A Family Of Heroes

Chapter Two

The slow beeping of the vitals monitor filled the still and otherwise silent room. The bland white walls and white tile floors were harsh with no contrast. A window to the east was cracked, a light breeze drifting through. A single hospital bed rested in the center of the room, the headboard leaning against the wall. Simple sheets and bedspread were neatly placed over Glacia. Stitches, bruises, casts, and a neck brace, indicating a bad accident.

Her eyes twitched a bit, her fingers starting to gain movement. Pained moans vibrated her vocal cords but she choked as her breath was quickly staunched by a tube down her throat. Her head ached from the movement. Letting the pain ease away, Glacia tried once again to open her eyes and succeeded. Blinking several times, Glacia looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was.

She scanned the room, seeing the white walls, no decor, and foreign machines. Trying to turn her neck more, she was stopped when it was restricted from movement. Attempting to turn her head, Glacia felt a brace keeping it motionless. She panicked and tried to find something to help prop herself up with. Raising her right hand, she stared with wide eyes when she saw a black wrist brace on it. Freaking out a bit, the heart monitor began to go crazy. She struggled to move, tears beginning to form.

A nurse with magenta scrubs and with brown hair tied into a side bun opened the door. Glacia turned to her with confused eyes. Seeing as she was breathing fine on her own, she removed the trach tube. Right after she pressed the pager clipped to her waistband and several sobs later, a doctor slipped in through the door.

"Oh good, she's awake. Sweetheart, can you remember your name?" he asked kindly, checking the heart monitor which was no longer erratic and pulling a flashlight out of his pocket. His eyes were kind but she couldn't quite focus on them.

She could barely hear him her hearing was so muffled. "Glacia," she croaked. "Glacia Kersey."

"Good, good. Now, follow the flashlight with your eyes for me."

The kind doctor tested the rest of her visual, motor, and speech functions. Afterward, he talked quietly with the nurse out of earshot. She wrote a couple things on her chart before placing it on a clip at the end of her bed before exiting the room.

The doctor pulled up a stool next to her bedside, piquing Glacia's interest instantly. He smiled and the corners of his kind eyes crinkled. Why couldn't she focus on them?

His voice sounded like a distant echo. "I'm going to let you rest now. You've been through a lot. We'll explain everything when you're feeling better." He smiled again, sighing and placing the stool back to somewhere she couldn't see and he strolled out of the room. She closed her eyes.

-

This time it was no struggle to wake up. It was more like waking from sleep than a deep coma. Her eyes snapped open instantly and there was no trach tube to stop her post-sleep groan. The one thing different was a chunky box in her good hand. She lifted it up and she saw a big red button, underneath it reading call button. With only one good hand, she slammed the button on the corner of the armrest of her bed, jumping back slightly at the monotone buzz. The same nurse from before came in after a few minutes of button-pressing.

The nurse laughed quietly and removed the box from Glacia's hands. "You know, you only have to press it once."

Glacia blushed sheepishly as the box was taken from her and placed on a hook on the wall. The nurse checked a couple screens, hung more IVs, and looked at the chart on the end of her bed, all while making small conversation about the weather and the football game last night. She must have pressed her pager again when she wasn't looking because the doctor came into the room just as she flipped the chart back.