Memories of that terrifying night flash before my eyes: the fire, the dead woman, the boy. My breath hitches as worry spreads all over. “The boy! Is he all right?”
Uncle Vinny rests his hand on my shoulder and beams bright. “Yes, he’s safe. You did good Roman. You did good.”
Dr. Ferguson skims my chart and proceeds to tell us exactly what we’re dealing with. “Okay so, when you were brought in, you were severely dehydrated. You had internal hemorrhaging and second-degree burns covering the right side of your body from
your waist to your face. We immediately had you in the OR and performed a thoracotomy to stop the bleeding to protect your heart and lungs from pressure caused by the excess blood. Once complete, we discovered the spinal fracture.”
He takes a peek at us all, making sure we’re listening attentively and not on the verge of freaking out. “Now, the fracture is different than a broken arm or a leg. The dislocation of the vertebra causes bone fragments to pinch the nerves or spinal cord. Treatment depends on the degree of instability and the type of fracture. I have to say that you’re one of the lucky ones. The fracture occurred in the lower back and even though you fell quite a distance it’s still stable. You’ll experience discomfort, pain, and difficulty walking, but with the use of a back brace, you’ll be good in no time. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but you’re wearing the brace right now.”
I look downward as he pulls back the bed covers to reveal the white plastic jacket wrapped around my back and waist. It looks just like a straight jacket, except my arms are free to move as they please.
He fastens the belts and Velcro, ensuring the brace fits properly and is secure. “It’s called a thoracolumbosacral orthosis, TLSO for short. It’ll protect against excessive bending and twisting of your spine while you recover. Of course, you’ll need physical therapy once you’ve gained enough strength. Frankly, the burns are what’s going to be the biggest issue. We’ve coated them in an antibiotic ointment and gauze but it’s going to take about a month for them to heal. You’ll notice the skin will blister as it becomes extremely red and sore. The inflamed skin layers will sting and irritate you constantly. We’ve given you a low dose morphine drip for now because we need to assess your pain levels. Our main goal is to prevent any scarring. I can’t guarantee anything but there’s hope that you’ll look good as new. Now do either of you have any questions for me?”
I soak in everything that he said, still processing it all. I give Aunt Maggie and Uncle Vinny a worrisome look, especially about the amount of pain, but overall I feel good.
Uncle Vinny asks, “So, he’ll be out of here in a month or so?”
Dr. Ferguson nods. “Yes, as his burns heal, the brace will align the fracture. However, like I said, he’ll need physical therapy afterward. We have a great facility here, but you’re more than welcome to seek your own facility if you wish.”
He looks at me, giving me instructions. “For the time being, I’d like you to stay in bed. No moving, no walking, nothing for at least two weeks. I’ll schedule another CT scan at that time and we can determine the timeline of recovery and start talking about therapy. Sound good?”
I nod. “Yes sir.”
“Good. Okay, I’ll leave you folks alone for a bit. If you need anything, the nurses are here around the clock.”
We all thank him as he exits the room with Nurse Jackie. Aunt Maggie slides a chair right next to the left side of my bed and sits, reaching over to brush my hair with her fingers. “You had me so worried. I thought we were going to lose you.” She entwines her fingers with mine, kissing my hand.
“You heard the doc: I’ll be good as new and out of here in no time. Wait, if you’re both here, who’s at the bakery right now?”
Uncle Vinny speaks up, “It’s closed. You’re more important than the bakery.”
I shake my head. “No, don’t think that. That’s your livelihood. You guys don’t have to stay here all day. I’ll be fine. Promise.”
Uncle Vinny smiles. “We’ll stay until visiting hours are over, is that good with you? You need your rest anyway.”
I chuckle. “Yes, sounds good.”
Aunt Maggie lets out a loud gasp. “Roman, you are never going to believe who works here.”
My brow arches as I look at her, puzzled. “Uh, who?”
A huge smile shines across her face. “The éclair girl.”
My wide eyes stare at her, soaking in her response as a lightning shock travels up my spine. “What? You saw her? Here, in this hospital?”
A huge smile shines across her face. “Yes! She was in here yesterday.”
“In my room? Is she my nurse?”
She nods. “Well, sort of. She works in this department and her shift hasn’t started yet. But yes, she’s one of your nurses. Oh, it’ll be great. You’ll finally get to talk to her!”
I look away from Aunt Maggie and glance out the window just as the sun begins to rise. If the situation were different, I would have been happy to see Melanie, but now, I dread seeing her.
This is not how I wanted to spend time with her, not really. Here I am, broken, and she’ll see me as just another patient. It’s not what I wanted. It’s not how I hoped it would be. I don’t want her to see me like this. I’m not ready.
Melanie
RUSHING TO THE FRONT door of my apartment, I unlock the bolts and let Gia step inside. Shutting the door as she passes, I hook the chain and fasten all the locks.