Accidents Pt#3
Breathing heavily, I walked through the door. I had never been good in hospitals, I practically hated them. I remember when I was nine and had to visit my grandpa who was in the hospital. When we walked in the first thing I saw was the tube in his chest. I wanted to get out of there fast, because I hated thinking about how someone would have to go through that in order to live. Why would anyone want to go through that to live? After my mom finished visiting with him, we walked out the door and I asked her “What was wrong with grandpa?” With a gentle glance, she looked me straight in the eye and said. “He’s just a little sick, honey don’t worry you will see him again real soon.” Two months later he ended up dying in his sleep and grandma was crushed it took seven boxes of chocolates, three meals at her favorite restaurant, and a ton of cookies for her to force a smile. It also took her three more years for her to get over grandpa’s death.
My expectations were set at what I wanted to see. Closing my eyes I took a few steps into the room. “Hun are you sure you don’t need to sit down?” Nurse Kay asked concern ringing in her voice.
“No, I will be fine.” I said to reassure myself rather than her.
“O.C. is that you baby girl?” my mother’s voice usually strong sounded worn down with pain and fear said.
“It’s me mom don’t worry, it’s me.” I said turning towards her voice.
“Open your eyes girly, you are going to run into the wall and we wouldn't want you in the hospital because this room is only made for two.”
Laughing, I opened my eyes and stared at her. Her usual ponytail was undone and in a rats nest, her mouth had blood coming from the corner, and her body seemed limp. However, when I looked in her eye I saw a glimmer I always saw when she looked at me. It was a glimmer that let me know that no matter what I would always be her favorite child even if I was the only child. “Will, I’m guessing I look awful.” she said laughing then wincing as if it hurt. “No actually you look better than I thought.” I said “I thought you would look like a bloody old troll.”
I hated seeing my mother in pain and I hadn't even seen my father yet. She didn't look like the strong woman she was. Even when I looked away from my mother all I saw was her laying in the hospital bed and all I could think was that she might not make it.
“Don’t give me that look O.C.” my mom said through gritted teeth.
“What look?” I responded stupidly knowing that all I would get was grounded.
“You know what look, the look that makes it obvious you think I am in too much pain for me to handle,” she said getting worked up about the look I gave her. “I will have you know that when they asked me to rate my pain it was only a six out of ten.” I seriously could not handle her sarcastic side sometimes. It was ten minutes after I arrived did I notice something incredibly strange. “Where’s dad?” I asked thinking the worst. My mom noticing my shoulders lock up said, “Doll, you might want to come sit down for a second.”
“He’s gone isn't he.”
“No he’s”
“He won’t be coming back.”
“Hun come sit”
“He promised to”
“For heaven’s sake just sit down on the bed and stop jumping to conclusions!” she yelled
“But is he”
“Will you stop with the buts, you’re giving me a headache!”
Quietly, I sit down at the foot of her bed, tears streaming down my face. “Now, your father is still in the E.R., but the doctors say he will live just might need help taking care of himself.” she said, sensing the relief in me. I couldn't help but smile. I was getting worked up about my father who was in the same place as me. “Miss,” nurse Kay said, “we will need you to go home in five minutes for private reasons.” My smiling instantly turned into frowning. I couldn't believe that I had to leave when I just barely got here. “Earth to Ocean do you read me?” my mother said not trying to hide her annoyance. “Sorry what did you say?” I said knowing that I was almost definitely grounded “Go call uncle Sean and aunt Rose and spend the night with them, go to school tomorrow and please try to make it through the day, but if you have to call them then you can, and then after school you can come see me, okay.” she said not caring if I responded or not. I couldn't believe her, she was practically agreeing with what nurse Kay said, she was not fighting to keep me here. “Okay,” I said reluctantly feeling completely heartbroken, “bye mommy I will be here as soon as the bell rings and not a second later.”
Walking out the door, I saw nurse Kay waiting for me. She had started to say something when we heard a squeaky wheel roll along the clean floor. Before I could turn to see what it was nurse Kay grabbed my hand and dragged me, practically running towards the elevator. “Nurse Kay, please stop I want to know who that was.”
“Not so sure you do sweet pea.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you know who it is and might not want to see.”
Realization dawned on me, it was my father being rolled into the same room as my mother. Tugging as hard as I could I tried to run back and see my father, “Let me see him Kay, please let me see him.” Tears were streaming down my face as she tugged me with her steely grip into the elevator. Opening it she tried to drag me in, but had an incredibly hard time. Finally, when she got me into the elevator I sat down on next to wall, clenched my caramel colored hair with my fingers, and burst out crying. I couldn't stand holding it together anymore. "Geez, you are stubborn at times aren't you?" nurse Kay whispered under her breathing. I didn't care what she said because she was the only thing that kept me from seeing my father at the moment. It seemed like for forever, but when we got down to the lobby I saw three TV reporters waiting for someone who I guessed was me.
