Chapter 6
'Mija, you're awake. How are you?', her dad nearly falls to her bedside, he's in such a rush to get to her.
'I'm in horrendous pain, my throat is dryer than the Serengeti and you are squishing me to death', she squeezes out between her teeth.
'Oh, sorry. I'm just so relieved to see you awake. We all are. They didn't know if you could wake up or if the brain surgery would prevent your body from it. They didn't know if you would have brain damage.', her Papi explained, stepping away from her.
'They thought maybe your a foul fruit, now', Hilda said, coming up and stroking her cheek.
'Hilda', Ignacio scolds his oldest daughter.
'Wow, thanks. Well, I can still remember everything and the fact I'm not uncontrollably drooling is possibly a good sign I'm not such a foul fruit just yet', Betty counters back.
'No, definitely no foul fruit. You still have your annoying wittiness', Hilda says jokingly, sticking her tongue out. Betty does her the favour of doing the same.
'Hello, the nurse informed me of your final outcome, Ms. Suarez. I'm Dr. Cooper. I operated on you with a few of my colleagues. Though I will take over your case. I would like to make a few quick tests. Standard procedure after brain and spine surgery.', Dr. Cooper introduces himself. 'You know what happened to you? I mean you still remember?'
'Yes, I remember the accident in excruciating detail. And Daniel told me about my injuries earlier', Betty explains.
Dr. Cooper steps close to Betty, gets out a little lamp, lightens in her eyes. 'Perfect. Can you take my hands for a second? Try with the right hand as best as you can, the pain must be really bad. If it's to much, just say so. We will redo this test over the course of your recovery regularly. So, I won't read to much into the first result.'
Betty takes his hands over cross. Does all he says. Squeezing his hands as best as she can with her shoulder and broken wrist. He seems satisfied with that. When he lets her hands go he steps down to the end of the bed. Lifts the bedding a few inches to reveal her feet.
'I believe Daniel told you about the risks of your spine injury. We made a few tests while you were unconscious. Your nerves in your legs are responding to electric stimulation. Which is a good sign. Though saying that, there can still be problems. Can you push your right foot down against my hand?', he looks up at Betty, expectantly. She gives it a try, but can't really feel anything. 'I meant right now, Ms. Suarez'
'Uhm, yeah, I'm really trying here. It's..., I can't really feel my foot, well my whole leg really', Betty says slightly panicking. The heart monitor picks up. Everyone's heads turn around to it. Sees her heartbeat shooting through the roof. Except for Daniel, he takes a step closer, takes her left hand in his. Calms her down effectively. And Betty looks up into his eyes. Sees his reassurance and encouragement. Gives her strength.
'This can be a side effect of the spine injury. We have no idea if the glass fracture caused any irreparable damage. Or if this is a symptom of your still swollen spine. We would have to see how your body response to time and physical therapy. Could you please try to push your left foot down against my hand?', and he looks at her. And Betty can see the pity in his eyes.
'God damn it. Where the hell are my glasses?'
'Here AB', Justin says with a small voice, hands her over her glasses.
'Thank you Justin', Betty sighs. She didn't want to snap. She's mad at herself here. This sucks. Pushing up on her elbows, she immediately regrets that little motion. The pain in her right shoulder burns through her whole arm down into her hand and up into the neck and behind her right rip cage. Takes away her breath and lets her sag down against the bed again.
'What are you doing Ms. Suarez? You should not strain yourself like this', Dr. Cooper tries to intervene.
'I need to see what's going on down there. I can't feel anything. Let me at least take a god damn look.', she says through clenched teeth.
'Betty, the doctor said...', Hilda and Ignacio tried to argue with her, but she effectively shut them up with one look.
'Wait, I'll drive the headboard further up, but this will hurt like hell, Betty', Daniel says wearily.
'Nothing I can't handle', she says grateful. Gives him a small smile.
'I'm not so sure about that, but you wouldn't listen to me anyway. You're too stubborn', he says and takes a step closer to the bed. Carefully sitting down on the bedside and reach over to the receiver.
'Stubborn is such a negative word...', he can see her jaw clenched together. The pain hits her right the second he's pressing the little button. And he hates himself for doing this.
'...I like to think of myself as determined', she says through clenched teeth. The pain is bad, there is no denying that. But it definitely helps that she was prepared this time. Sees his regret, fearing he caused the pain she's in. 'It does have a better ring to it, doesn't it?'
'You are impossible, you know?', he whispers into her ear, before placing a quick kiss to her temple. Standing up beside her bed again and taking her hand his. Her heart monitor picks up again. It's a good thing she could blame the whole heart thing on the panic of not being able to move your legs. Her sister otherwise would never let her hear the end of it. She hears a low chuckle behind her and hits his leg.
'Okay Ms. Suarez, let's try this again. Push your feet down against my hands.', Dr. Coopers eyes are fixed on her feet. And Betty's too. She sees her feet, sees his hands on the sole of her feet, but she can't feel them. She tries as hard as possible to push down against his hands. But nothing happens.
'Are you trying?', Hilda asks. Stepping forward and bending slightly over her legs and feet.
'No, I like to mess with you. Why don't you take a step closer, turn around and I will swiftly kick you in your butt', Betty says lightly. Tries to joke about this. But than sighs. 'I'm sorry, yes I'm trying as hard as I can, but I can't feel anything.'
'Oh my god', Justin whispers shocked to Ignacio and Bobby. 'What if she's paralyzed. That's not fabulous'
'Justin, shut up', Hilda calls over, 'You're not helping'
'Why don't we all go out and let them alone for a few minutes. Let the doctor run his tests and give Betty a little space', Mrs. Meade quips from the far corner of the room. And Betty was never more thankful for this woman. Betty lip syncs a grateful 'Thank you'. Which Mrs. Meade responds to with a quick lip synced 'You're welcome'.
'You are right, let's go give them a little space', Bobby agrees. Takes his wife's hand and drags her out of the room.
Daniel let's go of her hand and gives her a reassured smile. Turning around and leaving her bedside.
'Hey, where are you going?', the heart monitor picks up, her heartbeat increasing unbelievable fast. She can't stand the idea of him going. The thought of doing this alone, almost to hard. No, she needs someone here - with her. That doesn't feel right. She needs him by her side. Yeah, that's it.
'Giving you some space', his impression shocked. Looking back and forth between the monitor and Betty.
'Don't, please don't', she says, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.
'Okay, I won't', Daniel nods, is taken aback by how vulnerable she looks. He never sees this side of Betty. She's always strong, positive, peppy. He never thought that she might need him in her life. That she had chosen to have him around. And he knows she must feel bad, tortured. But he can't help but feel a little bit satisfied. He steps back next to her and she takes his hand in his.
'Okay, now that we're alone, Ms. Suarez. Could you try to lift one of your legs?', Dr. Cooper asks calm. And she concentrates on her legs. Sees them right there on the bed. Envisions the motion, what it would look like, what it would feel like to move her legs like that. Thinks about bones and muscles and nerves. Thinks about how all of the different tissues work together. What does it take to move one's leg. And then trying to move them for real. In any kind of direction. Feeling a little electrical shock driving through them which causes her to gasp.
'What? What is it?', Daniel whispers.
'There's this electrical shock? I don't know how to describe it. But it just went through my legs. From my spine right into my little toes', Betty tries to describe.