Finally Home

7. Samantha

I felt like my life was over. My ankle was so fucked up I wasn't sure I'd even ever walk on it again let alone ever play basketball.

As soon as the doctor left the room I tried really hard not to cry. But, I did a horrible job because Mom and Dad both came and sat beside me on my bed and put their arms around me. And I broke down crying.

"Oh, baby," Mom said, squeezing me in a hug. "You're going to be okay."

"It's, it's, like, exploded," I wept. "How am I ever going to walk on it again? How am I ever going to play basketball on it when I don't think I'm even ever going to walk on it again?"

"Sam, you'll walk on it again," Dad said.

"How can you be so sure? It looks like it exploded!"

They both hugged me and I cried some more.

A nurse came in to check my blood sugar and give me something to sleep.

"You can't have dinner because of surgery tomorrow," she said. "And I'm gonna give you something to help you sleep tonight. Okay?"

I shrugged.

She put a needle into my IV and I felt it warm my hand and arm.

"Okay sweetheart," Mom said. "I'm going to go home and let your aunt and uncle go home. They have Rosie. I'll be back early in the morning before you go for surgery, okay. Dad will stay with you tonight. Okay?"

I nodded.

Mom gave me a kiss on the head and said she'd see me in the morning. She gave Dad a kiss and she left.

Dad was still lying on my bed with me. I was tracing the Carpe Noctem tattoo on his right arm.

"It's gonna be okay, Sam. And even if you aren't able to play basketball, you have so much more you can do. You can play the piano. Josh says you're a good drummer. You're so smart, you blow me away."

"But I love basketball," I said, quietly.

"You.... What?" Dad asked, looking at me. There were two of him.

"I Zed I uv baball," I slurred.

"Okay, you. I think the meds are kicking in. Let's get you covered up and off to sleep. I'll be right here, okay?"

"Ukay daddy," I think I said, before I was carried off on waves of warmth and sleep.

I woke up when Mom came back in the morning. She had Rosie with her and Uncle Josh.

"Hey kiddo!" He said, smiling. I didn't return his smile.

"You're gonna be okay, Sam," he said. I shrugged.

A couple of hours later they came to get me for surgery and wheeled me out of my room. Dad held my hand all the way to the elevator, and they let Rosie snuggle with me until then.

"Be better, SaSa!" She said. "Bye bye boo-boo!"

I smiled.

In the operating room, nurses and doctors were moving around doing whatever they needed to do and a doctor was sitting at my head.

"Okay, Samantha, I'm going to put this mask on your face, okay?  When I say, start counting backwards from ten," he said placing a mask on my face over my nose and mouth.

"Okay," he said.

"Ten, nine, eight, se...." I fell asleep.

When I woke up someone was tapping me on the forehead. It was annoying.

"Hello. Hi Sam," someone in a surgical mask said as I opened my eyes.

"You're all done, and we're going to take you back up to your room soon, okay?"

"Uh huh," I said closing my eyes again. I was pretty groggy still.

I felt movement. I guess they were wheeling me back up to my room. We stopped and there was humming and then more movement and then we stopped again.

"Hey, Sam," I heard whispered. "Hey sweetie. Can you open your eyes?"

I did and I saw Dad looking at me.

"Hey there, Champ. We're told everything went great and they got you all cleaned up and put back together. They say you're going to be fine," Dad said.

"Uh huh," I said, as I was moved again onto a flat surface. My bed I guess.

"SaSa. Boo-boo better?" I heard Rosie asked.

"Boo-boo is okay," I said. I think.

"Samantha is very tired, Rosie. She's gonna sleep a little and we'll just wait for her, okay?"

"I seep wif SaSa," I heard and then Rosie was curled up against me. I know I fell asleep again.

When I woke up my ankle was throbbing. It really hurt and I think I started crying a bit. Dad was by my side immediately.

"Hey, what's up?"

"My ankle hurts," I said.

"Okay. I'll call the nurse and get you something for that."

I heard movement and in a little a nurse poked her head in the room.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"My daughter says her ankle is hurting her," Dad said.

"Okay. I'll check her chart and see if she can have something now. If so I'll come right back with it," she said.

"Hey Kiddo," I heard and opened my eyes. Uncle Josh was standing over me. "How do you feel?"

"Sleepy and my ankle hurts," I sort of whined.

"I'm sure. But you're all patched up. You did great from what I heard."

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked.

"We're right here sweetheart," Mom said, coming up to me. "I'd climb into bed with you, but Rosie's taking up too much room."

I looked down and Rosie was asleep, curled up beside me. I smiled.

The nurse came back with a needle that she explained would probably make me sleepier and that I should just rest.

Probably five minutes later, I was woozy and groggy and fell asleep.