flipped on the light.
Abby’s face scrunched at the images, and I inwardly cringed.
Katie turned to us, her dirty-blonde hair bouncing. “I’m a PA … and I’m all you’ve got. After Trenton’s recent outburst, all the doctors offered me as sacrifice.”
“Pussies,” Trenton said with a huff.
A man with lime green scrubs pushed through the door, wheeling in equipment, a tray full of supplies, and a bowl of water.
“Hi, Rosh,” Katie said, chipper even when whispering.
Rosh held up a roll of lime green casting tape. “I brought the best color we have.”
“Thank you,” Katie said. She lowered her chin. “Just waiting on the extra bed and the anesthesiologist.”
Trenton shook his head. “No. I gotta be here when she wakes up.”
Katie hesitated, then took a glimpse at each person in the room. “She has family here. And, you’ll be here, just not here here.”
Trenton sat up tall. “I can do it.”
Empathy weighed down Katie’s expression. “If you yell—”
“I won’t make a fucking peep,” Trenton said, meeting her gaze. “I swear.”
Katie watched him for a moment, and then nodded. “I believe that. Okay, Rosh, let’s do this.” She washed her hands, dried them, and then put on a pair of blue gloves while Rosh sat a chair in front of Trenton, checking his wheelchair to make sure his locks were secure.
Trenton braced himself while Katie removed the blanket splint and ice pack. She palpated his arm, and then nodded to Rosh.
Abby held her breath, and Dad walked away a few steps.
“Here, Dad. Sit,” I said.
He shook his head, waving me away.
Katie looked up at Trenton from under her brow. “Ready? We’re going to start with your wrist first.” He nodded, and Katie pressed and pulled, manipulating his wrist and hand.
Trenton’s face turned red, and his jaws were taut. I grabbed his left hand, and he dug his fingers into my skin.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Katie said softly. “Don’t want you passing out on me. Almost finished.” Trenton breathed in through his nose. “That’s right. Concentrate on your breathing. You’re doing great.”
She pressed and moved his hand around, and I sat with my brother, hoping to God he’d pass out. But, Trenton withstood the pain, determined to be awake and alert for Camille. Just when I thought he couldn’t take another second, his arm straightened, and Katie signaled to Rosh.
“Okay, the worst is over,” she said. She placed the material while holding his arm in place, and then Rosh wetted something else, and then began wrapping his arm.
“Beautiful,” Rosh said, grinning as he wrapped the lime green tape around the cast.
“As soon as that monstrosity dries, I get first dibs to sign it,” I said. “I already know what I’m gonna say.”
“It’s not a monstrosity,” Katie said. “That’s one beautiful cast.”
*****
Abby’s stomach growled, and she looked to me, apologetic. “Any up for all-night fast food?” We all raised our hand, even Trenton. She left to grab dinner, returning within twenty minutes. After another hour and a few more tests, the staff informed us they’d be moving Camille upstairs.
“Why isn’t she waking up?” Trenton asked.
The doctor took a breath and shook her head. “The brain is complicated. The swelling is going down, and her brain function is great, so that’s good news. I think she’ll wake up soon. We got her a room in four-fourteen. It’s a corner suite. Really nice.”
I gently patted Trenton’s good shoulder for encouragement, and then we waited while they gathered Camille’s monitoring devices and IV poles, and then unlocked her gurney in preparation for the trip upstairs.
We followed the nurses out, waving to Katie and Rosh as we passed the ER staff’s station. When we reached the elevator, everyone immediately saw a problem. Camille’s gurney and Trenton’s wheelchair wouldn’t fit in the same elevator.
“We’ll see you up there,” the nurse said, her
Abby’s face scrunched at the images, and I inwardly cringed.
Katie turned to us, her dirty-blonde hair bouncing. “I’m a PA … and I’m all you’ve got. After Trenton’s recent outburst, all the doctors offered me as sacrifice.”
“Pussies,” Trenton said with a huff.
A man with lime green scrubs pushed through the door, wheeling in equipment, a tray full of supplies, and a bowl of water.
“Hi, Rosh,” Katie said, chipper even when whispering.
Rosh held up a roll of lime green casting tape. “I brought the best color we have.”
“Thank you,” Katie said. She lowered her chin. “Just waiting on the extra bed and the anesthesiologist.”
Trenton shook his head. “No. I gotta be here when she wakes up.”
Katie hesitated, then took a glimpse at each person in the room. “She has family here. And, you’ll be here, just not here here.”
Trenton sat up tall. “I can do it.”
Empathy weighed down Katie’s expression. “If you yell—”
“I won’t make a fucking peep,” Trenton said, meeting her gaze. “I swear.”
Katie watched him for a moment, and then nodded. “I believe that. Okay, Rosh, let’s do this.” She washed her hands, dried them, and then put on a pair of blue gloves while Rosh sat a chair in front of Trenton, checking his wheelchair to make sure his locks were secure.
Trenton braced himself while Katie removed the blanket splint and ice pack. She palpated his arm, and then nodded to Rosh.
Abby held her breath, and Dad walked away a few steps.
“Here, Dad. Sit,” I said.
He shook his head, waving me away.
Katie looked up at Trenton from under her brow. “Ready? We’re going to start with your wrist first.” He nodded, and Katie pressed and pulled, manipulating his wrist and hand.
Trenton’s face turned red, and his jaws were taut. I grabbed his left hand, and he dug his fingers into my skin.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Katie said softly. “Don’t want you passing out on me. Almost finished.” Trenton breathed in through his nose. “That’s right. Concentrate on your breathing. You’re doing great.”
She pressed and moved his hand around, and I sat with my brother, hoping to God he’d pass out. But, Trenton withstood the pain, determined to be awake and alert for Camille. Just when I thought he couldn’t take another second, his arm straightened, and Katie signaled to Rosh.
“Okay, the worst is over,” she said. She placed the material while holding his arm in place, and then Rosh wetted something else, and then began wrapping his arm.
“Beautiful,” Rosh said, grinning as he wrapped the lime green tape around the cast.
“As soon as that monstrosity dries, I get first dibs to sign it,” I said. “I already know what I’m gonna say.”
“It’s not a monstrosity,” Katie said. “That’s one beautiful cast.”
*****
Abby’s stomach growled, and she looked to me, apologetic. “Any up for all-night fast food?” We all raised our hand, even Trenton. She left to grab dinner, returning within twenty minutes. After another hour and a few more tests, the staff informed us they’d be moving Camille upstairs.
“Why isn’t she waking up?” Trenton asked.
The doctor took a breath and shook her head. “The brain is complicated. The swelling is going down, and her brain function is great, so that’s good news. I think she’ll wake up soon. We got her a room in four-fourteen. It’s a corner suite. Really nice.”
I gently patted Trenton’s good shoulder for encouragement, and then we waited while they gathered Camille’s monitoring devices and IV poles, and then unlocked her gurney in preparation for the trip upstairs.
We followed the nurses out, waving to Katie and Rosh as we passed the ER staff’s station. When we reached the elevator, everyone immediately saw a problem. Camille’s gurney and Trenton’s wheelchair wouldn’t fit in the same elevator.
“We’ll see you up there,” the nurse said, her
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