Aaralyn Part 3

Aaralyn awoke in a white room: a room that looked very sterile.  A look at the IV dangling above her head confirmed that she was indeed in the hospital.  The TV was blaring; she wanted to shut out its harsh and unnatural light but could not.  Through the haze of semi-consciousness, Aaralyn perceived that the anchor woman on the news was relating a terrible story about a high school student who had been in a car accident and was comatose.  Aaralyn tried to attract the nurse’s attention.  She didn’t want to hear about comatose students who had become poster children for corporate responsibility and the benevolence of a greater power.  1

Aaralyn tried to raise her head but found she could not.  The nurse left the room, and then darkness fell again.2

The next time she woke, Aaralyn knew something was wrong.  Something was different.  But what?  She had gotten used to the idea of being in the hospital, and the room was not that scary, not with her parents and relatives crowded around her bed.  3

“Shhh!” whispered one of her aunts to several of her cousins.  Aaralyn opened her eyes wider.  She felt cold, very cold.4

Aaralyn turned her head to look at her youngest cousin, an adorable five-year-old who was determined to clamber onto Aaralyn’s bed.  The pillow felt strange on her bare head.5

Her bare head!6

Aaralyn sat straight up.  Her family was all around her.  She looked around, wildly.  From a distance, it seemed, her mother was speaking, trying to comfort her, explaining something about a car crash and a settlement.7

Aaralyn twisted around, looking for a mirror.  There was none.  She could not even see her reflection in her grandfather’s bifocals.  It was then that she saw it.8

The winter sun was already setting.  Aaralyn must have been comatose for a long time for it to be this dark this early.  But in the uncovered window, against the blue-black backdrop and the artificial hospital lights, Aaralyn could see her baldness.9

People stared when Aaralyn finally came back to school; it was nearly impossible for her to maneuver around the clumps of kids in the halls on her crutches.  As she passed, they just looked at her, eyes wide.  The doctors had operated twice on her brain, once to remove the shrapnel and repair her skull, and once to try to reduce the severity of her disabilities.  The surgeries had been successful, but they’d had to shave her head.  The hair was growing back.  But it was growing back brown, and it refused to grow over her scars.10

Aaralyn limped into Calculus.  She took her seat by the overhead, and began the painful process of unloading her backpack.  Kurt was sitting by the window, ignoring her and laughing with an attractive blonde.  His new girlfriend, she reminded herself.  11

The teacher walked in.12

“Aaralyn!  Great to have you back!  You look great,” he lied.  Aaralyn just winced.  “We’ve actually just been reviewing for the semester final.  Here, do these problems using the FTC.”  Mr. Martinez thrust a worksheet under her nose.13

“The what?” asked Aaralyn, confused.14

“The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus,” Mr. Martinez said slowly, as if he had never had a stupider student in his life.  “You know, the definite integral of f(x) from A to B is equal to F( B ) – F( A ).”15

Aaralyn just stared at the page.  The numbers swam in and out of strange symbols.  The odd, elongated “S” seemed like it should be familiar, but every time she tried to put her finger on it, its meaning danced just beyond her reach.16

“Mr. Martinez,” she said slowly, “I’ve been out for awhile.  Do you think you might review some of this stuff with me?”17

The teacher shot her a look of absolute contempt.  His prized student making such an obnoxious and juvenile demand?  There was something very wrong with her, and Mr. Martinez made up his mind.  She was no longer his star student.18

“I’m sorry, Miss Johanson, but I’m really a very busy man.  Perhaps you could ask your neighbor?”  He floated away, leaving Aaralyn close to tears.19

“Hey Aaralyn,” said Tina, a shy little girl Aaralyn had tutored.  Tina pulled her desk closer to Aaralyn’s.  “I’m sorry Mr. Martinez is being so rude…”20

“That’s OK, Tina,” Aaralyn said, rubbing her forehead.  “Look, Tina, I don’t think…”21

“You’ll be able to tutor me this semester?” Tina finished.  She pulled her desk even closer.  “That’s OK, Aaralyn.  I think it’s time I returned you the favor.”22

“Mrs. Johanson, Mr. Johanson, thank you for coming on such short notice.”  Aaralyn’s school counselor, Mrs. McCreary, stood.  23

“Is something wrong?” Asked Aaralyn’s mother.24

“Oh no,” said Mrs. McCreary.  “Well, yes, kind of.  You see, Aaralyn was one of our top students before her, ah, accident.  However, it seems that her brain damage was more, um, extensive than we had anticipated.  Mr. Martinez has recommended that she drop his class.”25

“That’s a blow,” said Aaralyn’s father.  “But she’ll be back on top in no time, just you wait and see.  She’s our resilient little survivor!  Did I tell you about the time…” At a look from his wife, he hushed.26

“Aaralyn is just behind from being absent for so long.  We’re hiring a tutor.  She’ll be back on track in no time,” Mrs. Johanson declared.27

But Mrs. McCreary shook her head.  28

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.  Aaralyn is having a difficult time remembering what she’s learned in the past.  She still picks things up quickly, but she also forgets them quickly, and has no basic foundation to draw upon.  In short, this whole business of trying to teach her things really isn’t worth the time.”29

Aaralyn’s parents looked at the counselor blankly.  The woman inwardly sighed.30

“It will take a lot more than a tutor to get your daughter back to the level she was at before.”  Those cursed parents were still looking at her, dumbfounded.  The poor woman pressed on.  “All of her teachers have recommended she drop their class,” the counselor said gently.31

“No,” whispered Aaralyn’s father.  He was so proud of his little genius.32

“Didn’t she get settlement money?” the counselor asked.33

“What do you mean?” Asked Aaralyn’s mother guardedly.  34

“That car wash was illegally and irresponsibly dumping their waste water on the road, which caused it to ice over in this cold weather.  The airbags in Aaralyn’s car failed.  Didn’t they give Aaralyn money?”35

“Yes,” said Mrs. Johanson.36

“And it was a significant amount?” The counselor asked pointedly.  The spouses looked at each other.37

“Yes, it is more than she can ever use.  But why?” Asked Mr. Johanson.38

“Aaralyn hardly has a need for school now,” proclaimed the counselor.  “Kids go to school so that they will be able to get a job and earn money.  Aaralyn already has enough money, so she has no need for school,” the counselor reiterated.39

“You want Aaralyn to drop out?” Mrs. Johanson nearly shouted.40

“It would be the best course,” said Mrs. McCreary.  “School is just a frustration for her now, a reminder of her former life.  She feels abandoned by her friends.  I think it would be healthier if she just put this all behind her and left.  Perhaps an art school would be good, if Aaralyn needs something to fill her time.”41

The Johansons left the room silently.42

Aaralyn cried when she heard the news, but she knew it was no use.  Poor Tina had tried and tried to teach Aaralyn the material, but Aaralyn’s frozen brain would not remember the things she should know.43

Aaralyn stopped getting out of bed.  There was no point.  She had eaten, breathed, and lived school for the past twelve years of her life.  With that gone, she had no idea what to do with herself.  Her life had no meaning.44

“All set!” said the nurse.  Aaralyn’s cast was sawed in half and lying on the table beside her.  She twisted around to see her leg.  It hardly looked like her leg.  Her soccer muscles were shriveled and atrophied, and her skin was dry and flaking.  She shuddered with repulsion. 45

“Don’t you worry, dear,” said the nurse, “a little physical therapy and you’ll be fine!”  46

Aaralyn was beyond the point of caring.47