Chapter 8 - Busted!
A/N: There are only 2 chapters remaining, including this one.
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Otto, Twister, and Sam entered the hospital and proceeded to the registration desk. While Sam inquired as to Reggie's current location, Otto and Twister stayed behind. Nobody had ever seen them that nervous. Their faces were quite pale and they displayed expressions of anxiousness and fear; not fear for themselves, however, but fear for Reggie.
"Maybe they didn't put her out as quickly as they thought," Otto whispered to Twister.
"Or maybe we'll be staring at her lifeless body," Twister blurted out.
"Don't say that, Twist. I don't want to see my sister that way. I especially don't want to see her in her final moments!" Otto choked back tears as he tried to scold Twister for his suggestions.
"Maybe it's her ghost that wants to see us," Twister continued.
"TWISTER!" Otto yelled out loud.
"Guys? What's going on? This is a hospital, after all," Sam rebuked them as he returned from the desk. He had received good news from the receptionist but did not want to tell Otto and Twister (they were to find out soon--the hard way). Reggie's surgery had been a complete success. The tonsils had been removed rather quickly without any major complications. She was in the recovery room at that time, although the anesthesia had not worn off yet.
"Ready to go up?" Sam asked.
As if they were both being controlled by a remote, Otto and Twister gulped, then replied, "Ready."
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The three boys finally arrived at Reggie's room. Sam went in while Otto and Twister hesitated outside. Both were scared as to what might be awaiting them just inside the doorway.
"You go first, Otto-man. You're her brother," Twister insisted.
"No, you go first. She'd be more surprised to see a friend come in," Otto retorted.
"I can't. I don't want to see her in this condition as much as--" Twister began to argue, but was cut off by a quick and high-pitched "Oh my gosh!!" coming from inside Reggie's room. Sam's shriek indicated that something was terribly wrong. The two rushed in to the room to see Sam by Reggie's bed, holding her hand.
"Guys, I admit it. I was in denial. I wanted her to be all right, so I found a less serious ailment and tried to convince you guys that nothing else was wrong with her. But you were right! She's cold, not responding, and I can't find a pulse! She must have passed away in the last few moments."
Otto and Twister looked at each other in shock. They had heard it would happen but had always had a little bit of hope that she wouldn't need to be put to sleep. Unfortunately, that last bit of hope disappeared when reality set in: Reggie was gone, forever. There was no heart monitor in the room and neither Otto or Twister knew how to take a pulse, so they assumed that Sam would be able to determine if she were alive. Both walked up to Reggie and touched her arm. It was colder than usual (even Sam had been surprised that she was a little cold) and they noticed no response to their contact. Tears rolled down both of their faces as they looked at their sister and friend. She looked so peaceful in sleep, but the personal pain was still too much. Otto leaned over the bed, embraced his sister, and kissed her on the cheek. Meanwhile, both Otto and Sam could hear Twister standing in a corner, mumbling something in Spanish between tears. They knew he was praying for her.
Suddenly, Sam noticed Reggie's eyelids begin to flutter. Otto had stepped back from the bed and hung his head low with his eyes closed. As a result, he did not notice what Sam had seen. Sam quickly jumped over to her arm and pretended to feel for a pulse. "You guys!" he exclaimed. "I don't believe this. I don't know how to explain this scientifically. I guess it's nothing short of a miracle, if you believe them. She's coming back to life!"
Otto and Twister were broken out of their trances and quickly ran over to her bed. Yep, Sam was right again. She moaned and shifted slightly. Finally, her eyes opened up. Although she looked confused, tired, and in pain, everyone was glad to see her.
"Rocket Girl!" Otto and Twister yelled.
"Guys?" Reggie said in a hoarse voice. She held her free hand to her throat and moaned. Obviously, it hurt too much to speak and probably would for several days. She then sluggishly reached for her pad of paper and pencil that Ray had left on the table beside the bed.
"Otto, I don't think she's out of the woods yet. Her voice sounds even worse right now. She must have been in a coma, meaning she was unconscious but not dead, yet. I think she's still dying," Sam hesitantly realized.
Those words sucked out the joy that Otto and Twister had just found. Their sad expressions and tears quickly returned.
Reggie slowly motioned at Otto and Twister with her hand. "I think she has something she wants you to know. Probably her last words to you guys," Sam interpreted.
Otto and Twister nervously approached her bed as she held a piece of paper folded in half. What did she want to say to them before she left the world? The suspense was unbearable. Otto snatched the sheet and opened it up. It was obvious that something was wrong; her handwriting was awful (although that was only due to the anesthesia). Otto struggled as he tried to read the note out loud so that Twister could hear (although he was right beside Otto also trying to decipher her handwriting).
I am not dying, you nitwits!
"What!?" Otto and Twister shouted at the same time. Otto continued, shocked yet angry, "What do you mean she's not dying? Then what's going on!?"
Sam explained, "I tried to tell you. She had tonsillitis and they just removed her tonsils today. They had to give her anesthesia so she wouldn't feel any pain. In no time, she'll be her normal self." Then changing his mood to playful, he exclaimed "Bust! We got you guys." Reggie's attempted (yet painful) smile confirmed it: their imaginations had driven them nuts and Sam and Reggie had taken advantage of the truth.
"I can't believe you tricked us like that!" Twister exclaimed.
"Yeah," Otto added, "that was really low. You really had us believing that she was dying."
Sam quickly countered for Reggie, knowing that she would want him to speak for her. "Well, from what Reg and I know, there are many more people that are thinking the same thing right now, and we sure didn't tell them. That's right, she knows that you told her friends, as good as your intentions were." Otto glanced at Reggie and noted her "I'm going to get you for that" expression on her face.
"OK. Twist and I...we're...sorry that we got so carried away. I guess we should have asked more specifically so we would know the truth"
"Yeah, what Otto said," Twister blurted out. Now that his emotions weren't carrying him, he was back to his old self. He definitely couldn't have said anything like Otto had, so he remained quiet while Otto spoke.
"Don't worry, sis. We'll take the heat for what we said and we'll make sure everyone knows the truth."
Sam, again acting as Reggie's representative, thought for a second. "Uh......OK. We forgive you."
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A few hours later, the doctor cleared Reggie for discharge from the hospital. She could go home to recover. As she was still a bit wobbly, Ray and Twister held her up as they walked to the car. When they returned home, Ray helped her in to the recliner he had placed in the living room near the TV and placed several pillows under her neck (in order to minimize swelling). As she settled in, Sam walked to the kitchen, opened up the freezer, and returned to the living room with a small package behind his back.
"Hey, Reggie. I wanted to tell you how glad I am that this will all be over. I thought this might cheer you up and soothe the pain in your mouth." He moved his hand from behind his back to reveal his surprise: a quart of Haagen-Daas ice cream. He knew how good the stuff was. It was expensive, but he felt that price shouldn't be an issue for his best friend, especially after all she had been through in the past week. He brought a spoon with him, implying that the whole quart was for her.
"Ah, no fair," Twister exclaimed. "I want to have my tonsils out, too!" With that comment, Otto and Sam laughed and Reggie smiled.
"Don't worry, guys, I have us covered." Ray interjected as he emerged with four bowls of ice cream. They all sat down around Reggie while Ray popped in a DVD for all of them to watch. The movie was great and Reggie was glad that her family and closest friends were by her side as she recovered, but the anesthesia and pain medicine had made her drowsy. Consequently, she fell asleep during the show. Deciding not to disturb her, Ray and Otto covered her with a blanket and changed the ice pack on her neck. Before going to bed, both kissed her goodnight.
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The last chapter will be an epilogue--sort of a status update a few weeks after her surgery. I can't comment on the length as I have very few things I need to put in the next chapter, so it may be short or it may not be.