For better or for worse.

Chapter 22

I've been sitting here for 5 hours, praying, waiting, then praying some more. I've been staring at the white walls of the hospital for hours now. Why is it taking so long? Just as I thought that the doctor that performed Ian's surgery came out of the big metal doors that lead to the surgery area. I got up immediately as I saw him.

"Sam?" He asked me. I nodded quickly before rambling on.

"Is he ok? Is everything ok? How is he---" I was stopped by the doctor putting his hands on my shoulders in order for me to cam down.

"He's fine, he did brilliantly." I sighed and felt like I was going to burst into tears from relief. "And so did you." The doctor continued. "He wouldn't have made it if he a lost another ounce of blood. It was practically a miracle he survived the surgery." The doctor smiled at me reassuringly.

"So everything's fine. He can be released soon?" I asked happily. The doctors silence didn't confirm my answer.

"I think you and I need to have a little talk." The doctor said leading me over to the uncomfortable grey chairs I had been sitting n for the past 5 hours. I looked towards him attentively wanting him to continue. "When the glass penetrated your friends back, it hit a nerve that directly flows down the central part of the spinal cord, controlling the lower half of a person's body. When the glass disrupted his lower nervous system, this resulted in your friend not being able to feel his legs. Well the thing is that the nervous system is probably one of the most fragile parts of the human body, meaning when it's damaged it need a considerable amount of time to heal." The doctor paused for a moment, I understood everything he was saying, but I was way too tired to put two and two together at the point. "Your friend is going to be paralysed for about 4-5 months, until his back recovers, now this is a long---" The doctor kept going but I stopped breathing immediately, took in a sharp breath and just hoped I wouldn't pass out. Paralysed! That was the only word I could comprehend from the noise the doctor had just made. I could still see his mouth moving, but I wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying. That word just haunted me. Forever.

"---But he will be able to walk again, I'm certain of it, with the right physiotherapy and determination there isn't any reason he won't. He's unconscious at the minute, but he's been taken to recovery and is stable." The doctor stood up from the grey chairs lining the room and I followed him quickly. "You really did an excellent job Sam, you both did."

"Can I---  Can I see him?" I asked, my voice cracking and a single tear running down my face.

"Of course you can. follow me." The doctor smiled sympathetically. I walked close to him down the corridor and through another labelled 'recovery unit'. I sighed a sigh of relief when he pushed the door open and reveal my extremely brave, but extremely fragile friend lying there unconscious. "I'll give you two a minute." The doctor said as he left the room. I nodded behind him and allowed the heavy wooden door to shut.

I noticed a chair by the side of him bed and sat down next to him. He looked so innocent and weak. another two tears rolled down my cheek.

"Hey." I began to say softly. "So the doctor says that your gonna be just fine. You'll need to stay here for a little while and get your energy back. He said you won't be able to walk for a few months, but you will walk again Ian I know it. You one of the most stubborn people I know." I chuckled to myself. I grabbed on to Ian's hand which was lying limp beside him and brought it up to my lips, kissing his bruised and cut knuckles gently. I looked at his face and saw he had a cut lip, black eye, cut forehead and a gash above his eyebrow which they must have stitched up whilst he was in surgery. I began to freely allow the tears in my eyes to roll down my cheeks and onto the clean white bed sheets.