The Backbone

Chapter 9

Edna's POV

When I wake up the second time, I look around me and I notice that I am in the hospital. I try to move so I can find papa, but I can't because of the pain in my sides. I hear voices and next thing I know that dad and Uncle Tim and Uncle Anthony walk in and I can't help but cry when I see the worry on their faces and dad runs over to me and tries to calm me, but he can't. No one can until I see Andy walk in. As soon as I am in his arms, I am able to control myself and stop crying. You see I think that they will blame me as I blame myself for what happened. I haven't even heard how papa is or if he is ok at all.

It takes a while until I am completely calmed down and during that time Uncle Tim walks out to see how papa is and when he comes back, he says that he has a broken collar bone, and he is looking for dad and I. They won't tell him that dad is here. As dad and Uncle Anthony hear that they both run out to try and find him. I look at Andy and say "please can you help me go and see papa. I need to see with my own eyes that he is ok"? Andy shakes his head, and he says, "not yet beautiful as soon as the doctor says you can get up then we will find him".

I stay still for a bit just waiting for the doctor to come in, but he doesn't only Uncle Ant does. I try to be patient but after a while I really need to find papa, so I just jump out of bed and make a run for it.

I run down the corridor not looking back but I can hear the voices behind me.

I look for papa in every bed I pass until I see dad opening the curtain and I see papa in bed.

I run into his cubicle and throw myself into his arms. I feel him flinch, but I can't pull back because it feels so good having papa's arms around me again, I thought he was seriously hurt because they wouldn't tell me how he is.

I just can't tear myself away from papa not even with dad, Uncle Tim and Uncle Ant trying to pull me back. Not even the pain in my ribs can stop me from hugging papa. I know dad is probably dying to hug him to but for the life of me I can't bring myself to get out of his arms.

I stay like that for a good 10 minutes until I feel another pair of arms around me and this voice soothing me and when I look behind me, I see Andy standing there with his arms around me and that's when I can break away from papa. I pull back and just fall into Andy's arms instead and I just cry into his chest.

My crying must start dad off because I can hear him sobbing behind me and when I look back dad is crying into his hands. I just watch in horror for a bit until I notice dads' knees start to buckle and before I can react, I watch him fall to the floor. I close my eyes not being able to watch that and I brace myself to hear the crash, but it doesn't come but I do hear papa groaning in the background and I hear Andy say, "Adam watch out". I open my eyes and see dad buried with his face in papa's chest and papa sagging against the bed.

I let go of Andy to see if I can help them but Andy stops me and he says to me "I will do it beautiful you watch your ribs please and I really think we need to get you back to bed soon. I know your uncles will be back with some lunch soon, so I really want you sitting down or back in bed". I nod my head knowing what he said is true as they did go to get lunch for all of us.

Andy helps papa back on the bed while I try to hold dad up, but it just really hurts me mentally and physically. What with dads' weight because he can't hold himself upright due to stress and mentally to see my family like this.

I can feel myself sink further and further to the floor but before I can fall Andy comes back over to me and grabs me and dad and helps dad onto papa's bed so he can help me onto the chair. A nurse comes back in just at that moment and she says, "sir we will be taking you and your daughter to a ward now but I'm sorry we can't find a room together". Papa looks at her and he says "well just release us as I am not having my family looking all over the hospital looking for us. Better still in fact put us in a private room please. I have the best health insurance and I would also like someone to bring my husband a cup of tea please". She looks at him and was about to reply when Adam said, "now please and organise that private room or I will sign us both out and will take this to the papers, all the hurt you put peoples families through".