Status: Rewrite - somewhat active
Sunshine
f o u r
The emergency room was almost empty when we arrived. Henry parked the car in the lot and carried me inside. By this point I was starting to feel lightheaded. I was admitted fairly quickly. Since I couldn't walk Henry was allowed to carry me back. He set me down on the bed so that I was sitting up and a nurse quickly started to examine my foot.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I dropped a mug," I explained. He frowned.
"Okay look, I want to help you out here but I need you to be honest with me. How did this happen?"
"I was washing the mug when someone startled me and I dropped it. Then I stepped in the broken glass," I said. I wasn't lying to him. I just wasn't exactly telling the truth. He looked at me suspiciously then at Henry, who shrugged.
"Okay, Abigail, my name is Jeremy. I'm going to get your foot cleaned up so that the doctor can take a look at it. I need you to change into this hospital gown please."
"Um, can I just stay in what I'm wearing?" I asked. "It's going to be very difficult to change with my foot bleeding everywhere." Jeremy frowned.
"Sorry, it's regulation, all patients need to be in gowns. I can send over a female nurse to help if that will make you feel better." I shook my head at his offer. "Okay then. I'll give you a couple minutes to get changed." He stepped outside and pulled the curtain shut. I changed slowly, as I heard him say something to Henry.
"Hey man, I just met her yesterday, when I saved her from drowning. I came by to check on her today. She ran out of the house with her feet bleeding like that and some guy came out behind her. That's all I know," Henry explained. I figured Jeremy had asked him what had really happened.
"I'm done," I called out nervously. I sat on the edge of the bed as Jeremy pulled back the curtain. He rolled his chair up to my feet and began cleaning away the blood. All the other cuts had stopped bleeding but the deepest one was still bleeding at a steady rate. He did his best to clean it up and wrapped it in gauze and tape.
"I'm going to get the doctor to come take a look at this," he told me, starting to wheel away. Suddenly he stopped and sat up straighter. My stomach dropped as he reached for my bare calf. "What happened here?" I shrugged. "And what's that one on your arm?" I clamped my mouth shut. I knew what would happen to me if I talked. "And on your neck?" I stared at my hands clasped in my lap, clenching so tightly my knuckles were white. "Abigail?" I ignored him.
"Abby, just tell him where those bruises are from," Henry pleaded. "He's only trying to help." Jeremy glanced back at Henry.
"Why don't you lie down for a few minutes, there you go. I'm just going to elevate your foot on these pillows to see if the bleeding can be slowed a bit," Jeremy said. "I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes. And Henry, since you're not family I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside in the lobby."
"I've gotta get going anyway," Henry replied. "Abby, I'll come by your house to check on you tomorrow, okay?" I nodded. They walked away together and I laid back and closed my eyes.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I dropped a mug," I explained. He frowned.
"Okay look, I want to help you out here but I need you to be honest with me. How did this happen?"
"I was washing the mug when someone startled me and I dropped it. Then I stepped in the broken glass," I said. I wasn't lying to him. I just wasn't exactly telling the truth. He looked at me suspiciously then at Henry, who shrugged.
"Okay, Abigail, my name is Jeremy. I'm going to get your foot cleaned up so that the doctor can take a look at it. I need you to change into this hospital gown please."
"Um, can I just stay in what I'm wearing?" I asked. "It's going to be very difficult to change with my foot bleeding everywhere." Jeremy frowned.
"Sorry, it's regulation, all patients need to be in gowns. I can send over a female nurse to help if that will make you feel better." I shook my head at his offer. "Okay then. I'll give you a couple minutes to get changed." He stepped outside and pulled the curtain shut. I changed slowly, as I heard him say something to Henry.
"Hey man, I just met her yesterday, when I saved her from drowning. I came by to check on her today. She ran out of the house with her feet bleeding like that and some guy came out behind her. That's all I know," Henry explained. I figured Jeremy had asked him what had really happened.
"I'm done," I called out nervously. I sat on the edge of the bed as Jeremy pulled back the curtain. He rolled his chair up to my feet and began cleaning away the blood. All the other cuts had stopped bleeding but the deepest one was still bleeding at a steady rate. He did his best to clean it up and wrapped it in gauze and tape.
"I'm going to get the doctor to come take a look at this," he told me, starting to wheel away. Suddenly he stopped and sat up straighter. My stomach dropped as he reached for my bare calf. "What happened here?" I shrugged. "And what's that one on your arm?" I clamped my mouth shut. I knew what would happen to me if I talked. "And on your neck?" I stared at my hands clasped in my lap, clenching so tightly my knuckles were white. "Abigail?" I ignored him.
"Abby, just tell him where those bruises are from," Henry pleaded. "He's only trying to help." Jeremy glanced back at Henry.
"Why don't you lie down for a few minutes, there you go. I'm just going to elevate your foot on these pillows to see if the bleeding can be slowed a bit," Jeremy said. "I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes. And Henry, since you're not family I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside in the lobby."
"I've gotta get going anyway," Henry replied. "Abby, I'll come by your house to check on you tomorrow, okay?" I nodded. They walked away together and I laid back and closed my eyes.