Page 21 of Bliss
Callie
Snuggling on a vinyl visitor’s reclining chair in the hospital while they waited for Alex’s ex-girlfriend to wake up definitely wasn’t how Callie had envisioned their night when she packed her overnight bag. But there was nowhere else she’d choose to be than by Alex’s side, offering her whatever comfort and support she could.
It was after 2 a.m. when they were brought to Tina’s private room, and another half hour later when Hannah and her parents brought them sandwiches and fruit salad from the cafeteria. It took some gentle prodding, but Callie was able to get Alex to eat every bite. She had also encouraged her to close her eyes and take a nap, but Alex continued to fight her heavy eyelids.
Hannah and Joselynn had given in to their exhaustion, and they were asleep in the other reclining chair on the other side of Tina’s bed, lying with their backs pressed together.
Callie was starting to lose the battle to stay awake with Alex, when she heard a faint groan. She and Alex sat up, and when Tina’s eyelids fluttered, Alex quickly pulled the chair’s leg rest in and stood up, sidling up on Tina’s right side.
She tentatively took her hand in hers, and quietly said, “It’s okay, Tina. You’re safe.”
Hearing the worry in Alex’s voice, Callie took her place at her side and tenderly rubbed her back.
Tina’s eyes continued to flutter for a minute or so, then she groaned as she tilted her head side to side. When her eyes fully opened, she hoarsely whispered, “Alex? What’s … going on? Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital. You were involved in a pretty serious car accident last night. You, uh, you had to have surgery to repair your left arm and leg. And, well, they had to do brain surgery too. They found a benign tumor. But you’re going to make a full recovery.”
“I don’t understand.” Her mouth worked and she tried to lick her lips. “My mouth is so dry.”
Callie quickly filled a foam cup with water from a pitcher the nurse had provided earlier. With her hand gently cradling the back of Tina’s head, being careful not to touch the bandaged surgical site at the base of her skull, Alex helped her drink.
“Small sips. You were intubated during the surgery, so your throat may be sore and have some difficulty swallowing.”
Tina slightly choked on the first sip, but she was able to swallow the next few.
“Thanks.” It came out as a whisper, but her voice sounded less raw and hoarse than before. “My lips feel like paper.”
“I have ChapStick ,” Callie said, as she crossed the room to get her purse. After using a tissue to wipe away a couple of layers of the ChapStick as to not spread any possible germs to Tina, Callie bent down and gently applied the lip protectant to Tina’s dry, chapped lips.
“Thanks.” Tina rubbed her lips together, then asked, “Who are you?”
“Oh, uh, Callie, Alex’s girlfriend.”
Tina turned her gaze to Alex, and asked, “Why are you here, Alex?”
“You had me listed as your emergency contact and medical proxy. We’ve been here since shortly after you were brought in. Joselynn and Callie’s best friend, Hannah, are here too.” She pointed to the other side of the bed, where their friends were still fast asleep. “Hannah’s parents are two of the best surgeons in the world. They took the lead on your operations. Actually, Hannah’s dad found the tumor, when the hospital’s attending neurosurgeon had missed it.”
Tina glanced over to her other side at Joselynn and Hannah, then looked down at her bandaged arm and leg, both of which were being supported in slings, keeping them elevated to help reduce swelling.
“They have to wait for the swelling to go down before putting casts on. Dr. Isadora Rockford said that could take up to a week, maybe less.”
“I have to be in here for an entire week?”
“At least.”
Tina closed her eyes as she tilted her head side to side, and whispered, “I don’t understand. How did this happen? The last thing I remember, I was on my way home from work.”
“I’m sorry, Tina.” Alex tentatively took her right hand in hers again, and Tina slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her. “I don’t know exactly how it played out, but you were struck by a dump truck. Your car basically broke in half. The back half was crushed under the dump truck, and the front half spun out and hit a light pole. The paramedics heard witnesses tell the cops that the dump truck ran a red light, and the driver was intoxicated. It was … really bad. They said it was a miracle you survived and that your injuries weren’t worse.”
Tina’s eyes narrowed for a moment, before widening, and she stuttered, “I should have died.”
“You could have died, not should have,” Alex gently corrected. “You’re still alive because your story isn’t over yet. You have a lot more life to live and experience, Tina.”
Tina released a brief laugh that sounded more like a cough. “My story isn’t over yet, huh? Are you still a giant bookworm?”
“Book dragon,” Alex answered, with a smile that Tina returned and nodded.
“Can I have some more water?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Alex helped her drink the rest of the cup, which Callie promptly refilled.
“I’m good for now. Thanks.” Callie nodded, then set the pitcher and cup on the side table. Tina sighed as she closed her eyes for a few moments. And when she opened her eyes, she looked between Alex and Callie, and told them, “Thank you for being here.”
“I was surprised to get the call, but I’m glad you’re going to be okay.”
Tina’s gaze dropped to her chest, and she stuttered, “I’m sorry. I know I should have updated things after…”
“Hey,” Alex gently cut her off. “Tina, you don’t have anything to apologize for. And you don’t have to change anything, not unless you really want to. I don’t mind being the person you trust to be there for you in an emergency.”
Tina looked up with a trembling smile. “If you’re sure. Thank you, Alex. I know it probably seems weird since I was the one who broke up with you, but I do trust you, more than I trust even my best friend. Trust was never the issue in our relationship. I was. I’m sorry for how I treated you sometimes, Alex. I knew I was doing wrong and being irrational, but I had next to zero impulse control. I was being controlled by my emotions; emotions that were mostly fabricated from lies my grief and insecurities were telling me. That’s why I had to let you go. You didn’t deserve what I was doing to you, and as much as I loved you and how good of a person you were — you are — I knew we weren’t compatible, even without my issues. After we broke up, I found a therapist to help me work through my grief from losing my parents and sister. And it has made a world of difference. I no longer feel like a prisoner of my own mind. I wish I had gone sooner.”
“That’s wonderful, Tina. I’m sorry if I didn’t support you enough when you were…”
“No, Alex, stop. You were perfect. I just didn’t know how to get out of my own head to appreciate you the way I should have. It has been a long and difficult journey, learning who I am and learning how to cope with things and how to identify toxic thoughts and emotions and how to manage them. But I feel like I’m ready to be in a relationship again. Well, after my body heals, anyway.”
“That’s great, Tina. I mean, not this.” Alex motioned to her broken body. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. I, uh, wasn’t sure if there was someone waiting at home for you or if there was someone I should call for you. I don’t have any of your friends’ phone numbers anymore, and your cellphone wasn’t in your purse.”
Tina exhaled hard and shook her head. “It was docked in the holder on my dashboard. It’s probably broken. Did my laptop survive?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Sorry, but we tried to log into it to see if we could find your contacts. But nothing we tried worked.”
Smiling, Tina asked, “You tried variations of my birthday, didn’t you?” Alex nodded, and Tina continued to smile at her for a moment, then released a husky laugh, and told her, “That would have been the more mature thing to do, but it also seemed way too obvious. Do you remember playing with spelling things with numbers on the calculator when you were a kid?”
Alex and Callie stared down at her with furrowed brows, neither of them understanding.
A quiet snicker from the other side of the bed sounded, before Joselynn said, “It’s boob.”
“Oh, my god,” Alex said, and laughed. “Is that really what it is? The pin is 6006?”
Tina chuckled and nodded. “I wanted it to be easy to remember. And I’ll never forget how hard I laughed in second grade when my friend placed her calculator on my desk and I realized what I was reading. Our teacher walked by and read it and acted so scandalized you would have thought we were looking at a Playboy magazine or something. Anyway, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d appreciate your help to let work know what’s going on, so I can start the process of being put on medical leave and get approved for short-term disability. And if you could let Roz know. She can fill in the rest of our friends.”
“Yeah, of course.” Alex started towards the bags of Tina’s belongings, then stopped and looked at her watch. “Oh, uh, it’s only 3 a.m. Do you want me to wait a little while before calling Roz? Technically, we’re not supposed to be in here. Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hannah’s parents were able to get the chief of medicine to agree to us being here so you wouldn’t be alone when you finally woke up. I don’t know if they’ll make an exception for her as well, if she even answers the phone at this hour.”
“She won’t. She silences her phone when she goes to bed. She’s usually up by 7 a.m., even on the weekends. And no one will be at the office until Monday, so writing the email to my manager and HR can wait as well. It would be helpful to talk to the doctors to find out how long I’ll be out of work. That’s going to be one of the first questions HR asks.”
“Are you up to talking to them now?” Hannah asked, as she and Joselynn stood up and stretched their necks and backs from sleeping on the uncomfortable chair together. “I can go get them for you.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll come with you. I want to get some coffee. Alex, Callie, do you want anything?”
“Coffee,” Alex and Callie answered in unison.
Joselynn nodded, and asked, “Tina, do you want something other than water? Do you want to try to eat?”
“Maybe. I feel a little queasy, and my throat is very raw, so I should talk to the doctors to see what they recommend.”
“Okay, we’ll be back soon.”
Tina watched Hannah and Joselynn leave, before looking between Callie and Alex, and surmised, “I’m guessing my accident interrupted some group plans tonight.”
Before Alex could respond, Callie assured her, “We did what we had planned to do, for the most part.” It was true. Their plan was for Hannah to meet Alex and Joselynn, and that happened, even if the bulk of the bonding and conversations were at the hospital. “Regardless, this is… I mean, being here is more important.”
Tina’s mouth twitched with a brief, small smile as she glanced at Alex, before meeting Callie’s gaze again. “You seem very sweet. It’s Callie, right?”
“Yes.”
“I…” Tina glanced at the open door for a moment. “I don’t know how long you’ve been dating, but I know Alex very well. She always does what she believes is right. That’s why she’s here. And I’m guessing you are here because you love her and want to support her.” Callie nodded, which made Tina smile. “Good. I’m happy Alex has found someone to love and loves her in return.” Tina’s voice became raspy with the last couple of words, so Alex helped her take a few sips of water. “I have very few people I can count on in my life. I don’t have a family like…”
“I know,” Callie gently cut her off. “Alex told me on the way here last night.”
While looking between Alex and Callie, Tina asked, “Do you have a problem with me asking Alex for help with things that Roz or my other friends can’t help with?”
“If Alex wants to continue to help you while you’re healing, or even try to be friends with you, that’s up to her. I would never ask Alex to go against who she is or ask her to do something that would make her unhappy.”
“Well, you certainly know what Alex wants to hear. I hope for Alex’s sake that you’re sincere.”
“She is,” Alex quickly answered, and Callie swallowed the defensive retort that was both unnecessary and would have just made things more awkward than they already were.
“Ms. Schafer, it’s wonderful to see you awake,” Dr. Isadora Rockford said, as she and her husband walked into the room ahead of Hannah and Joselynn. They offered her warm smiles as they took their places on the opposite side of the bed from Alex and Callie. “I’m Dr. Isadora Rockford,” Hannah’s mother said, while briefly touching her own sternum, then motioned to her husband. “And this is Dr. Richard Rockford, my husband. How are you feeling? Any pain, pressure, or tingling sensations anywhere?”
“My throat is raw and sore, but water is helping that.”
“That will continue to improve. The pain and rawness should lessen over the next few days, but the act of swallowing may feel weird or difficult for the next week or two. When you eat, you’ll need to be cautious to take small bites and chew very well before trying to swallow.” Isadora gently took Tina’s left hand in hers, which was dangling from the sling holding her recently repaired arm several inches above her chest level. “I’m going to run through some sensory exercises with you to test how well your limbs are adjusting. I need you to close your eyes and describe where you’re feeling sensation and what kind of sensation. It’s very important that you alert me to any pain you experience, even the mildest twinge. Are you ready?”
Tina closed her eyes, and answered, “Ready.”
While Isadora gently poked, pinched, tapped, and traced Tina’s left arm and leg in various places, testing her ability to feel and identify what she was feeling, Alex and Callie sipped on the coffees Joselynn and Hannah brought back for them.
Tina suddenly hissed, as Isadora pressed a spot on her left leg, and pleaded, “Stop. Whatever you’re doing, please stop.”
Isadora removed her hand, and softly prompted, “Describe the sensation to me.”
Rapidly breathing and gripping the bedding in her right hand, Tina answered, “Pain. Hot and sharp. Like a heated knife stabbed me or something. In my left leg. Maybe halfway between my knee and ankle.”
Isadora pulled out and uncapped a marker from her pocket, and told Tina, “The location I touched sustained the most trauma, so it’s not surprising that you’d experience those sensations. I’ll describe in greater detail everything we had to do in a few minutes, but this area required several bone grafts and the temporary installation of titanium plates to make your leg whole again. I’m going to circle this location with a surgical skin marker. We’re going to fully monitor your healing and pain and watch you for possible infections. This marking is only so I can monitor the lessening of your pain.”
With her eyes still closed, Tina grimaced, and repeated, “ Temporary installation of titanium plates . You’re saying I’ll have to undergo another surgery to have them removed.”
“Yes, unfortunately. You can open your eyes.” After drawing a circle on the bandage covering Tina’s left leg, Isadora pocketed her pen, and told Tina, “It will probably be at least five or seven days before we’re able to cast your arm and leg, then you’ll need at least six to eight weeks of healing before we can remove the cast from your arm, and probably at least ten weeks for your leg. After the casts are removed, you’ll need at least two to three weeks of physical therapy to regain your strength and full mobility. Unless your body rejects them, which is an exceptionally low possibility, we wouldn’t schedule the surgery for the removal of the titanium plates and screws for at least six months from now. We need to make sure your bones are fully healed before we remove the titanium plates.”
“What’s the possibility that my body will reject the titanium?”
“Less than one percent.”
“Did I pass your sensory test? Will I regain full mobility in my arm and leg?”
Dr. Isadora Rockford slowly, almost cautiously nodded, as she walked around her husband to stand in line with Tina’s left shoulder. “At the present, I have full confidence that you’ll regain full mobility and sensation. At the present, your body seems to have accepted the bone grafts and other repairs we made. That being said, you need to accept that this is going to be a long process. You’ll need to push yourself, while simultaneously being understanding and forgiving of yourself when you can’t do what you want to at exactly the moment you want to do it. Your body sustained a substantial trauma and you need to give yourself the time necessary to heal.”
Tina’s eyes closed as she took several long, deep breaths. And when she opened her eyes, she locked in on Hannah’s dad, Dr. Richard Rockford. “Can you tell me more about the brain tumor?”
For the next twenty minutes, Dr. Richard Rockford explained what type of tumor he’d located, its size, and the procedure to remove it. And when she tentatively asked, he assured her that the tumor hadn’t done any damage and likely would never return.
After he and Isadora answered several more questions, Tina’s eyes began fluttering, and her voice quieted in obvious exhaustion.
Placing a gentle hand on Tina’s shoulder, Isadora told her, “We’re going to leave and let you rest, but we’ll be back later in the morning to check in on you.” She looked across the bed at Callie and her group, and told them, “All of you should go home and get some rest as well. You can come back during visiting hours.”
Tina anxiously looked at Alex, and asked, “Can you please call and leave a message for Roz before you leave?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“And … you’ll be back, right?” Tina tentatively asked, with a bit of worry and tears in her heavy eyes.
Nodding, Alex took her right hand and brushed her thumb over her knuckles. “I’m not abandoning you, Tina. I probably won’t be back right when visiting hours begin, but I’ll be back by lunch time. And I’ll help you email your employer, unless Roz gets here before me and you ask her to write…”
“No.” Tina shook her head, and explained, “I love Roz. She’s my best friend. But I wouldn’t trust her with full access to my laptop and email account. She’s a bit of a busy body and way too nosey and she just wouldn’t be able to help herself. She’d be like a kid in a candy store after hours.”
Alex chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember that about her. Okay, I’ll help you with your correspondences. Do you want me to bring you anything special for lunch?”
Tina smiled as her eyes fluttered closed, and she quietly answered, “You know what I like.” She took a deep breath and opened her eyes halfway. “I’m falling asleep.”
“I know. But I need you to give me Roz’s number before you do.” Tina forced her eyes open long enough to tell Alex the phone number, then she closed her eyes with a deep sigh. Alex gently brushed her other thumb over Tina’s forehead, and whispered, “Rest now. I’ll see you later.”