I'm Here for You, Always

Chapter 2

My eyes pop open. My vision is clouded. I'm petrified. There is a tube down my throat. I am itching to pull it out, but I don't. I see Thea sleeping on the dingy-looking chair in my room. Matt must have stepped out for a minute.

"Hmm!" I moan. Thea jumps from the chair to the edge of my bed.

"You scared me half to death," she says as she puts her warm hand on my forehead.

"Matt! Matt!" she calls into the hallway.

"What's going on? Is there something wrong?" he calls, as he steps into the room.

"She's awake! She says ecstatically.

"Oh my gosh! Izzy!" he says as he rushes to my bedside to hold my hand. I love that they care, but I really just want the tube out of my throat.

"Hmm!" I moan as I point to the tube.

"I'll take that out right after I get the results of your PET scan," he says, just as a nurse walks in.

"Here are the results Dr.," she says, as she hands him a big manila folder.

"Thanks, Connie," he says, as she walks out of the room. He pulls a black photo out of the folder and holds it up to the light.

 "I see here that there is a part of your brain that is highlighted. This means that's where your seizures are taking place. That means you have a condition called epilepsy. So I'll prescribe some meds to help control it. Now let's get that tube out." he says, as he puts the photo back in the folder, and grabs a pair of baby blue gloves from a box. He takes the tape off my mouth that is connected to the tube.

"Alight, as I pull the tube out I need you to blow as hard as you can. Thea can you get that basin?" he asks as he points to the pink plastic basin in the corner, on a table. He takes a small blue towel and lays it on the bed. She walks over to get the basin.

"Are you ready?" he asks me, as he puts his hand on the tube. I nod my head yes. As he starts to pull out the tube I blow as hard as I can. When the tube is completely out he lays it on the blue towel. I start to cough uncontrollably.

"Thea can you please hand me the basin?" he asks her. She hands it to him, and he puts it under my chin so that I can cough up phlegm in my throat, and puts an oxygen mask on my face. Matt warms up his stethoscope and puts it up the back of my gown.

 "Take some deep breaths for me, Izzy," he says. I take deep breaths as he moves his stethoscope over my back. Then he puts it back around his neck. "Everything is good. You'll still be here to recuperate," he says as he writes in my chart. "Thea can you give us a minute?" he asks without looking at her. 

"Sure," she says as she walks out of the room.

 "You know I love you, right? I won't let anything happen to you," he says in a whisper. 

"Yeah, I know," I say. 

"Don't be afraid to tell me anything," he says. 

"Okay," I whisper.

 "We'll get through this. I'll take care of you," he says softly as he walks out the room. As night falls, Thea looks disheveled and exhausted. 

"Hey, maybe you should go home and get some rest. You look terrible." I say with a raspy voice. 

 "No. Maybe I shouldn't. I have to look after you I promised your parents, remember." she replies. "

Yes, I remember. But my parents aren't going to come after you, asking you if you're looking after me." I say. 

"But.." she starts. 

"Plus I have Matt he'll be able to help me more than you can anyway." I cut her off.