Fall Into Me

3 | Summer days

Theodore Elias Woods

Silence.

I try to get my bearings but it's hard to move. My eyes flutter open. Something feels off. All I see is a white ceiling. I let out a groan trying to sit up.

My mother rushes to my side. "Honey, oh, thank god you're okay! Wait don't move, let me go get someone." She kisses my forehead and moves towards the door.

I lift my hand to my face. There's three needles up my arm. But more importantly, there's something blocking my left eye. I feel around it careful not to make it painful. It doesn't work.

I let out a loud, agonising groan.

My mother is back with dad and a woman in a white coat. A doctor. I hate doctors. Smug little shits. 

My dad looks like the weight of the whole world has been lifted off his shoulders. Mom just looks like she's about to burst into tears any minute now. "What's going on?" I croak out. My throat feels dry. I need water.

As if she can read my mind, the doctor brings a glass of water too close to my face. I go to grab it but she helps me take a sip. "Thanks." I wanna know what's going on.

"I am Dr. Ryan. I'm the head surgeon here. Can you tell me your name, please?" The woman, the doctor, says looking at me like I'm somehow broken.

"Uh, Theo. Theodore Woods."

"Uh-huh, alright. What's the last thing you remember?" Huh? 

Wait.

Oh shit.

The party. Driving home. The bright lights.

Fuck.

"Go on." Shut up lady. She's here to help you, be nice.

"Um, I was at Miles' party." I look at my parents. They hold onto each other for dear life. "I think I got, um, drunk, maybe a little, like two shots max." My mom breaks into a sob, dad runs his hand to her back soothingly.

The doctor gestures for me to continue. I'm trying.

"I wanted to come home early, uh, I was technically sorta grounded." I let out a shaky breath. "I was driving carefully, I swear! I think I was a couple blocks away from home when a, uh, bus... no a truck, I think, the lights were so bright. I tried to move outta the way," I pause. Mom holds my hand. "I guess I got hit, huh." Dr. Ryan looks at me incredulously.

"Yes. Yes, you got hit buddy." She looks at her iPad, then me. "You broke your right Tibia, a couple of ribs and, have a pretty nasty gash over your left eye."

Oh. At least I'm alive.

"The good news is that the injury above your eye did not damage it, but you'll still have a scar running along your eyelid through your brow." I can work with that. "Oh, and you broke your little toe," she says with an amused smile. I shoot her a deadly glare.

"Um, but it's mostly healed since you've been here for a while." With that, she leaves to go check on another patient.

My dad moves towards me. "I'm sorry," I whisper shakily. This was not how this year was supposed to go, I was on track. I was gonna play for The Thunderbirds. Then, I was gonna go pro.

"Hey. It's alright, it's all going to be alright." My dad says stoking by arm. I start sobbing. 

Fuck.

~~~

It's been a few hours since I broke down in front of my parents. Oddly enough, it felt good to cry. Like really good.