A New Beginning

Stitches

Where am I? What is happening? Ow, my back. What happened? Where's Scott and Landon?

***

I turn my head, looking around. I try to speak, nothing. I'm weak, I can barely move. My eyes finally focus and I see a sleeping Scott in the hospital chair right next to my bed. I look down and see the IV in my arm and all the usual equipment occupying my right finger and arm. I blink my eyes several times, and moan as the pain in my back feels like someone has stabbed me over and over again. The fiery pain is coating my back from my shoulders down to my tail bone. The pain is throbbing with my heart beat, which runs through my pounding head, causing my entire body to ache. I wince at the pain and let out another moan as the throbbing gradually gets worse.

"Mitch?" Scott jots awake at my stirring and quickly moved over to my side, concerned. He places his hand over my left and strokes it. "What do you need?"

I wince once more, hoping he will realize.

"Oh! God you must be in so much pain! I'm so sorry, I'll be right back," he says, then runs out into the hallway. I can hear him calling for a nurse, and he returns with one.

"Hello, Mitch. You must have terrible back pain. I'll fix that right away," the nurse says. She is a stout woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. She has a lot of makeup on and a thin application of red color on her thin lips. She turns to my bedside where a few dozens medications lie on top of a food tray and one is liquid. She gets out a measuring cup and pours the green liquid inside it. She hands this to Scott and he leans over me to give it to me. I open my mouth and he pours it into my mouth, and I swallow the disgusting tasting liquid. She then gives me five more pills to take by mouth and an injection in my arm which she said would ease the pain dramatically and allow me to rest. She also told me first to not freak out, to which I obliged. She told me that I had about twenty stitches in my back and four on my right shoulder. My eyes opened wider and I could hear my heart rate accelerating from the machine beside me.

"Calm down sweetie, you're going to be alright. You should only be in here for a few more days and you don't have anything special to eat or drink except your meds, which can be taken on an empty stomach as they are mainly pain relievers like Tylenol but stronger. These few days will go by in no time if you simply rest and sleep through them. I would suggest not eating whole meals as the medication could have some major side affects and also it will be painful for you to get up to go to the bathroom because of your stitches. Sleeping through the pain is the best advice I have for you, and the medication will kick in very soon. Please, feel free to press this red button next to you if you need me, my name is Melissa,"she said, and she left. Scott once again placed his hand over my own and kissed my forehead.

"You're warm."

"I bet," I mumble.

"Please, rest. I love you so much."

"I...love you too," I struggle to say.

And that was when the meds finally kicked in and everything went black.