by Amy DeMeritt
“Ok, thanks.
I’m wheeled down several halls and am parked along a wall. The man disappears and a young woman takes his place with a computer on a cart. She looks like she’s barely five feet tall, is stocky, like a softball player, and has a plain look with thick rimmed glasses on her small round nose.
“Hello, I’m Tina. I’m just going to get some information from you and then take your vitals. You look like you’re having a rough day. What happened?”
She grabs some papers sitting on my stomach that the paramedics wrote up and starts typing on her computer.
“It’s a very long story.” She smiles and turns to look at my face. She grabs my chin and turns my face side to side. “Looks like someone smacked the crap out of you.” I smile and nod. “That’s pretty accurate. My girlfriend came out to her parents and introduced me.” Her eyes get big and her jaw drops. “Your girlfriend’s parents beat you up?”
“Pretty much. Mostly her mom.” I quickly explain the first attack of roughly being choked and thrown against the wall by Mr. Carter. And then explain what Mrs. Carter did to me. “You didn’t hit back at all?” I shake my head. “No. That wouldn’t have helped the situation at all.”
“Wow. I’m really sorry that happened to you. That’s terrible. Did your girlfriend come with you?”
“She’s on her way. My dad came in the ambulance, and they drove separately.” She nods and starts typing on her computer, but almost just as soon as she started, she looks over at me and stops typing. “Can I ask you something off the record?”
“Sure.”
“Why did they hit you?”
I quickly explain everything and she stares down at me with big eyes and an open mouth. When I finish, she swallows and shakes her head.
“Wow, that is a crazy story. You have three girlfriends and you are all a ‘family’?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard of men having more than one wife, but I’ve never heard it in any other combination. That’s amazing.”
She laughs a little and goes back to transcribing what’s on the papers into her computer. After several minutes, she stops typing and turns to take my blood pressure.
“Are you able to sit up to take your hoodie off?” I try to sit up, but it’s very painful and I fall back. “Ok, I’m going to try to help. Just tell me to stop if I hurt you.”
She unzips my hoodie and holds the cuff of the sleeve while I try to pull my arm out. It’s painful and I wince and groan several times, but I get my arm out. We repeat it on the second sleeve and she frowns sympathetically.
“I guess two layers of long sleeves was a bad idea.” She nods and starts unbuttoning my top for me. “Sorry you have to do this.” She smiles in a kind way and shakes her head. “It’s no problem at all. At least you’re not covered in blood or some other weird substance.” I scrunch my face in disgust and she laughs a little. “You’ve had that before?”
“A few times. An elderly man came in once with God knows what on him, but it stunk terrible. He was unconscious, so I had to cut through his jacket. Even with gloves on, it was still gross to touch.”
“If I can’t take my clothes off by myself for the x-rays, will they cut them off?”
“It’s possible. Would you like to leave the tops off just in case?”
“Will they let me have someone come back to help me undress? These are my favorite jeans.” She looks down at my jeans and smiles. “They probably wouldn’t let you have anyone come back, but I’ll tell you what. I have to accompany you to x-ray, so I’ll help you.”
“Are you allowed to do that?” She shrugs a shoulder. “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re over eighteen.”
“Ok, thanks.”
It doesn’t take her long to take my blood pressure and temperature. After she types my numbers into her computer, she reaches down to help me back into my tops.
When she finishes with everything that she has to do in her computer, she pages a guy to come push my bed while she follows alongside. I’m wheeled into a room with a few x-ray machines and a woman in a white lab-coat and glasses comes over to my bedside.
“Are you able to stand so you can change into a gown?”
“No, I almost black out each time I try to sit up.”
“I can help her.”
The woman walks over to a computer, and after a couple minutes, she walks back over to me.
“Due to the nature of the attack, we can’t risk moving you too much till we know what your injuries are. If you can’t get it off in a laying position, it needs to be cut off. I’ll give you five minutes. You can help her, but absolutely no pulling her up to take something off. Here,” she hands Tina a pair of heavy duty scissors, “you’re going to need these. I’ll be back.”
The lab-coat wearing woman leaves and Tina walks over to my bedside with a small smile.
“Ok, Kayla, let’s try to save your clothes.”
I smile and she starts pulling my arms back out of my hoodie and my button up flannel top. She carefully tugs them out from under me and then looks down at me with a pinched brow, as if trying to solve a complex problem.
“The tee shirt is going to be interesting since you can’t sit up more than a couple inches.”
She grabs the hem of my tee shirt and carefully starts lifting it up. When its bunched up above my bra, she moves to stand at the head of my bed behind me. I lift my arms over my head and she carefully wiggles the shirt up and over my head.
“That was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. Ok, let’s try that same technique with your bra.”
Tina drapes my gown over me and slides her hands underneath, grabbing my sports bra at my sides, and carefully pulls it up over my head. After she helps me slide my arms in the gown and she makes some adjustments to cover my body. While she takes my sneakers off, she has me unbutton and unzip my jeans. She tugs down from my thighs and quickly has my pants off.
“I know this is a silly question, but is there any metal in your underwear?”
“Nope.”
“Ok, you can keep those on.” She folds my clothes for me and sets them aside on a counter. “Thank you for helping me.” She smiles and leans against the counter with her arms crossed on her chest. “You’re welcome.”
The woman in the white lab-coat comes in and immediately starts working with a large machine. With her back to me, she asks, “Any body-jewelry or piercings?”
“Oh, shoot. My earrings.” I quickly pull them out and Tina comes over to take them. “I’ll stick them in your jeans pocket.”
“Do you have any metal or mesh implants anywhere?”
“No.”
“Any broken bones recently?”
“Yes. Less than two months ago, I broke three ribs on my left side and my pinky on my left hand.” She turns to look at me and I see questions burning behind her eyes, but she holds them back. “Ok, lay as still as possible for me. We’re going to do your ribs first and then your throat.”
After about twenty minutes, Tina is placing my pile of clothes and shoes on my bed with me and a man comes in to wheel me out. I’m brought to a hospital room with a single bed. The man locks the wheels on the bed I’m on and then carefully helps me get into the other bed. Tina places my clothes and shoes on a side table and then grabs the sheet and blanket at the foot of my bed and covers me to my waist. She stands next to me and looks down at me with curiosity.
“How did you break your ribs and finger?”
“That’s another long story.” Her eyebrows shoot to the sky. “Another parent beating?” I smile and shake my head. “No, it’s complicated, but nothing to do with my girls.” She nods and pats my arm. “Ok. I won’t pry. How’s your pain?”
“Terrible.”
“Ok, I’ll have your nurse get you some medicine. I probably won’t see you again, but I really hope you didn’t rebreak your ribs and you recover quickly.”
“Thank you and thanks for saving my clothes.” She laughs and nods. “No problem.�
� She turns to walk away, but I call out to her. “Oh, uh, Tina.” She turns back with a small smile. “Yeah?”
“Can you do me one last favor?” She comes back to the bed and waits. “Can you hand me my cellphone out of my jeans?”
“Sure.” She quickly pulls it out of the pocket and hands it to me. “Has anyone cleaned your cuts yet?” I shrug my shoulders. “I have no idea. I was knocked out for most of the ride here, so I don’t know if the paramedic did that or not.” She looks at her watch and then pats my arm. “Ok, I’ll be right back. I’ll take care of it for you.”
“Ok, thanks.”
After she leaves, I take a quick selfie so I can see what I look like. I gasp and almost cry. It’s worse than when Darren beat me up. I quickly pull up Awenasa’s text thread and attach the picture.
Me: I’m still alive, but I’m pretty sure her mom rebroke one or more of my ribs. I can’t really move without agonizing pain in my ribs. I’m waiting on x-ray results for them and my throat. I hope they bring me some medicine soon.
Awenasa: Oh, my love, that looks painful. I wish I could be there to hold you and take care of you. I’m in tears and my stomach is in knots. I was praying that today would go better than this. I’m so sorry.
Me: Well, I got her dad to become more open minded after he picked me up by the throat and threw me against the wall. I just need to get her mother to calm down enough that I can talk to her. She threw a banshee fit and beat the shit out of me, so now that’s out of her system, she should be a little easier to talk to.
Awenasa: You’re going back? Kayla, please be careful. I can’t handle it if something worse happens to you.
Me: If they release me, then yes. I have to show them I’m serious and they can’t win this by being bullies.
Awenasa: I love you. You have the most tender heart, but the fiercest spirit. You really have so much of the spirit of our people in you.
Me: Thank you. I love you too. Did my mom let you know what was going on?
Awenasa: Yes, she did. Thank you for making sure I knew. When will I hear from you again?
Me: I have to text them to come up. They’re still in the waiting room. I wanted to talk to you before I had them come up. I guess it depends on what I find out from the doctors and if I’m able to move soon. I’ll try to let you know what’s going on soon. If I have to, I’ll ask my mom to update you till I can talk to you.
Awenasa: Ok, my love. Thank you for texting me. I miss you and I love you.
Me: I love and miss you too. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.
I quickly send Madison a text with my room number and just as I’m setting my phone down, Tina is walking back in pushing in a cart loaded with first aid supplies and a cup of water and pills.
“First, you need to take your pills. You have two pain medications and an antibiotic since the cuts on your neck are from fingernails. They want to make sure you don’t get an infection.”
She hands me a small plastic cup, that I empty into my mouth, and then hands me a foam cup with a lid and straw. I lift my head slightly, and suck back the water needed to swallow back the three pills. She takes my cup back and turns to grab a pair of gloves from a box on the wall to start bandaging my cuts. Before she can get them on, my girls and dad walk in the room.
“Are these your girls?” I smile and my girls look between Tina and I with cute shy smiles. “Yeah, these are my babies. The one in the middle was my nurse when I broke my ribs and finger a couple months ago.”
Shannon steps over to the bed with a loving smile and squeezes my hand, before she looks up at Tina.
“Do you mind if I do that?” Tina looks at Shannon a moment, as if unsure how to answer. “Do you have your state certification ID card on you?” Shannon nods and starts to open her purse, but Tina holds up her hand. “I don’t need to see it. I’m just asking in case someone asks why I’m allowing you to do what I should be doing. Ok, Kayla, since you are in good hands, I’m going to take off. Any last requests before I leave?”
“There’s some cash in my pocket. Slip it to the docs so they come back and tell me I didn’t break anything.” She laughs a little and shakes her head. “I don’t think it works that way. Ok, feel better, Kayla.”
“Thanks for everything.”
She smiles and turns to leave. She waves to my girls and then leaves the room. Shannon sets her purse aside, takes her jacket off, and pulls on a pair of blue gloves before approaching the bed. She grabs my chin and tilts my face side to side and then bends in closer to look at my neck. Her eyes meet mine and there is so much sadness and concern in her eyes.
“How are you feeling?”
“Terrible. My head and face hurt, my throat hurts, my ribs hurt, and my leg hurts.” She scrunches her eyebrows. “Your leg?”
“Yeah, she got me hard in my left shin just before she hit my ribs.”
Shannon carefully lifts the side of the blanket and sheet to look at my leg. My other girls and my dad walk over and they frown at the big bruise and little lump I have on my leg. Shannon covers my leg again and comes back to start cleaning my cuts.
“This is probably going to sting.” She tilts my face to the side and gently glides an alcohol swab over the cuts on my face. I wince at the sting in the cuts, but also the ache in my bruises. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
She bends down again with a fresh swab and starts wiping at several cuts on my neck. She touches a cut that makes me gasp, and grab her hand.
“I know. I’m sorry. This one is bad. It looks like she took a chunk out of your skin. Brace yourself; I didn’t get to clean this one well enough.” She tries to touch the alcohol to it again, but I gasp and grab her hand again. “Kayla, you have to let me clean this.”
Madison comes over and takes my hand and kisses it.
“Just hold my hand and let Shannon clean it, baby.”
I pout and turn my head so Shannon can get to the cut. I grip Madison’s hand tightly and groan as Shannon gently pats the spot a few times.
“Ok, the stinging part is over.”
The sting is still lingering and it makes my eyes tear up. Madison gently strokes my good cheek and bends down to kiss my lips for a few moments.
After Shannon has ointment and bandages on all of my cuts, she takes her gloves off and moves the tray aside. My dad and Sam come over to the bed. Sam bends down and gives me a kiss and stands close to Shannon on one side of the bed, while my dad stands nearby on the side with Madison.
“Your mother and siblings wanted to come up, but I told them to wait to see if you have to stay in here or not.”
“Thanks. I’d prefer if Talia and Joey didn’t see me like this.” My dad smiles and shakes his head. “They know you are human and get hurt sometimes.”
“Shh, don’t tell people that.” They laugh and my girls rub my arms and squeeze my hands. Madison bends down and hugs me for a moment. “Kayla, I’m so sorry.”
“Maddi, I’m ok. It’s just a couple little scrapes.” Madison lifts her head and looks me in the eyes. She kisses my lips and shakes her head. “You were incredible. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“It’s not your fault. How’s your mom?” She looks at me confused. “She’s fine. You didn’t hit her; she hit you.” I smile and caress her cheek. “I know, baby. I just meant, has she calmed down?” Madison shrugs a shoulder. “She freaked out when you blacked out. I think she suddenly realized what she’d done. Jacob sent me a text that she’s still in her room crying and won’t come out or let anyone come in.”
“Well, that sounds promising.” Madison frowns and looks doubtful, but I smile and kiss her hand. “We’ll get her to come around, Maddi. We got your dad to understand a little better, so we can get her to change too.” Madison smiles and shakes her head. “No, you got my father to see differently. It really was amazing how you handled him.”
“Well, that’s just how I roll.” I flash her a cocky grin and all of them laugh a little. “I need pizza and ice cream. I hope they come tell m
e I can leave soon.”
My dad steps over closer to the bed and looks down at me with concern creasing his eyes and forehead.
“You have your great-grandmothers spirit in you. She was the sweetest woman, but was fierce in protecting what she loved with everything that she had. Do you remember that huge wolf fur on your grandfather’s wall? The one that’s nearly five feet long?” I nod and he smiles a little. “Your great-grandmother and grandfather were out checking their rabbit traps in the woods when that large wild beast came up on them. Your grandfather was only twelve years old at the time. The wolf snarled at them and leapt for your grandfather, but your great-grandmother leapt on the wolf and they rolled several feet away. She had nothing to use except a knife and the woods around them, but she took that wolf down. She was wounded, but not severely.”
“Wow, how come he never told me that story before?”
“Your grandfather used to be proud of that story and told it with gusto, but as he ages, he becomes embarrassed by it, wishing he had been a stronger man and taken the wolf down instead of his mother doing it.”
“That’s silly.”
“I agree, but I can understand it. I’m proud of you for how you leap in front of danger and protect these girls, but part of me wishes I had leapt on the wolf today, instead of allowing you to handle it. But I know it was your duty, not mine.”
“Having you there showing respect and support for the position I hold in my family was what I needed. That means more to me than if you had stepped in and taken over.”
“I know. But as a father, it’s not easy to sit back and watch that happen. I’ll apologize now if I’m not able to stand back next time.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“How are you feeling?”
A tall thin man with round glasses resting on a crooked nose comes in wearing a white lab-coat and holding a stack of papers and x-ray images. He turns on the lights of a small white board and puts an x-ray image up on the board, making the image glow in stark black and white contrast.