DEATH IS LIFE | SCREAM

14 Under Control

A SHORT AMBULANCE RIDE LATER, they arrived at the hospital. The paramedics unloaded Tatum with quickly, wheeling her into the emergency room.

When they separated her from her mom, Tatum's heart sped up, a mix of fear and frustration bubbling to the surface. She reached out for her mom.

"Mommy!" she cried, her eyes filled with tears. "I want my mom."

"I'll be back soon!" her mom shouted.

"She's going to come back soon, sweetie," a nurse assured her, but Tatum felt annoyed being called that. The busyness of the doctors and nurses around her became overwhelming.

So many hands were touching her at once, and she hated the feeling. They were shouting medical terms she didn't understand. She began to panic.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, thrashing against the gurney, her eyes wide with terror. "I don't want this! I want my mom!"

The nurses exchanged worried glances while Tatum continued to struggle, her breath coming in short, frantic gasps.

"She's going into shock," one of the nurses said urgently.

As they struggled to keep her still, another nurse prepared a syringe. "We need to sedate her to calm her down," she said.

"No! Don't! I don't want it!" Tatum cried. But it was too late; she felt the prick in her arm and the cold rush of the sedative taking over.

A wave of drowsiness washed over her, and no matter how much she fought against it, her eyes fluttered shut.

Meanwhile, Gale paced in the waiting room, anxiety knotting her stomach. The minutes felt like hours. When a doctor finally approached her, his expression was grave.

"Ms. Weathers?" he said, his voice steady yet serious. "Your daughter is stable, but she's been through a lot."

"What's wrong with her?" Gale asked, panic rising in her throat.

"She has multiple injuries," the doctor explained. "A concussion, several bruised ribs, a hairline fracture in her collarbone, and extensive bruising around her neck. The fall and the chaos she was in caused significant trauma. We had to give her a sedative to keep her calm during treatment because she was in distress."

"What do you mean extensive bruising?" Gale pressed, her heart racing.

"Her neck and sides have deep bruises, indicating that the impact was severe. This could lead to complications if not monitored closely," the doctor continued. "The hairline fracture means there's a crack in the collarbone that we'll need to immobilize. We'll keep her under observation for a while, but the sedative was necessary to allow us to assess her injuries without further alarming her."

Gale's heart sank as she processed the weight of the doctor's words. All she wanted was to be by her daughter's side, to protect her from this nightmare.

As the doctor retreated, Gale went back to pacing, she would have worn a whole into the floor if it weren't for Sydney showing up.

"Hey, Gale. How's Tatum?"

Gale ran a shaky hand through her hair. "They're running tests and trying to figure out what's wrong."

"Tests? Like what kind?" Sydney asked, leaning closer.

"X-rays, MRIs, you name it. They think she has a concussion, possible fractures... I don't know, Sydney. I just want to see her," Gale said, her voice trembling.

"They'll take care of her," Sydney said, trying to reassure her.

Two hours later, a doctor emerged from the hallway, his expression serious. Gale's heart sank as she rushed over to him.