Paralyzed
1/1
Adrienne sat on her front porch, her feet resting on the bottom step. It was raining, but that didn’t matter anymore.
“I’m sorry, Miss Jennings,”
It didn’t matter that she was getting soaked to the bone. It didn’t matter that she was cold and shivering. It didn’t matter that she was probably going to be sick in bed tomorrow with the flu.
“the test was positive.”
Adrienne didn’t think about any of it. She wasn’t living anymore. Everything around her was moving, but the shock was holding her down, keeping her from connecting with the world. All she could manage to do was stare at her legs—the very legs that were on their way out; the very legs that were dying as she sat, her eyes drilling holes into the limbs that soon would fail her.
“We’ll start a treatment on Monday.”
A tear trickled down her pale cheek, blending in with the raindrops that hit her like bricks. All she could think was Why me?
“In the meantime, I suggest you wear this brace.”
The brace that was sitting up in her room was thrown in a corner. Adrienne refused to wear it—it was a sign of defeat. Plus, it wouldn’t do much for her. Adrienne already knew her fate; she had had this disease for too long.
“I’m sorry I have to tell you this, Adrienne, but there is a chance that you will become paralyzed.”
The longer she stared at her knees, the more it soaked in, just like the rain as it was hydrating her stone cold skin. Her toes. Her ankles. Her knees. Her thighs. Her hips. In only a matter of short months, they wouldn’t work, no matter how many time her brain sent that message through her body.
“In the case of paralysis, you will have to be put in a wheelchair.”
She wouldn’t be able to move on her own. She wouldn’t be able to travel, to see the world. She would receive sympathy that would only embarrass Adrienne. Nothing could fix the problems; not even the doctors. They could try all they want, but all their efforts would be in vain. Adrienne’s disease had progressed too far.
“We can’t be too sure what will happen now, but we’ll assume that you’ll be back and walking again in less than a year”
Her mother, her family, her friends, they had all thought she was faking. They had figured that she was egging for attention, but they were wrong. Adrienne was sick, and now she was going to be paralyzed. She would never walk again.
“Adrienne, you have Guillain-Barré Syndrome.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Jennings,”
It didn’t matter that she was getting soaked to the bone. It didn’t matter that she was cold and shivering. It didn’t matter that she was probably going to be sick in bed tomorrow with the flu.
“the test was positive.”
Adrienne didn’t think about any of it. She wasn’t living anymore. Everything around her was moving, but the shock was holding her down, keeping her from connecting with the world. All she could manage to do was stare at her legs—the very legs that were on their way out; the very legs that were dying as she sat, her eyes drilling holes into the limbs that soon would fail her.
“We’ll start a treatment on Monday.”
A tear trickled down her pale cheek, blending in with the raindrops that hit her like bricks. All she could think was Why me?
“In the meantime, I suggest you wear this brace.”
The brace that was sitting up in her room was thrown in a corner. Adrienne refused to wear it—it was a sign of defeat. Plus, it wouldn’t do much for her. Adrienne already knew her fate; she had had this disease for too long.
“I’m sorry I have to tell you this, Adrienne, but there is a chance that you will become paralyzed.”
The longer she stared at her knees, the more it soaked in, just like the rain as it was hydrating her stone cold skin. Her toes. Her ankles. Her knees. Her thighs. Her hips. In only a matter of short months, they wouldn’t work, no matter how many time her brain sent that message through her body.
“In the case of paralysis, you will have to be put in a wheelchair.”
She wouldn’t be able to move on her own. She wouldn’t be able to travel, to see the world. She would receive sympathy that would only embarrass Adrienne. Nothing could fix the problems; not even the doctors. They could try all they want, but all their efforts would be in vain. Adrienne’s disease had progressed too far.
“We can’t be too sure what will happen now, but we’ll assume that you’ll be back and walking again in less than a year”
Her mother, her family, her friends, they had all thought she was faking. They had figured that she was egging for attention, but they were wrong. Adrienne was sick, and now she was going to be paralyzed. She would never walk again.
“Adrienne, you have Guillain-Barré Syndrome.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Yeah?