Chapter 40: Poison ivy

Raymond stood at the basketball court, watching the guys play. Usually, he joined them to play. But he didn't just feel like playing at the moment. From where he stood, he heard the sirens of an ambulance blaring, and he only felt pity for whoever it was.
Raymond picked up his phone and opened his Reddit app. Immediately, he was greeted with pictures of Alyssa on the internet, and then it occurred to him that she was in danger. He left where he was and ran at a speed that was almost like the speed of lightning, to the drama hall.
Charles who was about to make a throw saw Raymond run off he and paused in his tracks. That was when the siren became audible in his ear, coupled with Raymond running at speed, then it dawned on him that everything was not right. He picked up his phone and saw the same notifications of Alyssa, some of the photos of Jessie appeared on it also. So, he signaled Carl and left for the drama hall.
Chelan college which was quite peaceful minutes ago began to get rowdy at a corner with students gathering all around and some people walking helter-skelter. Alyssa was wheeled to the hospital, and Jessie followed, already informing Alyssa's parents.
Sophie became a little bit tensed as she never imagined it to get to that point. She planned to cause the terrible itchings and swells on Alyssa's face to disfigure her. Maybe by the funny videos that will be flying about her, she was going to be so embarrassed and probably leave Chelan. But it seems it wasn't going that way, and the way it was going wasn't bad too as long as no one saw her.
Amid the commotion, she managed to sneak her way to Hazel after searching so long in the crowd.
"Hazel dear," Sophie uttered as soon as she got to her. Hazel who was quite troubled also was startled as she heard Sophie's voice and flinched a little.
"You scared me, Sophie," Hazel said, exhaling a deep breath to ease her nerves from the tension that had built up.
Sophie dragged Alyssa away from people's hearings and took her to a corner with fewer people and commotion, so she could hear her audibly.
"Sophie, what's it?" Hazel inquired, tilting her head to Sophie's, with her face wrinkled.
"The substance?" Sophie managed to mutter, leaning closer to Hazel, "do you know if anyone saw me?" She whispered.
Hazel had the same thoughts running in her mind, and became a little bit troubled also, "I don't know, but let's hope nobody did."
"Yes, I hope," Sophie babbled, trying to bring back the relaxed expression on her face.
"But..," Hazel said and Sophie turned to her, "but what?" Sophie inquired.
"If you are ever caught. Don't include my name." Hazel stated sternly, poker-faced.
"Hazel...," Sophie called out, with visible disappointment on her face.
"Yes, Sophie. It was your fight, don't include me," Hazel informed, and stepped away.
******
The usual scent of bleach, antiseptics, and drugs was all that roamed their nostrils as Jessie and Luciana sat there patiently waiting for any progressive news about Alyssa. Nurses patrolled all about the hospital, running into different wards, and wheeling various people in and out of wards.
From where they sat, they could see the lights of the theatre on, and the fear that came with emergencies crept into their soul.
Jessie and Luciana sat restlessly waiting for a nurse or any Doctor to just give them feedback. Since Alyssa was wheeled into the room, no one person had come to tell them what was going on, and it troubled them already. They had informed Alyssa's parents, and from calculations, they were going to be there soon. Mr. Tom had stayed back at the school, trying to investigate what went wrong, as he was going to submit a report to the school authorities.
Luciana did not show many expressions even as she felt heavy-hearted. she occasionally turned to look at Jessie, taking in the troubled emotions that were on Jessie's face.
"Was that what they were going to face if she ever had to go in there?" The fear in her mind began to throw different thoughts at her and she could not help but worry more.
"What exactly happened to her?" Luciana asked, trying to fight off the panic that was growing within.
Jessie turned her face to her, still worried and almost in tears, she was able to control herself for that long because the doctors had assured her that they were going to do their best.
"I have no idea, she only went for drama rehearsals, did her costumes, and when it was time for her to play her part, she began to itch, blisters and swells came on her face, and she passed out not too long," Jessie explained.
"Wow, what could the reason be?" Luciana wondered as she brought out her phone and dialed her mom.
After talking with her mom, Mrs. Ranez for quite some time, she turned to Jessie and said,
"Mom said she's experiencing an anaphylaxis." Jessie's mouth fell hearing what Luciana said.
"Anaphylaxis... What must have triggered it?" She muttered in inquiry, not expecting an answer, as she was the only one with Alyssa before the whole issue.
"Was it the heavy costumes she had to put on?" and just as Jessie was making her rounds through options, a nurse walked over to them and interrupted her thoughts.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, may I talk with you," she asked, smiling as she waited for a response.
"Yes, sure. But she is fine right?" Jessie voiced out, pointing towards the room Alyssa was wheeled to.
"She will be fine." The nurse smiled back at her and took out a pen from the dress she wore.
"She's suffering from anaphylaxis," the nurse started and Jessie turned to look at Luciana, it was the same thing Luciana said.
"I just want to know what happened before all of it?" the nurse asked, taking random looks at both of them waiting for an answer.
"Well, I don't know what happened before classes, but she was very much fine while we were in class," Jessie turned to Luciana to support her statement, and she nodded in response.
"Go on, any other thing?" The nurse questioned, still carrying the smile that was plastered all over her face. Luciana began to wonder if it was a training nurses had to go through, as they always smiled at people, even when everything was not fine. The times she had visited her mom at the hospital, the smile she always wore was much. So maybe, just maybe, they get paid for smiling.
"We moved to the drama hall together and she was still fine when we got there I just helped her out on her costumes and her make-up. Not long after she came on stage, she started itching, and swells began to come on her face. In split seconds, she had fallen unconscious already and we rushed her here," Jessie told the nurse, trying to not miss out on any detail.
鈥淗mm鈥?, could it be that one of the costumes and make-up set contained an allergen?鈥? the nurse asked Jessica, staring keenly.
Jessica, finally becoming aware of the whole situation, began to wonder why other people did not have that reaction, then it dawned on her, 鈥淪ophie.鈥?
The nurse who came to attend to them started speaking, and Jessie and Luciana had to pay close attention to her.
鈥淵our friend Alyssa suffers from a case of urticaria and angioedema, that is why her reaction happened that way. It is good that you people brought her here on time, maybe something may have gone wrong. But the good news right now is that she will be fine, though she is not awake yet,鈥? the nurse assured them, giving off the smile that they had grown weary of seeing.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 understand how she came into contact with the allergen,鈥? she continued, taking a seat just beside Jessie, 鈥渇rom the report that was sent to us by the school, there is no trace of the allergen which we suspect to be poison ivy."
"Poison ivy?" Jessica asked, confusedly, "how did she even come in contact with it?"
"We still have no idea," the nurse said.
For the much time, she had served in the school hospital, she had not gotten any case of any allergies, especially one with poison ivy, so she was surprised also hearing Alyssa came in contact with it while at school.
"Alyssa has a very bad tolerance to poison ivy which is why she reacted that way, we hope she wakes up soon and experience no difficulty,鈥? the nurse informed them, getting up to her feet.
鈥淚鈥檒l just go and give the doctor in charge her report, take care,鈥? she voiced out, then walked away.
Silence fell among the two girls, like a spell was cast to shut their mouths, immediately the nurse left. They kept on processing the information the nurse had dropped and what went on in their head was the same question, 鈥渨as it an intentional act to hurt Alyssa?鈥?
Jessie was sure she saw Sophie making funny movements, but she had no pieces of evidence to support her points so she decided to keep mute.
鈥淲hat happened to my daughter?鈥? Jessie heard a voice that sounded like that of Alyssa鈥檚 mom, with footsteps moving close to her.
Jessie turned her face to her and smiled instantly as a way of greeting. Luciana followed also as they walked to where Alyssa鈥檚 mom was. Alyssa鈥檚 mom was at work when she heard the news and she rushed over to the hospital as fast as she could. She was aware that Alyssa had some allergies, but never did it occur to her that she was going to experience one soon. After Jessie and Luciana briefed her on everything that happened, and the report the nurse had given them, she hurriedly moved to meet the doctor as it was only then that she, Alyssa鈥檚 mom was going to feel okay.