Apricity #Wattys2016

Chapter Thirteen:Claudia

"Oh!" I complained as the young nurse stuck me for the third time with a needle. She obviously was having a hard time finding my vein and I felt sorry for her but the irritation of not being able to leave the bed and being poked and prodded and tested on for the last 24 hours was starting to build up. She stuck me once more thankfully getting it right this time, for I don't know if I could grit my teeth if she missed again. She gave me an apologetic smile and began to draw a small vile of blood. I quickly adverted my gaze in fear that I'd pass out once again at the sight of blood, even though it was my own. When she was satisfied she collected her things and left.

I sighed and rested my head on my pillow counting the squares on the ceiling for the third time. The doctor who I now knew as Dr. Waller entered the room, his clipboard attached to his hand as usual. I waited patiently as he checked the relentlessly beeping machines around me and scribbled something on his clipboard.

"How are we feeling today Claudia?" He asked not looking up from his clipboard.

"When can I start moving around?" I hated to answer a question with a question but I was desperate and if I sat in this white plank any longer i'd scream. What if I had forgotten how to walk? Okay that was an exaggeration but my legs felt like limp noodles.

Dr. Waller pursed his lips into a thin line before answering.

"I'm afraid you're stuck in here for the remaining four hours until we move you into surgery and from then on out depending how well you do in surgery will decide how long until your up and moving again. Which could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks" I seethed at his answer and laid my head back on the pillow.

"Have you regained any memory of the night of the crash or anything before that?" I shook my head. He scribbled down something before holding up a finger signaling me to wait and leaving the room. He returned shortly with a rather thick book in hand.

"Your mo-." He stopped short before restarting his sentence.

"Ms. Weathers dropped this off to me earlier and requested that I bring it to you. I can imagine how boring it is to sit in here so this will give you something to do." He held out the book to me.

"The Swan Thieves?" The book sounded familiar but I couldn't recall ever reading it, however he was right, it was something to do and I was extremely thankful for the sudden distraction.

"Your tests came back. Nothing out of ordinary seems to be going on with you so we will continue with the surgery as planned." Dr. Waller seemed to be very bad with eye contact as he was looking nearly everywhere but at me.

"I will come get you when it is time." He nodded and fled the room.

I scoffed and tore open the book.

~~~

A few hours later and many chapters into the book that I hadn't even bothered to set down since it had reached my hands, a nurse walked into the room. The same nurse that had stuck me multiple times that morning. I glared a her as if daring her to come anywhere near me with another needle. She checked the machines and fiddled with my IV before giving me a short smile and leaving the room. I waited a while zoned out before I looked back down at the book. The words were starting to get blurry from reading for so long.

My stomach made an awful sound informing me that I was indeed hungry. I grabbed at the remote perched on the table next to the bed. I could feel the strain on all my muscles that were screaming to be used but I ignored their pleas and clicked the call nurse button a few times before settling back in.

A soft knock sounded from across the room and I looked up to see a nurse, however it was not my usual nurse. This nurse was clearly a lot older. Her small figure leaned against the doorframe, her hair white catching the light perfectly. It reminded me of the first snow fall when you awoke in the morning and looked out the window to the clean blanket of white. I always wondered how snow ended up so flat and even, if it fell in random pieces. Shouldn't it be clumped and piled?

The nurse made her way into the room snapping me out of my thought process.

"I haven't had lunch and I'm starving." On cue as if my stomach wanted to prove that statement it made another rumbling sound. I raised one eyebrow at the nurse.

"You can't eat before your surgery. That is why we gave you a hearty breakfast this morning." I sighed feeling deflated.

"Speaking of surgery, Dr, Waller will be in her momentarily to transfer you to the surgery wing." I nodded okay and she left the room.

Only a few minutes later as warned Dr. Waller strolled into the room.

"Alright Claudia, are you ready?" He asked unhooking some of the machines.

"Yes however even if I wasn't I don't seem to have a choice do I?" He chuckled.

"Well Claudia you'll do just fine with that attitude, you seem to have proven that you're a fighter already as it is!" I smiled for the first time in days.

"Lets hope so." I said before being wheeled off to the next wing, Dr. Waller making brief conversation with me the whole way.

"How do you like that book? You don't seem to have put it down."

"It's interesting, not my normal topic of interest, well at least I don't think but the style of writing is intriguing. Had I had something better to do I don't think I would of ever discovered it."

"Well I'm glad you enjoy it. Ms Weathers said it was one of your favorites." He stopped short sucking in a quick breath.

"One of my favorites?" I asked but before my question could be answered I was wheeled into what I assume was the operation wing and a mask was tucked over my mouth by my usual nurse.

"Now Claudia I'm gonna need you to take deep breaths and when I say so start counting to ten." Lovely I thought to myself. The nurse that couldn't even figure out where to put the needle in my arm to draw blood was now putting me under. Is it possible to die from overdosing on anesthesia?

"Okay and let's start now. 1...2...3...4...5..." I counted with her but by the time I had reached 6 I already felt drowsy and my eyelids were shutting themselves.

I never remembered reaching ten as a black cloud consumed my vision.

~~~