Chapter 14
Dr. Brackett was true to his word, A.J. was only off for one shift. She still looked a little beet red but other than that, she was good as new. She decided to stop by Maggie's room to see how she was doing.
"Have the doctors said anything about her leg?" A.J. was certain she knew the answer. She had been quizzing Joe about it for days.
"They said they have to amputate it from the knee down." Mrs. Monroe started to cry thinking about her little girl not being whole anymore.
"She is blessed to be here at all." The reassurance sounded hollow, even though it was true. "There are so many different kinds of prosthesis out there. I know people in her situation that run marathons. At least you have your baby." A.J. had witnessed too many accidents where that wasn't the case.
"I can't tell her...I just can't!! Would you do it for me?" Her eyes were pleading.
"Mrs. Monroe...don't you think that would be better coming from you?"
"No, please. I am begging you. You got her through this, she trusts you. If you tell her it will be alright, she'll believe you." The problem was that her mother wasn't so sure it would be alright.
"Ma'am, it wasn't just me. It was a team effort. I couldn't have done it alone." She wanted to do just about anything else in the world. "GOD, what am I supposed to do?"
Her mother was near exhaustion herself. She hadn't left the hospital since Maggie was brought in. She grabbed A.J. and hugged her with all the strength she had left. "Thank you for saving my daughter."
"Alright, I'll talk to her." She prayed that she would know what to say, when Maggie asked her why.
She opened the door to find Maggie reading a book. Seeing her lying there, it almost seemed like she had never been injured at all. She too had suffered some minor burns as well. It was amazing that she hadn't burned alive that day.
"Hi! How are you feeling better?" Maggie was a ray of sunshine. The nurses and doctors had been great, they were all so nice.
"Hey Maggie, I'm doing good. How is everything for you? Listen...I have something I have to tell you. Honey, the doctors tried everything they could to save your leg. I am sorry they are going to have to do some surgery and remove it." She waited for her to start to yell, scream, do something.
With tears welling up in her eyes, the first thing she said was, "Now I can't ride the horses."
That took A.J. by surprise, "Maggie I promised you a horse ride and I keep my word. I will think of something. You do everything the doctors and nurses tell you to, to get better and when you are out of here, you will ride a horse."
"You promise?"
"I told you that we were going to get out of there, right? I would never lie to you little darling." A.J. knew come Hell or high water, that girl was going to ride.