Game Over: Life's Over

Over Charged

The doctor left the room and it grew quiet. Mom looked at me and gave me an encouraging smile. "This is good news, Jake. You're getting better and that's all that matters."

I nodded but I didn't feel quite as happy as she did.

She stood up from her seat and looked at Eric and Theo. "I'm going to make a quick phone call. I'll be right back."

I watched her leave the room and sighed. I didn't want to try and put on a brave face just to keep Mom happy and optimistic. I didn't feel hopeful nor did I believe that what was happening to me was a good thing. The more my body shrunk, the more defeated I felt.

Theo walked over to the side of the bed. "Are you doing okay, Jake?"

I looked over at him and shook my head.

He frowned. "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear."

"Mom's so happy that I'm gonna be okay but... I don't feel like I'm okay. Everything's so overwhelming and I just woke up."

"She just wants you to be healthy. And between her and the doctor, you are. I'm sure she just doesn't understand what you're feeling or thinking because it's not internal for her like it is for you. Even we struggle sometimes to understand."

"You're allowed to be upset, Jake. I think your mom just wants to try and keep that from happening," Eric said.

"It's too late for that." I stared down at the blankets that covered me. They were thin and not very comfortable. They were nothing like the blankets I had at home.

"I'm sorry, Jake. I know none of these changes are easy for you, big or small."

I nodded.

"I wish we could make things better," Theo said. He put an arm around my shoulders and hugged me.

I closed my eyes as I hugged him back. As much as I loved Mom, I was glad to have someone, two someones, who understood how I was feeling. I liked not having to put up a cheery front around them when I felt totally different.

"Can we cheer you up somehow?" Eric asked.

I pulled back and looked between them. "Do you think you guys could go home and get some stuff for me?"

"What stuff are you thinking?"

"Can you get me a blanket or something? This one's not very comfortable."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

"My phone. I don't remember what I did with it but it might still be charging in my room."

Theo chuckled. "I'm sure it's charged by now."

"Sorry."

Eric shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll grab it."

"And can you bring my Switch? I feel like I'm gonna get bored here."

He nodded. "Yeah, I can get it." He looked at Theo. "Do you want to come with me? It might be nice to change out of your clothes and grab something to eat."

Theo nodded. "Yeah. I'll wait until Lydia comes back and then we can go."

I sighed and sat back in the bed, resting my head against the pillow. "Eat a cheeseburger for me."

Theo patted my arm. "We'll get you one when we go home."

—

Even though Mom was excited for me to get better and I wasn't, I was still glad to have her there. I was still in a bad mood about my smaller body but I tried my best to not be such a grump around her or Eric and Theo. I didn't want to bring the whole room down just because I hadn't accepted the new changes yet.

I knew I'd eventually get past them and get used to the way I looked but that was going to take time. It wasn't going to happen overnight. It wasn't even going to happen while I was at the hospital, either.

Mom sat in bed with me while I watched TV. I knew she wasn't interested in the kid shows I put on but she never said otherwise. She was probably just glad she could comfort me when I needed it most.

I couldn't wait for the nurses to come in and tell me I didn't need any of the IVs or tubes that were attached to me in some way. Thankfully, I didn't need the oxygen anymore so it was gone already. I just really wanted the IV gone. I couldn't get overly comfortable with it sticking out of my hand.

I curled up against Mom's side as I watched TV. I was hoping I could get up and walk around but I hadn't used my legs in days. I was hoping that my body would just adjust to my new size and it wouldn't cause me any problems. I wanted to get back to some type of normal by the time I went home.

Mom seemed hopeful that I could go for a walk once the IV was out of my hand. I needed to build up my strength again and I couldn't do that if I wasn't eating anything.

Not eating was harder than I thought it would be. In between episodes of the show I was watching were commercials for restaurants or new snacks to try. I knew that I'd be able to eat food soon but it felt like the time was crawling. It felt like time in the hospital was slower than normal.

Eric and Theo were gone for a little more than an hour. Eric had one of my duffle bags packed with stuff. Did he think I was moving in? I hadn't asked for that much.

Eric sat the bag down on the couch and unzipped it. He pulled out a throw blanket I frequently used in the living room and handed it over to Theo. Theo walked over to the bed and spread the blanket over Mom and me. It was definitely a lot more comfortable than the blankets the hospital provided.

Eric pulled out my switch and my phone and handed them both over to me. "Your phone is definitely charged for you."

"Did you leave it plugged in this whole time?" Mom asked.

My cheeks flushed. "I didn't think about it when I was sick."

Mom shook her head. "Hopefully, it's not fried."

"Well, you know, you could always buy me a new one. After all, I've been in the hospital for a while."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "You know that Christmas is coming up, don't you?"

"Yeah, well, I hope to stay out of the hospital and not have to come back. Don't I get something after everything I've been through?"

"Getting better should be enough."

I rolled my eyes and unlocked my phone. Thankfully, It loaded up fine. I had multiple messages from Soleil ranging from random messages to her freaking out that I wasn't messaging her back. It was definitely like her to be dramatic.

I looked over at Theo, feeling a crease forming on my forehead. "Can you call Carrie and let her know what's going on? Soleil's probably mad at me."

He smiled, sensing the stress that I was dealing with. "We already talked to her. We figured Soleil would want to know."

I nodded, relieved that Soleil at least knew I was still alive. It wouldn't stop her from worrying about me, though. "She's not gonna come here, is she?"

"No. Carrie didn't think it would be a good idea."

"We agree. We wanted to wait until you got home before we let her come see you," Eric said.

I nodded. As much as I wanted to see Soleil, I knew I needed some time before she came around. I still had to get used to my new body before I asked her to do the same.

Hopefully, she wouldn't think any differently about me once she saw me.