I Play for Keeps

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

“I love you my little Princess,” My Russian mother’s voice filled my mind. “Never forget, never forget, never forget. Never…”

I woke from the dream in a cold sweat. There was a strange beeping noise, and I realized there was a heart monitor attached to me. I was in the hospital.

The fire. Oh god the fire. I started it with that stupid Mac n cheese. It was all my fault.

Mom! The thought sent my heart flying. The machine was beeping frantically. I couldn’t lose someone else.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake.” My hospital room door opened and shut, and an old man looking to be in his fifties approach me. “When I heard your heart monitor speed up, I came in expectiong you were having a seizure. You just woke up and freaked out. Happens to all the patients.” Gently, he took my arm and examined. I noticed then that I had several stitches along my arms and legs, even my cheek had one. Then I remembered.

The fire was getting closer. Hope was tightly held against my chest. I was going to die unless I tried something. I jumped over the fire, and I crashed through the back porch door…

“Some fall you had there. You got like fifty stitches. Thought you wouldn’t make it, but your body wouldn’t give up. You’ll be released once we get those stitches off. Your house is ok. Just the kitchen isn’t usable. Insurance company will take care of most of it in the next few weeks.

“And my mom—,”

“Is in a coma. The fall she took was severe. Though it was only a three foot drop, she landed on her arm to protect her head. Being in the weak state wit hher cancer, her arm easily snapped, the wind was knocked out of her, and she collapsed. Paramedics thought she passed out, but after thirty minutes of trying to reach her, we understood the severity of her situation. She’ll be alright. Her cancer is under control for now, and we just have to wait.” I had nothing to say. My throat was dry, my cuts hurt, and fear was settling in my gut.

My mom was in a coma.

“Can you still perform that surgery?”

“No. we don’t want to harm her while she’s under.”

“But…she needs the surgery…or she’ll….”

“There is nothing we can do for her. Besides, yoru bills have finally been paid off. And now you ned about $1,000 to cover for the stitches, your mom, and your overnight fees. We don’t’ know how long it will be until she wakes. Covering her bills while she’s staying here will be hard enough. The least of your worries should be this surgery.”

“But if she doesn’t get it…”

“I KNOW!! But there is nothing we can do. I’m sorry, Rae.”

At around 4:00 PM, I was released from the hospital. Without my mom. She would stay there for a week.

Putting Hope on my back, I walked to the strip club.

My mom was gonna get that surgery.