Speechless// Jachary

26

Daniel's operation went smoothly. The doctors managed to save more of the teen's leg than they anticipated and he was in recovery.

Daniel opened his eyes, seeing the ceiling. His vision was blury and he couldn't feel his leg.

Upon realisation, Daniel began to feel panicked and he shuffled around. He saw a doctor standing over him, his lips moving. Daniel didn't know what the doctor was saying as he couldn't lip read.

His face turned to confusion as the doctor spoke to him.

"Daniel? Daniel can you hear me?" The doctor said, sensing the confusion on his face. Daniel had no idea what was happening. The last thing he remember was he was in a car. Jack. He thought. The teen began to get more and more troubled by the minute. His heart rate quickened and he started sweating. "What was happening?" He wondered.

He sat up, looking alarmed. The doctor had walked away from him and was talking to his colleagues.

A tear rolled down his cheek and he wished for his dad.

The doctor came up to him again and started to speak.

"I want my dad." He signed to the man, catching his attention and stopping him from talking.

The doctor walked away from Daniel once more and began discussing the situation again with his colleagues.

"I think he's deaf," the doctor said. "He was signing. Can we get a translator?"

Daniel's dad came in the room, trailing behind a doctor. "Oh, baby," he signed, rushing over to his son's bed. "Daddy they're trying to talk to me I can't feel my leg and Jack might be dead. I don't know what to do," he broke down crying once more and Jeff pulled him into a warm loving bear hug.

The doctors stood watching the father and son's interaction and realised he was deaf.

Jeff pulled his son out of the hug of to which he replaced by talking to him.

"Daniel I'm sorry, your leg," he paused, looking down. "The doctors had to amputate it."  Daniel's breath hitched as soon as his father broke the news to him.  to him, it was more things to add to his extensive list of 'things that are wrong with him' 

"it will be okay," Daniel's father reassured him, hugging him once more. 

***

Daniel hadn't looked at his leg, too scared as to what he may find. His dad was still by his bedside, knowing that Keri was doing okay without him. She told her Husband to look after Daniel. The teen didn't like change and this would be a bigger shock without someone he knew by his side.  

A short lady walked in the room, wearing a kind smile on her face. she had brown hair cut into a bob, murky green eyes and a barely noticeable uni-brow. She exchanged a few words with the doctor before the both walked over to where Daniel was sitting with his dad. 

"hello Daniel, i'm Michelle and i'll be your translator." Daniel nodded to the woman before looking down to the ground. He looked back up to see the doctor tell her something. 

"Daniel, the doctor said that the surgery went better than they expected. He wants to get you fitted for a prosthetic  as soon as possible but for now you need to get use to crutches, okay?" Daniel didn't know why he burst out crying at that moment but he did. 

"sorry,"  Daniel said after his outburst. The translator smiled.

"What's to be sorry about? it's all a bit of a shock. We get it all the time," Michelle reassured the boy who nodded, his hands shaking. 

"Are you ready?" She asked, earning another nod from Daniel. she turned back to the doctor, exchanging more words. 

"can you sit on the side of the bed?" Daniel did what the lady asked, pulling the covers off his body and catching his first look at his stump. It wasn't as bad as he had expected but it was still a shock to him. he swung his legs round and bent down to touch it. some of it was smooth whilst on the other side lay big stitches snaking their way around. 

He looked up to his dad who pulled him into a warm hug before letting go and pointing his son towards the translator who demonstrated how to use the crutches. 

I took a few attempts for Daniel to get it right, but when he did he felt so proud. "that's my boy," his dad said, smiling at his persevering son. 

Daniel sat back down. He was happy with what he had achieved today. 

*** 

The Doctors and translator left shortly afterward. Daniel turned to his proud father. 

"Daddy I have an idea." He said. Jeff nodded, intrigued. his creative son was always full of ideas. "Can I make a short film?" he asked. His dad worked in film production and made shorts on his YouTube channel. 

"what are you thinking?"  He asked. 

Daniel explained his idea and they got straight to work, filming on Daniel's dad's phone.