“Get over here,” the provoked officer motioned towards Zack in a “you little weasel” type manner. Zack quickly finally ran back inside the classroom. The officer stopped his fake-out motion.

  “Oh please don’t arrest him officer, he’s just an innocent little child,” Miss Zakowski quickly added.

  “Oh that was just a joke right?” The other officer said tapping the back of his hand against his partner’s chest, coincidentally near the badge.

  “Yeah, yeah. They’re teenagers. We get it,” the original officer said begrudgingly as his lighthearted manner returned to him. They both turned to Zoe, the look of ineptitude returning to their demeanor.

  Zoe’s sobs deepened. “I don’t want her to die,” she looked at her hands, “She’s dead isn’t she?!” Her sobbing intensified.

  “No ma’am, your grandmother’s still alive. We got the details of the car accident from her. Then she went back to sleep. She looked bruised and tired is all.”

  Zoe still in her grief somehow turned on her reason brain. “But if you talked with her why didn’t you get my parent’s information from her or why did the hospital staff have to give you my name and school? Why didn’t she tell you? I know she’s dead, I know it,” Zoe said bewildered.

  “Zoe dear it’s okay. The good officers said she was tired and just sufferred a trauma. She went back to sleep dear.”

  Zoe looked less lost in her grief.

  Miss Zakowski answered the officer’s questions again. She had already done so when she had lead them through the hallway to Zoe’s class. “Yes, Eliza is Zoe’s legal guardian,” she continued with uncertain voice “I call her all the time about Zoe’s lateness.”

  Zoe would have rolled her eyes if she wasn’t so distressed.

  The officers finally snapped out of their unconscious stupor.

  “Ma’am,” spoke one referring to Zoe, “we need to hear it from you. That you’re related to Miss Eliza Riverbocker and that she’s your legal guardian.”

  All three adult faces turned to a helpless Zoe. She had gone from feeling overwhelmed and lost in grief and dispair to now feeling nothingness, a cool emptiness pervaded her being. Numbness is feeling the same thing over and over again until you can’t feel it anymore.

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  She wanted to say “yes,” she almost did even in her thoughts but as she went to go have the thought it felt like she had been climbing some slippery hill and as she approached the top she took a tumble downward. And remained silent, saying nothing.

  You could almost hear the inaudibleness as it penetrated the moment: N-O-T-H-I-N-G wafted through the air reveberating the emptiness of spacetime itself.

  Zoe felt another smaller stone drop down the center of her being, down from and through her abdominal cavity into the netherness below.

  “Yes,” she found herself saying. She felt a wave of openness and “calmness” wash over her. She felt lighter. She felt and was in reality.

  “Yes, that’s my gram-gram,” or as Zoe’s mother had once joked when Zoe was little “Grand, Grand, the Holy One.” In equal parts derision and jealousy.

  “Will you take me to go see her?”

  The officers did indeed take Zoe to the hospital. The whole ride was a blur really -- devoid of any meaning. She had even forgot to take her bag, wondering why no one told her she had left it in the hallway. “Maybe Zack will get it,” she thought to herself as the police car pulled into the driveway of the hospital.

  “I don’t believe them, I know she’s dead” Zoe thought to herself as she walked through the entrance of the hospital. The receptionist looked at her whimsically, a “why is a teenage girl being escorted by two armed men” type of look.

  Oddly enough the nurse knew them. “Hey Clark and Joe, what’ll it be today?” It seems they were regulars.

  “We’re escorting Miss Zoe here to see her grandmother. The elderly lady from this morning who was in the car accident Riverbocker.”

  “Ah yes,” the nurse gave Zoe a serious look as she continued scanning her.

  “What?” Zoe finally let out.

  “Nothing dear”

  “I know she’s dead. That’s why you keep looking at me. I know it.”

  “No dear, we moved Miss Riverbocker to a room upstairs. She’s fine. We wouldn’t have moved her if her wounds weren’t treated and she was stabilized. The doctor gave the OK.”

  “Then why do you keep looking at me?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were the one who’s okay, love. A young girl shouldnt never be with police officers unless they’re carrying her in an armchair,” she joked.

  Clark, one of the officers, gave her a playful look.

  “Why did you bring this girl here officer?” The nurse teased Clark, “you just wanted to see me didn’t you.”

  “Enough of that young lady,” Clark responded in earnest. Joe and Zoe rolled heir eyes at their love games.

  “Excuse me, don’t you have a job to do?” Zoe wanted to comment irritably.

  Joe spoke, “we bought Miss Roverbocker here to see her grandmother because she is her guardian. As she is still under legal age we need to get in contact with her parents. But in the meantime maybe she can stay in her grandmother’s room while we get things all sorted out.”

  “Yes, that’s alright. I’ll go mention it to my shift supervisor now.” The nurse said.

  “I’m so so scared,” Zoe’s insides rumbled.

  “I think I’m getting hungry,” Zoe told the two officers as she touched her belly. The emotional pangs were getting worse.

  “I really need some food,” Zoe said alarmed and scared.