"You took a blow to the head in the accident, that could have caused the coma, but since there was no swelling or physical reason that the doctors could see or tell us about, we're not sure. They refused to give us any prognosis until they could speak to you and run a few more tests, so no idea when they'll spring you."
"Speaking of the accident," I cringed, dreading the answer, "my Jeep?" I was fond of my little Jeep, but I knew if the other driver had been killed on impact, that didn't bode well for my truck. Did wondering about the state of my vehicle before I even knew the name of the dead man bother me? A little, but I still wanted to know.
"Totaled, I'm sure." He shrugged. "Insurance company hasn't looked at it yet, but you were lucky, damned lucky."
"Ugh. Now I have to find something else." I let my head fall back against the pillow and closed my eyes for a moment. "I loved that thing, it was perfect." I took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "At least I've got full coverage and I don't have to worry about the money to replace it."
"You had us scared, girlie." He reached up and ruffled the top of my head, something he hadn't done in years. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little too old for your kamikaze ways. Especially when none of us has dared you to do it." Nathan's serious tone battled with the grin on his face.
Before I could say anything, there was soft knock as the door swung open, revealing Robin. From what I could see, he looked better than he had the day before. His face was freshly shaven and his hair still damp. He was carrying a cup of Circle K coffee in one hand and his Arizona Diamondbacks cap in the other.
I smiled at him before turning back to Nathan. "Is there any chance I can get something to eat? I'm starving."
"Let me go ask the nurse about food and when we can expect one of your doctors to come by. I'm sure you'll want to hear what's up for yourself."
"That would be great." I smiled at him as he stood and headed from the room.
As Nathan left, I turned my attention to Robin. I watched as he approached the side of the bed. He dropped his hat into a nearby chair, then peeled his sunglasses off and tossed them into the cap. When he got close enough, he laid one hand on my calf where it lay under the blankets, it reminded me of the way Quinn's had been the day before.
"How are you feeling?" His voice was filled with concern. He looked as though he had aged several years since I'd dropped him off at home, only a week earlier.
"Better, not as tired as yesterday. I still have a little bit of a headache, but not bad." I sighed. "I just want to find out what's going on and how long I'm stuck here."
"How much do you remember?"
"I haven't really tried, but when Quinn told me about it yesterday the last thing I could recall was pulling out of your place thinking about what to do when I got home." I looked down at my lap.
"But you don't remember the accident itself?"
"Nope, nothing," I shook my head, "not that I've really tried to, at least not yet. I think I've spent, what? Ten, maybe fifteen minutes awake since? Most of that has been assuring people that I feel okay and finding out what happened."
"When Quinn told me last night you had woken up, I was so relieved. I was afraid you would never wake. I still can't believe I slept through it."
"That wasn't the first time I woke." I looked up at his face. "I remember waking once but not being able to open my eyes. I felt a hand holding on to mine, gripping it tight, as if afraid I would disappear. I tried to squeeze back but I don't think I managed much. Then I heard a voice, at the time I couldn't put a name to it, but I was sure of was that I knew the voice. When I woke last night and saw you sleeping in that chair, I knew it was you. I knew that it had been you calling me." I looked down again, looking up at him was making my neck hurt. "Quinn said you stayed at my side the whole time, after you got to the crash scene."
"Until you woke yesterday and the doctors came by this morning and assured me that you weren't comatose again, you were sleeping normally, I have been no farther away from you than I had to. I was either right beside you or just outside the room when the doctors made me leave.
"This morning I went to the motel and I shaved for the first time in a week." He ran one hand along his jaw. "The nurses let me use the shower here, so I wasn't too rank, but it felt good to clean up some. Your family has been here, taking turns sitting here with you. I was almost never here alone." He slid the hand resting on my leg higher as he sat in the chair beside the bed. His chair was close and angled so he could sit with one hand resting on my leg or holding my hand while he faced me.
Casual touch was nothing new to us, partly because we've been friends for so long. In some ways, Robin and I are closer than a lot of siblings. Sure, we fight sometimes, who doesn't? Either way we've always been each other's best friend, confidant, shoulder to cry on, and listening ear. The one we always knew we could rely on, no matter what.
The weight and warmth of his hand on my leg was comforting. It reassured me that he was there. I laid my hand on top of his, holding it in place. "I'm glad you're here. I know it had to be a hard call for Bruce to make, but I'm really glad you're here."
3
Nathan came back, leaving the door open for a nurse carrying a food tray.
"This is all we have available for now, but lunch will be served in a couple of hours or you can get something from the cafe." She set the tray down and maneuvered the table until it rested across my lap. "My name is Nancy and I'll be your nurse for most of the day. Doctor Montez is eager to see and speak to you, he'll probably be in around noon. How are you feeling?"
"I have a little bit of a headache. Any chance I can get a couple of Tylenol?" I asked.
"I'll check your chart and bring that to you shortly. If you feel like you can, we'd like you to try to get up and move around, with help of course. Let me know when you're ready to try and I'll come help you. Please don't try it on your own. We need to monitor you when you get up and about. You've been asleep for a week and we don't want you falling down and getting hurt again." She smiled. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"Other than the headache and being hungry, I feel all right. Thank you, Nancy." I blinked a couple of times. "Oh, can we do something about the beeping?" I lifted one hand and flipped my thumb at the machines behind me. "It's driving me batty."
"Sure." She moved to touch each of the machines, hitting buttons. One by one she made them fall silent. "They're all connected to the nurses’ station and will alert us there so there's no reason to have the sound on in here."
"Are there any restrictions on what she can eat?" Robin asked. "In case she wants something more before lunchtime, we need to know what not to get."
"Not medically, but it's a good idea to avoid anything with a lot of grease right for a while, just to keep her from getting sick, otherwise, if she wants it, go for it."
"Thank you," Robin said before turning back to me. "Do you want me to open that for you?" He nodded to the tray in front of me, "or go get you something else? What do you want to eat?"
I looked down at the tray, noticing what was on it for the first time. It wasn't much only two small bowls covered with plastic wrap, a pitcher with condensation on the sides, an empty cup and a set of flatware. One bowl held what looked like chocolate pudding and the other chunks of different kinds of melon.
"I'll eat the fruit and let you know. You can unwrap it for me, I don't feel like fighting with the plastic."
I didn't have to say what we both knew, I wouldn't touch the pudding. Pudding has always been one thing I had no desire to eat, especially chocolate, even as a kid. In fact, even now, most chocolates hold no draw for me. The only chocolate I actually like is dark chocolate, the darker the better. White chocolate? That's what you give to uninvited and unwelcome guests.
While I ate, Nathan told us he was going to go back to the hotel. He needed to make some calls and let everyone know I was awake. People outside the family, that is. The family had been told after I woke the night befor
e. He said he would also tell people not to rush down to see me, as I hoped to be out and home soon.
I finished the melon and set the bowl back on the table, then leaned back against the still upraised bed.
"Do you want anything else?" Robin asked. "I'll go get anything you want."
"No, I'm good for now, but I think it's time to try to get up. I need to use the bathroom." I hit the button to call the nurse.
"May I help you?" A voice came from the speaker on the bed.
"Yes, I was told to call for help before getting out of bed. I need to use the restroom."
"Someone will be right there."
While we waited for the nurse, Robin piped up. "I'll help, if you need to go." He knew how I felt about strangers touching me. I could handle it if I had to, doctor visits and such, but I've never been comfortable with random people touching me. With those I was close to, like Aunt Sophia, her boys, and a few others including Robin, touch was acceptable. With some, I almost craved it, but not with people, I didn't know well.
"I'll let you, but I think we'll be in trouble if we don't wait for the nurse to at least oversee us and make sure I don't fall on the way." The warmth from his hand, once more resting on my leg spread through my body. The touch reassured me that he was there. I was glad he was willing to do anything I might need, it helped to sooth my nerves.
Nancy came back, pushing a wheeled IV tree and carrying a small, paper cup. Seeing her, I tried to sit up. I pushed the tray table toward the foot of the bed, out of my way so I could get out of bed.
She approached the side of the bed and handed me the cup. "Here's your Tylenol, as requested. I had to clear it with the doctor first, that's why it took so long."
I took the cup and while she moved tubes around the bed and transferred the IV bag to the tree, I tossed the two Tylenol back and took a sip of water to wash them down.
"What's in the IV?" I asked.
"Right now, I believe it's just saline, but over the last week we've used it to keep you nourished and make sure you didn't develop an infection."
"Do I still need it or can we get rid of it?"
"Let's wait until the doctor comes in and check with him. He may want to order something that would require an injection. Why stick you again if you already have an IV?"
"That makes sense." I looked to Robin. "Are we ready for me to get up?"
He stood and moved his chair back out of the way. "We are, but let's take it slowly."
"Start by sitting up and swinging your legs over the side. Just let them hang a moment, don't try to stand right way." Nancy said.
I did as she instructed and sat on the edge of the bed with my legs dangling over the edge, palms planted firmly on the mattress on either side of my hips.
"Any dizziness?" She asked. "Feeling light headed?" I shook my head and she continued, "Now, slowly, slowly slide off the edge of the bed and land on your feet. If you start to fall, I'll catch you."
"No." I stopped her. "Let Robin, I trust him. No offense, I just know him."
She smiled. "That's okay, I understand. If you trust him to catch you and help you to the bathroom, that's good. He's barely left this room since you got here, I can understand."
"On three," I looked up at Robin. "One, two, three." When I reached three, I slid off the edge of the bed and landed on my feet. My legs were a bit rubbery but they held. I reached out and took a hold of Robin's arm, not for support but for reassurance and guidance. I stood still a moment, double-checking my balance before I started shuffling toward the bathroom. Carefully, I slid one foot in front of the other, not really walking but making progress nonetheless. "I think I can make it, but stay close, just in case."
He walked me all the way into the bathroom, stopping only when I stood right in front of the toilet and in easy reach of several of the safety bars mounted on the walls.
"Are you okay here?" He watched my face.
I nodded.
"Don't try to leave by yourself, or even go wash up. When you're done, call out. I'll be right outside the door and I'll help you to the sink. I don't want you falling and hitting your head again." He waited until I promised to call for help then bent and gently kissed the top of my head before leaving me alone.
I finished my business and yelled. Robin immediately opened the door and came to help me again. As I washed my hands in the sink, I made the mistake of glancing at myself in the mirror. I was frighteningly pale and my usually reddish brown hair looked almost black with oils where it lay limp against my head.
There was nothing I could do about it at the moment, so I ignored it and let Robin help me back to bed. He settled me onto the bunk, which was lower than it had been when I slid off it, preventing me from having to climb.
Nurse Nancy watched us carefully as we moved across the room and once I got settled, she gathered her things. "All right, you seem to be doing well. As long as you have help like that, you don't need my supervision to use the restroom or move around the room, but don't overdo it." She gave me a stern look. "You've been in bed for more than a week and it will take time to rebuild your strength." I nodded. She reminded us that the doctor would be in sometime in the next couple hours and she left the room.
I leaned back against the bed, resting from the trip to the bathroom. I was suddenly exhausted, not sleepy, just tired and achy. I closed my eyes and dozed, comfortable in the knowledge that Robin was with me.
4
It was just after noon when a soft knock on the door caught my attention. I was sitting on the bed, having just finished eating the lunch they'd brought me about twenty minutes earlier. I looked up to see a man in a shirt, tie, and a long white coat coming into the room.
"Well, hello!" He was cheerful. "My name is Dr. Montez. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good." I shook his offered hand. "I had a little bit of a headache earlier, but the Tylenol took care of it. Now that I've eaten, I'm feeling a lot better." I smiled up at him. "I'd like to get rid of the IV and to know when I can get out of here."
He smiled back at me. "Well, let's check a few things before we get quite that far, shall we?" He checked my eyes with a bright light, then stepped back. "I understand you've been up and to the restroom already?"
"Yep, my legs were a little rubbery at first, but I made it okay."
He nodded, making notes in the chart he'd brought in with him. "Rubbery legs are to be expected. They just had a week's vacation and they aren't sure they want to go back to work yet. No dizziness? No world spinning?"
I shook my head. "No, none."
"Good, good. Tell me, what's the last thing you remember before the accident?"
I took a deep breath and let it out buying myself a couple seconds to think. "I remember pulling my Jeep onto the highway from Robin's driveway." I motioned to where Robin stood to one side of the room trying to stay out of the doctor's way. "They tell me that the accident happened about a mile from his place, so that's what? Two minutes lost? Five minutes max?"
He made more notes in the chart, nodding. "All right, that's good. Many trauma patients never remember the actual trauma and you may or may not ever remember the accident. I'm not worried about those missing moments and you shouldn't be either." He looked back up at me. "As for when you can go home, I'd like to order a few blood tests and another CT scan, just to be safe. If those come back clean, you should be able to get out of here tomorrow."
"Another? I've had one already?"
"Two actually, while you were at Mt. Graham Hospital they did one when you didn't wake right away. They wanted to make sure there was no bleeding or wound to the brain. When you hadn't woken after several days, we ran another, here, to check your brain function. Both scans were normal, but now that you're awake I'd like to do another, just to be certain." He smiled again as if to reassure me. "I don't foresee any problems, your previous scans show no issues, but I would hate to let you go and then a day later have something catastrophic happen that we could have prevented by simply checking."
"I understand."
"Now," the doctor began again, "we want you up and around as much as possible, move around the room, take a shower. We can arrange for a seat in the shower and a nurse to assist you if you need it. Move up and down the halls and even out into the gardens or the Cafe, with an escort of course, at least until you're stable on your feet." He waited for my nod before continuing. "They'll take you down to radiology in a wheelchair, but otherwise, I want you moving around on your own. Do you have any more questions for me, Miss Davidson?"
I couldn't think of anything. I turned to Robin and lifted my brows, silently asking him if he had any questions.
"Any diet restrictions?" Robin asked. "Any restrictions once she returns home? Anything specific we should watch for?"
"No dietary restrictions, though I want you to stay away from alcohol for a few days, just precautionary. As for other restrictions and what to watch for once you're home, we'll go over that after we get the CT results back. In the meantime, watch for signs of her being light headed or dizzy, abnormal behavior, anything she wouldn't normally do or say, that kind of thing. Let the nurse know right away if any of that occurs. Is that all?" Doctor Montez looked back and forth between Robin and me.
"I think that's all, at least for now," Robin said.
"Thank you, Doctor Montez."
"I'll let the nurse know about the blood work and IV on my way out, but it may be a while before they get you down to radiology," he said on his way out.
"It's not like I'm going anywhere." I grinned as he left.
***
Several hours later, after my CT, I watched at Robin, he looked tired. "Why don't you go get some rest, I know you have to be tired."
"I'm good."
"There's no reason for you to stay, really. I'm going to lean this bed back and take a little nap. There's no reason for you to stay and watch me sleep when you could be getting some rest yourself."
Robin's Nest Page 2