River Rat
More than Bruised
I felt myself waking up and I decided against opening my eyes. I kept them tightly shut, praying that it was just a dream. That I would wake up in my bed with Ethan by my side, safe and sound. I heard voices and it was suddenly harder to keep my eyes closed.
"Is she awake?" a familiar voice asked. I kept resisting the urge.
"She should be coming to very soon," another voice replied, sounding very annoyed.
"Can I please wait in the chair?"
"Not until after she wakes up. We still need to run a few tests and make sure everything is fine."
I heard a sigh and then footsteps carrying down the hall. I finally, but slowly, opened my eyes to find myself in a brightly lit, and very white room. I could hear machines whirring and constant sets of feet in the hallway.
I'm alive.
I suddenly groaned and put my hand on my head, squinting against the pain. I lifted my torso and propped myself up on my elbows, looking around the room. My eyes immediately went to the doctor standing feet away from my bed.
"Um, hi," I said warily, eyeing him with curiosity.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Paul. Good to see that you're awake," he smiled kindly, checking his clipboard once before walking briskly to my side. "How are you feeling?"
"Well, my head hurts but otherwise I feel fine," I replied.
"Good to see that you're only feeling pain in your head." He smiled again but this time I heard the meaning behind his words.
"How bad was it?"
"Well, you're alive so not too bad. You're a little bruised," he replied, obviously beating around the bush.
"What's the damage, doc?"
"We're not entirely sure. We still need to run some tests. You were pretty banged up when we found you and your blood loss was what we were most concerned about," he explained.
"How's Ethan?" I asked, suddenly panicked and worried for his safety. The doctor smiled again and I sighed, knowing he was in better condition than I was.
"He's perfectly fine. He's sleeping right now, he's been really stressed. Worried about you."
"I can imagine." I paused. "Well, let's get started."
"Okay, let me just get a nurse to come help you out of bed and we'll take you down."
"No, it's fine, I can help myself," I started, throwing the sheets off my lower half. I tried moving my leg but it wasn't responding. Not even a twitch. "Um, why can't I move?"
"Well, Ms. Paul, I've got some bad news."
"Is she awake?" a familiar voice asked. I kept resisting the urge.
"She should be coming to very soon," another voice replied, sounding very annoyed.
"Can I please wait in the chair?"
"Not until after she wakes up. We still need to run a few tests and make sure everything is fine."
I heard a sigh and then footsteps carrying down the hall. I finally, but slowly, opened my eyes to find myself in a brightly lit, and very white room. I could hear machines whirring and constant sets of feet in the hallway.
I'm alive.
I suddenly groaned and put my hand on my head, squinting against the pain. I lifted my torso and propped myself up on my elbows, looking around the room. My eyes immediately went to the doctor standing feet away from my bed.
"Um, hi," I said warily, eyeing him with curiosity.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Paul. Good to see that you're awake," he smiled kindly, checking his clipboard once before walking briskly to my side. "How are you feeling?"
"Well, my head hurts but otherwise I feel fine," I replied.
"Good to see that you're only feeling pain in your head." He smiled again but this time I heard the meaning behind his words.
"How bad was it?"
"Well, you're alive so not too bad. You're a little bruised," he replied, obviously beating around the bush.
"What's the damage, doc?"
"We're not entirely sure. We still need to run some tests. You were pretty banged up when we found you and your blood loss was what we were most concerned about," he explained.
"How's Ethan?" I asked, suddenly panicked and worried for his safety. The doctor smiled again and I sighed, knowing he was in better condition than I was.
"He's perfectly fine. He's sleeping right now, he's been really stressed. Worried about you."
"I can imagine." I paused. "Well, let's get started."
"Okay, let me just get a nurse to come help you out of bed and we'll take you down."
"No, it's fine, I can help myself," I started, throwing the sheets off my lower half. I tried moving my leg but it wasn't responding. Not even a twitch. "Um, why can't I move?"
"Well, Ms. Paul, I've got some bad news."