scorched-dragonfly:

will-never-be-a-swan:

scorched-dragonfly:

Jack ,[She was trying hard not to cry, one of them crying was enough. She gave his shoulders a  squeeze and started rubbing his back.] I know it’s not fair, she doesn’t deserve this, and it might take a while for her to get back to normal. But all those plans you had? You can still do them! She may be in a wheel chair for a while but life won’t stop. It’ll just take some getting used to. [She was trying to tell him all the things she wished someone had told her the night her life was flipped upside down…. she touched her forehead to his shoulder.] 

Jack, I know it seems bad right now, but I promise, it will get better. [and then the ever cliche’] It’s gonna be ok.

Light groaning arose from the bed, the machine’s beeping slightly slightly elevating before it calmed back down.

Eyes blinked against the rays of the outside, a pain in her skull. She didn’t know where she was for a moment, her eyes hazy against the white. If her body didn’t hurt her in places then she would have thought she was dead.

She dared not move but noises in the room made her want to lift her head. She at least wanted to call out but the tube in her mouth was making it difficult.

Her eyes shifted around, trying to figure out what had happened. The last thing she remembered was working and some shouting. After that it had been nothing but black.

She tried to get up, to move something, but her legs weren’t responding. And it took great force to lift an arm up. What was taped to her arm?

And why did she feel so weak?

[Alice’s head shot up at the sound of the beeping.] Katelynn?

*jack, also, turns his head at the sound. and then he sees one of her arms trying to lift. he’s up, and out, of his seat instantly and rushing to her, taking her hand into his desperately but trying to be gentle. doing his best*

Katelynn!

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

*a wheelchair. seven months. physical therapy. Jack’s face fell at all of this news. but he had to remind himself; she was alive. this could have ended horribly. she could have died on the scene, and he’d be standing at a funeral parlour right now, identifying her body rather then here in the hospital hearing to what had to happen to make her well again*

i, uh. i, i believe she lives in a building. i don’t know if they have a lift or, or anything… 

*he, meanwhile, lived on the bottom floor of his apartment complex. if she were to move in, take his apartment, and he take the one on the upper floors then she’d be safe in a wheelchair…*

The doctor hummed, studying the x-rays a bit longer before flipping the light off. “You need to find out then. It could be a problem if she lives in one with only stairs. It will be quite difficult for her to move around. She will need to arrange a way to live after she is released. Shouldn’t be longer than 2 or 3 weeks.”

The doctor collected his files and walked to the door. “I’ll be back to check on her tonight. Rhonda is still here if you need anything but her shift ends around 8 tonight and then another nurse will take over for her overnight. If she wakes up, let Rhonda know. I will see you later, young man.”

And he walked out the door, off to see his other patients.

t.. thank you…

*the doctor barely heard him before he looked back at Katelynn, tears already running down his face again. a wheel chair. seven months. learn how to walk again. he brought his hands up and pressed them over his face, unable to hold a shuddering cry of despair for the woman who lay in the bed before him. it was so unfair. not right. why couldn’t this happen to him? why had it happened to her, what had she done wrong to deserve this? suddenly he realized Alice was here; somehow lost in this news he had barely noticed her but now he hurried over to her sleeping form, and shook her arm*

Alice.. Alice, Alice…

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

*he nodded*

i’ll look after her. i, i’ll make sure she eats. i cook good enough but i mentioned the idea of her moving into an apartment room in my block and if she’s that close i can make sure she eats every day. even if she doesn’t move closer i’d go over to see her and bring her good food, i promise…!

The doctor smiled faintly for the first time that morning, reassured by the fierce look in his eyes. “Good good. Now, the results of her x-rays have also come to me so..”

He walked over to a lightboard, turning it on and slipping the black and blue image on it, showing how one of her leg bones was split, the others slightly cracked and uneven. “Her knee caps were damaged with the force of the blow, her legs are broken. She will be in a wheelchair for several months with casts on her legs. I am going to arrange for them to put the casts on later. After her bones heal she will need physical therapy to learn to walk again. Does she live in an apartment that is stories high?”

*a wheelchair. seven months. physical therapy. Jack’s face fell at all of this news. but he had to remind himself; she was alive. this could have ended horribly. she could have died on the scene, and he’d be standing at a funeral parlour right now, identifying her body rather then here in the hospital hearing to what had to happen to make her well again*

i, uh. i, i believe she lives in a building. i don’t know if they have a lift or, or anything… 

*he, meanwhile, lived on the bottom floor of his apartment complex. if she were to move in, take his apartment, and he take the one on the upper floors then she’d be safe in a wheelchair…*

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

*he stared at the doctor, eyes wide. borderline anorexic? why was she doing that to herself? why hadn’t he noticed? her clothes, they were always so baggy on her so of course he hadn’t noticed. this made his heart hurt; how hadn’t he seen the signs? was he that bad a boyfriend? he looked to her, face pale*

y-yes i. i do i didn’t… realize we haven’t been… that close to realize but oh god… oh god… is this going to make her recovery harder?

“As long as she eats, she will get better. Luckily she cannot fight with the tube but when she is strong enough to eat, she will most likely avoid it again. You need to make sure she eats,” he commanded softly, reaching up to scratch at his mustache a bit.

“When she is strong enough to talk, I would like to arrange a meeting with her and a counselor in order to figure out the root of the problem. It must be fixed or else she could get worse.”

*he nodded*

i’ll look after her. i, i’ll make sure she eats. i cook good enough but i mentioned the idea of her moving into an apartment room in my block and if she’s that close i can make sure she eats every day. even if she doesn’t move closer i’d go over to see her and bring her good food, i promise…!

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

s… worried? what, what’s… what’s wrong with her?

*oh god this didn’t sound good. it didn’t sound good at all. was she sick? had she kept an illness from him? what could b wrong?*

“Ah here it is,” he muttered, looking up at Jack. “She’s extremely mal-nourished. Her blood sugar levels are extremely low. I’m worried she might be borderline anorexic, being as thin as she is. It’s actually amazing she did not sustain worse injuries during her accident but her calcium levels were normal so I believe she might be taking vitamins to sustain herself. However, I cannot say for sure as I do know know her medical history.”

He wrote in his file, making notes of things. “During her stay here she will be force fed through a tube until she is strong enough to eat on her own. She needs nutrition or she will have trouble recovering. I’m guessing you watch out for her, as her boyfriend?”

*he stared at the doctor, eyes wide. borderline anorexic? why was she doing that to herself? why hadn’t he noticed? her clothes, they were always so baggy on her so of course he hadn’t noticed. this made his heart hurt; how hadn’t he seen the signs? was he that bad a boyfriend? he looked to her, face pale*

y-yes i. i do i didn’t… realize we haven’t been… that close to realize but oh god… oh god… is this going to make her recovery harder?

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

*Jack had just been about to touch her face when the doctor walked in, and he moved aside for him, worry still clearly marking his face* f-for a moment last night… after i got in here, she… she said my name and the nurses gave her morphine and she fell asleep again…

“I wouldn’t hold hope that she remembers waking up,” the doctor said bluntly, clearly not worried over delicate matters. “With her concussion it’s understandable that she’ll still be surprised to see you the next time she wakes up.”

He looked off at the heart monitor a moment, noting the numbers. “Hmm stable..that’s good..she’s hanging in there. She made it through the night…” He was talking to himself more than to Jack, looking down at her file.

“I am actually glad to find you here. There is matter I must discuss with a next of kin and you’re the closest one at the moment. We took blood samples before her operation to take to the lab and I am actually quite worried over the results.”

He looked through the file, trying to remember what it was.

s… worried? what, what’s… what’s wrong with her?

*oh god this didn’t sound good. it didn’t sound good at all. was she sick? had she kept an illness from him? what could b wrong?*

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

*the morning rays woke him first. Jack’s green eyes opened wide, almost instantly, and he sat up in his bed. where was he? what was—oh god. he suddenly remembered. he was barely aware that Alice was there as well as he climbed out of his cot, and hurried over to her bed*

Katelynn? Katelynn…

*at least her heart rate monitor was working…*

The door opened slowly, the doctor walking in, muttering to himself. “Poor woman can barely hold her eyes open,” he said in a gruff voice, mustache twitching. He was the same doctor who had helped Jack the night before, having gone home to sleep after a few more hours of work.

When he looked at his patient and noticed the young man in the room, as well as the beds, he made no comment, merely holding the files belonging to Katelynn. He walked over to her bedside and stared for a moment.

“Rhonda told me she woke up last night?” He asked after a moment.

*Jack had just been about to touch her face when the doctor walked in, and he moved aside for him, worry still clearly marking his face* f-for a moment last night… after i got in here, she… she said my name and the nurses gave her morphine and she fell asleep again…