"Family Means No One's Left Behind"~ A Greenflame and Children Story

Chapter Thirteen: Hospitalized

Narration~
It's been one day since Lari was in the hospital and during that time period, he's had another operation on his right lung and was allowed to have the oxygen mask off. But just because Lari had two operations and bandages wrapped around his other injuries, doesn't mean that there's no pain that he still may feel.

Lari's Point of View~
I was lying in bed, staring at the boring ceiling. I didn't have my oxygen mask on, but there was a tube on the right side of my chest which I wasn't sure of what it was doing. There were bandages wrapped around my arms, my leg, and my head. My ankle was also treated, but it hurt a lot. Actually, most of my body hurt a lot. It was a lot of pain that I was forced to bear. I hated being here, lying down in the hospital. I hated to always have to stare at the walls and ceiling. I just wanted to get out of here and go back home. When will I get out of here? I hate it here. I thought as I continued to stare at the blank ceiling. I sighed and wondered about what was happening in the woods. I was alone in the room and all I could hear were the beeps and other noises from the heart monitor and the other machines. I missed my friends and family. I turned my head and looked at the clock. It was almost noon. Dad should be here soon. He said that he would come when I woke up last night. He said that he'd try and bring everyone here to visit me. I thought as I looked at the clock increase its minutes. Soon, there was a knock at my door to the room and I said in a pretty sarcastic tone, "Come in." The door opened and in the doorway, was my family, Sonia, and Mia. I was filled with joy to see them. "Guys! You're all here!" I said. "Uh-huh, and we got you cards!" Sonia said as she handed me a green envelope with my name on the front. "Thanks, Sonia! I really appreciate it." I said. She smiled and everyone began to talk about how I was feeling and what it felt like to be in the hospital. "Are you doing okay Lari?" May asked. "Uh-huh, but these bandages and tubes kinda hurt." I replied. "You're really tough and brave Lari, to survive everything that happened. That's amazing!" Said Sker. I chuckled and reached over and grabbed my oxygen mask. "I also have this, an oxygen mask, it helps me breathe while I heal." I explained. "If you need it to help breathe, then why don't you have it on?" Kabaz asked. "Because I had another operation performed and I don't have to wear it all the time, but I have to wear it when I sleep." I said in response. Everyone stayed here with me for a few hours before Skylor and Sker had to go to the noodle house, Mia and Sonia's parents told them to come home, and the others had errands to get done. But Lloyd was able to stay behind and be with me. "I heard that you're getting two more tests today, one for your brain, and the other for your lung." Dad said. "Yeah, I'm nervous about them, but I'm gonna try and be brave, like you always said. You said that even sometimes in our fears, we have to be brave and push through." I said. Dad smiled and said, "Heh, yup. And I know that you will. You're a brave and strong boy." We talked for a few more minutes before the doctor walked in. "Oh, um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for Lari to take his tests." He said. "Oh, okay doctor." Dad said. The doctor nodded and waited outside of the door. Dad handed me my crutches that were put up against the windowsill. I got up from bed and stood with the support of the crutches. Dad held the IV and the wheels rolled as we both walked down the hall, and into the room with an MRI machine in it. The doctor told me to lie down on the bed and I did as told. It was a soft surface and the doctor put headphones on me to help keep me relaxed. Then, I slowly slid in the giant tube-shaped machine. It felt kinda tight and uncomfortable in the machine, but I did my best to remain calm and I made sure my breathing was under control. Throughout the time I was in the MRI, there would be sudden loud buzzes that startled me a bit. When I was finally done, dad helped me get back to my room and lied back down in bed. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Dad said as he sat down in the chair and smiled. I shook my head and also smiled. The doctor came in and was holding two sheets of paper that looked a print out of an x-ray. "We have the pictures of Lari's brain and there was no sign of a concussion or any other injuries. His lung still is healing, but it is still pretty fragile and he'll most likely need to stay in the hospital for a few more days, to make sure that his lung is healing properly." The doctor explained as he pointed to different parts of the photos. When he said that I had to stay here for a few days, I was upset. I didn't want to stay here at all. I wanted to go home and be with my friends and family. "Okay, thank you, doctor." Dad said. The doctor nodded and walked out of the room. I crossed my arms and laid back in the pillows. "Not happy about staying here, are you?" Dad asked. "Yes, I'm not happy! I don't wanna stay here anymore." I said in annoyance. Dad sighed and responded, "Well, I'm sorry. But you heard the doctor, and I can't do anything to change it." I looked away and slid into the covers. Dad ruffled my hair, trying to cheer me up. A couple of more hours passed by and soon enough, it was late and visiting hours were up. "Goodnight Lari. I'll come back tomorrow morning, okay." Dad said as he hugged me. I didn't want him to leave, I wanted him to stay with me and keep me company during the night. I felt a small lump in my throat begin to grow as I hugged him back. "Do you have to leave?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but I do. Believe me, I want to stay here with you Lari, I really do." He said. I sighed as we pulled away from the hug. Dad ruffled my hair one last time before lying me down in bed, placing my oxygen mask on, and walking out the door. A tear or two slipped out of the corners of my eyes and I was shakily breathing. It wasn't long before I began to hear the patter of rain hit against the window. Soon, those small patters grew rapid and there were small rumbles of thunder. And somehow, I managed to fall asleep in a short amount of time. I was dreaming about my friends and family and my return back home when suddenly, a big crash of thunder hit and a flash of lightning sparked. I shot up from my pillow and gasped. My oxygen mask slid off my face and hit the floor, and I was having desperate trouble breathing. I was coughing hard and trying to gasp for air when I felt a wet substance in my mouth. It dripped onto the bed and stained the cover. I put my hand on my tongue and looked at it, only to see the top covered in a dark colored liquid, which I assumed was blood. I was still coughing when I managed to yelp out, "Help!" Doctors rushed in and immediately helped. One cleaned off the mask and another helped with the bleeding. I felt dizzy and numb. The next thing I knew was that I was in another room and lying under a bright light. Then, everything faded out into darkness.