stupid, Jake. She wasn’t dying.”
“Yeah, yeah. So only use your gifts for life-or-death situations. Got it. May I be excused now?” I continued to smile, which only made Rachel angrier.
“That is why having a girlfriend is dangerous. You just don’t get it! You’re too focused on the wrong things!” She flung her arms up into the air and spun around to leave.
I shook my head. So high-strung. She needed to relax. It’s not like she doesn’t use her gift for everyday stuff. Wait, that reminded me . . .
“Hey, Rachel,” I called after her. “I don’t get it. You saw her arm in a cast. How did you see that when it didn't end up happening?”
She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face me. “I see what is meant to be. The only time that can change is if someone gifted”—she waved a disgusted hand in my direction—“gets in the way.”
I pursed my lips to hold back a smile. “So . . . I can trump you?” Her defeated expression put a smile on my face.
“No, you can’t trump me, you ass! UGH!” She threw her hands up again and stomped off.
This time I let her go.