Hello my lovely readers.
As you can probably tell, life happened again. I thank you all for your patience as I've been navigating my new life taking care of my grandmother along with my other work. I'm so thankful for the support and help I've received during this time. It's taking some time to get back into writing again, but hopefully I'll have more chapters and stories coming your way soon.
The next few chapters of Main Stage Performance might be a little short, but I hope you enjoy them still. 3
Chapter 7
"-!"
"Christy!"
Mom?
"-on, kiddo. Wake up for me."
Please don't let me be dead.
"Someone call an ambulance!"
I promised Mike.
I have to make it home.
Everything hurts so much.
Does that mean I'm not dead yet?
Am I dying then?
Is this what she felt when it happened?
It's lonely...
Being alone in the dark.
I'm sorry, Mom.
You must have felt so lonely.
"Please, sis. Wake up."
I can feel a hand slip into mine. It's rough, calloused, but gentle as it squeezes my fingers.
Mike.
I'm exhausted but I try my best to squeeze back, causing my brother to flinch. Guess he wasn't expecting that.
"Chris?"
"Mm."
The room is dim when I open my eyes. I blink to focus them, my head still feeling tender and everything else feeling fuzzy.
A hospital room, I notice through squinted eyes.
"You with me, kiddo?" Mike asks softly. I turn my head to look at him, only a blue blurry blob at the moment. I can hear the smile though when he sighs in relief. "There you are."
"Here I am," I croak, wincing at the way my voice grates on my ears. Michael is quick to hold up a cup of lukewarm water so I can take a sip. Licking my lips, I try again. "What happened?"
"Morning crew found you unconscious in the office this morning. They filled me in when I got there and we called 911." He reaches over and lays a heavy hand on my head as I wipe my eyes with the scratchy bed sheets. "I was so scared, Chris. I thought I had lost you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"I know you didn't."
We sit there, happy to be alive and together, but the moment is quickly ruined when I feel sleep catch up to me again and pull me under.
When I wake up again, there's a doctor in our room talking to my brother in a hushed voice by the room's door.
"What's going on?"
Both the white coated man and Mike look over and this time my eyes are focused enough to see the fond smile on my big brother's face.
"Miss Schmidt," the doctor greets as he steps over to my bedside. "I'm Doctor Yin. You've been asleep for a few hours now. How do you feel?"
"Like I got zapped by lightning in my skull," I grumble. "How long was I out?"
Mike comes over to sit in the dingy green chair placed at the head of my bed, once again taking my hand in his. "It's just passed two in the afternoon. Opening shift found you this morning."
I nod. At least I haven't been in the hospital for too long.
"Miss Schmidt," Doctor Yin calls again to get my attention. I look over to meet the standard calm, kind, professional look most doctors have when regarding their patients. "Do you think you could answer some questions about what happened?"
"Sure."
Mike squeezes my hand and I return the gesture as the doctor grabs the clip board and pen from the foot of my bed.
"We ran some blood tests and checked your vitals when you came in, everything came back in the clear. So, can you tell me anything about what happened last night when you lost consciousness?"
"Um." I look to Mike. He smiles at me reassuringly. I can't mention what happened with Foxy, he would freak out. "I did have a headache last night, but those are pretty normal for me."
Doctor Yin scribbles something onto my chart. "Do chronic headaches run in your family?"
"Yes, my mother suffered from them as a symptom of an undiagnosed brain aneurysm."
"Undiagnosed? So I assume she-?"
"Yes, when I was seven."
"My condolences." More writing goes down onto my chart. "Have you had tests for an aneurysm yourself?"
"I've had MRIs and CT scans done before but nothing was ever conclusive. My doctor has me on medications for headaches and migraines, but that's all he can really do at the moment."
"Was this headache episode different from any others that you've had before?"
"Not really? I had a nose bleed before it got worse, which isn't the first time, and I had some weird auras. That's about it."
This gets Mike's attention, but he stays quiet for the doctor's questions even as he stares concernedly at me.
Doctor Yin stops writing and lowers the chart in his hand. "How were these auras different from any others you've had in the past?"
"The best way to describe the ones I'm used to is like if you watched a kaleidoscope on an old static television. This time it was more like bright lights that just kept getting bigger and bigger."
"Hm." My chart is placed back in it's cradle and Doctor Yin steps close by, holding up a pen light that he turns on. "Follow the light please."
I do as asked.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Down.
Up.
I easily track the target and I watch as my current doctor's brow furrow as he returns the pen light to his breast pocket.
"Well?" Mike asks.
Yin regards my brother for only a moment before meeting my eyes again. "I want you to have another MRI done today while you're here. I normally wouldn't be too worried, but with both the bleeding nose and new auras I would like to make sure nothing has changed drastically from any previous test you've had done. Last case scenario if we don't get any conclusive data this time would be to schedule you a cerebral angiogram, but I would like to avoid that if possible."
"Yeah," I sigh. "I don't think our insurance would cover that, but I'll do the MRI, if that's okay with you, Mike."
Mike raises an eyebrow as he frowns at me. "Whatever you need to get done to find out what's wrong, do it. We'll figure other things out later."
"Okay."
Time is always pushing forward and Life is a rollercoaster we can't escape, but together they create an adventure filled with opportunities, love, laughter, and healing if you keep pushing forward. You're so strong, no matter what you think or other's may say. So don't give up. And even if you feel like you have no one, and even if we not know each other face-to-face and name-for-name, I'm rooting for you. Whether you're having the time of your life or you can't see past the woes of today towards the future tomorrow, I'm rooting for you. I know you can do it. So please don't give up. Keep reaching for that sunlight of tomorrow.
~Bless, Alpha 3