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Chapter 15: Just Wake Up

"So Mr. Clark, you have a broken shoulder." Explained Dr Jensen, the Orthopaedic Surgeon, "This is a particularly painful place to have a break, but with the right medication and exercise, you should heal up nicely within the next six weeks."

"Okay, so how long will I be in this much pain?" I asked worriedly.

"It should be roughly 2 weeks."

"TWO WEEKS? But I have exams! My finals!"

"You should still be able to do you exams with everyone else, unless... Are you left or right handed?"

"No I am right handed, but the break is in my left, right?"

"Yeah, then you should be fine. You could always ask to get a time extension to write your finals. I can write you a note for school. You will have to wear what we call a Collar and Cuff sling. The reason is so your arm's weight will pull the humerus downward, this will help the bones to heal correctly. But be careful, no matter what, you must not put anything under your elbow in attempt to support the weight of your arm. If you do this, you will force the bones to heal incorrectly and will then need corrective surgery."

"Let it hang, got it." I sighed in irritation. This doctor was talking too fast, but I at least caught the gist of it, What about when I bath and whatever."

"You can take it off for that, but don't let it be off the sling for too long or you will cause yourself a lot of unnecessary pain." He wrote something on his notepad. "Now, for the first week or so, don't exercise it too much, it needs to start recovering, but you must start to wiggle and flex your fingers lightly. And in 3 weeks you must come in for physio so we can work on building the muscle up again."

"How long will I be in hospital for?" I asked.

"I want to keep you for observation for tonight, but I am sure you want to get back to studying ASAP."

"Can I go see Cody?"

"Just wait for the nurse to fit you with your sling and then I am sure you can, but I recommend getting one of your friends to go with you in case you faint or something."

"Great. Thanks."

"If you need anything, just call for a nurse. Good luck!" The doctor finally walked out and my friends came back in.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Sarah asked with a soft smile.

"Like I got run over by a truck." I said sarcastically.

She smiled sympathetically and stroked my good shoulder. "You have a visitor."

"I really don't feel like seeing a bunch of people today, I look and feel like hell!" I lay my head back on my pillow.

"I really think you should see this person." Ryan spoke up, looking unusually serious.

I looked up at him confused. "Fine." I sighed.

Everyone walked out and then the last person I expected walked in. Mother.

"Hello." She said quietly.

"Mom!" I said shocked.

"Why didn't you call and tell me you were in an accident." She said, full of motherly concern, yet I could still sense her awkward tension.

"You told me you didn't want me in your house, I assumed you didn't care what happened to me." I said bitterly.

She walked up to me in what I swear was the most frightening way possible, "Just because I don't accept your lifestyle, does not mean I don't care about what happens to you."

"Oh." I said quietly.

"So, how are you feeling?" She asked.

"I am a bit sore, but they are giving me stuff for the pain."

"I'm glad." She held up a bag, "I brought some of your things as well as a few get well gifts." She pulled out a balloon that said Get Well Soon! And a potted plant with some sort of yellow flowers and a photo of the two of us.

I picked up the photo and smiled. It was a photo of us from roughly two years ago, I had just won at a track meet and was holding up my trophy with an arm around my beaming mother.

"I miss you, ma" I whispered loud enough so she could hear.

"I miss you too, but I cannot accept your lifestyle. If you are ever in need of something, phone me. But I cannot see you again. Good bye son." She said and she walked out, leaving the bag on the floor.

I blew out the breath I had been holding.

Isaac had clearly been waiting outside of my room because he walked in straight away.

"Well that was awkward!" I said.

"Well, at least she came. Does she want to patch things up?" He asked hopefully.

"No, she still wants nothing to do with me. She just wanted to see if I was still alive."

"It shows she cares at least." He smile encouragingly. "Listen, my parents want me home to study. But call me if you need anything."

"Thanks."

A bit later, the nurse came and fitted me with the sling then lunch came.

I had asked for a chicken salad sandwich and I ate it slowly, still having no appetite due to the medication. I pushed my half eaten lunch away and decided it was okay to go visit. So I walked to the nurse's station.

"Hi, where can I find Cody Teele?" I asked.

The nurse smiled up at me, but frowned when she saw I was a patient. "Shouldn't you be relaxing?"

"Um, the doctor said I could visit him."

"Fine, but I want to wheel you there in a wheelchair." She forced me into a nearby wheelchair and whisked me off down a confusing labyrinth of corridors and passageway until we came across a door that said ICU in big red letters. I was pushed into the room and saw Cody laying there, asleep.

"Please can I see the file for Mr Teele." They nurse asked the nurse on duty in ICU, then she addressed me after looking through it. "Well, it seems that your friend is quite severe. He has a fractured skull as well as a concussion. He also has a break in his right leg, a displaced kneecap in his left and his left arm has a shattered forearm. He was in surgery this morning, but has not yet woken up. I would suggest you brace yourself before seeing him, he is not in good shape." She said frankly.

I gulped, "I need to see him."

She rolled me over to him and I gasped. He was covered in bandages, casts and had tubes coming out of his good arm as well as one of those tubes they put under your nose.

"Could I..." I started, but had to clear my throat of the emotions, "Could I have a minute alone with him?"

"We can't close the curtains, but you can sit with him a while." She smiled softly and walked away to chat to the other nurse.

I squeezed my eyes shut and felt a tear fall down my face. "Cody." I started, "Cody, I am so sorry. Maybe if I had been paying better attention, I could have prevented this. I was hoping I could say this while looking into your eyes, but I need to say it to you anyway. They say sometimes people can hear what the people around them are saying. So here it goes. I love you. I think I have always known it. But I just never had the courage to tell you." I ran a hand through my hair.

"I should have had the guts to tell you when you told me, or even before then. But I am a coward. I always have been when it comes to feelings and emotions." I looked at his sleeping face, "Please just wake up so I can tell you in person. I miss your eyes. Wake up and show them to me. Please." By now tears where running down my face and I tried wiping them away, but they were falling too fast.

"Please wake up." I begged through my tears, but he didn't respond, not even a twitch.