A/N: Hello again!! =D Sorry this has taken soo long! I know I promised to update faster, but I forgot how super busy I was going to be last week.. I had EVERYTHING happening at once, it was absolutely insane XD
Dance concerts, drama concerts, school prizegiving, you name it... :)
But enough excuses!
It was quite a close vote between Tess living and dying, haha, some of your reviews made me laugh! Ahh, I love you guys!! XD
Anyway, lets find out what happens!
This chapter took me quite a while to write, so I hope you enjoy :)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything... Yet ;)
Chapter 13
The Truth Hurts
That Same Night
Tess glanced around the hospital room, breathing a sigh of frustration.
She hated this place.
It was so bland and boring.
Everything was white.
White walls, white sheets, white clothing.
It was too plain, too depressing; almost as if all the colour had been zapped from the world.
It felt that way to Tess, at least.
She didn't have flowers and cards scattered around her room like most people did.
There was nothing there to brighten her day as the hours ticked by and the sky darkened to black.
It was like a prison; and there was no way to escape.
There were no windows in the room she was in, just a single door which led out into the hallway.
There were probably hidden cameras monitoring the patients movements anyway, so even if they did try to run, they were bound to be stopped and returned by security guards within a matter of minutes.
Not that I could escape anyway, Tess thought bitterly.
Her legs were still so numb; they lay motionless, not responding to her feeble attempts to get them to move.
She doubted whether she could stand, let alone leap out of bed and walk out the door.
Just as she was contemplating other means of escape, there was a soft knock at the door.
Tess looked up.
Mother?
A man in a stiff white coat entered and Tess frowned in disappointment.
"Hello Tess," The doctor said lightly. "How're you feeling?"
Tess folded her arms across her chest and looked away.
"Great," She mumbled.
The doctor smiled, failing to pick up on the blatant sarcasm. "Excellent."
He cleared his throat, a serious expression now darkening his face. "I have some news for you Tess. We have the results of your tests back."
Tess sighed, remembering the hours of testing that had first taken place when she had arrived at the hospital.
She shivered, pulling the thin white sheet up to her chin for comfort.
She didn't want to know the results.
She didn't care what was wrong with her.
She just wanted to get out of here.
"Tess?" The doctor asked gently, interrupting her thoughts. "This may be a little hard for you to hear."
Tess ignored him, choosing to inspect her fingers instead.
The doctor frowned and continued.
"When you landed at the base of the cliff, you damaged the base of your spine, quite severely." He paused for a moment, watching Tess's expression. "This affected the nerve function in the lower half of your body, which is why you have no movement in your legs."
Tess squeezed her eyes shut. When she reopened them, her face was devoid of emotion.
"I'm paralysed?"
"From the waist down," The doctor informed her seriously.
Tess's mind was suddenly as numb as her legs.
She looked away, waiting for the news to sink in.
She knew she should be crying, but she didn't feel any sense of sadness or fear.
Just a deep calm that enveloped her whole body.
It was strange.
Why did she feel so blasé about it?
She was paralysed. She would never walk again.
Her dream of being a famous performer had suddenly been ripped to shreds; yet she was emotionless, acting as though she didn't care.
"It's possible that the paralysis is only temporary," The doctor told her, although his voice lacked confidence. "Many paraplegics lead full, happy lives. You're going to need a lot of help from friends and family Tess, but I am hopeful that you will regain some independence over time."
Tess nodded robotically, waiting for the doctor to continue.
"You're going to have to stay in hospital for a while longer, I'm afraid. We'll need to do constant check ups to make sure there is no further spinal damage, and to begin your rehabilitation."
Tess nodded once more, no longer paying much attention.
"The X-Ray showed that your leg is fractured in two places. So I guess you could say it's a good thing you're paralysed, isn't it? You don't feel any of the pain!"
The doctor laughed weakly.
Tess merely glared.
The dull feeling of calmness was beginning to ebb away.
Tears began to sting her eyes.
How could being paralysed be a good thing?
"The director of your camp came to visit earlier," The doctor said, noticing Tess's expression and tactfully changing the subject. "But you were sleeping."
Tess ignored him.
"Where's my mother?" She asked quietly.
"Your mother?" The doctor frowned, thoughtful. "Yes, TJ Tyler, isn't it? Wonderful performer."
Tess scowled at him, and he cleared his throat, regaining his composure.
"Ahh.. Well we haven't been able to get hold of her yet, unfortunately. Her secretary said that she had to leave the country urgently and won't be home until tomorrow. She put us in touch with your brother though," the doctor added when he saw Tess's gloomy expression. "He's on his way now."
Tess looked up sharply.
"You talked to David?"
The doctor nodded, raising his eyebrows.
"Is that a problem?"
Tess pursed her lips and looked away.
It had been years since she had last seen David. He had never gotten along with their mother, and as soon as he had turned 16, he had left home.
It suited her fine.
She liked being an only child.
She liked all of the attention that was suddenly lavished on her when he left.
Tess stared ahead uncertainly.
She wasn't sure if she wanted David back in her life.
There was a part of her that wanted to scream at the doctor to send him away when he arrived, but there was another part, a softer side of her, that wanted him to stay.
The doctor was eyeing Tess curiously.
"He should be here in a few hours. He sounded genuinely upset on the phone when he heard of your condition, Tess. He wants to see you."
Tess didn't reply.
David wanted to see her?
She let out a reluctant sigh, not trusting herself to speak. She knew she might say something that she would regret later.
The doctor smiled in encouragement.
"Have a think about it. I'll be back a bit later, Tess. It's been a long day for you, hasn't it? You need to rest."
As the doctor left, Tess felt the truth slowly begin to sink in.
She supposed it was shock that had kept her so cool and composed earlier, but now that she was alone, she could feel the hysteria beginning to take hold of her.
She was paralysed, and she would never walk again...
Tess gulped, and the tears began to fall.
Early the next day
"Hi Caitlyn!" A cheerful voice called from the trees.
Caitlyn looked up, her heart pounding.
Nate?
Jason entered the clearing, holding a small birdhouse in his triumphant hands.
Caitlyn tried to hide her disappointment. She sniffed, squeezing her eye's shut and pressing her fingers to her temple.
Her head was throbbing.
She let out a slow breath and looked up at Jason through red rimmed eyes.
He was staring at her, his mouth open wide in surprise.
She knew she must look terrible.
Her hair was a mess, and her eyes had dark circles under them; she hadn't gotten much sleep last night.
"What happened to you?" Jason asked, looking at her curiously.
"Umm.. Nothing, Jason. I'm just tired. I had a rough day yesterday."
Jason walked closer to Caitlyn, his expression sceptical.
"Does this have anything to do with Nate?" He asked slowly.
Caitlyn sighed.
Jason was obviously more intelligent than she gave him credit for.
"It does, doesn't it!" Jason cried triumphantly when she didn't reply.
Caitlyn bit her lip, finally giving in with a small nod.
"You look sad," Jason said, his expression turning downcast. "What did Nate do?"
A tear rolled down Caitlyn's cheek, and she hurriedly wiped it away, hoping that Jason wouldn't notice.
He did.
"You're crying!" Jason gasped.
The birdhouse slipped from his grasp and lay temporarily forgotten on the ground as he rushed to embrace her.
"Don't cry, Caitlyn," He said worriedly, flinging his arms around her in a bear hug so tight that it was impossible to breathe. "I don't like it when people cry!"
"I'm sorry," Caitlyn murmured breathlessly when Jason finally released her.
"What for?"
"For crying."
"Oh." Jason shrugged, but suddenly looked thoughtful. "Hey, did you hear about Tess?"
Caitlyn wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks and shook her head.
"What? You haven't heard?" Jason gasped, raising his eyebrows in disbelief.
Caitlyn frowned in confusion.
"No. What's wrong with her?"
There was a tense silence.
"She's paralysed," Jason finally blurted.
"What?" Caitlyn gulped, her eyes crinkling with concern. "Tess is paralysed? Oh no. How bad is it?"
"Bad," Jason replied seriously. "Brown said from the waist down."
"Oh my gosh," Caitlyn covered her mouth with her hands. "That's horrible."
"Yeah," Jason agreed. He fidgeted with his hands for a moment, looking uncomfortable.
"Uh, can we change the subject now? All this talk about crying and hospitals is making me sad. Lets talk about something happy!"
He grinned and clapped his hands together.
"I came to show you my birdhouse, Caitlyn! I finished it!"
He pointed enthusiastically towards the small object on the ground.
"Do you like it? Oh! Do you have a bird that needs a new home?"
Jason was suddenly excited; stringing his sentences together, shouting one random thing after another.
His eyes were wide with delight, and he was hopping up and down like a little child at Christmas time.
It was as though he had forgotten everything he had just said.
Tess was paralysed.
How could he act so happy?
Caitlyn's head was throbbing.
"Jason," She sighed. "It's a nice bird house, and thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I kind of just want to be by myself right now."
Jason looked stunned for a moment, freezing in mid bounce.
"Oh. Um, ok." He scratched his head in confusion.
There was an awkward silence.
"Oh. You want me to leave?" Jason asked Caitlyn in surprise.
Caitlyn nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry."
Jason shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's OK. I get that a lot."
He retrieved his birdhouse from the ground, pausing to gaze at her for a moment before he left.
His eyes were creased with worry, and he looked reluctant to leave her alone.
She knew that Jason wasn't as clueless as he sometimes appeared.
It was obvious that he knew more about what had happened the night before with Nate than he was letting on.
Caitlyn waved at him, attempting a weak smile.
Jason returned the wave, and disappeared reluctantly into the trees.
Caitlyn knew her smile hadn't convinced him.
He was worried about her.
Caitlyn sighed, sinking back into her thoughts.
Her mind flickered automatically to Nate, and the tears began to fall.
This time, she didn't bother to wipe them away.
There was no one around to see her anyway; no one to hide her pain from.
Caitlyn sobbed freely, giving in to her emotions and burying her face in her hands.
There was no point in pretending that she was okay anymore.
She had to face the truth: Nate didn't want her. He had rejected her.
And the truth hurt.
Shane was exhausted.
He had stayed overnight at the hospital, hoping to hear more news about Mitchie.
But there had been nothing.
"No change."
That was all they would tell him.
And it was driving him crazy.
He needed Mitchie.
He wanted to see her face, touch her hand; anything to set his mind at rest.
But it was impossible when the nurses kept refusing to let him in.
Why wouldn't they let anyone see her?
Something wasn't right.
Shane knew that he wasn't a blood relative, and that family had first priority, but the doctors wouldn't even let Connie and Steve in to see Mitchie.
He shivered.
The thought of Mitchie lying in a hospital bed, alone, connected to a thousand tubes and wires made his heart ache.
He needed to see her.
Shane sighed in frustration and glanced around.
He was alone in the hospital waiting room.
Mitchie's father, Steve, had arrived in the middle of the night, and he and Connie had just gone to the cafeteria to get something to eat.
Shane had informed them that he wasn't hungry, and that he wanted to stay in case there was any more news on Mitchie's condition.
But he had a different idea in mind.
He took one last glance around him to make sure that no one was watching, before slipping noiselessly down the corridor.
He tiptoed towards the office, praying that he could slink by unnoticed.
Luck was with him.
Shane breathed a sigh of relief as he passed the nurses in white coats; they had their backs turned to him and seemed to be engrossed in conversation.
He veered down a different corridor, walking quickly and continuing to look behind him to check that he hadn't been spotted.
He wasn't supposed to be down in this part of the hospital.
The doctor had told him that it was off limits, but Shane didn't care. He just wanted to see Mitchie.
Last night, he had taken a quick look at the doctors clipboard, which contained Mitchie's details and information.
There hadn't been enough time to have a good look, but there was one thing which had stuck in his brain.
The room number.
439.
He smiled smugly.
That's where Mitchie is.
And if that's where Mitchie is, then that's where I'm going to be too.
Shane continued down the corridor, following the numbers on the doors.
He wasn't completely sure where he was going, but he knew Mitchie's room had to be around here somewhere.
Brushing his hair nervously from his face, he rounded another corner and glanced at the number on the first door.
Room 420.
He was getting closer now.
Shane looked around anxiously.
It was almost eerie how quiet it was down this part of the hospital.
There wasn't another soul in sight.
There were no noises, apart from the light scuffing of his own feet on the floor.
If Shane didn't know better, he would have thought that the hospital was empty.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard the sound of faint footsteps in the distance.
He froze.
Uh-Oh.
Someone was coming.
What would happen if the hospital staff caught him down here?
Whatever it was, he didn't want to stay and find out.
He grabbed the nearest door handle and wrenched it open, quickly letting himself inside and closing the door behind him.
Shane squeezed his eyes shut and leaned up against the wall, breathing heavily.
The footsteps were louder now.
They stopped for a moment, as though listening for something, but promptly continued and faded into the distance.
Shane opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
That was close.
He blinked rapidly and looked around.
White walls surrounded him on all sides and the smell of disinfectant was overwhelming.
Shane wrinkled his nose.
Where was he?
A very sick looking patient hooked up to a machine was staring at him nervously.
"Oh, sorry.." Shane mumbled. "Is this your room? I was just.. Ah.. Looking for a friend of mine.."
The patient propped himself up higher in his hospital bed, still watching him suspiciously. Shane saw him reach toward a small red button on the wall.
"No!" Shane cried.
The emergency button. He guessed that the guy thought he was some crazy loon that had escaped from the mental department.
Shane sighed wearily and moved closer to the patient, trying his best to look sane.
"No! Please don't! I'm sorry for disturbing you. I.. I'm going to go now.."
Shane raised his hands above his head in surrender and backed slowly towards the door.
If the guy pressed that button, the hospital staff would find him in a second.
And then, they'd probably never let him in to see Mitchie.
A/N: So what did you think? Do you want more?? ;)
Tess is paralyzed. Do you think it serves her right? Or do you feel sorry for her?
As I mentioned earlier, the votes were close between whether she should live or die, but you'll find out in future chapters! :D
So I decided that in this story, Tess has an older brother. I wanted to bring an OC in, because I'm getting some new ideas about ways to bring more drama into the story..
Mwahaha, after all, you all LOVE drama, don't you??! XD
I finished this quite late at night. I don't usually write at night time, because my brains a bit slow then, but I was dying to get the next chapter up and not keep you guys waiting any longer! :)
Thanks for your reviews, please continue and keep them coming, it helps me to update faster, and I like hearing your ideas and opinions!
OK, NEW VOTE:
Should the patient press the button?
Or do you want Shane to find Mitchie????
VOTE NOW! XD
Please?
Two seconds of your time, and YOUR. VOTE. COUNTS!
:D
Many hugs!
Kacee
