My Life Painted In Gold

Chapter Eleven | Near-Death Experiences Stink!

I groaned as the pain hit me over and over again. I felt as a blade was jammed into my stomach repeatedly.

Why was I in so much pain?

I fluttered open my eyes and saw a blurry white wall with blue specks covering it. This is not my bedroom wall.

"Oh dear!" I saw my mom who hovered over me, she looked worried and shocked as she cupped her cold hands around my cheeks.

"You're paler than Aunt Maggie!" She cried, laughing against the tears. "I'm so happy to see that you're alive and are you well? Are you ill? Are you okay?" Her words were like a speeding car to me.

I tried to connect with them but the words just couldn't spill out. I muttered, but too much pain overworried me.

I moaned once again and looked down to see my stomach that had a bandage wrapped around it and blood sunk through the bandage, so I could see my blood that looked like ketchup.

"M'am, we have to check her. I'm afraid you'll have to sit in the waiting room." A lady walked in, holding a clipboard. She frowned at me and spaced off for a second. She was gorgeous though- wearing her blue scrubs, her medium-length chocolate brown hair in a tight ponytail that complimented her oval head shape, her eyes were brown with a hint of sparkling green coated around her large pupils.

"This is my daughter. Do you mind if I sit in that chair?" Mom asked, pointing to a red chair. We both tilted our heads and waited for the doctor's response.

"I'm sorry. We might have to operate on her to make sure no serious damage was caused to her lungs, stomach, or any organs. And other than that, we have to give her some pills and give her medicine to sleep so she'll sleep through the surgery. She has a bullet deep in her stomach from a school shooting I believe." The last sentence struck me.

I was shot? No wonder I'm experiencing such pain.

My mom looked worried but finally shook her head and kissed my forehead one last time before exiting the hospital room.

"Alright, hun. We need to get you some medication running through your veins." The doctor mumbled. "And by the way, my name is Christina." She smiled warmly as I caught her with two large pills in her hand.

"Take these pills, they'll knock you right out. Do you dry swallow or do you need some water?" Christina asked, dumping the little tablets into my cupped hands. "Water please." I nodded and watched her head toward the sink with a plastic cup.

"Here you go." She said as she handed me the cup of icy cold water that froze my hands by just holding it.

There I went and I took the pills, just seconds after, I became sleepy and then my vision blacked out.

+++

I woke up, not in complete pain but in slight pain.

Did they do the surgery yet?

I could feel my heartbeat through my stomach, but it wasn't pumping nearly as hard from when I got shot or when I got here.

I caught a glimpse of a blurry Christina before opening my mouth. "Christina." I panted like I was out of breath, "Christina, did they do the surgery yet?" My eyes were half-open and dang, was I tired!

Christina peeked over me and grinned. "Yes honey, they did their best. They took the bullet out of you, they closed up the hole but you have a big scar now. Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah, but not nearly as much as earlier." I started talking normal again.

"The pain will fade away soon. For the next few days, I suggest staying out of school and resting in your bed until the pain is gone." Christina suggested.