“Before you go out there, can I ask you a favor?”
Hannah looked uncertain. “And what might that be?”
“If I let them check me out one time, will you help me sneak out of here?”
She frowned. “Are you crazy? I already gave them my name and information. I lied and said that I was your aunt . . . by marriage. I started to say that I was your mother but being that I’m white, not to mention my other issue, I knew they wouldn’t buy it.”
I was curious. “What did you tell them my name was?”
What other issue?
She smirked. “Rose Cleveland. First name that popped into my head.”
“Rose is an old-fashioned name.”
“You don’t know who Rose Cleveland was?” She chuckled. “Apparently the person at the registration desk didn’t pick up on it, either.”
“Pick up on what?”
Hannah sighed. “Rose Cleveland was the first lady of the United States for two years during her brother, Grover’s, first term.”
“Oh.” I felt like such a dummy. Studying was not my strong point, due to all the stress, and I definitely was lacking in my knowledge of history. “Okay.”
“Grover Cleveland was the twenty-second president. He served two terms and got married halfway through the first one. So Rose resigned and started a lesbian relationship with a chick named Evangeline who was married to a bishop.”
Even though I felt horrible, I had to giggle a little. “Wow, they were getting it on back then.”
“And then some. Freakiness was not invented in the twenty-first century.” She paused and picked at one of her manicured nails, dislodging something from it. “After he died, Rose and Evangeline moved to Italy to shack up and she ended up dying during the 1918 flu pandemic.”
I wanted to ask what a “pandemic” was but opted out of that. “This is fascinating and all, but can we get back to you sneaking me out of here? If you let me go with you, you can teach me anything you want.”
Watching a lot of crime shows on TV kicked in. I was a Miami Vice addict. Pain or not, I started getting up out of the bed.
“What are you doing?” Hannah’s reflexes had her assisting me instead of letting me struggle. “Let me go get the nurse.”
“No, that’s not happening. I just realized that once they realize that I’m awake, the next thing will be a sex crimes detective in my face asking a bunch of questions.”
“They called the police when we arrived in the ambulance, but I told them the truth. That I didn’t know anything. I said that we were here on vacation and that you were a mess when you met me at the Greyhound station to head back.”
“You’re good at mixing fiction with fact.” I managed to get up but I only had on the hospital gown. I noticed Hannah’s coat strewn across a chair in the corner and confiscated it. “We have to get out of here.”
Hannah helped me put the coat on, again so I wouldn’t hurt myself, but I could tell she was conflicted about it. “Where are we going?”
“Auntie Hannah, where we both were going in the first place. New York. I promise you that once we get there, I’ll get out of your way. I won’t even sit beside you on the bus if you don’t want me to, but please help me.” I fought back tears again. “I’m begging you. I’ll do anything you want.”
“How old are you?” she inquired. “And don’t lie.”
I glanced down at the floor and back up into her blues eyes. “I’m fifteen, but I’ve lived three of your lifetimes.”
She stared at me. “Somehow, I believe you. But what about your parents? You’re a minor. I can’t just—”
“My mother’s locked up in an asylum—she’s fucking nuts—and my father is dead.”
She appeared stunned. “And you’re sure you don’t want to tell the police what happened?”
“No, I can’t deal with that right now. Please. I’ll do anything.”
“Stop saying you’ll do anything. Some of these predators out here will only take you up on that. I speak from vast experience.”
I walked over to the door and peeked out. The nurses’ station was on the other end of the hallway. Good! “The coast is clear. Let’s go.”
Hannah seemed frozen in place at first but then jumped into action. “This is not a good idea, but I guess that I’m in. Goodness knows that I’ve done worse.” She paused. “I hope you’re being honest about your parents. I don’t want to end up facing a kidnapping charge. That would be a new one for me.”
“You’re not kidnapping me. And they’re not going to come to New York looking for me anyway. They don’t even know my name.”