Work Before Play

As I Lay

I propped myself on the side of my car once the crazy woman left. She left losing from me turning the blade on her and slicing her hand and near her kneecap.

I remembered pulling out some of that bitch's blonde hair. I needed to keep that for evidence. My hand gripped the few strands weakly.

I wheezed out a breath. I counted each time she stabbed me. My worst one was on my side. It bled a lot. I held my hand close to it to try to stop most of it.

My head was pounding from when she pushed my skull against the ground. I pushed the emergency button for my car. My head throbbed at each loud obnoxious beep blaring from it.

My eyelids were beginning to feel heavy and slipped close every now and then.

Right before I lost consciousness, I heard Mark s screaming at me to wake up. I couldn't. I was too tired.

I remembered hearing sirens but I couldn't open my eyes. It was like a lucid dream. I couldn't move but I could hear the outside world.

I kept shoving my hand against the EMT's to give him the hair. At least I assume it as the EMT.

"The hair. The hair.." I whispered to him.

Then I blacked out again.

My eyes fluttered slightly before I could fully open them. The air felt cold and dreary.

A small whimper escaped my lips as o tried to move. Pain exploded around me everywhere when I tried to move.

I glanced over to see Mark asleep. He had pushed the chair close my bed and was gripping my hand, even while asleep.

I took in my surroundings. And IV on my left arm, a contraption on my index finger, probably helping with my pulse. And wires on my chest leading to a heart monitor. Through my previous slight movements, I know I had gauze wrapped around me.  I had bandages on my hands and arms from defending myself. The hospital gown was scratchy and the sheets were thin. But I had a pile of them on me, my guess to keep me warm.

I moved my hand slightly to get Mark to wake up. He moaned softly, but then bolted awake. I guess he realized what my movements meant.

"Oh, Lydia!" Mark said hoarsely.

"Hey, Markimoo." I wheezed weakly.

"Don't strain yourself, Lydia. That horrible person did a number on you. I gave the police the hair you kept trying to give me. I assume you didn't let the attacker go unscathed, either."

So Mark was riding with me, that's who took the hair from me. "Yeah. She saw you and I kiss. She wasn't too thrilled about it."

"I think I should do a video introducing you as mine. I will not stand for this within my community." He said with anger in his eyes.

"Not until back home and well. I don't want to give that bitch the gratitude of knowing how bad she got me. I want her to know people like her are unwelcoming and they can't scare us." My anger rose at that woman's audacity.

Mark and I's conversation was cut short by the doctor walking in.

"Hello, Ms. Greenbriar and Mr. Fischbach, or should I say soon to be Mr. And Mrs. Fischbach?" He smiled politely.

"What?" I asked shocked.

Mark quickly covered the lie he must've told the doctor. "Oh, she must've forgot when she hit her head." He looked at me with pleading eyes, "Right, honey?"

Oh, Mark must've said all this to stay past visiting hours. If he's going to be family, that's the only way they would let him stay if he was my next of kin.

"Yeah, it's a little fuzzy but I think I remember." I gazed lovingly into Mark's brown eyes.

"Anyways, lemme look at your chart here." The doctor said picking up the clipboard at the end of the bed.
"Looks like multiple stab wounds. Most are superficial and not deep for worse injury. The one on your left side near your ribs, is fairly deep that you have four stitches. We need to check you for a concussion from your fall." The doctor put his sheet away and looked down at me. "I know you must be very sore, Lydia, but can you tell me how much pain you are in, not soreness?"

"Um, I have a small headache, but mostly it's just my left side. Other than that I am just sore everywhere. The bruises and muscle stiffness, I think are causing most of my pain, Sir." I answered honestly.

"Okay, I'll tell the nurse to give you some stronger pain medicine." Then he signed some stuff and check my monitors and was soon out the door.

Someone peeked in from the outside as the doctor left. Soon the door opened all the way and Sean, Bob, Matt, Wade and Ryan all scampered in.

"Hey, guys." I said weakly. Matt was holding a stuffed moose. "Wha-?" I asked at he set in the crook of my arm.

"It's the only thing I could find on such short notice. I saw you had a couple pictures of moose on your walls so I grabbed it cuz I thought you liked them." He said shyly.

"It's great, thanks Matt."

Sean was holding a bouquet and Bob and Wade had chocolates. Ryan had what I assumed was a card in a blue envelope.

"Guys, you didn't have to do all this." I told them embarrassed.

"You mean the world to Mark so you mean the world to us as well then!" Sean replied beaming at me.

We all sat around and chatted about the convention but avoiding the incident that happened.

"I still couldn't believe how well you handled that lost little Wilford!" Mark exclaimed.

"What can I say I love kids!" I said happily but my voice still sounding weak.

Mark got a certain look on his face that I was about to ask him what was going on in his head when there was a knock on the door followed by a nurse entering.

She had come to administer a concussion test and had a small plastic cup with three pills in it.

"I'm sorry everyone, but next of kin only while I administer her tests." She looked the the horde of men in my room. The guys left what they were holding around various parts of my room and walked out.

"Two for soreness and one relaxer, Sweetie." The nurse told me nicely after I was hesitant with taking them. "You have a lot of friends that care for you. They wouldn't leave all night. So we had to let them stay, but only your fiancé was allowed to stay in your room."

"Wait. All night?"

"Yes, you slept through the night. You were brought in around 5:15pm yesterday. And now it's 3pm."

"Oh okay. Thank you ma'am." I said realizing how long I was unconscious.

The nurse left and all my guys came back in. We waited until 8:30pm until the nurse came back in.

The test came back that she administered. "You're fine. Just a large bump, but no concussion!" She said happily.

Mark leaned down and kissed my hand he was holding. "That's great!"

"Do you know when I can be discharged?" I asked the nurse after smiling wide for Mark.

"Your stitches will have to stay in for a minimum of three weeks but after I redo your other bandages, you are free to leave." She said starting on my gauze.

"That's great! Mark will you go bring the car around for me?"

"Ryan!" Mark barked at the sleepy Ryan and waking Matt up in the process when Mark threw the keys at Ryan. "Go brig the car around!"