WHILE I WAS WALKING, I called Alan. He handed the phone to Gina because he was crying. Gina told me what happened. Everyone had decided to go to the lake and spend Saturday having fun. Ella Keen showed up with Jan and Ronda, along with the other cheerleaders. The three of them slipped away, and when they came back it was obvious they were high. At some point they got on inflatable rafts and were sunning themselves.
No one was sure what happened, but Ella fell off her raft. At first, everyone thought it was funny—until she didn’t come up. Jeff got concerned and rushed out to help her. She broke the surface and it was obvious she was in trouble. Jeff had hung around my family at the park and knew enough to come up behind her to help her. Unfortunately, he let her get ahold of him. What happened next was over before anyone could get to them. Ella got a grip on Jeff and pulled them both under.
By the time they recovered Jeff and Ella, Ella was dead. They were able to get Jeff’s heart started again. He was currently on a ventilator, but there was little hope. The fear was his brain had been starved of oxygen for too long.
After I hung up, I sat under a tree and cried.
I WENT HOME AND TOLD everyone what had happened. I needed to take a shower and change so I could go to the hospital to see my friend. Tami was becoming more animated and wouldn’t let me out of her sight. I took her hand and led her to the Charger. I could tell how bothered she was when she didn’t offer to drive.
We weren’t allowed to go to the ICU floor. The hospital staff sent us all to the cafeteria. That was where we found Alan and Cassidy. It seemed that whenever a teen was injured, there was a crowd of people who would show up. For Jeff, it was the same. The cafeteria was full of friends and families.
When Alan saw us, he came over and pulled Tami and me into a group bear hug. One of our closest friends was down, and we needed to reassure each other. I untangled myself and left Alan and Tami grasping each other. I opened my arms and Cassidy wrapped herself around me.
I felt someone come up behind me and wrap their arms around me. It was Mrs. Rigger, Jeff’s mom. She took my hand and we led Cassidy, Alan and Tami up to the ICU. I saw Mr. Rigger with a haunted look in his eyes. He sat us all down.
“The doctors tell us Jeff suffered cerebral hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain. The situation was compounded by a cerebral ischemia, which is insufficient blood flow to the brain. As with hypoxemia, full recovery after cerebral ischemia is possible, but only if the brain has suffered from the condition only briefly,” Mr. Rigger said.
“I understand the lack of oxygen, but what would cause the blood flow issue?” Alan asked.
“His heart slowed or stopped beating,” Tami supplied. “Has there been any indication of swelling of his brain, or has he had seizures?”
“Not that they’ve told us,” Mr. Rigger said.
“So, there’s hope?” Cassidy asked.
I could tell by the looks in the Riggers’ and Tami’s eyes that it was at best a slim hope.
“He’s alive, so there’s always hope,” Tami said.
TAMI:
I wished I didn’t have the training I had. Everyone seemed to grab onto my encouraging words that there was hope. I knew that even if Jeff survived the drowning, the outcome could be devastating. Even if his brain suffered minor effects, he could have learning disabilities, poor judgment controls, and issues with motor coordination. The next few days were critical.
After we met with Mr. and Mrs. Rigger, we went back down to the cafeteria. David took charge. He sent most everyone home and promised they’d get updates via text messages. I knew he was dying inside, but he was everyone’s rock. He coordinated with Mona to keep everyone informed about Ella’s funeral arrangements.
I was furious with Ella Keen. Nearly fifty percent of teens who drown are under the influence. I knew she had panicked, and it was an accident, but I held her responsible. Jeff was being Jeff. He had reacted and went to help while everyone else had stood and watched. I know it’s stupid, but why did his good deed have to result in this?
Wednesday July 22
DAVID:
Schneider’s Funeral Home was a zoo. Tami had begged off due to the fact she was still mad at Ella. I had to go. Mona had asked me to escort her. She explained I was the team’s quarterback and she was the head cheerleader. I ended up using Angie and Greg’s van and picked up Tracy, Kim, Sammie, Ronda and Jan. The only varsity cheerleader missing was Pam, who was still in California.
Mona made a big show of grabbing my arm as she guided me to the casket. It was heart-wrenching to see they had dressed her in her cheerleading uniform. If you knew Ella, this felt right. So much of who she was was her being one of the cool kids. She had always been a cheerleader.
Ella was the only the second classmate I’d known who had died. When I was in third grade, Tommy McDermott had been hit by a car while playing catch with his friends. I wasn’t allowed to go to his funeral. This was a little different. I was much older now. My best friend was lying in a hospital, in a coma. A girl who I had known since kindergarten was no longer with us. It gave me pause to consider things.
I knew God had a plan for all of us. It was something like this which caused people to question what purpose he had in mind for each one of us. Some even questioned their belief he could have a plan, for someone so young to be taken. Whenever I faced a real-life dilemma, my faith became my rock. My faith helped me stand up and support everyone around me. I wasn’t the kind to throw my faith in other’s faces. I knew my friends were hurting. What they needed most was my love.
I found during the visitation, and afterward at Ella’s celebration of life at her parents’ home, that each of my friends sought me out. They needed someone to listen to their grief or just hold their hand. Some needed a shoulder to cry on. What it came down to was they needed someone to let them know they were loved. That I could do for my friends. I would grieve later.
Afterward, we all went back to my apartment. Tami was waiting for me. She took one look at me and knew I was at my wits’ end. She pulled me into the bedroom and made me lie down. Exhausted by today’s emotions, I fell asleep in her arms.
I woke up on my side with Tracy wrapped around my back. At some point, she had replaced Tami. Tracy was now one of my best friends. I rolled over and she looked me in the eyes.
“How are you doing?” she asked.
“Truthfully?” I asked.
She knew. She leaned forward and gave me a loving kiss. There was nothing sexual about it. It was one friend supporting another. Tami peeked in my door.
“He’s awake,” she announced.
Tracy and I didn’t bother pulling apart as the other cheerleaders filed in and crawled into bed with us. We were all fully clothed, but I never felt closer to any of them. Of course, I ruined the perfect moment by having to pee.
Tami followed me into the bathroom. I looked at her and just shrugged. She planned to be a doctor. She would just make fun of me if I complained.
“How was it?” she asked.
“It was nice, but a zoo. During the visitation they had a huge line to just get in and pay your respects,” I said as I finished and then washed my hands.
“Are you mad I didn’t go?” Tami asked.
“No. Are you mad I went?” I asked.
“No. You needed to go. I even understand why you went with the cheerleaders. You’re the glue.”
I gave her a look, not quite understanding what she was telling me. She wasn’t going to spell it out, so I let it go.
“So, we have a lot of cute girls in my bed,” I said, giving her a leer.
I was rewarded by her punching me in the chest. I saw her smile, though. I think we both needed it. I winked at her and rushed into my bedroom, jumped into the middle of the cheerleaders and began tickling them. I really was a ‘stupid boy.’ I was outnumbered. The good news was we were able to be kids for a little bit before reality came back to make us sad.