Chapter Ten
The hospital remained busy into the late afternoon and early evening hours. Many of the people that were in the waiting room waiting for Peter's condition to be known were still there. Jackie and her friend Steve left for a late class, having the intention of visiting again early the next morning. J. Jonah Jameson also had left hours ago on the account of business. Peter's aunt May had stayed at the hospital for most of the three days, only going back home to wash and change. Emily Watson and Rick Thompson spent some of the time walking through some of the hallways talking, leaving Mary Jane there in the waiting room with an apprehensive expression on her face while sitting next to Aunt May. Around six in the evening, Dr. Hanson Moore entered into the waiting room and looked around. He nodded as he made eye contact with May and walked over to her with a swift pace.
"Mrs. Parker." He said as he smiled a tired smile, "How are you doing?" he asked as he motioned her to seat down. "I have some good news and bad news."
May gave the doctor an expression of terror as she took Mary Jane's hand in search of comfort. The doctor glanced at MJ who also had a timorous expression on her face.
"The good news is that Peter's going to be okay. It seems, like I told you before, that his severe sleep deprivation caused him to collapse and faint. However, there is more to this than meets the eye."
May looked at the doctor and tightened her grip on Mary Jane's hand. "Is this the bad news?" The doctor kneed to look at her at eye-level and nodded solemnly.
"It seems that Peter has also been suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder." May looked at the doctor confused and lessened the grip on MJ'S hand while MJ after hearing the news, guilt splashed all over her face as she buried her face in her hands.
"The hospital's psychologist, Dr. Thomas Davis, has been telling me for these past few days that Peter has experienced a variety of symptoms that are associated with this disorder like nightmares, depression, dizziness, body aches and various emotional problems such as emotional numbness, detachment, difficulty feeling affectionate, lost of interest and feelings of intense guilt. He has been 'the winter of his life'."
May nodded sadly. "What could have caused this?"
"Anything really," Dr. Moore stated, "from a traumatic accident, an emergency situation, daily life, the workplace to family responsibilities."
"His uncle's sudden death?" Mary Jane asked quietly.
Dr. Moore just looked at Mary Jane and nodded, "Yes. That is possible. It is my recommendation that Peter should see Dr. Davis to sort through these emotional difficulties."
May and Mary Jane nodded as they watched Dr. Moore exited the waiting room. May looked at Mary Jane who had tears running down her cheeks.
"It's okay Mary Jane, it's okay. He'll be fine." She said as she gave MJ a hug, "Peter has always been strong; he'll get through this." MJ nodded despondently and hugged May back.
***
It was very early Saturday morning and Mary Jane was pacing back and forth in the waiting room while studying people that were asleep in the waiting room chairs. MJ had tried for hours to get sleep, but couldn't. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder?' she asked herself as she explored into a new hallway where a few late shift nurses were checking up on patients, 'Poor guy. And I was upset with him. Ugh. He must hate me.'
Mary Jane walked back to the waiting room and stood around, wondering what to do. She was getting irritated of a few people who were snoring and breathing loudly, so she went into Peter's hospital room without detection from the hospital guards.
As she walked in, she was relieved that Peter wasn't snoring or breathing loudly. Taking in this fact, she sat down on a chair that was near Peter's bedside. In the bright moonlight, she could see much of the room. The place was decorated with various cards, balloons and stuffed animals. She could tell that Peter's back was faced toward her and had the appearance of being asleep. Abruptly, Peter shifted in his sleep and turned on his other side facing Mary Jane. She saw that he was not asleep at all and was just as awake as she was. He had a depressed look on his face and let out a heavy sigh. Then, he looked up and widened his eyes to the sights of Mary Jane.
"Hi, Tiger."
Peter just looked at her as he used his elbows to thrust his chest off of the bed. He smiled finally, "Hi, MJ."
Mary Jane finally studied him with his unkempt appearance. He had the materialization of not being shaved for several days along with his cow- licked hair, bags under his eyes and a sickly constitution. MJ cleared her throat, trying to get out of this awkward moment.
"I'm sorry I barged in here like this. Everyone in the waiting room is snoring and I couldn't sleep and-"
"Don't worry about it; I couldn't sleep either." He interrupted coarsely as he tried to push himself up. "How did you hear about me being in the hospital?"
Mary Jane smiled, "The hotline."
"Oh, yeah." Peter said as he rubbed his eyes, "Of course. My aunt will always pass information to your mom. I should know that by now."
MJ smiled nervously and put a fleece cover that was on another chair on herself, "How are you doing? Feeling better?"
Peter looked at her and descended into the bed, "Yeah, I guess." He suddenly looked at her with suspicion, "Have you heard about -?" MJ nodded and looked at him with sympathy.
"I'm so sorry, Pete. I had no idea."
"Neither did I." Peter said with a poignant tone.
They were silent for a couple of minutes occasionally looking at each other. Mary Jane finally smiled and dragged her chair closer to Peter's bed.
"When are you getting outta here?"
Peter sighed, "The doctors said tomorrow. Too bad the vacation has been cut short." Peter readjusted his position on the bed facing her, "So, I heard that you getting into journalism-"
MJ gave a huge smile, "Yeah! Isn't it something?"
Peter frowned, "I thought theater was your passion-"
"It still is, but I like journalism too. Right now, I'm in a theater company while going to college. I love it even though I have to attend the practices after class."
"College? Where?"
"Well, I spent a year at Brooklyn Community College, my major being theater. But then I had to take an elective that year, so I was forced in a way to take journalism. The ironic the thing was, I fell in love with it. After that year, I transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology were I'm studying now."
"Wow," said Peter thoughtfully, "You've changed."
"So have you." MJ said biting her lip in thought. "What about you? You still going to NYU?"
"Yeah," Peter said
"What's your major?"
"Biochemistry: it's a blast, really." Peter said with sarcasm.
Mary Jane smiled as she got up from her chair, leaned over and rustled his hair playfully, "I gotta go, Tiger. We should go out to lunch sometime, catch up if you want." Peter smiled and nodded, "Sure".
He watched Mary Jane leave his hospital room with happiness. He buried himself in his blankets and attempted to fall asleep. As he closed his eyes, he didn't remember being this happy in a long time.
The hospital remained busy into the late afternoon and early evening hours. Many of the people that were in the waiting room waiting for Peter's condition to be known were still there. Jackie and her friend Steve left for a late class, having the intention of visiting again early the next morning. J. Jonah Jameson also had left hours ago on the account of business. Peter's aunt May had stayed at the hospital for most of the three days, only going back home to wash and change. Emily Watson and Rick Thompson spent some of the time walking through some of the hallways talking, leaving Mary Jane there in the waiting room with an apprehensive expression on her face while sitting next to Aunt May. Around six in the evening, Dr. Hanson Moore entered into the waiting room and looked around. He nodded as he made eye contact with May and walked over to her with a swift pace.
"Mrs. Parker." He said as he smiled a tired smile, "How are you doing?" he asked as he motioned her to seat down. "I have some good news and bad news."
May gave the doctor an expression of terror as she took Mary Jane's hand in search of comfort. The doctor glanced at MJ who also had a timorous expression on her face.
"The good news is that Peter's going to be okay. It seems, like I told you before, that his severe sleep deprivation caused him to collapse and faint. However, there is more to this than meets the eye."
May looked at the doctor and tightened her grip on Mary Jane's hand. "Is this the bad news?" The doctor kneed to look at her at eye-level and nodded solemnly.
"It seems that Peter has also been suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder." May looked at the doctor confused and lessened the grip on MJ'S hand while MJ after hearing the news, guilt splashed all over her face as she buried her face in her hands.
"The hospital's psychologist, Dr. Thomas Davis, has been telling me for these past few days that Peter has experienced a variety of symptoms that are associated with this disorder like nightmares, depression, dizziness, body aches and various emotional problems such as emotional numbness, detachment, difficulty feeling affectionate, lost of interest and feelings of intense guilt. He has been 'the winter of his life'."
May nodded sadly. "What could have caused this?"
"Anything really," Dr. Moore stated, "from a traumatic accident, an emergency situation, daily life, the workplace to family responsibilities."
"His uncle's sudden death?" Mary Jane asked quietly.
Dr. Moore just looked at Mary Jane and nodded, "Yes. That is possible. It is my recommendation that Peter should see Dr. Davis to sort through these emotional difficulties."
May and Mary Jane nodded as they watched Dr. Moore exited the waiting room. May looked at Mary Jane who had tears running down her cheeks.
"It's okay Mary Jane, it's okay. He'll be fine." She said as she gave MJ a hug, "Peter has always been strong; he'll get through this." MJ nodded despondently and hugged May back.
***
It was very early Saturday morning and Mary Jane was pacing back and forth in the waiting room while studying people that were asleep in the waiting room chairs. MJ had tried for hours to get sleep, but couldn't. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder?' she asked herself as she explored into a new hallway where a few late shift nurses were checking up on patients, 'Poor guy. And I was upset with him. Ugh. He must hate me.'
Mary Jane walked back to the waiting room and stood around, wondering what to do. She was getting irritated of a few people who were snoring and breathing loudly, so she went into Peter's hospital room without detection from the hospital guards.
As she walked in, she was relieved that Peter wasn't snoring or breathing loudly. Taking in this fact, she sat down on a chair that was near Peter's bedside. In the bright moonlight, she could see much of the room. The place was decorated with various cards, balloons and stuffed animals. She could tell that Peter's back was faced toward her and had the appearance of being asleep. Abruptly, Peter shifted in his sleep and turned on his other side facing Mary Jane. She saw that he was not asleep at all and was just as awake as she was. He had a depressed look on his face and let out a heavy sigh. Then, he looked up and widened his eyes to the sights of Mary Jane.
"Hi, Tiger."
Peter just looked at her as he used his elbows to thrust his chest off of the bed. He smiled finally, "Hi, MJ."
Mary Jane finally studied him with his unkempt appearance. He had the materialization of not being shaved for several days along with his cow- licked hair, bags under his eyes and a sickly constitution. MJ cleared her throat, trying to get out of this awkward moment.
"I'm sorry I barged in here like this. Everyone in the waiting room is snoring and I couldn't sleep and-"
"Don't worry about it; I couldn't sleep either." He interrupted coarsely as he tried to push himself up. "How did you hear about me being in the hospital?"
Mary Jane smiled, "The hotline."
"Oh, yeah." Peter said as he rubbed his eyes, "Of course. My aunt will always pass information to your mom. I should know that by now."
MJ smiled nervously and put a fleece cover that was on another chair on herself, "How are you doing? Feeling better?"
Peter looked at her and descended into the bed, "Yeah, I guess." He suddenly looked at her with suspicion, "Have you heard about -?" MJ nodded and looked at him with sympathy.
"I'm so sorry, Pete. I had no idea."
"Neither did I." Peter said with a poignant tone.
They were silent for a couple of minutes occasionally looking at each other. Mary Jane finally smiled and dragged her chair closer to Peter's bed.
"When are you getting outta here?"
Peter sighed, "The doctors said tomorrow. Too bad the vacation has been cut short." Peter readjusted his position on the bed facing her, "So, I heard that you getting into journalism-"
MJ gave a huge smile, "Yeah! Isn't it something?"
Peter frowned, "I thought theater was your passion-"
"It still is, but I like journalism too. Right now, I'm in a theater company while going to college. I love it even though I have to attend the practices after class."
"College? Where?"
"Well, I spent a year at Brooklyn Community College, my major being theater. But then I had to take an elective that year, so I was forced in a way to take journalism. The ironic the thing was, I fell in love with it. After that year, I transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology were I'm studying now."
"Wow," said Peter thoughtfully, "You've changed."
"So have you." MJ said biting her lip in thought. "What about you? You still going to NYU?"
"Yeah," Peter said
"What's your major?"
"Biochemistry: it's a blast, really." Peter said with sarcasm.
Mary Jane smiled as she got up from her chair, leaned over and rustled his hair playfully, "I gotta go, Tiger. We should go out to lunch sometime, catch up if you want." Peter smiled and nodded, "Sure".
He watched Mary Jane leave his hospital room with happiness. He buried himself in his blankets and attempted to fall asleep. As he closed his eyes, he didn't remember being this happy in a long time.