"The car came from nowhere. I couldn't even hear an engine until it was driving off."
"Maybe it was an electric car? Those things are quiet."
"No. Once it was driving away I could hear the engine. I could hear it from real far away after I couldn't see it anymore."
"So a hit and run. In the middle of the night?"
"I couldn't hear the car before it appeared out of nowhere. But I can still hear what I heard right before it hit Wesley."
"Yeah?"
"it was the sound of people screaming. Not like they were scared. But they were screaming in joy like they were all cheering on the driver to go faster. They sounded like adults. Maybe drunk people in their twenties or something."
"Well that's good to know. There can't be that many people fitting that description in town. Driving around drunk in the middle of the night."
"No it couldn't be them though. The sound, it sounded like it was coming from a convertible. But this car was totally enclosed. There's no way that sound could've come from it."
"Maybe the screams were the sound of tires screeching?"
"Maybe," Grover said knowing it wasn't. He hadn't yet revealed where he and Wesley had been before the accident. Georgie sensed that Grover didn't believe the tire sounds as the screaming source hypothesis one bit. Grove was too sure of what he heard.
The sounds of Wesley whimpering in the other room made it's appearance again.
"Dr. Remmington will be here soon," Georgie said.
"What?"
"Right after I got off the call with you I called him."
Grover thought about Hazel. Her dad. The liabilities seemed to be piling up. He was no longer able to track the potential consequences of this night.
Georgie went to tend to Wesley as Grover sat on the couch peeping out the blinds, anxious for Hazel's dad to get here. He wanted the
doctor
to arrive as soon as possible to help Wesley. But he was also scared as hell to be asked questions of what had happened. Telling Georgie was one thing, but telling a real grownup was another; especially the father of a friend.
He waited for Dr. Remmington to arrive. He wondered what car he drove. But Hazel's dad didn't come. What came was an ambulance.
Wesley was soon taken away by two
paramedic
s and then there was a moment of silence in Georgie's house as Grover and he simply stood there trying to make sense of what happened. Five minutes they remained like this until a white nondescript
SUV
pulled into the driveway. Out came Dr. Remmington.
The door opened and he greeted the two with his warm voice.
"How are you two boys doing?"
"Good," the two said together. Georgie could even get a smile in there. Grove's face was obviously frozen.
"Sound like it's been a tough night for the two of you. I called my friends at the hospital to get Wesley help ASAP. Let me take Mr. Grover off your hands Georgie." Dr. Remmington looked at Grover and said, "Come on, sir I'll take you home. You can go to the car right now. I just need to get Georgie some information about Wesley in case they need to contact him."
Grover nodded slowly and then made his exit. Georgie nodded more diligently.
The sound of the car door outside led to an abrupt shift in Remmington's warmth.
"Are you trying to be a hero?"
"No, sir. I just wanted--"
"Why didn't you call 911? I've been told Wesley Lachance is in terrible shape."
"Sir, I thought...." Georgie stuttered. "I don't know what I thought."
"Look. You don't need to have all the answers, son. Sometimes you need to get the best fit person to take the task on."
"But Grover called me."
"Grover is in high school. I wouldn't expect you to lack judgement in this manner."
Remmington left without saying a good bye. Georgie stood there frozen now except for the ability to rotate and wave as the SUV pulled out of the driveway. Because of it's bright headlights he couldn't see Grover inside waving back at him.
