Free The Return by Christopher Pike

day." Jean smiled sweetly. "But I still love you, Carol."
    Carol put the car in gear. "Thank God for that."
    They headed for the hospital. The day was hot and Carol's air-conditioning hadn't worked since the last ice age. Jean rolled down her window and looked at the houses she had seen every day of her life. Somehow, it was as if she were seeing them for the first time. It was true, most of them were in poor shape, but Jean could see the potential there. Everywhere she looked, she saw all kinds of possibilities.
    "How long are you working at the hospital?" Carol asked.
    "Three hours. That's all they'll let me with my injuries, and I had to push for those."
    "Why are you doing it?"
    "So I can steal hospital drugs."
    "But you just said you don't want to get loaded anymore?"
    Jean laughed. "Mensof See what all that mota has done to your brain? I'm not going to steal drugs. I volunteered to work at the hospital because they need help. That's the only reason." Carol was impressed. "That's neat. Maybe you'll get to give some way-cool girl or guy a shot in the ass."
    Jean couldn't stop laughing. "They don't let candy stripers give shots. Certainly not to way-cool girls and guys."
    "Well, I don't know what they do."
    "Tell me what's happening with you? Why are you going out with a guy?"
    "He's not exactly normal, you know."
    "I understand that. But he is a he. That makes him different from a girl."
    Carol giggled. "That's true."
    "Look, are you still a lesbian or not? I just want to know for future reference. If you're not, then I can quit defending you."
    "Does it bother you to defend me?" Carol asked.
    "No. It turns me on. But answer my question."
    "I don't know the answer. I just know I like this guy. But I still like girls. Maybe I'm bisexual." Carol paused. "Does that gross you out?"
    "No," Jean said honestly. "It makes you complex. I like that in a boy or a girl."
    Carol nodded. "I like to think it gives me color."
    "Just remember that a guy can get you pregnant where a girl can't."
    "I have you to remind me of that." Carol paused.
    "Will you get to help Lenny today?"
    Jean sighed. "I don't know if I can help Lenny. I've seen him every day since I woke up, but he hardly talks to me. I keep thinking he'll feel better when the bones in his back have healed enough so he can start physical therapy. Lying in bed all day would depress anybody."
    "When will he be able to get into a wheelchair?"
    "Not for a while. Another couple of months."
    "That long?"
    "At least. Where his back broke, they had to fuse the spine together. That takes time to heal."
    "Will he ever walk again?" Carol asked.
    Jean hesitated. "The traditional medical answer is no. That's the answer he's supposed to learn to accept. But I don't believe it. I can't help but think his condition is only temporary." She shook her head.
    "Maybe I'm just fooling myself."
    "I hope he gets better. Hey, have you seen Darlene lately?"
    "No. She never talks to me. She never came to visit me at the hospital. What's with her?"
    "I think she still plans to go after Juan," Carol said.
    "After all that's happened? You can't be serious."
    Jean was thoughtful. "I'd like to talk to her more about what happened that night Lenny and I got hurt. You know, weird as this may sound, I don't even know if she was still there when we fell."
    "I think she was," Carol said. "I think she's the one who called the ambulance."
    "But you're not sure?"
    "No. What does Lenny say?"
    "That he can't remember."
    "Do you believe him?" Carol asked.
    Jean shrugged. "I don't know why he'd lie to me."
    She added, "We can't let Darlene go after Juan. It would be a death sentence for her."
    Carol looked worried. "Maybe for all of us."
    Carol dropped Jean off at the hospital twenty minutes later. She was going to spend the day with Scarface, and Jean assured her she could take the bus home. Actually, Jean liked riding the bus, especially since her accident. It was a good place to meet people. Her candy-striper duties