You know those times when you wake up in the morning and you feel like you've taken a beating, well, this is sort of like that. Except for the fact the I woke up in a hospital bed with limited vision, I don't think I'm going blind, more likely swelling over my eyes, it would fit the monstrous headache I'm having right now. I cant see it clearly but it looks like there's an x-ray on the light board by my bed showing five or six broken ribs, That would explain the feeling of death radiating from my right hand side. There's no one else in the room so I decided to call out for a nurse or maybe a doctor, as I go to yell, just loud enough so that they can hear me through the glass door, I notice something that makes it impossible to speak, I glanced down to examine myself, you know, make sure I'm all present and counted for, but I'm not, I'm missing my left arm from 3 inches below the elbow, and my legs, both of them just below the knee. I sit there in shock, desperately trying to account for my actions the might before, but I cant remember anything, I barely remember my name and apartment number. 3 nurses rushed in like I was dying along with a trauma doctor, I hadn't noticed that for the past few minutes my heart monitor had been going crazy. My heart was beating over 200 times a minute and somehow I wasn't dead or dying, the doctor looked down at me and said, "you're a miracle kid, why cant we all have guardian angels like yours". I started to feel dizzy and weak and the last thing I remember seeing was a look of absolute terror on the poor nurses face.
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"Eric please don't go, you don't have to there has to be another way"
"How am I gonna pay rent, or keep bread in our mouths if I don't get in that car right now and drive?"
"i don't know, we'll figure something out, we always do."
"Alice we have this conversation every week, we're just as broke this week as were last week and we'll be as broke next week as we are this week. I have to race, you know I do, working 9 to 5 making minimum wage doesn't cut it here, we're not in Georgia anymore, this is New York, and im not gonna allow you to live on the street. while we're waiting on me to get the big job at the hospital you're going to have to get off my back about racing, okay?"
"okay, but promise me as soon as you get the job, you're out."
"When I get the job I'll lock the car away in a unit somewhere, hows that"
"terrific."
"okay sweetie I gotta go, I love you, tuck the girls in for me"
"i love you too, go win some money before I kill you."
******
I was slammed back into consciousness by the sound of screeching tires and the feeling of metal pressing against my chest. I woke up gasping for air, desperately trying to steal a breath before noticing the long tube down my throat, thankfully a nurse had take notice of my elevated heart rate and came into the room to check on me. She nearly strangled me pulling the tube out of my throat, but once it was out I was so relieved I could have kissed her, right up until she decided to speak that is. She had a funny accent, most likely Asian, she welcomed me back to the conscious world, it was thoughtful, but when she spoke it sounded like "Wheel-come back me-store Smeeth." I felt bad for laughing, I didn't know weather I felt bad because i laughed or because it was excruciating to do anything but breath, don't get me wrong breathing hurt, but laughing was deadly.
I tried to speak, but could only muster a groan, she told me not to speak, but I needed to know where Alice and the girls were. It was all I could do to say the word "family?" the nurse smiled, and replied saying that they had been by my side for the past thirty six hours, only leaving to eat, she promised me that they would be back soon. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep while i waited on my family returned. Seemingly as soon as i closed my eyes i felt the cool, soft touch that could only belong to Alice. When i opened my eye i was granted the comfort of seeing my family once again, they had all been crying, probably thought i was gonna die, but right at that moment they were smiling. It made all the pain go away, at least until i started to speak, it was still agonizing but i had to tell my family that i loved them, and my girls that their daddy was coming home soon.
You know how doctors love those little family moments where every ones happy, well this doctor came marching just in time to interrupt one of those.
"Hello Eric, We've been worried about you, you stopped breathing three times while you were unconscious. It seems one of those broken ribs pierced your lung, but not to worry, we have already completed the procedure to correct it..."
This guy had so much to say, i swear he was worse than a telesales man, I was too busy waiting on him to stop for a breath of air so i could get my chance to ask him when i get to go home to even care about the speech he was giving me, probably telling me about how racing is bad, the money isn't worth it, and all that blah blah that all the doctors say when someone ends up in here from a racing accident. After 5 minutes of nonstop Rambling i got my chance when he asked me how i was feeling.
"I want to go home," i replied to the doctor, trying to sound as pain free as possible but I wasn't getting any better. "everything hurts, but please just let me go home"
He than began another seminar about The long and painful process that lies ahead and about how prosthetic's is going to take a lot of time and effort on the behalf of all of us. He finally closed with "nothing will ever be the same for you again, but nothing is impossible." I guess that was his idea of an inspirational speech, but i was just happy he left the room, to go inspire some of his other patients.
