Plumb Moves to the City: Chapter 2

  Plumb stared at the white ceiling above her. She had expected to be looking at her apartment's beige ceiling, but for the last month she had been staring at this white one. It could be worse. She could have enrolled in the fall semester and be missing class right now. Thank goodness for spring enrollment.
  "How are you doing today?" The nurse walked in and made small talk while she did her routine. Plumb was as pleasant as ever despite the pain in her leg. The medication helped of course, but since she had refused the 'strong stuff,' it made her more than just a little uncomfortable.
  "Oh, it looks like you are scheduled to have two visitors today."
  "Two?" Plumb asked. She knew she would have one. The girl who had hit her with her car had visited Plumb every day since the accident. She was a sweet girl who apologized endlessly for hitting her. Apparently, it had been the girl's first time driving when she absolutely nailed Plumb. As a result, she swore two things. No driving and to make it up to Plumb. If Plumb had to be hit by anyone, she was glad it was her. The girl turned out to have a lot in common with Plumb and the two became fast friends, but who was the second visitor?
   "It appears to be an officer."
   "An officer?" Plumb was suddenly worried about her new friend.
   "That's what it says here, an Officer Hart."
    Hart? That named sounded familiar somehow. Well, whomever this Officer Hart person was she needed to seriously downplay the severity of her accident for the sake of her friend. Of course, her being stuck in a hospital for a month would be working against her, but she had to try. She tried to imagine questions and rehearse answers the entire morning until a knock pulled her back into reality. 
   "Come in." Plumb said as she sat up and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible in a hospital gown. Officer Hart walked in. He was younger than she was expecting him to be. Perhaps, because all the officers she knew were on the verge of retirement. It wasn't really his youth that surprised her. It was his familiar face. She felt like she knew him or perhaps she knew a relative of his. 
   "Good afternoon, mam." He said as he glanced down at her leg, "You got pretty banged up this time, huh? I mean, it's not the first time you've been hit by a car, but I don't remember a hospital visit last time."
   "Last time?" Plumb remembered the last time she got hit by a car, and she did indeed had a hospital visit but it was brief. Perhaps, he was confusing her with someone else.
   "Yeah, but you were so small then that you hit under the car."
   "Um," Plumb looked puzzled which left Officer Hart feeling awkward. It was his turn to start doubting if she was the same Plumb he knew, but he was fairly certain he would never mix up his Plumb with anyone else. Then she perked up and said, "Oh, I remember now! Back when I was six! Sorry, that confused me for a bit. That was the first time I got hit by a car not the last." She laughed as if she didn't come near death's door on a daily bases, "but, Officer, how did you know that? Do we know each other?"
   "I thought you might not remember me," He said as he awkwardly ruffled his hair, "It was a really long time ago."
    "Well, maybe if you told me your name..." Plumb said with a smile towards the man who attempted to fix the mess he just made on his head.
    "Yeah, that would probably help." He straighten out and extended his hand, "Hello, my name is Officer Moya Hart, but you can call me Moya."
    "Moya? Moya! You have a sister named Cheri, right?" Plumb asked as she sat up more and took his hand.
    "Yes, that is me."
    "I thought you looked familiar. It has been a long time, hasn't? I've haven't seen you since you moved. Oh, how long ago was that now. Hmmm..."
    "About ten years."
    "How have you been?" Plumb asked, and he answered in the usual polite way. She could tell he was a very polite young man which was a far cry from the obnoxious little boy she knew.
   The Hart family had moved in when she was about six years old. She was watching them move in when she got in her very first car accident. Rather a truck accident. Luckily, she had only got a little scratched up because she had managed to fall to the floor before it hit her. It was, of course, terrifying. So much so that she just laid there in the middle of the rode stunned. That's when she met Moya for the first time. He dropped the box he was supposed to be helping carry and ran to the street. He didn't ask if she was okay. Rather he thought it was best to convey his concern through a serious of insults all relating back to the fact she was a dummy. Regardless, she had been grateful to him because he helped her get out of the rode. This left her with the impression that he was a nice boy deep down, and this first impression was the only reason she did not grow to hate him. He was a bully. He got into fights at school; pulled pranks on his sister and her when she dared to come over; repeatedly let her know that she was an ugly little dummy, and would steal her glasses. Overall, not a very nice kid. Looking at him now, made her believe yet again her first impression was right.
   "I should probably do my job now before I get yelled at." He said as he pulled out his notebook, "May I ask you some questions about the accident?"
   Plumb became stiff again as she remembered that anxiety she was meant to be feeling.
  "Of course, Officer."
  "Where did the acc-"
  "It was all my fault. I didn't look both ways, and I'm pretty sure I was jaywalking, so I'm not going to press charges or anything." Plumb discovered that she really wasn't great at keeping calm in stressful situations. He stared at her for a few moments then did something between a laugh and a scoff.
  "I take it the driver is a friend of yours?"
   Plumb gave a puzzled look while trying not to be too suspicious.
  "I'll take that as a 'yes.'" He sighed and shoved his hat back on, "You haven't changed a bit, have you? Still taking the blame for crap you didn't even do."
  "It really wasn't her fault."
  "..." He looked at her from under his hat before turning to leave, "Most people don't deserve you helping them like that, and.." He paused by the door, "you don't deserve this either."

Chapter 1

Chapter 3