by Caila Olsen
Chapter 16
ADEN
This week has been so crazy! First, I find out what that David guy tried to do to Riley. I knew that I should have trusted my gut feeling about him. It wasn’t jealousy. Then, today Dr. Harley came to speak with me about the progress we are making. It turns out that speech therapy is doing little to help. Once again, I knew that it was useless. I made a fool out of myself for nothing. Anyways, the next step he is going to take is preparing me for a complicated brain surgery. The odds of coming out of it with the capability of speaking again are quite high. He said I have a 75% chance of coming out of it speaking. I would still need to do speech therapy after to exercise that part of my brain. I won’t be completely cured right after surgery. So there is some work I will need to do. If he is confident it will work, then I am too.
“Aden, that is such great news!” Riley says to me after I tell her the news. “I mean, it’s good that they are sure this surgery can fix it, but it kind of sucks that your therapy didn’t work.”
“I know right?” I type. “In about a month I should be all set to go. I will be able to speak again.”
“Are you worried about the surgery?” Riley asks.
“Nah, I can handle that,” I type. “Are you?”
“Maybe,” she says, biting her bottom lip.
“Don’t be,” I type. “There is nothing to worry about.”
“I will try not,” she says.
“The doctor says that I can go home for about a week or two. I just have to come back the day I have to go in for the surgery,” I type, trying to lighten up the mood.
“That’s great!” Riley exclaims, clasping her hands together. “When do you get to leave?”
“Monday,” I type.
“This is so exciting! I can’t wait!” she squeals.
“Don’t tell Ethan just yet. I want to tell him myself,” I type.
“Promise,” Riley says, sealing her lips together with a swift motion of her hand.
“He is going to stop by this evening for a visit,” I type, “I will tell him then.”
“I should see if Sam wants to come and we can all hang out,” Riley suggests.
“No, you and Sam go do something fun this evening. I kind of want just a guy’s night this evening,” I type. Riley looks a little disappointed at this. “What? I’m not allowed to just hang out with my best friend for just one night?”
“You are right. I should let you guys do your own thing,” Riley says giving in.
“Thank you,” I type.
“What do you plan on doing?” Riley asks.
“Get caught up, maybe play some video games,” I type. My phone vibrates and I pick it up to see who it is. “Ethan says he is on his way, he should be here in about a half hour.”
“Can I stick around until he shows up?” Riley asks.
“Just because I just want to hang out with Ethan this evening doesn’t mean don’t want to get rid of you right away,” I type and laugh at her. “Of course my favorite girl in the world can stay here with me until Ethan shows up.”
Riley gets out of the chair she is sitting in and climbs up onto the bed beside me. “Do you think that the surgery will hurt?” she asks.
“Riley, I will be given anesthetics,” I type. “I will be out cold. I won’t even know what is going on around me.”
“I know. I’ve read some pretty scary stories about patients coming out of it while being operated on. They are wide awake and aware of what is being done to them,” Riley says.
“There is a small percentage of a chance that will ever happen to me,” I type. Riley’s imagination can run wild sometimes. Some of the things she comes up with, you can’t help but just laugh at. “You shouldn’t even be worrying about this. I am the one who has to get my head cut open.” I laugh.
“It’s not funny. Having you going into surgery where they cut open your head is the next scariest thing to me actually having to get it done,” she says. “Even the thought of surgery scares me. This is your brain we are talking about. It’s not some simple operation of something the doctors have done a million times already. They have only done this a couple of times Aden. Don’t tell me that doesn’t worry you even the slightest.”
“Maybe a small part of me, but continually thinking about it and what could happen, won’t help me. I just have to look forward to what will result in this operation. I am going to be unaware of anything. All I have to do is lay there and let the doctors do their thing. There is no sense in worrying about something that is out of my control,” I type.
“I guess that makes sense,” Riley says. She twirls a strand of her hair in her fingers. She tends to play with her hair like that when she gets nervous about something.
“What’s this?” I type as I notice a silver necklace chain around her neck.
“Oh! I completely forgot to tell you!” Riley gasps. She pulls the chain up out of the front of her shirt. “I found the pocket watch! I thought it was gone forever.”
“Where did you find it?” I type.
“It fell out of my bag as I was unpacking my things when I got home. It must have been wrapped up in the dress you gave me that night,” Riley says.
“Grandma said that it always had a way of finding its way back,” I type. “I guess it is part of the magic it supposedly has.” I hold my hands up and wiggle my fingers in a spooky way.
“I was so relieved to find it,” she says. “I don’t feel complete without it. It was like a piece of me was missing when I didn’t have it.”
I hold up the watch and examine it. “Maybe there is more to this watch than we think.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Riley says. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, anything,” I type.
“Can you hold onto this watch? I know that your surgery isn’t for a few more weeks, but if it there is really something special about this watch, then maybe it will help you. Maybe you will start to regain your speech within that time or if not, I am sure it will help you get through the surgery,” Riley says, looking at me with all seriousness.
“Riley, I am not sure if the watch works that way, but for you I will take it,” I type.
“I know it seems far fetch, but it stopped time just as your grandma told you it would and it found its way back to me. You have to give it some credit,” she says.
Riley turns around and I unclasp the latch of the chain. I carefully place the watch in the side pocket of my bag of things on the nightstand.
“Hey bro!” I type as I see Ethan coming around the corner.
“Aden!” Ethan says, walking over and grabs my hand and gives me a slap on the back.
“I guess that is my cue to leave,” Riley says, getting up off the bed and grabbing her purse and crutches.
“Oh hey Riley,” Ethan says.
“Hey Ethan,” she replies.
“Sam is outside waiting for you. I think she said something about a magic mike? Whatever that is,” Ethan says.
“Thanks Ethan. Love you Aden, see you later,” she blows me a kiss and hops out of the room.
“What’s new with you?” I type.
“Well, now that Riley is back at home, I’ve been back at my dorm. It’s kind of lonely. I don’t know how I did it before. I think Sam and I will be looking for a place sooner than you think,” Ethan says.
“Haha, how do you think I feel cooped up in a hospital by myself?” I type.
“Ok, you win,” Ethan chuckles.
“I won’t be for long,” I type.
“What do you mean?” Ethan asks.
“I had a chat with the doctor today. It turns out none of the speech therapy is working so we are going to have to revert to plan B,” I type. “He said that I am free to go home for the time being. I just have to come back right before the surgery in a few weeks.”
“That’s great news!” Ethan says. “When do you leave?”
“Monday,” I type. “Only a couple days unti
l freedom!”
“It will be back to old times,” Ethan says.
“Almost old times,” I type.
Ethan looks at me puzzled. “Because I still can’t talk at the moment,” I type and hold up the device.
“Ah yes, right,” Ethan says processing that.
“I wanted to tell you something else. Actually it’s more of a favor to ask,” I type.
“Sure, what is it?” Ethan asks.
“Talking to Dr. Harley, he has full confidence in this procedure, but he did say that even though the chance of this working is high, there is also that chance it won’t,” I type. “I have decided to start writing up my vows to Riley in the case that I am unable to speak still after going through the surgery. When I am done writing them up, can I trust you to keep them safe until after the operation?”
“Um ya, sure,” Ethan says. “I guess I never thought of what would happen if this didn’t work.”
“It was the very first thing that crossed my mind,” I type. “It is driving me crazy having to wait for this to find out.”
“I will be sure to keep it safe,” Ethan says.
“I was also hoping that maybe you could help me write it up tonight. There is so much I want to say, but I can’t ever put them into writing. You know how to put thoughts into writing much better than I can. Who knew that you, Ethan, the football player who struggled in most classes would be a whiz kid when writing?” I type.
“I might be able to help you with that,” Ethan says. “Can we play a couple rounds of this new Halo game I brought first?” He holds up his gaming device and waves it in my face.
“Why do you have to tempt me with such things?” I type.
“Because that’s what I do,” Ethan suggests.
“I really want to start on these vows though. I know I have some time still, but you know how life is. Things come up and slowly it will get pushed to the side,” I type.
“I suppose the game can wait, but if you want me to really bring my A game for your vows, I think at least one game would do it for me,” Ethan says.
“If it will help, I guess one game won’t hurt,” I type.
Ethan’s face lights up. “I heard the graphics are so amazing and lifelike in this game! It’s going to be awesome!” he says.
“Look at that enthusiasm!” I type.
“I told you, gaming puts me in a good mood. Gaming first, work later,” Ethan says.
I roll my eyes at him. “Ok, hand it over,” I type.