Slight warning- brief mention of depression and suicide attempt. If you have a problem in any way with this, briefly skip over that part, if you want to message me about it, go right ahead.
"Sherri Valance is kind of groggy right now, but she's awake," Mackenzie Robertson said, "We're not quite sure how her memory is just yet, but we're very optimistic."
"What about Evie?" Steve asked nervously.
"She won't be awake for a little while. She was in a lot of pain, and she lost more blood than we would have liked. Due to her pregnancy, it was a bit harder procedure, considering the accident caused her to go into premature labor. Thankfully, she was farther along than you thought and told the EMT, so that's a good thing."
"Can we see them?" Soda asked.
Mackenzie smiled and nodded. "Soda, I'll lead you to Sherri's room and explain some things, then once we get there, I'll go back and tell your brothers and your friend about both girls. Steve, Dr. Kendrick is going to take you to Evelyn's room and explain about her case, since she knows more about that sort of stuff than I do."
As she said that, another young female doctor approached them as they walked. "Hello," she smiled, "I'm Dr. Sheila Kendrick. Steve, if you'll follow me please, I will take you to see your girlfriend now."
-/-/-
That usual feeling of guilt began to fill Soda's body. This time, it was as if someone was filling a glass with water, and the glass had already begun to overflow, but for some reason the person kept filling the glass. It was the worst he'd ever felt in his life and he felt that it would never end and never go away. And he had no doubt in his mind that it would not change.
As Soda and Mackenzie walked down and through the halls, she explained what Cherry had gone through and how she was doing. He felt bad when he had to keep asking what certain words and phrases she was saying meant, but she simply smiled and answered every question. To comfort him, she had made sure to tell him that it was not unusual for those who were not in the medical field to not understand what the doctors would say, and that sometimes other doctors wouldn't even understand everything they were told. What she had told him had relieved him somewhat, but the guilt feeling was still there.
"Alright," Dr. Mackenzie Robertson started, gaining his attention, "Sherri Valance, she's your girlfriend, right?"
Soda nodded. "Yeah, she is," he answered, "For a while now."
"Ok then, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about her? Kind of to get a better understanding of a few things in her medical history and health."
"No, that's fine."
The doctor gave an appreciative smile. "Alright, great. She was admitted here a few months ago at the beginning of the summer, is this right?" When Soda nodded, she continued, "Do you know anything about why she was found the way she was before she was admitted- unconscious and on the top of a car?"
"She was depressed at the time and she, well… she tried…"
"Ok, that's as far as you have to go for that one. I get it. Next, I have here that she'd been suffering from amnesia since then. Has she fully regained her memory back yet?"
"No. She always said that she felt she remembered a lot, but there was still a lot that was still missing… can I ask something?"
"Of course you can."
"Will that have any effect when she wakes up? Like, how's her memory gonna be?" Soda asked.
"It's very hard to tell at the moment, considering she only recently woke up. And even so, she's still very out of it and groggy, but that's normal. We planned on giving her some sort of examination tomorrow after it's been twenty-four hours, cause by then, her brain and body would have had time to relax and calm down from the accident. Does that make any sense to you?"
Mackenzie continued to explain anything she could in response to Soda's question. She explained her memory could be fully restored, or everything could be gone and they'd all be back at square one like at the beginning of the summer. She explained that she might only remember everything before the summer, or that she could remember everything only after the summer began since she had first gotten amnesia. Either way, she had made sure to say that her and the Neurologist- the brain doctor- were optimistic about her memory, and that it might even be fully restored.
"And here we are," Mackenzie said when they walked up to a room, "Room two-hundred and twenty-six, Sherri Valance."
"Thanks," Soda mumbled.
"If either of you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, since I'm her doctor- considering I was the head doctor when you all arrived. So in the future, since she will have to have a few checkups after she is released, just to make sure everything is going alright, I'll be the one doing them. And the same goes for Evelyn Smith. I'll be back soon to check on them both."
"Ok." Soda nodded then opened the door to room 226 slowly and walked in as she walked away.
-/-/-
This may seem a bit complicated while I'm explain, maybe even a bit awkward," Dr. Sheila Kendrick said with a nervous chuckle, "But if you get confused about anything, don't hesitate to ask, alright?"
Steve nodded. "Alright," he agreed.
In all honesty, Steve was nervous to hear what the doctor was going to tell him. He was nervous, and he was definitely scared, that was for sure. He was also afraid how he react to anything she had to say and that she would tell him, whether it was something good or something bad. The whole thing just had him scared, nervous, and jumpy.
"In the ambulance," Sheila started, bring him back to reality, "You told the EMT that Evelyn Smith was about four months pregnant, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," Steve confirmed with a nod.
"Well we had to do some quick tests and checks before we did anything and we found she was a little more than six months along, about half way or three-fourths to seven months."
"Is that a good thing?"
"In this case, yes. In usual circumstances, two to three months early would not be the most desirable- but like I said, considering the circumstances, it's a good thing. At that point, she was already in labor, and after the examination, it was safer for her to deliver the baby naturally rather than surgically. Our main goal was to protect Evelyn and the baby."
Steve's heart began to pound in his chest as the doctor's words. "Is Evie ok?"
"She's just fine. She should be waking up soon now. When she wakes up, if she is sore and uncomfortable, that's expected due to what she's been through today. It will most likely be strongest in her torso, back and legs, but like I said, it's expected and completely normal."
His heart began to pound even harder as his next question ran through his head. "Is that baby ok?"
Dr. Sheila Kendrick gave a comforting smile. "Your baby girl is just fine," she answered, "In the future, she may have some minor health problems, but based on past and present cases when the baby was as early as you and Evelyn's, it's nothing that's untreatable."
Steve felt himself start to smile unconsciously as Dr. Kendrick led him to and walked up to room 227. "We'll bring you two your daughter once one of you presses the button for a nurse or doctor," she said, "Whenever you two are ready." She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but give a small smile back as he nodded and started to open the door.
-/-/-
Soda nervously sat in the seat next to the head of Cherry's hospital bed. As he said down, her head started to turn slowly in his direction away from the view of the city through the window in her room. She looked at him for a moment as she flinched while she tried to reposition herself in the bed, searching for a more comfortable position to sit up in as best as she could.
"Hi, Cherry," Soda said quietly. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach due to the nervousness and guilt that had come over and taken control over his entire body, even his mind.
After a moment or two, Cherry gave a small and weak- but still present- smile. "Hi, Soda," the redhead said in a quiet tone of voice.
Soda felt his usual and in character smile from the shape and deep features of his face. "You remember me."
"Why wouldn't I?" Her voice was a bit weak and quiet, but he could still hear her. "I still can't remember everything, but it's getting there."
Soda couldn't help the weak smile that formed. Now we just wait and see what happens, he thought nervously, thinking over the last couple months that he wished he could take back.
-/-/-
As if on cue, when Steve reached Evie, her eyes fluttered open. She was slightly pale from what he guessed to be blood loss from the car accident. But otherwise, with exception of a few cuts and scrapes and bruises scattered around the surface of her body from head to toe- and a hurt ankle, apparently- she didn't look to be too physically injured, and he was happy that seemed to be it. He also knew that he couldn't have been happier that she was ok, and so was their baby.
"Hey there," Steve whispered and ran his hand gently through a part of her jet black hair, "How ya feelin'?"
Evie flinched as she tried to find a comfortable position. "Like I was hit by a truck and had a baby," she breathed out, half serious and half teasing, "Is that baby ok? Did they tell you anything?"
He sneakily pressed the nurse's button like he'd been told to as he nodded. "They said she might have a few health problems when she's older, but other than that, she's gonna be alright."
A few minutes later, a nurse walked into the room, causing a confused look to form Evie's facial features. The nurse quietly and gently walked toward the two, something wrapped in a pink blanket in her arms that she eventually transferred into Evie's arms. Her and Steve couldn't help but smile at the tiny baby girl.
After debating about a name for ten minutes, the two decided to name their baby girl: Layla Estelle Randle… Evie didn't like how "Randle-Smith" was spelled and sounded.
I had names choices for their baby, but I had the music choice "classic rock" station on and "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos was playing as I typed this last bit and I love that song, so yeah. And Estelle, I already had chosen and got from actress Estelle Getty's name (she was Sophia Petrillo in The Golden Girls, and played Stallone's mother in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which I love). And then "Lookin' Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival was playing, and now "Only Women Bleed" by Alice Cooper is playing. (I love all three, so I have no problem)
I changed the part with Steve and Evie from my original plans as the story progressed on. I was gonna have it the she had a miscarriage cause of the accident, but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it, so I asked my best friend's opinion on it, and she helped me figure out what to do- so Sara, if you see this, THANK YOU MY BUDDY.
Anyway, hope you like everything with Cherry and Soda and Evie and Steve so far- cause disaster strikes soon for Cherry and Soda (which is the main idea of the story)- peace from all the hippies of the world (and Alice Cooper). =^-^=