Dream On

Chapter 13

I slither in and out of consciousness for a while until I wake up fully, sore, cold, and soaked to the bone. I take quick inventory of all the things that hurt. My ankle  hurts A LOT. I can tell I'm bruised a little bit of everywhere. My arm is definitely  broken. The thing that hurts the most is my head. I can't move without hundreds of little bombs exploding in my head. My mind is so foggy but I will myself to stay awake. Stay awake. Stay... awake.

When I wake for the second time the rain has stopped and the sun is shining through the trees. I have to strain my ears until I realize what I'm hearing. Yes, it's Dad's strong voice echoing through the woods. I want to call out. To let him know where I am. But I can't. I can barely groan with out pain shooting through my head and body. The fog returns. Putting a film through my vision but before I slip back to the world where I've spent my time asleep, I gather all my courage and strength and I manage a yell as loud as I can! In call to the sky.

"Dad!" pain "I'm" more pain. Worse this time. "Here!" I yell at the top of my lungs before my mind pulls me back under. It's much deeper this time. I don't know how long I'm asleep this time but I know something's going on around me. I hear inaudible noises around me and a few bumps and pain. Oh, of course the pain penetrates the walls to oblivion. Just like when I was awake. The fog deepens and deepens until I can't remember anything at all.
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I wake at the feeling of tears on me face. Though I'm still disoriented, dizzy, and just out of it, I hear the beeps, the purrs, and the other noises that surround me.

"Hi Baby. It's okay. You're okay. I would hug you but you're pretty banged up. It would hurt you." Her tears are those of both joy and hurt. Joy because I'm okay. Hurt because I'm not okay. I'm broken. I have several broken bones and a SEVER concussion.It's going to take along time, but I'm going to be okay. I'm going to need a few surgeries to help heal my breaks but I'll be okay. Kind of.

I feel the pain now. I feel it deeply. All over me there's pain. Just a lot of pain.

"Mom," I say in a horse whisper "It hurts." Even the tiniest of noises make my head ache. Now that I'm awake a nurse comes in and tucks some more padding on my ears to block the sounds out. Soon I can hear just muffled noise that sounds kind of like voices but I'm not truly sure.

She nods and I see her lips move but what she said was in readable. She asks the nurse something and the nurse walks to my bedside then I feel a small rush of something warm into my IV. Next thing I know I'm back in a peaceful but dreamless sleep. The last thing I remember is Dad giving me a kiss on the forehead and them sitting hand in hand in the two chairs by the wall.

When I wake the next time I'm kind of shocked at what I see. I don't stir even the tiniest bit but I do strain to open my eyes a crack. There standing side by side are Rylan and Eric. They both look down at me. I can tell they are uncomfortable but they're in the same room.  after a while I do open my eyes and they both look at me. I'm pumped up with pain meds I point at the padding on my ears.

"Take them off." I say, barley able to hear my own voice. They exchange a glance as if to silently decide who going to do it. After a moment Eric makes a gesture to Rylan as if to say 'Go ahead.'

Very gently he pulls away some of the heavy fabric. When he reaches for the rest I stop his hand. I'm not up for all of it taken away.

"Hey Sunshine"
"Hey Blondie." They say in unison. Talk about awkward.

"Hey." I say to neither of them in particular.

"How you feeling?" Rylan says leaning down to my level.

"Been better." They both smile a little and then look at each other and then back at me.

"How are you out of the hospital?" I ask Rylan. Eric looks eager to know as well.

"I was discharged the morning we found you."

"You were walking through the woods? How?"

"Sunny, I'm not dying. I'm really fine. Nothing wrong at all."

"Good." I say. It's Eric that chimes in next.

"We both were."

"Dad called you too?"

"Actually I was still at our spot when they came through the woods and said you had been missing"

"OUR spot?" Rylan asks.

I disregard his question. I'm not up for dealing with his bitterness right now.

"I'm sorry. About everything. After our argument I just went a little crazy." I begin. My head still hurts but I started my story and the deserve to know. Mom and Dad especially. "I went to find a place to think. I went and curled up in the hunting blind and had a nightmare too. A bad one. Anyway, the thunder woke me and I thought about how worried Mom and Dad must be. I was set on getting home. I know it was stupid but I was going down the big hill and a tree went down in front of the four wheeler. Then I started walking and the rain had loosened a big rock that came down the hill and when I dove out of the way, I slid over the bank. I landed on I pile of mud and leaves then slipped in and out of awake and sleep. It hurt to even move. It took all I had to call out when you found me. I thought for sure I was going to die."