Page 98 of Replay

“He’s awake again,” she said.

Allen stood. “We were talking. But I need to see the Blaze management, and then I have to fly back to California.”

“Thank you for coming. We both appreciate it.” Mom smiled at him.

She hadn’t been told off like me, but I was grateful he’d shown up. I didn’t get into trouble so I didn’t see Allen often. I’d like to get back to that arrangement. He was unnerving.

Once he was gone, Mom came over to fuss with the blankets and offer me more water.

“I’m fine.” Now that my head was clearer, I wanted to hear from the doctors about my knee, and I wanted to see Katie. “What did the doctor say?” Mom had said she was coming by.

“She didn’t tell me much. But everything is going to be fine.”

Was she coddling me? Had the woman said something bad, and Mom was keeping it from me? Or was I being paranoid? I needed details. Did fine mean I’d walk again, or that I’d play? “When is she back again?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

I started to fidget and stopped when my leg twinged. I was going to have a whole night to worry about this. I needed to at least talk to Katie.

“Where’s my phone?”

Mom looked around and then shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure it’s here.”

Right. It would have been in my stall when this happened and might still be there. What would they have done with my clothes and personal items?

There was an iPad on the table tray thing at the side of the room, the one that could swing over my bed. I recognized the cover. It was Katie’s.

I relaxed against the pillows. Katie had been here. She’d be back. That was good. I needed to see her.

“When’s Katie coming back?”

Mom stiffened. Yeah, she didn’t like Katie, and didn’t know we were going out. I should have said something when we switched from friends to dating, but I didn’t like upsetting people.

“Katie?” Like she didn’t know who I was talking about.

“I know she was here. That’s her iPad.”

Mom’s lips tightened and she picked up the tablet.

“What are you doing? I want that.”

“I don’t think screens are good for you right now.”

Something about the way she spoke made me realize there was more to what she said than the words. She wasn’t just talking about the screen.

“Where is Katie?” I repeated.

Mom’s chin went up. “I sent her away. I don’t know why she was even here, but she had no right.”

“When’s she coming back?” I needed to see her.

Mom shoved the iPad in a drawer in the bedside table, at the bottom where I couldn’t reach. “She isn’t coming back, as far as I know.”

“Mom,” I warned.

“She has exams now, doesn’t she? She’s busy.”

True, but she’d come here, somehow. That meant everything. I needed to speak to her, but Mom wasn’t going to budge. And right now I was stuck in a bed, with no phone and no one who’d help me reach out to her.

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