Dream On

Chapter 14

The pain finally takes over again and I push the little button on the remote that pumps me some more pain medication. It makes little difference. Before I ask to be put back under I look both Eric and Rylan in the eye.
"Thank you for coming." I say. I first grab Rylan's hand and tug him down to my level. I plant a little kiss on his cheek and he smiles. The smile disappears when I do the same to Eric.
"I'll see you both soon." I say and then one look to Mom tells her I'm hurting. She calls the nurse who gives me a drip in my IV that puts me back under.
In my dream I'm is school. Sitting in class but when I look down I'm bandaged on both arms and legs and instead of a desk I sit in a wheel chair. Knowing that in reality this will happen I don't expect to feel so invisible. No one even glances my way all day. Since my arms are bandaged, I can't wheel my chair so I just sit there. All day. All day long. No one stops to help. No one listens to my voice. I feel alone.
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I wake again and Mom tells me that I'm getting my first operation tomorrow. This one is to put rods in both of my arms to help them heal right. They'll cast me up and then a few days later, the same goes for my right leg and left ankle. I knew I was banged up but I didn't know I was this broken.
I've held them back this long but now I can't hold them anymore. The tears stream down my face but any sob just hurts. It hurts a lot, so just tears come. A lot of tears. I cry on and on until I realize how tired I am. Somehow I'm tired after sleeping all day. I feel asleep and no dreams pierce oblivion tonight. Just loneliness.

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I wake and they realize how hungry I am but when I ask for something they tell me not until after my operation. I have an hour to spare so I just look out the window. I stare at a few girls on a street bench watching a few boys play Frisbee. Every now and then one with whisper in another's ear or giggle about something. Though I'm not one to gossip, I wish I was down there with them. I wish I wasn't locked in here with beeps and purrs the only sound. I try listening to the radio but it only brings back the headache that had finally broken. I'm still staring out he window when the doctor comes in to introduce himself.

"Hello Sunny" he says, walking to my bedside. "My name is Doctor Lancaster, Dr. L for short. I'm going to be performing your surgery today." He shakes my IVed hand. I stay quiet but give him a tiny smile. So small I'm not quite sure he even saw it. Mom and Dad both come over and each give me a kiss in the forehead and on each cheek.

"Are you ready?" Dr. L asks. I nod and let the nurses wheel me out of the room and into the OR. He briefly runs me through what they are going to be doing. He shows me the rods and where in my bones they will go. After they inject the warm feeling drug again (I try to remember what it's called but I'm getting too foggy) I start to drift off.

Next thing I know I'm sitting in the recovery room. The nurses urge me awake. The pure oxygen from my mask hits me like a freight train. It burns my throat but I answer all the questions they ask me correctly. My full name, my birthday, how many fingers they show me. They roll me back to my room and place me back on my bed. Though the do it ever so gently it hurts. It hurts BAD. I grit my teeth and they take notice.

"Sorry honey. I'll put some more pain meds in your drip"

"Thank you" I say, my voice raspy from the pure oxygen. The left over knock out drugs pull me back under until it wears off fully. My eyes flutter open and I see another sight I didn't expect. I see Rylan and Nancy, Corey, and Laura all standing there with a different gift in their arms. I smile and use my remote to sit up a little. It hurts and I feel a little loopy still but I can work up a smile and a "Hi"

"Hey Sunshine." Rylan says. He places a bundle of sunflowers in my lap so gently it's like he thought I would break if he did too hard. "These are for you. Sunflowers for my Sunflower." I glare at him. Though with the messy ponytail and all the tubes and wires, I don't think I'm very threatening.

"You know I don't like that name." I say as if it's common knowledge. Nancy pipes up next. She puts a little box in my lap. I just look at her until she realizes, I can't open it with the casts on either wrist.
"Oh, Sorry Sunny." She reaches down a takes off the lid t poo reveal a little necklace with beads I didn't know we're possible. One of the hay bale. But most of them are tiny pictures of Rylan and I from when we were kids.
"Oh. Nancy. Thank you so much." I tiny tear rolls down my cheek. She bends down and kisses me on the forehead. Laura places a small box of Dove chocolates on my night stand but the operation kind of destroyed my appetite. I thank her all the same. She losses my cheek as well. Corey puts and card in my lap. It says some stuff about how I'll be okay and they're sorry about what happened and then he kisses me on the forehead.
They get the vibe that I'm tiered and leave just before I drift off.