ECOMASTERS Chapter 13

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SPEAKER_01 1:05

Chapter 13 Jasper's the first thing on my mind when I wake up this morning. He has to be feeling better by now, and if I don't get to tell him what I've been up to soon, I'm pretty sure that my head might explode. It's all just too crazy. And even though I was in India just yesterday, it's all starting to feel like some kind of impossible dream. I text him to see how he's doing, then get in the shower, hoping we'll be able to talk by the time I'm done. Maybe, since my dad's currently okay with me, I can even convince him to let me go hang out with Jasper for a while. When I get back to my room, though, head wrapped in a towel, I hear my phone chime, the sound that means I have a voicemail. Hi Coral, this is Sonya. I saw your text to Jasper and I thought I'd better let you know that it might be a while before he can call you back. He got really sick yesterday, and he's in intensive care at the Lennox Hill Hospital. I'll text you when he's better, okay? My body goes cold, and I take the towel off my head and listen to the message again, thinking maybe I didn't hear her right. But it's all the same. Jasper's sister Sonya check can't call me back. Check. ICU intensive care at Lennox Hill. Check. I plop down on my bed, mouth dry and head buzzing. That just can't be right. Jasper's the healthiest kid I know. He doesn't even like junk food. In fact, I'm the one who always asks him to eat potato chips with me so I won't eat the whole bag. An ICU She said I see you. That's intensive care. That's serious. That could be bad. I glance at Peev, who's laying on my bed and already watching me like I need guidance. I have to get out of here, boy, I tell him. Do I tell Dad the truth or do I pick somewhere he won't care about like the library? He puts his chin on his paws like he is thinking, and then I swear he winks. The library it is, thanks, buddy. I bend down and kiss his head. Nobody looks out for me like Peev does. Plan in place, I get dressed, grab a protein bar and water, and text my dad as I walk out of the apartment. I'm not going to give him the chance to say no, so I tell him I have to check out my summer reading books. It's true that I forgot about them, and just remembered the book reports that I have to have completed and mailed to my teacher before school starts. Then I turn my ringer off so I don't have to hear the angry chaming if he doesn't like my plan. Head high I hurry out of the elevator and pass Mr Dobbins. Heading to the library for summer reading books, Mr. Dobbins, my dad knows. I tell his questioning eyebrows, and then keep walking like I have zero to hide. First I'm hearing about it, he calls. He probably forgot, I yell back, and then hurry down the sidewalk before he can say anything else. A few blocks later, I head down the stairs to the subway. I've never taken it before alone, but I swallow my nerves and decide it's time. This is for Jasper. I stop and study the map, hoping the hospital will be on it, but it's just a crazy maze of street numbers and different colored train lines. I'm just about to dig out my phone to look up the address, which I totally do not want to do in case my dad is text yelling at me, when a nice looking lady in a purple headscarf and dangly in earrings steps up to ask me where I mean to go. I tell her, and she traces the route with a careful finger, watching me to make sure that I'm getting it. By the time the train pulls up, I have it memorized, which makes my nerves back off and leave me alone. I thank her and she smiles. Then, though I know I only looked away for a second, she's gone. Like vanished. I can't think about that now, though. Jasper needs me. The train doors open and I get on. When I see an open seat I grab it and I ride. The very last thing I need is to miss a stop. It shocks me how fast we move, and two trains later I'm back on the sidewalk and headed for the hospital. I spot the building and run up the steps, feeling like a queen of the city. Here I come, Jasper. Once inside, I realize this is a new world for me. I've never actually been to a hospital, and certainly never by myself. My knees got a little wobbly. I try to watch what everyone else is doing as I get in line for the metal detector. Anything in your pockets? The wiry security guard asks me. I nod. He hands me a small round container. Everything in there, then walk through. I gulp. Feeling a little like I took a wrong turn somewhere. I put my phone and my key in the bin, and then though my whole body cramps at the thought of letting it out of my sight, I put the compass in too. I mean, if I try to sneak in with it, they might take it away, and that can't happen. Without taking my eyes off the container, I walk through the metal detector, and then wait at the end of the counter for the guards to give me back my things. He hands me my phone and keys, picks up my compass, and then stops. This is yours? I nod. Looks old. I nod again. He peers into its face, bushy eyebrows low. What do these symbols mean? I shrug, buying time for my voice to work. I don't know, I say. I found it at a thrift shop and I thought it was really cool. The lie tastes sour on my tongue, but only a little. I guess I'm getting used to splitting hairs. The guard nods and smiles smiles. I'd have bought it too. He holds it out to me. I wrap my hand around it and exhale. Probably way too hard. Can you tell me how to get to the ICU? His smile stretches into a straight line, like he feels bad for me. It's probably best to look in the directory over there. I don't get out of the lobby very often. Nodding, I thank him and then go to figure out how to get there for myself. The pediatric intensive care unit is on the fifth floor, same as the maternity board. Something feels wrong about that. Like new babies and super sick kids should be much farther apart. I keep my hand in my pocket, wrapped around the compass, and hope that even if I'm not traveling the world, it might somehow make sure that I end up in the right place. When I get off the elevator, it feels a little like the compass has solved the problem for me. Since there are brightly colored signs on the walls and matching stripes of color on the floor, it's pretty easy to tell where the steps to go. I follow the orange path, more and more scared by the moment. Kids should not be here. Not visiting and definitely not sick. It feels like I turn at least five corners, and on the last one I spot Sonya up ahead. She's flopped on one of those waiting room couches that looks too small for a real house. I exhale hard again, suddenly wondering if I've been forgetting to breathe. Hey, I say quietly. Sonya jumps. Coral, how did you get here? I shrug. Subway Her eyes get really round. I guess it does seem like a big deal to a sixth grader. I think and then laugh at my big shot self. My eyes were probably that round the whole time I was on the train. Where's Jasper? Can I see him? She frowns and shakes her head. No one but family can go in, and no kids at all. I've been sitting out here waiting for hours. What's wrong with him? They don't know for sure, or if they do know nobody's told me. I hear my mom I heard her say something about water when we first brought him in, but that's all I know. My neck tingles a little. Water Water again I guess that's my whole life these days. I sure hope I can figure out what it all means soon. Can I wait with you for a while? Maybe something will change. Sonya slides over to one side of the couch. Sure if you want to I sit a little stunned that I got this far and then ran into such a big wall. There has to be a way to get in there. I'm literally scratching my head when I hear the door swing shut behind us. Is that Coral? Someone asks. I glance over my shoulder, then jump to my feet. Yes, hi, misses Rodriguez. How's Jasper? Correl, how in the world did you get here? she asks, then looks over her shoulder. Your father isn't here, is he? My pulse jumps. That's a weird question. No, ma'am, I came alone, I say, expecting a big smile and one of her famous hugs for my effort. Instead, she frowns, and the creases look all wrong on her toffee colored apple cheeked face. Why did you come, Coral? she asks me. Um because Sonya told me that Jasper was here. She glances at Sonya, eyes definitely not happy, then looks back at me and sighs. I am sure that you mean well, Coral, but I'm afraid the trip was a waste of your time. You cannot see him. A weird kind of fear wraps itself around my heart and squeezes hard. I know I felt it before a really long time ago. Is he okay? I ask. What's wrong with him? Mrs. Rodriguez's eyes flutter a few times, and the tears she's fighting glisten to her lashes. They're still doing tests, so we don't know for sure. He has had nonstop diarrhea. His blood levels are off, and he's severely dehydrated. We think it has something to do with the water in our neighborhood, which hasn't looked or tasted right in a few weeks. The fear squeezes harder, and I gasp a little. But they'll figure it out, right? When do they get the test results? That's what we're praying for. Her sad, quiet voice makes me tremble. She's always so energetic and fun, laughing, snapping her fingers to music, the rest of us can't quite hear. Can you I do anything to help? I ask. I could go get you guys some food or coffee or something. At that she blinks the tears away. They have all those things here, Coral. We're fine. I don't know what to say. It's like we're strangers. Can you tell him I was here? He's really out of it right now. I'm not sure if he hears us or not. My stomach aches like I had rocks for lunch. Part of me wants to run, but the other part can't move. I just don't know what to do, I tell her. She sighs, the longest, saddest sigh I have ever heard. Go home, she says, and maybe tell your father to think long and hard about what he's doing. Now I'm the one blinking, mostly because I don't understand, but also because my eyes feel like nothing but water. What is he doing? His company is the one doing all the construction in our neighborhood, right? I don't know. Marchant Construction Group. That's him, isn't it? I nod, sincerely ready to puke. The construction site made Jasper sick. She shrugs. Everyone was fine before his people showed up, but once they started digging, the water was different, and it was hard to get more than a trickle out of the faucet. And now this she gestures at the door behind her, and I imagine Jasper somewhere in there, tubes and cords and monitors all around him. I am so sorry, misses Rodriguez, I whisper, I didn't know. I stand there really needing that hug, but also feeling like somehow I just don't deserve it. Finally, a tiny bit of the smile I know so well breaks through. She opens her arms and her eyes get all weepy again. I know that, honey, she says. I'm just not myself right now. I step closer and hug her with everything I have, instantly grateful that she's so tall. For a few seconds I get to be little again. And then we part, and it all rushes back. Jasper's sick. My dad's doing something that he shouldn't be, and I'm supposed to be saving the world. Anger flares like the fourth of July in a sparkler. I'll fix this, misses Rodriguez. I promise. I squeeze her hand and I wave to Sonia, and then I follow those colored lines back the way I came. My dad better have some really good answers.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Hi everyone, it's Lucy. And so within this past chapter, we find out that Jasper is very, very sick. And so Coral um tries to call him and he's not picking up, but then eventually his sister does, and she tells her that um Jasper's actually in the ICU. And so with this information, Coral panics and she goes to the ICU to see him, but she's unable to see him actually. And there she meets Jasper's mother, Miss Rodriguez, and Miss Rodriguez tells Coral that Jasper got sick due to the construction that's going on in their neighborhood by Coral's father. And so this kind of is like a huge thing for Coral to process, and things are kind of all coming together for Coral, and it makes sense as to why he didn't want her to go to the garden. And um, yeah, and so Miss Rodri Rodriguez is saying that the construction is contaminating the water, and is that's what made Jasper really, really sick, which is honestly a huge environmental issue, and one of the reasons why we have environmental regulations for construction in place to follow um environmental guidelines and making sure things like this don't happen um so frequently. So it's it's kind of all coming to fruition with Coral, and things are starting to connect as to why her father was being so s so secretive, and um she's kind of just still processing this. And she tells Miss Rodriguez that she's going to affix this and that she promises. And um so then we just assume that Coral is gonna go home and confront her father, and so I'm excited to see where that leads us, and yeah.