It's so funny how fast things can happen sometimes. The police came; so did the ambulance. Alex was really really hurt, I've heard.

The other kids were so crammed in the front that we kind of cushioned each other when the crash happened. Alex's parents were

there too. It happened really fast. We all got to be in an ambulance for the first time. It lost all its fun because Alex was separated

from us by a curtain and doctors kept on coming in and out. When we finally got to the hospital, he was wheeled to the building and

we were all out into rooms where doctors checked us. Joseph, who had a big bruise, got this huge band-aid which he kept on showing

off later on when we returned to school. We stayed in the hospital's play room until my parents returned. The younger kids had fun

while me and Rachel just stood, watched, and whispered.

"What happened back there?" She asked me.

"I've heard one of the doctors say that he fainted or something."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"I think so---nothing like this has ever happened before." We kept this up just to hear each others voices. It was better than just

standing in silence.

When we got back to school, everyone wanted to know what happened. I couldn't get into the hall without being pestered by

questions. Even the first-graders ignored their shyness and forced me into corners. No one could get enough of the story. I wonder

how would they attack Alex, when he got back from the hospital. Whenever I visited him, he seemed very faint. He never really

wanted to just talk, he just watched TV all the time. But I tried my best to be nice to him and maybe he appreciated it.

Well anyways, now the questions are fading. Kids are starting to forget about the incident. Miss Silver was taken to court. Turns out

that she had this mental illness. Joseph made up some stories about how she had gotten mad and was taken to the crazy-house. But

it seems to me that this is a different type mental illness than the kind you normally hear about. She seemed fine to me in everything

else. But it doesn't really excuse her for what she had done. Now that I think of it, it was kind of stupid to be a bus driver when

someone's sick that way. I guess she didn't know it though, as far as I can remember, she seemed pretty normal when I had her back

in third grade. I've heard from my mother that she has been like this ever since she ran over a squirrel in her car, whenever she hit a

bump she would check out and look, even after a small bump. Maybe she was checking to see if she had run over a fly? That doesn't

seem right though... Was she the wrong in acting like this? As time goes on, I find myself blaming her even more. But when I dream at

night, and see her shaking hands and frightened face again, I feel sorry for her again. Maybe you can feel sorry for someone and still

think they're wrong at the same time? Well anyways, Alex's parents went to court to sue her for the hospital costs. I don't know how

will they get any money out of her, as it seems that she doesn't have any. I hope Alex will get out of the hospital soon though. He

can be kind of annoying sometimes, but he is a rather cute kid.