Bloody Rose

Conditions

Chapter Fifty:

Conditions

"Hang with me kid", the EMT stated as the ambulance bounced along the road. Kaito couldn't see much from his position on the gurney, and the idea of being unable to do something was beginning to get at his nerves, making him somewhat antsy. Not something the paramedics were exactly happy about with his current condition.

"Eli, we are pulling up to the hospital now. Dr. Manako is going to meet us at the ER doors."

"Right, I will be ready", he called to his partner, "Hear that kid? We have arrived."

Kaito didn't know if he was supposed to respond to that or if the statement had been rhetorical, but he took it as that considering he honestly had other pressing concerns. Concerns such as his legs refusing to move and the fact that he knew nothing at all about his friend's conditions. Then of course there was the small matter of him having trouble breathing, even with an oxygen mask.

The doors of the ambulance were swung open as the vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the emergency room entrance. An older doctor was standing there, a grim smile on his face as he peered at his new patient who blinked back at him.

"Report?" the doctor demanded, his voice deep.

"Kaito Kuroba, age 17, University Explosion Survivor. He was trapped for several hours, suffering from major smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation. He has a minor concussion and some major bruising on his right side. His right arm is definitely broken in what I believe to be more than one spot and he currently has no movement or feeling in his lower body from the waist down."

"Get him to Trauma room tweleve and prep him for x-ray. I will be there in just a few short minutes."

Eli nodded as he rushed the gurney through the halls, nurses following along as he moved him through the door marked with a large black, bold 12. Kaito watched as they quickly prepared an examination table. He felt rather than saw them lifting the ends of his blankets as they moved him to the table, scissors hastily cutting off his clothes. He probably should have felt embarrassed, but considering what he had already been through in the past month and a half, he was beyond caring as they dressed him in a hospital gown, his body practically limp in their arms as exhaustion and lack of oxygen surrounded him.

The doctor from before marched back in and quickly lowered a large light looking thing over his head. Then, pushing some buttons, the light began shining red.

"This is a body scanner. I am going to scan you and then take x-ray photos, alright?"

Kaito just blinked.

"If you want me to stop at any time, let me know."

The doctor then flipped some more switches and the red light turned green, a strange foggy looking laser sweeping up and down his body. The light began blinking and Kaito wondered if it was now taking pictures. When the machine stopped, the light going red again, the doctor began typing away on a nearby computer.

"You definitely have some major bruising, but luckily no broken ribs of what I can tell. Your arm is going to need surgery however and your head will need stitches. Your legs are extremely bruised and your spine is bruised as well."

"Is it...did it paralyze me?" Kaito whispered, the fear he had tried so hard to keep at bay overwhelming him as he dreaded the answer.

The cold doctor's steely eyes softened a bit as he smiled sympathetically.

"The swelling on your spine is pressing into the nerves of your legs. Because of this, you won't be able to walk for a while. However when the swelling does go down, I am fairly confident that you should be able to walk again, although we will only know for certain with time, but I am confident this is only a temporary paralysis. No doubt for a while though, your legs will be feeling a lot like jelly. It will take therapy to build up the muscles again."