Author Note: Welcome back – as you will notice, Eric is very much alone these days….have pity!
Chapter 02 - I'm Wrecked
"Mr. Forman, you've been in a car accident, if you can hear me squeeze your right hand."
The room filled with sunlight as the nurse opened the vertical blinds. She picked up the medical chart that was sitting on the end of the bed. "I see you are awake. How are you today Mr. Forman?" She came around and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his upper arm and stuck a thermometer in his mouth. He could feel the cuff filling with air; squeezing his bicep as the nurse hummed a little tune and placed the stethoscope against his elbow. She turned the release valve and the air rushed out of the cuff as she removed the thermometer. "No fever so that's good!"
Eric struggled to keep his eyes open and found that everything in his body ached and hurt immensely. "Wha – what happened?" he managed to whisper. The nurse clucked her tongue. "Mr. Forman, you were in a severe car accident. You have a broken tibia, oh my, the bone actually pierced the skin. That's not good. You've broken your left arm and they removed glass from your left eye. You're probably not feeling too good right now so I'll go get your doctor and something for the pain."
Eric moaned and reached out to see what wasn't broke. His right arm was functional – that was good. He couldn't move his right leg but his left leg seemed okay. The left arm was wrapped tight in sling and just ached immensely. Glass in his eye? He touched his face and felt bandages and something was covering his left eye, some kind of a patch. His chest felt like someone used it for a punching bag. He closed his good eye and felt a tear slide down his cheek.
*
His eyelid was held open and a bright light was piercing the darkness. "Good, no blood indicating no brain damage." A gruff but friendly voice dictated medical terms to someone nearby. "Eric Forman, I'm Dr. Bradley. Your mother used to be my head nurse so we're going to take good care of you. You've been in a serious car accident and we don't know how to reach your parents. Is there someone you'd like to call?"
Eric couldn't think of anyone except for Greg and he was in the accident too. "My folks are somewhere in Florida I think. Dad had a stroke." He rasped. Dr. Bradley lifted the eye patch to examine the damage. "Your left eye has been injured, we took out some glass and part of your cornea was scratched. We're going to leave the patch on for awhile so the eye can heal, but there is a lot of bruising around your eye socket so you won't be looking too pretty for awhile." The doctor chuckled at his own joke.
"We're going to set you up with something for pain and once you are stable, we'll start you on some physical therapy. If you can think of anyone you want to call, let the nurse know. You'll need a ride home in a few days."
Eric was tired. He tried to comprehend everything the doctor said and honestly didn't know anyone that would be there for him when the hospital released him. This was NOT the way to start the first day of summer vacation!
*
By Eric's third day in the hospital he was more conscious and could stay awake for longer periods of time. He learned that the shin bone of his right leg, the tibia, snapped and broke through the skin. The emergency room doctors spent two and a half hours removing the broken pieces of bone and inserted a metal screw to mend the two ends of his leg back together. Eric joked weakly that he was now bionic.
Dr. Bradley told him he was lucky that the arm was a clean break and would heal better than if it was fractured. The eye patch would be removed later but Eric's vision was still kind of bleary – an ophthalmologist would stop in to check out his vision. The right leg was casted from the bottom of his foot up to his kneecap. He was able to bend the knee but the cast weighed a ton and tired him out.
Sometime after lunch, he had a visitor. Eric pressed the button on the bed that raised him up to a recline position. "Greg – hey man. Good to see you…with my one good eye." Eric joked feebly. Greg, his co-worker and ex-roommate wheeled himself over to Eric's bed. "Jeez Eric, you got messed up. I wanted you to know that my insurance company is going to help pay for your injuries and I have a pending lawsuit against that drunk driver."
"Hey Greg – since you are pretty much more mobile than me, can I ask a favor?"
"Sure man what do ya need?"
"Can you go to my folk's house and bring back my mom's address book? It's in the kitchen by the phone? I gotta call some people and I don't have my aunt's number."
Greg grinned. "Yeah, sure – I get to leave with a crutch…this wheelchair is a hospital precaution. They don't want me to break more than my ankle. I'm sorry you got so messed up man. But by the time school starts you should be as good as new."
Eric wanted to disagree but tried to smile anyways. "You remember where my mom hides the house key?"
Greg nodded. "I'll be back later with the phone book. You need anything else?"
Eric shook his head. "Just get me some really good painkillers man." Greg laughed and promised to be back soon. Eric lowered the bed and closed his eyes. Who could he possibly call in his condition?
*
True to his word, Greg brought back Kitty's phone book and the business card to his attorney. Eric didn't really care about the lawsuit; he just wanted to stop hurting. Later in the day he was visited by the hospital physical therapist who detailed what they would do together to start his recovery and get him back on his proverbial feet. It sounded painful.
Eric waited until after dinner was served before he started making phone calls. What was he going to say when he found someone? Hey, I've been in a car accident and I need a nurse? Can you come out and stay with me? Nah sounded too pansy as Red Forman would have said. What about – it's Eric, got a couple of months where you'd like to hang out in Point Place while I mend back to a normal person? How pathetic. Truthfully, he didn't know what to say because he didn't have any close friends anymore.
Still, he opened his mom's phonebook to the "ABC" page. There was Mr. Anderson whose cat always messed on Red's lawn - The cat that mysteriously disappeared a few years ago. He didn't recognize any of the B or C names. He kept turning pages which were written in the pretty Kitty Forman handwriting and found Steven Hyde in New York. Shit. There was no way Hyde would come all the way out to Point Place. Still…..
Eric dialed the long distance number and waited through three rings and then an answering machine picked up. "Yeah, this is Hyde, I'm not home right now… leave a message or don't…I don't give a damn." Eric hung up – he was already depressed, why add an irritated Hyde to the situation?
The next number he recognized was Kelso's and he was in Chicago. That wasn't too far away! He dialed the Illinois number and a young teenage voice picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, this is Eric Forman, who is this?"
"This is Betsy Kelso. Who are you?"
"Betsy, this is your Uncle Eric from Point Place. Remember Red and Kitty? Is your mom or dad there?" Thirteen year old Betsy hollered for her parents. "Hello Eric? This is Brooke – hey we haven't heard from you in a long time, what's up?"
Eric explained about his dad's stroke and the subsequent move to Florida and then his own car accident three days ago. "God, Eric that's too bad. Michael and I could come visit you but we can't stay any length of time. Betsy has summer school and Michael's training for Watch Commander at the station."
Eric closed his eyes. "Well, maybe you guys could come up one weekend? We'll get take out and just visit. It has been a long time and I'd like to catch up."
"Eric, why don't you call Jackie or Fez? They live in Kenosha and that's pretty close by. I'm sure they would be glad to help. I don't know Fez's number but call information – it's the Fancy Ladies' Salon on Tate Street. "
"Okay, thanks Brooke I appreciate the advice and taking the time to talk to me."
"Okay Eric, get better soon and don't be such a stranger!" Eric hung up the phone and sighed. He hadn't seen many of his old friends in over 12 years – why should any of them want to help an invalid after all this time?
Next in the book was Donna ex-Forman Pinciotti. His one year failed marriage. That was a closed chapter in his life and he knew in his gut that if he called for help she would slam the phone and change her number. Who was left? Fez the Candy Connoisseur or the Spawn of Satan – Eric groaned with misery this time instead of pain. He'd call tomorrow after breakfast. He still two days to find a ride home.
*
His fourth day in the hospital was most likely more painful than the actual car accident. His Physical Therapist looked like Eva Braun and when she hauled him out bed and dumped him in the wheelchair he swore she WAS Eva Braun!
He was wheeled to the PT room and unceremoniously lifted to his feet, balancing on his good left leg. An assistant therapist put a crutch under his armpit and made some adjustments.
"Mr. Forman," Eva said in her nasally commanding voice, "Today we are going to teach you mobility. You will need to be able to get around doing such daily things as dressing yourself, using the lavatory, going up and down stairs etcetera. You may use the wheelchair for those times when you are going to be standing for longer periods of time. You mustn't put any weight on your leg so pay close attention or you will return to me after your NEXT surgery and I do not think you want that – do you?"
Eric gulped. "No ma'am." He suffered through an hour with Eva and when he got back to his room he hurt in places he didn't know existed. He changed his mind; Eva was the spawn of Satan not Jackie Burkhart. He decided to call Fez.
After dialing information, he was connected with the salon. He heard the familiar voice of his old friend. "Welcome to Fancy Ladies' – you are talking to Fez who will make you feel fabulous!"
Eric smiled – Fez was forever a ladies man. "Hey buddy, it's Eric Forman."
"Aiiy! Eric my friend! Where have you been? Fez has not heard from you in too many years! You come back from Africa and disappear? Where are you?"
"Fez, I'm in the hospital man, I was hoping you could come visit." Eric crossed his fingers. Say yes! There was some commotion on the other end of the line before Fez answered.
"Eric, I have to wait until Jackie gets back with the van. What are visiting hours?"
Eric really didn't know but he would find out. "Hey Fez, you don't have to bring Jackie do you?"
Fez laughed, "Of course I do. You're her friend too, if you're in the hospital she'll want to see you. Just because we haven't seen you in 13 years does not make you any less our friend!"
Eric didn't want to deal with the crying spoiled basement drama princess – he could cry enough tears for three people at that moment. Wait… what were Fez and Jackie doing together? Were they a couple? He remembered hearing a rumor that they were more than roommates at one time. Was it true?
"Hey Fez, I'm sorry I'd love to see you and Jackie. Any chance you could come by tonight?"
"Sure – do you want me to bring you some candy?" Eric had to laugh at his friend's request. After all this time the guy was still nuts about candy.
"Fez, I would love some chocolate right now."
"Okay Eric, we'll see you later!" Eric listened as Fez hung up and set the telephone back in the cradle. It would be nice to see a couple of people from the old gang. It was better than no one at all!
*
A/N: No disrespect intended for Eva Braun and I'm not a medical doctor or nurse or physical therapist. I'm winging it for fictions sake….
