CHAPTER TWO - BRANCHES

Phoebe walked back upstairs and said goodnight to her parents before heading off to bed. She sat down on her bed and stared
off into space.
What a guy! She smiled to herself and walked over to her dresser to get her pajamas. She noticed that one of her drawers was
slightly open. Phoebe pulled it open and found her neatly stacked bras all over the drawer.
"I didn't do this."
Then it hit her. Taylor was looking at her bras. She put her hand over her mouth feeling very embarrassed.
Oh my gosh! He has seen my bras!! She shut the drawer and ran over to her window. Looking out, she could see their
bedroom. Their curtains were pulled and the window was open. Out of curiosity, she opened up the bay window and sat in
her cushioned seat. She could hear voices, but couldn't make out any words.
"I've got to get closer." She said to herself.
A vine from the Weeping Willow blew in her window. She held the end in her hand and had an idea. She was going to climb
out onto the tree! Phoebe quickly put on a pair of tennis shoes and ran back to the window. They were still talking.
"Ok, here goes nothing." Phoebe hung one leg out of the window and grabbed the branch. She put her foot on a lower branch
and got her balance before coming out of the window. She pushed off the window sill and stood safely with both feet on the
branch. She walked down the branch, and climbed up onto another one, sitting on that branch like she would a horse. Phoebe
scooted along the branch until she was right above their window. She leaned down and hugged the branch, there for, getting
her ears closer to the sound. She could now make out what they were saying. With curiosity, she listened in on their
conversation.
"What do you guys think of this picture?" Taylor said holding up a drawing.
"It's cool Tay! You should put that on the garage wall." Zac complimented.
"Really? Maybe I will."
"Zac I hope you got what you wanted at the mall. I'm not taking you back there for a while. Tay, do you know that he almost
got us kicked out of the store?" Isaac said looking up from his magazine.
Taylor laughed. "Zac strikes again! What did you do this time?"
"Well, I knocked over a standee, I spilled my soda on the carpet, I had a mob of girls follow me.. and they weren't too nice.."
he explained, being cut short by Taylor.
"Ok, ok. I get it. We could be here all night hearing this one." Isaac and Taylor laughed.
"I'm just me." Taylor rolled his eyes and walked over to the window peering up at the sky.
Phoebe froze. He's going to see me!!
Taylor glanced her way and went back to his desk.
"Hey guys? Phoebe is in the tree..."
Isaac and Zac jumped up and ran to the window. "Phoebe what are you doing?"
Zac was laughing like a mad man. Isaac was all smiles.
"Uh, uh, nothing."She turned to climb down and lost her balance.
She slipped off the branch. "Help!!!" She screamed just as she hit the ground.
"Oh my god! Taylor! She fell out of the tree!" Isaac screamed.
Taylor froze in shock. "Hurry up we gotta help her!" Zac was trying to get his shoe on. Isaac was already out the door. A few
seconds later, they were all sitting beside her on the ground.

Phoebe could feel herself being shook over and over. "Phoebe! Phoebe wake up please!" Taylor pleaded with her almost in
tears.
"Isaac, check her pulse. Zac, elevate her legs."They did as they were told, hoping that somehow this would help.
"She has a pulse." Isaac reported. Taylor took a deep breath. "I'm going to get her parents. Be right back."
Zac told them and then he ran around the yard and to the front door.
"Oh God... come on Phoebe!!!" Taylor shook her once more.
Isaac held her head and neck in his hands. She could hear voices and they were getting louder now. She opened her eyes a
little and saw blury faces. Taylor noticed that she was looking at him now. "Phoebe! Look Isaac, she is awake!" He smiled
feeling a little more relieved.
Isaac brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "You're going to be ok, don't worry about it Phoebe."
She smiled a little. "Isaac? Taylor? Is that you guys?" She tried to sit up a little.
"Don't move! Yes, its us Phoebe." Taylor told her.
Clarke and Georgia ran around the side of the house with Zac. Phoebe's mom covered her mouth and dropped to the ground
beside her.
"Honey, are you ok? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, mom... I can hear you. But, I don't think I'm ok..." her eyes swelled up with tears.
"Can you move your arms and legs?" Clarke asked taking his daughters hand in his.
She lightly picked up each arm and leg. She nodded. "Zac, go inside our house and call an ambulance for me. We need to get
her to the hospital." Zac nodded and ran back into the Blue's house.
"My back... really... hurts. I... can... barely... move... my...mouth." She said straining.
"Don't talk. It's ok." Georgia kissed her on the cheek.
"Isaac, do you know why she was in this tree?" Clarke asked him.
"I don't know sir. Taylor looked out our window and saw her, then he told Zac and myself. We saw her, and then she tried to
turn around and go back to the window when she fell."
Taylor spoke up. "I thought she was just messing around or something. I have no idea why she would be in the tree." He
thought for a moment. "Maybe she was spying?" He suggested.
Georgia was listening to them talk. She looked on as an ambulance pulled up. Zac was now sitting up against the tree staring at
the hurt Phoebe. Two men jumped out of the ambulance, carrying a stretcher. "Folks, clear the way please."
Everyone moved back and watched the two men get to work. They slid a thin board under her body, strapped her to it and
told her to be very still. She nodded and winced as they picked up the board and sat it on top of the stretcher. A tear slid down
her cheek. The medical technicians put a foam head rest around her neck, strapped her again (this time to the stretcher) and
then covered her with a blanket.
"Alright, looks like everything is under control. Her breathing is short, and we might have to give her oxygen. I need for the
parents here to ride in the ambulance with her."
Phoebe's parents nodded and then followed him to the ambulance. Taylor, Isaac and Zac caught up with them.
"We will see you at the hospital in a few!" Isaac yelled as they shut the door.
The ambulance took off down the street. Taylor ran his hands through his hair. "Why did this have to happen?"
Zac and Isaac shrugged. "I don't know Tay. Let's just hope that she's ok."
All three of them ran back into the house, ready to explain what was going on.

Twenty minutes later, Diana and Walker had let their sons drive to the hospital. Their parents told Isaac and Taylor to tell Mr.
and Mrs. Blue, that they would be there in the morning. They couldn't leave the baby and the rest of the children home alone.
Isaac and his brothers made it to the hospital in about five minutes. Thank goodness it was close. They ran in the waiting room
and up to the desk. "Hi, we need to see our friend. She was just brought in here about half an hour ago." Isaac explained.
"Ok, calm down. What is her name?"
"Phoebe Blue." Taylor said. Zac stared at all the people in the waiting room.
There sure are alot of people here tonight, he thought.
"Ok, yes. The young lady that fell from a tree. Miss Blue is in room 207 on the second floor." She handed Isaac a pass and
directed them to the elevator.
All three of them got into the elevator and pressed the "2" button.
"I hope she's ok. I don't want anything to happen to her." Taylor said staring at the ceiling.
Isaac looked at him and began to say something when the doors opened.
"Here we are." Zac stepped out with his brothers. Isaac spotted Clarke and Georgia and ran towards them. Georgia's eyes
were red from tears.
"How is she? Is she alright?" He asked anxiously.
Clarke rubbed his wife's back. "We don't know yet. All the doctor said was that this was bad news."
"Bad news? Oh no..." Taylor sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands.
An hour later the doctor emerged from the hospital room. "Mr. and Mrs. Blue. I have some news for you."
Georgia and Clarke stood up and so did Isaac, Taylor and Zac. "Yes, Dr Klein?"
"Well, there is good news and bad news. Phoebe has a pinched nerve in her back and it is severe. She cannot walk or do
anything for that matter, for three weeks. She must stay in bed. I would recommend not letting her do anything except walk to her
bathroom. Nothing else." The doctor paused for a moment.
Georgia's eyes teared up a little. Taylor looked over at her. "What's the good news?" He asked Dr Klein.
"The good news is that she should recover without any long term disability. Phoebe could however, have some back problems
when she is a little older. She fell a good distance. You're lucky she didn't break her neck."
Clarke spoke up. "Is there any need for an operation at the time?"
Dr Klein thought for a moment. "I don't think that's the route to go right now. If she cannot walk after eight weeks, then an
operation could be possible."
Clarke and Georgia nodded their heads and listened to the doctors instructions on medication. The Hanson's stepped off to the
side.
"I feel so bad for Phoebe." Zac said looking at the ground.
"And she just moved in. She can't even go looking around Tulsa." Isaac said.
Taylor looked back at her parents. "Well, I'm going to help take care of her. I'll be at her house everyday."
Isaac and Zac stared at their brother. "You really like her, huh Tay?"
Taylor thought about what he said for a moment. "Yeah. I guess I do. She will need a friend through all this. I want to be that
person."
Zac patted his brother on his back. "You sure are a good person Tay." Taylor smiled.
"Thanks Zac. Let's go back and see if we can visit her now."

Georgia and Clarke visited with Phoebe for about half an hour, before letting Isaac, Taylor and Zac in. Taylor walked in the
room first. He smiled a little but felt awful for her. She looked really bad. She was in a hospital gown, so you could see her
arms and neck. She had bruises all over her neck and arms and a small cut on her cheek. Isaac and Zac followed and smiled
too.
"Hey Phoebe." Taylor pulled a chair to the side of her bed. Isaac and Zac sat beside him.
"Hi Taylor." She smiled back. "Oh, hi you too." She leaned up and smiled at Isaac and Zac.
"How do you feel?" Taylor asked her. She sighed. "I'm ok... I guess. They gave me a shot and that numbed the pain. I am
really sore though!" She kinda laughed, then winced a little.
"Phoebe, why were you in that tree anyway?" Isaac asked her.
Taylor shot him a "don't bring that up look" but he ignored it. She noticed this.
"No, it's ok for you to ask Isaac. Taylor was right. I was spying on you guys."
She blushed a little feeling embarrassed. Taylor smiled a bit. "Why did you want to spy on us?" Zac questioned.
She thought about what she could say to that. She didn't want to give him the real answer. That would humiliate Taylor.
"I was just curious about what you were talking about. And I was bored. I can climb trees though. I was just stupid and turned
too fast."
Isaac and Zac laughed. "You mean, you do this often?"
She smiled. "Well... kinda."
Taylor looked at her and thought for a moment. Is she telling the truth?
"So, when will you be able to go home?" Zac asked.
"Well, the doctor said tomorrow. I mean, all I can do right now is stay in bed and take the medicine they give me. There's
nothing else the doctor can do."
Taylor looked back up at her. "Well, at least you don't have to eat the hospital food for long!" He smiled and took her hand.
"Yeah, I'm hoping I can get out of here before meal time tomorrow!"
Everyone laughed. "Well girl, we better go. I'm glad nothing too bad happened to you. But still, this is not a good thing to have
to deal with." Isaac patted her leg.
"Yeah. But it could be worse... you guys go ahead home. It's getting late. My parents are going to stay here tonight. I'll see you
guys tomorrow."
Isaac and Zac stood up. "Bye Phoebe. We'll see you later!"
"Bye!!"
They left the room and waited in the hallway for Taylor.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you feel better." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thanks Tay. I hope I do too. I'll see ya." She waved a little as he closed her door and walked into the hallway.
Phoebe rolled over and drifted off to sleep, hearing her parents come in to stay the night.

NEXT CHAPTER

Copyright 1998 - 2001
R.S.