Chapter Three - The Hummingbird God
The last time I woke up on the kitchen floor was the morning after Zeek Anderson’s, “going away party”. Now that was a good time! This, not so much.
Rapid fire Spanish filled the room as Margita felt for a pulse and then fumbled with her cell phone to call 911. I opened my eyes to a jail cell-like view of table and chair legs. What the hell was I doing under the kitchen table?
It wasn’t long before the paramedics arrived. I told them I was fine, but it earned me a trip to the hospital, anyway. When we arrived, Dr. Theodore Gorman, Chief of Staff at Berkley Medical Center was waiting for me in the ER. How did I know that he was Chief of Staff? Because Dr T Gorman is also my foster dad... “Why did they bother you? I told them I was fine!” I said more snippy than I wanted... “I’m still listed as your legal guardian. Of course they called me!” said Gorman. He had that cool tone about him that suggested he was unhappy with me. Just great! He was a tall, wiry man in his early seventies. After my parents died, I came to live with Dr Gorman and his wife, Shirley. They were good people and had raised me during the hardest time of my teenage years. Seeing him waiting for me in the ER, felt like seeing him sitting on the front porch waiting up for me to come home after curfew.
“Decide to go for a midnight stroll?” He asked. He was not smiling. “I was looking for your sense of humor, Doc... I thought maybe you dropped it on my kitchen floor.” His white eyebrows raised slightly as he looked over a chart handed to him by a nurse, “Hmmm... I understand you fired the night nurse…” I flinched a little. I knew he’d find out, but I thought I’d have enough time to prove I didn’t need one. "Ya, well, he was crimping my style." I shrugged. He looked up at me over the top of the chart and I knew I'd gone too far... "Jada, what were you thinking! You need someone there! Just look what happened! If you had a night... “ I don’t want a night nurse!” I protested... I was going for, indignant adult, but even to my own ears it came out more like, whiny teenager. “That's it!…” said Gorman. “I’m keeping you overnight, for…” “Oh, come on, Dad!” I interrupted. “I’m fine!” “...For observation!” He finished firmly.
I started to protest again, but he held up his hand. “Nurse, please see that Ms. Blue is checked in. I will need to scheduled a few tests.” “Ugh!” I groaned, rolling my eyes and throwing my head back against the pillowless stretcher. Gorman pointed his pen at me, “You behave yourself, young lady and don’t give the nurses a hard time!” I raised my hands in a sign of surrender and closed my eyes.
Gorman was a gruff old man, but to a trained ear, there was concern in his voice. I had no doubt that he dropped everything to make sure he was the one who met me as the ambulance rolled in. A nagging feeling of guilt coiled up like a knot in my stomach. The type of guilt that sinks your heart, because you know that you made your parents worry. I reached out and touched his hand. His eyes met mine and his expression softened.
“I’m sorry if I gave you a scare.” I whispered. He patted the top of my hand. “I just want to order a few tests and make sure we aren’t missing anything.” “You worry too much, old man.” I chided him. He gave my hand a light squeeze. “Its my job.” He smiled, and motioned for the nurse to take over.
They found some unexplained bruising on my arms, (especially around my forearms), but the rest of the tests came back normal. The general consensus was that I must have thrown myself out of bed and sleep-walked... (well, more like sleep-dragged), myself to the kitchen. Gorman argued with me about getting a new night nurse. After a few rounds on the subject, he finally conceded, but only on the condition that I get safety bars for my bed. (The type that little kids have so they don’t fall out.) Its a good thing I don’t have a boyfriend, because nothing says sexy like safety bars on the bed!
“Good morning Ms Blue. How are you today?” I had already been prodded and poked by most of the staff that morning, so I was fully awake when Margita arrived. “Fine, if you like incarceration.” I grumbled. “Oh Ms, Blue, you are so funny. Doctor Gorman says you can go home today. He just wants you to wait a little while so he can check one more of your test results.” “Yah, we’ll see about that. Are those the clothes I asked you to bring?” I pointing at the small rolling suitcase, that Margita had in tow. “Oh yes,” She smiled, “I brought everything you asked for.” She set the suitcase on the empty bed next to mine and started to unzip it. “Look what else I brought for you Ms Blue…” Opening the suitcase, a large section of quilt unfurled and flopped across the bed. “Why did you bring that!” I said testily, as Margita carried it to me and gently draped it over my legs. “I thought you might like a little something from home. And I know you love your quilt, even if you don’t say it.”
As soon as the quilt covered me, I felt at peace. The sun was starting to shine though the hospital room window and the pictures on the quilt shown beautifully. Nearest to my hand was the Hummingbird. “Margita, do you see this one?” I said, pointing at the delicate little bird. Margita finished pulling out the rest of my things and came over to look. “You're going to laugh, but just before I passed out and went for a crazy crawl, I could swear that this thing took flight.” “What fly, Ms Blue, your quilt?” Asked Margita, looking rather worried. “No, no, this bird, its wings moved and I thought I saw it life up.”
“Oh, that is a good dream to have, Ms Blue. The Hummingbird is a protector. He is a warrior of Huitzilopochtli and looks out for us here on Earth.” “Hexi who?” I asked. Margita laughed. “Huitzilopochtli. We call him the Hummingbird god”. “Margita, you’ve been holding out on me.” I smiled wryly. “Tell me a story!” “Are you sure you, Ms, Blue? I thought you wanted to get dressed.” “Margita, if you tell me the story, I’ll tell Gorman that you held me hostage and wouldn’t let me leave the hospital till he gave the OK. You’ll probably get a promotion.” “Oh, Ms. Blue!” She chucked, “The things you say!”
Margita took her time and wove an intricate tale. It was the story set when the world was young and people believed in gods and goddesses. Huitzilopochtli was the last child of an Aztec goddess. His mother, Coatlicue was old, and did not expect to have more children, but Huitzilopochtli came to her through magic. When her eldest daughter discovered her mother was pregnant she became enraged with jealousy. She raised an army with her other siblings. She tricked them into thinking that Coatlicue and her unborn child, was a threat and must be put to death. To save his mother, Huitzilopochtli was born full grown.
“It is said, Ms Blue, that he appeared before his mother in armor that shimmered in the bright feathery scales of a Hummingbird. He defeated his sister and her army and lives on as a protector. So you see, a Hummingbird is a good omen. Its a sign of loyalty and protection.” Margita’s tale of the Hummingbird god, kept me enthralled till we finally got word from Gorman, that I could go home. Margita packed up my things and wheeled me out. I almost missed the tiny Hummingbird buzzing outside my window as we left.