It's Coming Around | Lawrusso

It's Coming Around Chapter 9/10

The doctor said it was important to keep Johnny as calm and relaxed as possible, that stress might make the spasms worse, so the room was kept darkened, the blinds drawn, and noise was kept to a minimum.

Johnny was on his side, drooling on the pillow, his eyes open just a sliver, but they were glassy and unfocused. He'd been taken off the ventilator the day before, but the sedation meant he spent most of the time barely conscious.

Daniel took a tissue and leaned over, wiping the side of his mouth, as he quietly said, "I'm just going to clean this up for you."

He balled up the tissue and threw it into the bin.

"I know you can't help it," he said, then he smiled sadly. "If you were awake now I'm pretty sure you'd be making a joke about sleeping on the wet spot."

He leant over the bed, resting his chin on one hand on the mattress, as he lazily trailed the fingers of his other hand across Johnny's arm.

"I hope you're not in any pain," Daniel whispered.

The evening before Miguel had left the room in tears. Despite the sedation and morphine, Johnny had been suffering from muscle spasms, which pulled on the already damaged tissue of his back, and he was letting out small cries of pain with almost every breath.

"I can't stand seeing him hurting," Miguel sobbed outside the room.

"I think I should take him home," Carmen said, as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"It might be for the best," Daniel agreed.

"I don't want to go," Miguel said, shaking his head. "I need to be here. He might wake up."

"He's not going to wake up properly for a few days," Daniel said, putting his hand on Miguel's shoulder.

"But I need to be here when he does," Miguel said desperately. "I need to apologise to him."

"Miguel, you don't have to apologise for anything," Daniel said. "None of this is your fault."

"But it's my injury," Miguel said, as tears spilled over.

"Daniel is right, Miggy," Carmen said. "This isn't your fault. It doesn't matter that it's your injury. You didn't cause this."

"I just... I can't stand seeing him in pain," he said, his voice breaking.

"I know," she said, wrapping her arms around him tightly as he sobbed. She turned to Daniel and said, "I'm going to take him home."

Daniel wasn't sure if Miguel was going to come back, but if he did, it seemed that Johnny wasn't in pain now.

Doctor Austin had said that Johnny hadn't damaged his spine, but he had torn muscles and ligaments in his back, and every time he suffered another spasm it was pulling on the injuries, causing him more pain.

Johnny was breathing slowly, an oxygen tube snaking across his face and under his nose. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed.

The machine next to him let out a shrill sound, and Daniel sat bolt upright, wondering what the hell was going on, as the door flew open and a nurse ran in.

Daniel stood up moving out of his way, and asked, "What's happening?"

"Johnny," the nurse said, as he rubbed his knuckles against Johnny's sternum. "I need you wake up for me."

Johnny's face screwed up as he tried to squirm away from the pressure on his chest.

"That's it, come on," the nurse said. "You need to breathe for me."