The Unexpected

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The doctor helped the blonde headed girl to her feet. "It might feel a little tight," he told her, "and uncomfortable, but when you get your bandages off we can adjust it."

"It's bulky," the girl commented, but she wasn't complaining. It felt good to be on her feet again, even if one foot was made of plastic and metal.

The doctor nodded, kneeling down to show his patient how to do different things with the prosthetic leg. She watched silently as he spoke. "Since you still have control over your knee, where the legs bends, you'll be able to walk normally."

The girl, eyes lighting up, took a step forward only for the prosthetic to give out from under her. The nurse, who had only been watching until now, reached out to steady her.

The doctor rushed to explain as the girl frowned. "It's just a prototype, Emmaline. Even when we fit you for your own prosthetic, it will take some getting used to." He remained kneeling as she sat back on her bed, watching her as she pulled at the Velcro strips holding the object of her hope together. He patted her good leg. "You know, it could have been much worse. Think of the good things."

"I didn't die," she said softly. The doctor nodded encouragingly, mentioning for her to continue. She thought a moment. "Ricki wasn't with me, so at least she's okay. Um... I can use this as leverage to get a new car," -she smiled- "and I don't have to go to school."

The doctor nodded approvingly. "See, it's not all bad."

The door opened, interrupting them. A stranger's head poked in, speaking in a rushed voice, "Doc, a critical just arrived. Knife wound. They've lost a lot of blood. They were able to slow it on the ride over, but it's bad. A young man brought her, saying something about a party." The man glanced at the girl on the bed, who sat motionless, then back to the doctor. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need you. Now."

As soon as both men had rushed out, the nurse stooped to help the girl, who had frozen to stare at the open door. "My my," she said, shaking her head. "A knife wound? At a party? Poor thing."

"A party... young man..." The girl whispered, the pieces coming together in her head as her face went pale. "Ricki's party... Aaden..." She pushed up suddenly, causing the nurse to steady her again.

"Miss Emma, what has gotten into you?"

The girl stumbled as she reached for the door, but pushed away the nurse's offered arm. She readjusted her prosthetic leg, growling insults at it.

"Miss Emma!"

"You don't understand, Stacy!" She yelled, whirling on the woman who merely stood, dumbfounded. "That's my friend out there! She needs me!" Frantic, she moved forward only for the prosthetic to buckle under her once again, her outstretched hand just missing the door handle.

The girl sank to the floor, tears welling in her brown eyes. "Ricki..."

.   .   .

The doctor, who had thought the hardest part of his day would be a prosthetic fitting in room 301, seemed to have drawn the short straw or the medical business-calming the civilians. While his fellow surgeons continued to lead a stretcher carrying the patient through the hall, he seemed to be the one to draw the short straw He was standing between a rock and a hard place- or. in this case, a young man and the door to the operating room.

“Let me through!” the boy demanded, trying to shove past the doctor.

“Listen, young man,” -the doctor's voice demanded respect- “we cannot help your friend if you're in the way. I understand your worry-”

“No, you don't understand,” he bit back. “She needs me.”

“What that young woman needs is about ten pints of blood to be circulating her bloodstream, so unless you have about five-and-a-half pints of A+ and are a registered donor it would be best for everyone if you would find the waiting room and sit calmly. Unless you would rather I call for someone to escort you there.” Watching the young man carefully, the doctor's eyes softened and his voice took on a less severe tone. “Your friend will be alright, son.”

The young man took a breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and then nodded. “Find me as soon as you know,” he instructed, the words more like a question than a demand, his voice breaking at the end.

The doctor watched the boy turn away, his knees buckling slightly with each step, reminding him of a bridge that just can't hold its own weight any longer. He paused, wanting to make sure the young man didn't tumble to the ground. But the boy stayed standing, holding up pounds and tons- the weight of his little piece of the world that threatened to collapse on top of him.

He turned to watch he doctor push through the door and disappear into gleaming white before pulling out his cell phone and dialing. “Rose?” he spoke quietly. “This is Aaden- you know, from Arrows. You need to call Ricki's parents.”

.   .   .

Light.

Blinding, blurry, white light. Its harsh greeting was the first thing to hit me when I opened my eyes. Then came color. Grey, silver, black, all blurring into streaks.

Then came the voices.

“Critical,” they said.

“Blood loss.”

“Concussion.”

“Shock.”

I wondered vaguely about that last one. Was I really in shock? I felt okay. My eyelids drooped, but that was just because I hadn't gotten enough rest. The doctor's loud voices had woken me up- at least I thought they were doctors. Only medical practitioners would say big words that I didn't know, like menometrorrhagia and bradycardia.

If there were doctors, then I was probably at the hospital.

Ick, I thought, I hate hospitals.

For a moment, all voices stopped except for one that I knew well, yelling: “Let me through!”

“Aaden,” I croaked out. My voice was a stranger's, rough and scratchy like I had just tromped through a desert with no source of water. Thirst hit me with that thought, but I couldn't find the strength to lift up a hand for a glass.

I was starting to think no one had heard me when a woman's blurred features appeared above me. “She's awake!” the lady said, like it was some big deal that they're yelling returned me to consciousness. But I really just wanted to sleep.

Drowsiness hit like a smack across the face when a needle pricked my arm and somebody said something about pain meds.

But I wasn't in pain! I wanted to say as the world around me tilted violently.

The white didn't seem blinding anymore as the fluorescent lights swirled with a churning sea of darkness, and I found myself sinking back into the depths.

~*~*~*~*~

The song to the side goes well with these last few chapters, I think :)

How do you like the third person POVs? Should I leave them as is, or change it when I get here in the rewritten version?