Lost and Found

Chapter 4

Lost and Found – Chapter 4

Ashley got out of ICU the next morning. She is in a regular room which means the whole family can visit at once, and they don't have to worry about the room being so tiny and confined. This also meant that Frankie could come and visit his big sister whenever he wanted too. Children under 16 were not allowed in the ICU because of germs.

The swallowing test showed that Ashley isn't able to chew up her food. The brain damage from the seizures showed that she has troubles chewing, she either doesn't know how to chew, or doesn't remember that she is supposed to chew and then swallow. So, she is now on a pureed diet, which basically means she has to eat food that is already in a soft form, so that way she can just swallow without having to worry about chewing.

Kevin, Joe, Nick, and Frankie were watching football earlier, but Ashley didn't like that she started yelling and got very agitated while they were watching the game.

They switched the channel over to the HGTV network which had Property Brothers on. They were remodeling an 1870's house that had a ghost in it and were having problems. The ghost didn't want them to remodel the house. Ashley was finding it hilarious, she was laughing and smiling the whole time.

Denise noticed that Ashley's legs were swollen during a commercial. "Ash, honey, do your legs hurt," Denise asked Ashley who just blinked at her once before tears started filling up in her eyes and she broke down sobbing.

This caught Kevin, Joe, and Nick's attention. They turned off the TV and came over to Ashley and Denise "what's wrong over here," Kevin said. Ashley just kept on crying, she was in pain, her legs hurt so much, and she just wanted to make it stop.

The nurses and doctors came in and started testing for swelling in the legs and the calves. Ashley of course started freaking out and crying because the machine was cold and hurt a lot when it was on her legs. "Ashley," Paul said, "if you are good, I will get you an ice cream shake, how does that sound?" Ashley blinked once and then tried to not cry for the rest of the ten-minute procedure. She did start tearing up once after that but other than that she did great.

As soon as the procedure was done, Paul went and got Ashley a vanilla shake, at her request, from the closet ice cream parlor, but not before asking everyone else what they wanted.

"Come on Frank, let's go get some ice cream, I'll let you ride shotgun," Paul said. He could tell that the boy was getting restless and tired. The nurse had also told them that they were going to come in and give Ashley a suppository to help get her bowels moving. Paul didn't want Frankie to see that happen to Ashley.

"Hi Ashley, we are going to hopefully make your tummy feel a little better, how does that sound?" the red headed nurse said as she came in the room with a tray of supplies.

Ashley blinked once, her stomach was hurting all day long today, and she wasn't sure what was wrong, she just wasn't feeling good. Everyone who came into the room this morning knew it because she would scream and get very angry at them.

The nurse took down the blankets and sheets and started removing her wet diaper. They were changing her every three hours at the hospital so she wouldn't get a rash. "Can you help me roll her on her side," the nurse asked Nick who was sitting next to her on the chair. He stood up and took Ashley by her back and started rolling her to her right side, so she was facing him.

The nurse first cleaned her bottom, since she was wet and then she explained that she was going to put a suppository up her bottom, she counted to three and pushed it in. Ashley of course started crying when the suppository went up her butt.