Josh knelt down next to her head and started stroking her hair. He looked like he was going to be sick.
“Don't throw up on me,” Candace warned.
“I won't,” he promised.
The paramedic and the guard moved her onto her back, and another wave of pain had her screaming for what seemed like forever.
“That famous Candy scream. People all over the park will know it's you,” Josh said.
Her left leg was bent, and she felt the guard grab her foot. “Pull her leg straight slowly,” the paramedic said.
When her leg was nearly straight, she felt the paramedic touch her kneecap and shove it back into place. The relief was instantaneous.
“Thank you!”
“It's going to be incredibly sore, and you'll have pain for a few days, but at least everything is where it should be,” the paramedic said.
He and the guard lifted her up and put her on the stretcher.
“The evil little boys took girl presents,” she said. Somehow that made it a little better. They weren't likely to like what they got.
“We'll find them,” the guard assured her.
“You two can come with us,” the paramedic said to her mom and Josh.
“What about your booth?” Candace asked.
“Sue's watching it for me,” her mom said.
Things started to get a little fuzzy, so Candace closed her eyes and let herself drift.
A few minutes later they arrived at the nurse's station, and the paramedics placed her on a bed. She opened her eyes and saw the kindly nurse who always seemed to be there.
“Hi,” Candace said.
“I heard there was an elf down, and somehow I just knew it had to be you,” the nurse said, shaking her head.
“I had to come see ‘the Hospital Zone,’” Candace said with a smile. “Can we have a ceremony renaming this place just like we did for the Party Zone over the summer?” she asked.
“Sure, why not.”
A minute later one of the other security guards came in with a bandage wrapped around his hand.
“And what happened to you?” the nurse asked.
“We got the family who attacked the candy cane elf, and one of the boys bit me. I just want you to check me for rabies.”
“You caught them?” Candace asked.
“Yes. They've been ejected from the park.”
“What about the presents?”
“They had already abandoned them. Luckily, we found them and gave them to a family with four little girls.”
Candace smiled.
“All right, you take that bed over there,” the nurse said, directing the guy with the bite. “Everyone else, into the waiting room while I assess the damage.”
Candace waved to Josh and her mom as they headed reluctantly out of the room.
The nurse took five minutes to clean and bandage the guard's hand before turning her attention to Candace. She gave her some pain killers. “Your tights are ruined,” she said, producing a pair of scissors and finishing the job of cutting them away. The nurse then gave her a thorough examination.
“Well, you've got a lot of cuts and bruises, especially on your shoulder. You're going to feel those for a while. And you're going to have a nasty bruise on your cheek. What happened there?”
“One of the other kids hit me, trying to snag a present.”
“Nasty business.”
“What about my knee?”
“You need your own doctor to check it out, maybe do a couple X-rays. It's likely he'll put you in physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the knee, just to make sure the kneecap doesn't try to slip back out. Other than that, you're going to have to keep it pretty immobile for the next few weeks.”
Candace blinked at her. “What do you mean by immobile?”
“I mean this,” the nurse said, bringing out a full leg brace and a pair of crutches.
“How am I supposed to work in that?” Candace asked.
“Oh, I think that's the least of your worries,” the nurse said.
“How am I supposed to go to Winter Formal in that?”
“Carefully. Now let me show you how to put it on. Then someone needs to take you home to get some rest.”
The brace went all the way from her ankle to her hip and prevented her from bending her knee at all. Once it was on, Candace struggled to swing her leg off the bed, stepping with her right foot first and then swinging her left leg after.
“How am I supposed to use the crutches if I can't bend my leg?” she asked.
“At first you'll shift your body so your left hip is higher in the air than your right one. Don't worry, though, you should be able to put weight on it Monday, after you see your doctor. Then you'll just use the crutches for balance and support.”
Candace felt her head start to spin, and she grabbed onto the bed for support.
“I gave you some pretty potent painkillers, and I'll send some more home with you. They'll likely make you sleepy and a little dizzy.” She grabbed a wheelchair, and Candace collapsed into it gratefully, although she struggled just to do that without being able to bend her left leg.
The nurse wheeled her into the waiting room, and her mom and Josh rushed forward.
“She should see her doctor on Monday,” the nurse said to her mom. “He might want to set up some physical therapy for her knee. She'll need to wear the brace for the next couple of weeks, even while she's sleeping, to make sure the muscles around the kneecap can heal,” the nurse said. She handed Candace's mom a small bottle of pain killers. “She can have one of these every six hours … no more.” Next she handed Candace's mom the crutches.
“Well, let's get you home,” her mom said.
Josh grabbed the handles on the back of the wheelchair. “Lead the way,” he told her mom.
They exited the nurse's station, and Candace was shocked to find dozens of referees outside. When they saw her, they began to clap and cheer.
“What's going on?” Candace asked.
“It's already spreading around the park how you sacrificed your own body to save the presents,” Josh said.
“I'm not sure it happened exactly like that,” she said.
“Just wait, by tomorrow you'll have saved Santa Claus and Christmas,” he joked.
She had to laugh. “What am I? The center of all urban legends that surround The Zone?”
“It would seem so,” her mother said. “All morning referees have been asking me if I'm the mother of Candy who was trapped in the park with a psycho killer over the summer.”
Candace shook her head, but the action made her even dizzier.
“Wave to your fans,” Josh said.
She waved and smiled lopsidedly, and everyone cheered louder. Several fell in behind them and walked with them across the park.
“I feel like I'm in a parade,” her mom said.
“Welcome to The Zone, where anything can and will happen,” Candace said.
Everyone they passed — even players — cheered and waved at her, although Candace was sure none of them knew why. She just kept waving back with her good arm. Even through the pain medication, she could feel the throbbing in the shoulder that had hit the ground.
At last they rolled off field and were soon at her mom's car. After a brief discussion, her mom and Josh decided it would be better if she rode home in the backseat so that she could put her leg straight out. Her mom opened the back door on the driver's side, and Josh helped her stand up and swivel around until she could sit on the seat. She then used her good foot and arm to push and drag herself backward until her back was against the far door and her legs were stretched out. Her mom came around the other side and helped her fasten the seat belt.
They closed the doors, and Candace leaned her head back against the window and sighed. What a mess. She didn't know why this had happened to her. God, I have no idea what you're saying with this, but it better not have anything to do with Winter Formal.
Josh and her mom were talking about something, but C
andace was too tired to try and hear what it was. Finally her mom got in the car.
“You okay back there?”
“Yeah.”
“Let's get you home.”
Candace dozed off. She woke up when her mom parked in their driveway. She wondered how she was going to find the strength to get herself back out of the car without hurting her leg or her shoulder.
Her father came out, though, as soon as the car was parked. Apparently, her mom had called him sometime during the drive.
He opened the back door and said, “Put your good arm around my neck.”
She did, and he put an arm around her back and another under her legs and half dragged – half lifted her out of the car. Once she was free, she expected him to put her down, but instead he carried her into the house and set her on the couch.
A moment later her mom followed with the crutches, which she placed nearby before positioning pillows to make Candace comfortable. “Would you rather go to bed?” she asked.
Candace shook her head. “I'd like to watch some Christmas movies,” she said.
Neither of her parents seemed surprised. Her dad started the Albert Finney version of A Christmas Carol for her, and then her parents moved into the kitchen to talk. Candace struggled for a few minutes to stay awake but finally drifted off.
Pain woke her up just after four o'clock. After helping her manage a bathroom run, her mom gave her some stew and then let her take another pain killer. When the pain began to ease, Candace thought about going back to sleep, but she was more alert and feeling a little restless.
“Anyone want to play a game?” she asked.
The doorbell rang before either of her parents could answer. A moment later her mom announced, “Candace, you have visitors.”
Candace struggled and managed to sit up a little straighter as she turned to look. Sue and Becca waved as they came toward her.
“Hi! What are you two doing here?” Candace asked.
“Josh is organizing the visiting parties,” Sue said with a smile. “He's staggered it so we're all coming in shifts over the next day and a half.”
Candace smiled. “We just got off work,” Becca explained.
“I can only stay a little while,” Sue said.
“But I'm here until the next shift,” Becca grinned.
“You don't have to do this,” Candace protested.
“Yes we do. We're here to entertain the fallen hero,” Sue laughed.
“Can I offer you ladies some stew?” Candace's mom asked.
“Yes, please,” they chorused.
A minute later Sue and Becca were eating and trying to talk at the same time. “You keep this up, and they're going to erect some sort of statue to you,” Becca finally said.
“What, most injured referee in park history?”
“Nope, most heroic,” Sue said.
Candace rolled her eyes. “Please.”
“First psycho killers and now child mobs,” Becca replied.
They chatted for a few more minutes before Sue stood up. “I have to get home,” she said.
“Would you take some stew with you?” Candace's mom asked.
Sue hesitated for only a moment before nodding vigorously. “Everything went well at the booth, by the way. I sold fifteen hundred dollars worth of merchandise before your replacement showed up,” she said.
“Wow! I should have you work the booth every day.”
Sue took a disposable container filled with stew and then turned to Candace. “Feel better soon.”
“Thanks. I'll try,” Candace answered.
Once she had gone, Becca leaned forward conspiratorially. “Do you know a guy at your school named Brad Miller?”
“Yeah. He's in a couple of my classes. Why?”
“He asked me to go to your Winter Formal with him.”
“Wow, what did you say?”
“Yes.”
“What about Roger?” Candace asked.
Becca shrugged. “What about him? He's never asked me out.”
“He wants to,” Candace said.
“Wanting to and actually doing are two different things. So, do you know much about Brad?”
“He seems like a nice guy. How do you know him?”
“He worked in the Exploration Zone over the summer. He came by the Muffin Mansion earlier this week to ask me to the dance.”
“Well, that'll be fun. We'll see each other there.”
Becca looked at Candace's leg brace.
“I'm going with or without this thing,” Candace said.
“Good. I'm going to need a friend there in case he turns out to be a jerk.”
Becca left a couple hours later when Kurt showed up. “How are you doing?” he asked, wincing as he looked at her bruised cheek.
“Okay,” she said.
“Looks like once again you were in trouble and I wasn't there to rescue you,” he said, his face brooding.
“Don't worry about it. You're there for me lots of times. Besides, you can't follow me around the park. It's not your job,” she said, smiling in an attempt to get him to smile back.
It didn't work. He just frowned more deeply. “If it was my job, I'd have been fired by now.”
“Hey, who's cheering who up?” she asked. Her shoulder was throbbing, and she wasn't in the mood to make him feel better.
“Sorry. Guess I'm pretty much a loser all the way around.”
Candace closed her eyes and tried to quash the irritation that was rising within her. This was so not about him. She couldn't think of any way she could salvage the situation, and she was really too tired to try. Fortunately, her mom saved the day.
“Candace, honey, it's been a big day, and you're looking pretty pale. I think maybe you should try to get some sleep.”
“Yeah. I'll go so you can do that,” Kurt said, jumping quickly to his feet.
“Thanks for coming,” Candace said.
“No problem.”
Seconds later he was gone.
“You scared him off,” Candace tried to joke.
Her mom shook her head. “That one scares himself. Now let's get you to bed.”
Candace couldn't agree more.
9
On Sunday morning, the first visitors arrived at ten in the morning. Roger and Martha were both smiling as they walked into the living room. Roger handed Candace her hair wreath, which she had lost the day before.
“They found it buried in the present pile,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Now, I just need to get new red tights and have my costume cleaned.”
“I wouldn't worry too much about that,” Martha said with a smile. “We'll be moving you off elf duty.”
“What? Why?”
“Well, you remember, it's company policy that referees get moved to other duties while accidents are investigated.”
Candace sat up straighter. “That made sense at Halloween when that board was loose, but this is totally different. This wasn't an accident. There's nothing to investigate. I want to go back on elf duty as soon as my doctor says it's okay.”
“Why on earth would you want to do that?” Martha asked.
“I think I know,” Roger said, smiling at Candace. “If you don't get right back on the horse, you never will.”
“That's right. This isn't the first time I've gotten hurt, but it's the first time I was attacked by a bunch of kids. I don't want to live in fear of children for the rest of my life.”
“Yeah,” Roger added, “you don't want her to have such issues with kids that she never has children because of it.”
Candace looked at Roger, checking to see if he had lost his mind. His argument, though, seemed to be persuasive to Martha.
“I can see your point. Let me see what I can do about this.”
“Thank you,” Candace said.
“Now, let's talk about something else. Roger, have you finally asked out Becca?” Martha asked.
“You know that I like her?”
&n
bsp; “Everyone knows, dear.”
“No,” Roger said. “Worse, someone's asked her out to a dance at Candace's school.”
“Then I suggest you find a way to go to that dance and sweep her off her feet,” Martha said.
Roger turned and stared at Candace.
“Don't look at me. I'm taking Kurt.”
Roger sighed in misery, and Candace couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
When Roger and Martha finally left, Pete and Gib arrived to take their place. Neither was as talkative as Roger or Martha, but they both played a mean game of Trivial Pursuit, and Candace found herself enjoying their company.
After they finally left, she had an hour to herself before Josh and Tamara arrived. She must have been dozing, because she suddenly heard Tamara say, “Enough with the cheermeister!”
“You can never have enough cheermeister,” Josh said, as the two of them walked into the living room.
Tamara rushed over, and when she realized that hugging Candace could be painful, she awkwardly patted her head instead.
“Hey, Candace, looking better than yesterday,” Josh said with a grin.
“You two didn't drive over together, did you?” Candace asked.
“And I'll be regretting it for years,” Tamara said with a snort of disgust.
Candace smiled. “So did the cheermeister bring me something?”
“I did,” Josh said brightly, handing her a pillow shaped like a candy cane that he'd been hiding behind his back.
“I told him you'd beat him with that thing when you're feeling better,” Tamara said. “I brought you something practical.”
“Ice cream?” Candace guessed.
“Natch.”
Tamara produced two pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. One was fudge brownie and the other was cookie dough. The banter went on, and Candace tried not to laugh too hard — she didn't want to hurt herself. They both stayed for dinner and finally left when Candace was ready for sleep again.
On Monday, Candace and her mom went to the doctor to have her leg checked out. It was Candace's first real opportunity to use the crutches as she hobbled into his office, panting from the effort. After taking an X-ray, he reiterated what The Zone nurse had already told her and set another appointment in two weeks. He also said that as long as she stayed on the crutches, she could go back to school and work as soon as she was ready.