Lorelai awoke to the bright lights of the emergency room. It took her a few seconds recall the events leading up to her being there. She gradually began to remember the storm, then the accident, the baby, the young girl, and Kevin. She felt even more pain now than she remembered feeling when she woke up in her car. She was startled by the cry of pain that escaped her lips and was brought to full awareness when she heard a nurse speaking to her.
"Try and relax, sweetie," she looked up to find a fifty-something woman in Mickey Mouse scrubs sterilizing her arm and preparing an IV.
"I'm giving you medicine for the pain right now. It'll only be a few minutes before it takes effect."
"Okay," she managed. "Thank you."
"My pleasure. Dr. Hastings will be over shortly to examine you and then we'll go from there, alright?"
Lorelai nodded before clearing her throat to speak.
"How's Kevin? And the girl? And the baby? Are they okay?"
"Kevin is just about to be discharged. Everyone is under the same understanding that he couldn't have prevented this accident, so his job is safe and no charges or violations are being held against him."
"Oh good. He was so scared."
"He said you helped calm him a lot."
She nodded again, giving a weak smile.
"Lea, the other driver was hurt pretty badly. She nearly died at the scene but they were able to bring her back. They're prepping her for surgery right now. It'll be a tough recovery but, if all goes well, she will be okay. Her baby, Emma, has a minor bruise on her face, but other than that, she's the picture of health. Emma's father and his parents are on their way to pick her up and take her home. Lea's parents are with Emma now and they plan to stay until Lea is in recovery."
"So everyone is okay?" Lorelai asked.
"Everyone is okay. How's the pain?"
"It's getting duller by the second. Thanks for the distraction."
"Anytime. I'll go let Dr. Hastings know that you're ready for him."
A few moments later, a tall man in a lab coat entered the room and introduced himself.
"Hi, Lorelai. My name is Dr. Hastings. I'm just going to order some tests and scans so we can see what's what and then we'll proceed from there, okay?"
"Okay."
After being wheeled around the hospital and undergoing multiple x-rays, head scans, an MRI, and blood work, Lorelai was brought into room 914 and transferred to a much more comfortable bed.
One of the ninth floor nurses came in to give her an update, letting her know that the doctor was just waiting on the results of all her tests and that he would be up to speak with her as soon as he had them. She also informed Lorelai that the hospital had called her mother, who was now on her way and that the insurance corporation that represented the semi-truck company had already had her car towed to a body shop, all damage was covered and the car would be fixed within two weeks.
After the nurse left the room, Lorelai fell asleep for around 20 minutes. She was woken up by Dr. Hastings entering the room.
"Hey, Lorelai. How are you feeling?"
"A little sore, but much better overall."
"Good! Well the good news is that there's nothing too serious. Your brain, spine, and organs are all intact and working properly, so we're not dealing with anything life-threatening. I am going to keep you here for a few days, though so we can monitor you and make sure everything remains okay. While you were out in the ER, I gave you a local anesthetic and stitched up the cut above your eyebrow. That should heal within a few weeks and it shouldn't leave much of a scar, if it leaves one at all. I'll prescribe you some medicated scar cream that you can start applying twice a day once the stitches dissolve. That should ensure that no mark is left. There are also some bruises on your face and various other parts of your body, so I'll also prescribe some extra-strength pain medication for the soreness those may bring. Your x-rays showed that four of your ribs are broken and that you have a fractured wrist. I'm going to have one of my interns come in and cast your wrist while I go talk to your mom, who I've been told is downstairs in the waiting room. The ribs, however, are going to have to heal on their own, so I'm going to give you some bandages that will help restrict movement in the upper torso area, but you will also need to take it easy for several weeks, okay?"
"Okay. And, besides that, everything else is okay?"
"Everything else is perfect. I'm going to go send my intern in to put your cast on and then head downstairs to talk to your mom. I'll have one of my nurses bring her up here when you're done being casted. And if you need anything else, just have them page me."
"Got it. Thank you so much."
"Of course. Try and get some rest."
"Will do."
He nodded and exited the room.
