Craig's first thought when he began to wake up was that he definitely was
not in his own bed. The sheets were stiff and thin and his head ached
terribly. He carefully opened his eyes then shut them quickly as the light
made his head pound even more.
"Craig?"
A voice penetrated his fog and it sounded familiar. He slowly attempted to open his eyes a crack and moved his eyes around. A blurry face was very close to his and spoke his name again. This time, he realized who it was.
"Joey?" he croaked.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Craig could feel Joey's hand gripping his.
"O-Okay." Craig opened his eyes wider and realized he was in a hospital. "What's going on? Wha-What happened?"
"Do you remember the accident?" Joey asked gently.
Craig nodded then grimaced. "Yeah a little." The events of the morning slowly came back to him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"What about Ange?" Craig's heart skipped a beat when Joey looked away.
"She.she's not okay, Craig." Joey paused, obviously trying to compose himself. "She's in a coma."
"What? Oh God, no." Craig felt like he couldn't breathe. "Not Ange."
"The doctors say that she could wake up at any moment," Joey told him. He stroked the boy's hair gently. "I have faith that she'll pull through."
Craig bit his lip to hold back tears.
"Listen, I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to go get the doctor." Joey patted Craig's hand before hurrying out the door.
As soon as he left, Craig quickly swiped at his eyes. He couldn't imagine his sweet little sister in a coma. He couldn't help but think of how she had been only that morning before they left, giggling at his jokes.
After a few minutes, Joey came back into the room followed by Caitlin and a doctor.
"This is Dr. Wells," Joey told Craig.
"How are you feeling, Craig?" Caitlin asked as Dr. Wells began to check Craig's vital signs.
"I'm fine," Craig replied. "My head just hurts."
"Yes well that's to be expected. I'll tell the nurse give you something for the pain." The doctor made some notations on his clipboard. "Any dizziness, nausea?"
"A little of both."
"Okay we're going to move you to another room tomorrow morning, Craig. We have to run some tests. You'll stay here for tonight."
"Okay." Craig paused before continuing. "Could I go see my sister?"
"Um, I'm sorry Craig, but you shouldn't move from that bed at least until tomorrow. You hit your head pretty hard and you don't want to make it worse than it is."
"But-"
"Craig," Joey cut in, "I don't need you to get any worse. Please. You can see her as soon as the doctor says it's okay, I promise."
Craig thought about arguing but then realized that Joey was probably right. Besides he didn't want to aggravate Joey. He was obviously under enough stress. "Fine."
After a while, the doctor left and Caitlin followed soon after. Joey stayed until visiting hours were almost over then left to stay with his daughter for a little while. A nurse came in to give Craig his dinner but he barely touched it. She also gave him some pills to take for his headache before leaving him for the night. Craig carefully put the pills on his nightstand next to his glass of water. He waited for almost an hour until it was past midnight. Then he slowly sat up and swung his feet over the bed. His head began to pound even more but he did his best to ignore it as he got to his feet, swaying. He held onto the wall for support and made his way to the bathroom. He found a robe and some slippers, which he put on before heading towards the door. Peeking outside, he saw that the nurses station was all the way down the hall. The only nurse in sight was on the phone with her back towards him. Quickly, he dashed out into the hall and through the swinging doors. Shivering, he followed the signs to the Intensive Care Unit where he'd overheard Joey say Angela was.
"Dammit," he muttered, seeing how well guarded the area was. There were several nurses sitting at a desk, right by the entrance doors.
But he refused to give up. He had an idea and hurried back to his own room. He went back into the bathroom and saw that his clothes were hanging in a closet. Quickly dressing, he hurried back to the ICU. He entered casually, heading for the nurses station. "Um, excuse me?"
The nurses looked startled but one of them answered him. "Yes?"
"Um, I just was released and I was wondering if I could see a patient."
One of the nurses raised an eyebrow. "You just got released?"
Craig nodded. "Yep."
"At-" She checked her watch. "Twelve thirty four at night?"
Craig paused then smiled shakily. "Yeah, well, you know, I-I was doing so well that they decided to, uh." Yeah, I didn't think this through.
"Craig!"
Craig turned at the sound of his name and saw Harriet, one his father's old friends and a nurse at the hospital. "Oh, uh, hi."
"Craig, I never really got a chance to talk to you at the funeral. I was so terribly sorry about your father."
"Uh thanks."
"Now what's the problem?" She paused. "Oh yes, your step-sister was admitted recently, wasn't she?" She shook her head. "I'm so sorry Craig. But if you want, you can see her for just a few minutes. She's right through here." She pointed to a room.
"Thanks," Craig told her then slowly entered the room. It was dark but he didn't turn on a light. Feeling a little light headed and dizzy, he pulled a chair over as he made his way to the bed. Upon seeing his sister, he felt even more queasy. She looked so small and helpless in the hospital bed. She had a small bandage on her forehead but other than that, she looked okay. He could almost pretend that she was just asleep at home. No he couldn't.
He covered her small hand with his own and leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand. Please Angie. You have to wake up. I can't lose you.
Craig was so involved in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the door open.
"Craig!"
Craig nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to see Dr. Wells standing in the doorway, glaring at him. "Craig, what are you doing here? Well, I know what you're doing, but you shouldn't be here."
Craig got up slowly. "I-I know. I'm sorry. I just had to."
"Craig, I know you're upset, but please, you have to listen to me. I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore, okay? That's not going to help your sister. When the nurse came by to check on you, she nearly had a heart attack. Fortunately, I realized where you had probably gone. Now come on. Back to your room." Craig managed to kiss Angela on the forehead before Dr. Wells firmly took his arm and led him back to his room. Craig apologized again before Dr. Wells left him alone. He changed back into his hospital gown and robe then climbed into bed. He took his pills and then just lay in bed, waiting for sleep that wouldn't come.
"Craig?"
A voice penetrated his fog and it sounded familiar. He slowly attempted to open his eyes a crack and moved his eyes around. A blurry face was very close to his and spoke his name again. This time, he realized who it was.
"Joey?" he croaked.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Craig could feel Joey's hand gripping his.
"O-Okay." Craig opened his eyes wider and realized he was in a hospital. "What's going on? Wha-What happened?"
"Do you remember the accident?" Joey asked gently.
Craig nodded then grimaced. "Yeah a little." The events of the morning slowly came back to him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"What about Ange?" Craig's heart skipped a beat when Joey looked away.
"She.she's not okay, Craig." Joey paused, obviously trying to compose himself. "She's in a coma."
"What? Oh God, no." Craig felt like he couldn't breathe. "Not Ange."
"The doctors say that she could wake up at any moment," Joey told him. He stroked the boy's hair gently. "I have faith that she'll pull through."
Craig bit his lip to hold back tears.
"Listen, I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to go get the doctor." Joey patted Craig's hand before hurrying out the door.
As soon as he left, Craig quickly swiped at his eyes. He couldn't imagine his sweet little sister in a coma. He couldn't help but think of how she had been only that morning before they left, giggling at his jokes.
After a few minutes, Joey came back into the room followed by Caitlin and a doctor.
"This is Dr. Wells," Joey told Craig.
"How are you feeling, Craig?" Caitlin asked as Dr. Wells began to check Craig's vital signs.
"I'm fine," Craig replied. "My head just hurts."
"Yes well that's to be expected. I'll tell the nurse give you something for the pain." The doctor made some notations on his clipboard. "Any dizziness, nausea?"
"A little of both."
"Okay we're going to move you to another room tomorrow morning, Craig. We have to run some tests. You'll stay here for tonight."
"Okay." Craig paused before continuing. "Could I go see my sister?"
"Um, I'm sorry Craig, but you shouldn't move from that bed at least until tomorrow. You hit your head pretty hard and you don't want to make it worse than it is."
"But-"
"Craig," Joey cut in, "I don't need you to get any worse. Please. You can see her as soon as the doctor says it's okay, I promise."
Craig thought about arguing but then realized that Joey was probably right. Besides he didn't want to aggravate Joey. He was obviously under enough stress. "Fine."
After a while, the doctor left and Caitlin followed soon after. Joey stayed until visiting hours were almost over then left to stay with his daughter for a little while. A nurse came in to give Craig his dinner but he barely touched it. She also gave him some pills to take for his headache before leaving him for the night. Craig carefully put the pills on his nightstand next to his glass of water. He waited for almost an hour until it was past midnight. Then he slowly sat up and swung his feet over the bed. His head began to pound even more but he did his best to ignore it as he got to his feet, swaying. He held onto the wall for support and made his way to the bathroom. He found a robe and some slippers, which he put on before heading towards the door. Peeking outside, he saw that the nurses station was all the way down the hall. The only nurse in sight was on the phone with her back towards him. Quickly, he dashed out into the hall and through the swinging doors. Shivering, he followed the signs to the Intensive Care Unit where he'd overheard Joey say Angela was.
"Dammit," he muttered, seeing how well guarded the area was. There were several nurses sitting at a desk, right by the entrance doors.
But he refused to give up. He had an idea and hurried back to his own room. He went back into the bathroom and saw that his clothes were hanging in a closet. Quickly dressing, he hurried back to the ICU. He entered casually, heading for the nurses station. "Um, excuse me?"
The nurses looked startled but one of them answered him. "Yes?"
"Um, I just was released and I was wondering if I could see a patient."
One of the nurses raised an eyebrow. "You just got released?"
Craig nodded. "Yep."
"At-" She checked her watch. "Twelve thirty four at night?"
Craig paused then smiled shakily. "Yeah, well, you know, I-I was doing so well that they decided to, uh." Yeah, I didn't think this through.
"Craig!"
Craig turned at the sound of his name and saw Harriet, one his father's old friends and a nurse at the hospital. "Oh, uh, hi."
"Craig, I never really got a chance to talk to you at the funeral. I was so terribly sorry about your father."
"Uh thanks."
"Now what's the problem?" She paused. "Oh yes, your step-sister was admitted recently, wasn't she?" She shook her head. "I'm so sorry Craig. But if you want, you can see her for just a few minutes. She's right through here." She pointed to a room.
"Thanks," Craig told her then slowly entered the room. It was dark but he didn't turn on a light. Feeling a little light headed and dizzy, he pulled a chair over as he made his way to the bed. Upon seeing his sister, he felt even more queasy. She looked so small and helpless in the hospital bed. She had a small bandage on her forehead but other than that, she looked okay. He could almost pretend that she was just asleep at home. No he couldn't.
He covered her small hand with his own and leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand. Please Angie. You have to wake up. I can't lose you.
Craig was so involved in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the door open.
"Craig!"
Craig nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to see Dr. Wells standing in the doorway, glaring at him. "Craig, what are you doing here? Well, I know what you're doing, but you shouldn't be here."
Craig got up slowly. "I-I know. I'm sorry. I just had to."
"Craig, I know you're upset, but please, you have to listen to me. I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore, okay? That's not going to help your sister. When the nurse came by to check on you, she nearly had a heart attack. Fortunately, I realized where you had probably gone. Now come on. Back to your room." Craig managed to kiss Angela on the forehead before Dr. Wells firmly took his arm and led him back to his room. Craig apologized again before Dr. Wells left him alone. He changed back into his hospital gown and robe then climbed into bed. He took his pills and then just lay in bed, waiting for sleep that wouldn't come.
