Station 19: The Unbreakable Team

Rubble of Skyhigh Collapse - Chapter 8

It's been a week since I've been home, and the everyone continues to take turns taking time off to come over and help take care of my dad and I. It was kind of nice in the beginning to have people there to help you or comfort you when you needed help, but now it's kind of irritating always having someone watching you; right there next to you, constantly asking if you can handle walking down the hall or getting a glass of water. It's not that I don't appreciate the help, or their asking, but just the constant hovering, and the doing everything for me, has really been getting on my nerves, I'm not disabled, just hindered, and it all so frustrating. I was lying on my bed, the shower running in the bathroom, I told Hughes that I was taking a shower, when in reality I just wanted to be alone, to get some space. Hughes was in the living room when the doorbell rang, I sat up abruptly, wincing in pain as result. I heard Vic open the door and greet the person, I couldn't hear what they were talking about with the background noise of the shower drowning out their exact words. 

I got up and walked into the bathroom, my right hand snaked across my torso to grip my left side as I moved. I shut off the shower and exited the bathroom, I then walked out of my room, I made my way down the hall towards the familiar voices talking in the living room. I entered the room surprised to see Dr. Grey sitting at the table next to Vic. It was strange to see her out of her usual hospital scrubs attire. Her and Vic both looked at me with a disappointed glare as I walked over to them, my face contorting with discomfort as walking caused my side to ache with discomfort. I closed my eyes and braced my right arm on the table as I sat down, the moment I was seated, I opened my eyes and Vic said "You lied to me, you told me you were going to take a shower, and huh, would you look at that, your hair is completely dry, and your wearing the same clothes as before." She paused shaking her head in frustration before she continued "You know something Andy, if you didn't want to be around me, you could just say so." 

She went to get up but my replying stopped her, I said "I know I lied, and I'm sorry, it's just that all you guys do is hover, and nag, and it's so frustrating sometimes, because I can't do anything for myself. When before I did everything for myself, and for my dad, it's like all my freedom-, my independence has been taken away. So sometimes I just need space from all the hovering, and the nagging, and the 'stop let me do that for you.' I'm sorry if you feel like I don't want to be around you, or appreciate or want your help, but it's just sometimes I just want to be alone, and I hate being trapped in this house... I'm sorry." Dr. Grey kept shifting her gaze between Vic and I with a neutrally concerned expression. Vic stood up and said "I'm going to go outside on the porch and get some air, Dr. grey wanted to talk to you privately anyway, and your dad went out with Ryan and Jack, they thought it would be good for him to go out and do... I don't know, I forget what they said, but he won't be back for a few hours." I protested and said "Vic I-." 

She put up a hand and said "Andy, just don't, not right now." Before she got up and walked out the front door closing the door behind her, I watched her pace the porch and then sit down. Dr. Grey had watched her leave but was now staring at me she said "Did you skip your appointment on purpose or did you just forget it was scheduled for today?" I turned to her and said "I- um... I kinda, skipped it on purpose." She raised an eyebrow at me questioningly before she said "Would you care to elaborate on why?" I sighed and said "I didn't want to go to the appointment and have you lecture me about needing to rest and recover, I feel fine, my side has been hurting less, I can get around more on my own, plus the injury to my torso seems to be healing fine, there haven't been any complications, and the symptoms you told me to watch for haven't-." Dr. Grey cut me off with a sternly and disappointed state of my name, she said "Andy." 

Then paused to stand up and walk over to the chair I was sitting in, she then crouched down and said "The reason follow up appointments are scheduled is to not only to see how your recovery is going and if your following the doctor's orders, but so that the doctor can check the healing wound, to made sure infection hasn't set in, and to be make sure no other issue has arisen that the patient might not be aware of." I looked away avoiding her condescending gaze and said "I know, but I'm not any other patient, I-." Dr Grey cut me off and said "Your line of work only teaches you so much about injury treatment, and how to identify medical problems. My job is to treat what you can't, to finish what the first responders start, so Andy I need you to let me finish treating you. That means no more skipping appointments, no more hiding from your friends, we are here to help you, and I know the hardest part of recovery is accepting that help. Trust me I've been where you are, but I need you to let me help you recover. Can you do that?"