Through the Open Door || Change My Mind Sequel || SP

Christmas Without The Miracle

Thursday , December 25th 2025
1:07 AM

Sam woke up, her throat dry and her windows open. The moon lit up the snowy rooftop just outside her room. Beside her bed, Matt slept on the couch peacefully. Her pain was at a 2, but she was still dizzy and out of it.

Carefully, Sam grabbed her call button and hit it. A few moments passed, before a nurse came to see her patient finally awake. "Good morning, sleepy head," she smiled. Leaving all the lights except for the one over the sink off.

"How long was I out?" She asked, taking the juice box the nurse handed her.

"Umm a little over 12 hours," she replied. "And your bag is just about up. Your pressure is still low, but it should be evening out in a few days," she said, changing the bag and throwing out the old one. "But, you keep sleeping. You're doing great. I'm just wanna check your side," the CNA said, coming around the bed and gently pulling back Sam's sheets. The wound on her side was getting smaller and it was still reaching the bottom of her sports bra to the top of her hip. But it was no longer reaching around the side of her torso.

"Ahh," Sam winced, while her nurse poked at her tender spot.

"It's looking much better than when you came in. It's still bruised, but it looks better," she smiled, backing away and taking off her gloves while Sam pulled her covers back with a yawn. "Once these meds start to kick in, you'll be back to sleep. But this time we will wake you to eat. The last thing you need is another tube coming from your body," she smiled. Sam agreed with a nod and turned onto her good side to go to sleep.

Friday, December 26th 2025
6:07 PM

Sam sat up in her bed, rewatching the video of her kids opening their presents. "Look at the camera, Zeekie! Say 'Hi' mommy!" Peg smiled in the background.

"Hi, mommy! I miss you!" Zeek smiled into the camera holding his nerf gun. Peg panned over to Ella holding a baby doll.

"Say 'Hi' to mommy!" She said.

"Hi, mommy! I can't wait for you to come home!" She smiled. But it didn't last long when crying was heard in the background, but not from the baby.

"I want my mommy!" Elora cried. She was having a hard time without Sam around. They all thought that because she was a daddy's girl, she wouldn't even mind, but she was definitively exhibiting the opposite behavior.

Sam dropped her phone and in her lap, wiping her tears. Matt had gone home to spend some time with the kids, leaving Sam alone. Her phone started buzzing, forcing her to flip the iPhone over in her hand. It was Matt. "Hello," she whimpered, doing her best to cover her sadness.

"Hey, how are you? You were asleep when I left," he asked. Sam rolled her eyes and laid back.

"Not great. I miss my kids. I didn't even get to be with Ezra on his first Christmas," she sighed. Her mom was sending pictures constantly, but it wasn't the same. She wanted to hold her baby. This was the longest she'd been away from Ezra since he was born and she hated it. But, kids weren't allowed in the ICU, so seeing her kids would have to wait til she was fully recovered.

Saturday, December 27th 2025
4:28 AM

The bruise was still alive and kicking, but the infection was subsiding. It was almost fully gone. Sam had about 17 hours left in the ICU as long as her labs came back clear of the infection after her last two IV bags.

Silently, she stared out the window as her blood pressure cuff went off for the millionth time. Matt was at the hotel with the kids for the first time since Sam entered the hospital. They figured someone needed to be with them to keep some sense or normalcy.

Sunday, December 28th 2025
9:28 AM

Gene sat on her sister bed sharing breakfast with her in her new room with a snowy forest view. They quietly ate pancakes and bacon from IHOP in the warm room. Matt and Nick were getting the kids ready now that they were allowed to visit their mother. She only had maybe a day or two left in the hospital and she was excited.

The nurse came in and wrote down a few of Sam's vitals. "And who are you?" The young nurse smiled, writing on the white board.

"I'm Regina. Her sister," Gene introduced. The nurse smiled, with a short wave.

"It's good to see your family here. I was starting to think you didn't have anyone but your husband," she smiled. Gene shook her head with a large smile.

"Nope. And she gets to see her kids soon! They'll be here in half an hour!" She beamed. Sam did her best to force a smile with a small nod, as she picked at her food. She felt selfish for making her kids see her in the state that she was in. She was pale and weak and swollen because of all the fluids. While brushing her teeth in the mirror she was close to calling Matt and cancelling the visit, but he talked her out of it.

10 AM

"Mommy!" The kids yelled, running in and jumping on the bed. Matt sat the car seat down and took Ezra out of his car seat.

"Hi, guys," Sam weakly smiled. She took her baby into her arms, taking in the soft baby smell and her kids warmth.

"Mommy, when are you gonna come home?" Ella asked, playing with the ends of Sam's hair. Zeek sat on her lap careful not to squish his brother as the girls took the sides.

"Hopefully soon, baby. I hope to come home tomorrow," she said, pecking her baby's cheek a couple of times. He was not a fan and kept wiping his face on hers. "What? You don't like mommy anymore?" She asked Ezra. The baby settled on his mother's scent and came down from his hyper aware state. He was home.

Monday, December 29th 2025
7:02 PM

"Mrs. Pauly, you are officially free to go," the nurse smiled, erasing Sam's board. Sam was sitting in her wheelchair with Matt behind her holding her bag of personal items.

"Thank you," she smiled. Matt followed the nurse to the elevator and got on with his wife. As the doors closed, he leaned over her and pecked her head.

"Welcome back, Smeeps,"

To Be Continued.