“Knock, Knock?” Dr. McMillian said as he peeked his head into room 314. “I just wanted to pop in and let you know the x-ray results before I left.” He opened up the large folder he had in his hands and sat in the empty chair. “How you holding up?”
Jen slowly sat up out of her curled position in Mike’s small hospital bed. “He’s been sleeping mostly. He woke up once and they came in and gave him some more pain meds then he went back to sleep pretty quick after that.” Jen looked down to a still sleeping Mike.
“That’s good, rest is good for him right now.” He glanced down to his file. “The x-ray results show that he does have several broken ribs and some internal bruising.” He looked back up to Jen. “So we are going to extend the twenty four hour observation to forty eight, and just go from there.”
“Forty eight?” Mike groggily asked. “Why forty eight?”
“Broken ribs and internal bruising.” Jen said as she smiled down at him.
“Oh” He said as he began to rub his eyes.
“We just want to make sure the bruising doesn’t get worse before we let you go.” Dr. McMillian closed the large folder. “Ring the nurse if either of you two need anything.” He stood up smiled and quietly walked out of the room.
“I feel like I was hit by a truck.” Mike said as he repositioned himself.
“Might as well have been.” Jen stood and stretched before bringing the empty chair over near the bed and taking a seat. “Trace and Grant came by earlier to check on you.”
“How are they?”
“Good, worried about you.”
There was a knock, knock on the door. “Hello, may I come in?”
“Yes” Jen recognized the voice as the nurse who checked on them earlier and gave him his last dose of pain medication.
“No need to worry. This isn’t the worst injury I’ve had.” Mike attempted to sit up but only made it half way before he decided to lie back down.
“Just lay there babe.” She scooted up on the edge of her seat and took his hand in hers.
“Yeah best if you just lie.” The nurse said as she handed him a small paper cup and a larger plastic one with water. “These are actually overdue but you were asleep so I didn’t want to wake you.” She took the cups back when Mike was done tossing back the pills and downed them with the water. “When the Doctor said you were awake I figured I would come give them to you.”
“We appreciate that.” Jen replied.
“Anything else you need before I leave?” The nurse asked in a cheery voice.
“I really need to go to the bathroom.” Mike took off his blanket and attempted again to sit up.
“I’ll get the orderly to come in and help, you just hang tight.” She turned and walked out the room.
A minute later there was another knock, knock on the door. “It’s me, the nurse said you could use some help.
“Jacob, my man.” Mike said excitedly as the orderly came through the door.
“Hi Jacob.” Jen said with a smile.
Jacob smiled back. “Hello.”
“I could really use a hand getting in there.” Mike gingerly raised his arm and pointed to the bathroom door.
“I can do that.” Jacob said with a smile. He helped him slowly sit up in bed and walk across the floor into the bathroom.
“I can handle this part.” Mike said with a grimace as he closed the door and made his way to the toilet.
When Mike was done he helped him walk back to his bed and lay back down. He went to cover him up but Mike waved him off.
“It’s hot.”
Jacob nodded. The whole process easily took forty minutes. “Buzz if you need anything else.”
“Will do bud.” Mike smiled at him as he exited the room. “I like him.”
“I know.” Jen said with a smile.
Mike turned himself so he was facing Jen. “I hate being laid up like this. Remember when we first started dating and I took the hit from that defensive end? The one where he caught me mid throw and basically picked me up and body slammed me?”
Jen nodded. “I do, I almost broke up with you then too. Didn’t think I could sit by and watch you take hits like that.” She squeezed his hand. “But here we are yet again.”
“Sorry.” He laughed. “Hazardous profession.”
“You can’t handle pain meds very well can you?” She smiled as she shook her head. “You got loopy after the last ones you took too.”
“Whoops.” Mike rolled back on his back and shut his eyes. “It would appear that I can not my dear”
Jen laughed as she gently pulled his hand close and kissed it.
“Oh…” Mike’s eyes shot back open. “Did you hear from mom and dad?”
“Yes, they called when they got home, they’re fine.”
“That’s good.” His eyes closed again. “You know, now that you mention the drugs… I am having the weirdest dreams.”
“Like what?”
“Lots of things.” He let out a loud yawn. “Excuse me… We were back home, and… we…and Tracy…”
Jen smiled as Mike’s pills fully kicked in and he drifted back to sleep. She pulled his covers up and kissed him on the forehead before sitting back down in her chair. She continued watching him till she herself fell back asleep.