Light and Dark

Chapter 7

Lenny visits me the next day with a big grin spread across his face. Seeing his smile fills my head with happiness. He tells me all about my race, and the accident.
Lenny has to go to school so he leaves at 8:30am.
After he has left a Doctor comes in who i don't recognise. Her name tag says Libby.

"Hello Annica, how are you feeling?"

"Hello Libby, my chest is really sore and my head is aching but otherwise I'm okay."

"Well I am going to do some tests on your head as that is the most important at the minute. I'll help you get changed and you can come with me."

I slowly pull myself out of the hospital bed and as soon as I stand up my legs give way, they are extremely weak. Nurse Milla comes in, answering Dr. Libby's call. She brings a pale, white robe over that I wear for the scan and I pull it over my head.

As I get wheeled through the long, white walled corridor I have a flash back of a memory of when I was five and I broke my arm. These long, white corridors are familiar.
I go into a big scanning room and two doctors I have never seen before lay me down at this tube machine thing and slide me into it.
While all this is happening, Nurse Milla is gently, kindly explaining what is happening. I am having an MRI scan on my brain to check on my scull. She says it won't hurt and will take roughly 35 minutes.

I take a few deep breaths and then close my eyes. When I next open them all I see is white.
I close them again and focus on my breathing....
In through my nose and out through my mouth.

After roughly five minutes I begin to hear the hum of the machine and drum like sounds. I hear banging but I have been warned of this and I know it is the sound that photos are being taken.

..........................

Finally it is all over.

"Can I walk back to my room please?" I ask Nurse Milla

"Only if you feel like you can. I'll help you."

So she helps me to stand and I slowly take steps down the hallway. As my long legs get stronger I get faster, it feels great.

"That was really really good Annica!" Nurse Milla says as I go and sit down in a chair in my room.

"Thanks!"

For about an hour I watch the blue clock, tick, tock, tick, tock. Then I fall asleep, my eyes close heavily. I go into a deep sleep and dream of the farm. The dogs not having enough water, the horses being cold without their coats and the chickens locked in their enclosures. Dad is telling me not to worry and repeating my name over and over.
I wake, from his voice. Really there this time.

"Annica, Annica. Don't worry, it's just a dream." Dad assures me seeing the stressed look on my face. I give him a big hug and then Mum comes over and she falls into my arms. I explain my dream, but Mum makes me sure that it was not true.

"Don't worry Anni, all the animals are warm and healthy but they are missing you."

Dad tells me that Benny was whining last night, I really want to see him, and Simba and Misty. Doctor Libby comes in to check on me and when she sees my parents she has a talk to them, I can't quite catch what she is saying but I do hear snippets.

"Walking was great earlier."
"Chest improving."
"MRI results..."
"Tomorrow, x Ray, chest."

So far I have learnt that when I was running my heart had a burn out sort of thing because I wasn't used to running for that long. I was trying so hard that I was increasing the burn which lead to my chest and lungs, this made it hard for me to breathe.

My breathing now is still heavy and my chest hurts when I laugh or lay down though I am slowly getting better! Touch wood :)