Won't Stay Down For Long

Chapter 8: I'm Going Home

I am very grateful that the doctors have let me stay in the hospital for so long. Even though I am now well enough to go home. The reason why I’m still here is because one I don’t want to go home and face the world yet. Two is that I want to stay here with Jessica so I can give her comfort when she needs it.

I can easily move around now. I can get into my wheelchair with just my arms since I can’t move my back which is still in a back brace. I can wheel myself around the building easily now with no help. But after a while I need some help from Eric.

All the money that my teammates earned for Jessica, her parents have used it to buy better medication for her. Which we hope will get the virus out of her body faster. They have also have paid for all their medical bills that were being left for later on.

 Even better is that Jessica’s fundraiser got on TV. So millions of people saw the meet and were grateful enough that some of them sent checks to her. She has received about 10,000 dollars from checks.

I get to see Eric almost all day every day. His coach gave him a lot of time off since the meet. We mainly hang out in the library now. I can’t stand my room anymore, it’s so dull and there is nothing to do.

My mom and dad both walked into my room while I was reading a book that I had picked out from the library. Eric was also sitting in the chair next to my bed reading his book.  It is very unusual to see both of my parents together.

 My mom almost whispered to Eric,” Eric, can we talk to Abigail for a little while?”

 Eric rose his head up from his book and said to my mom,” Um… sure Ms. Wilson (my mom’s madden name).”Eric got up from his seat and gave me a small smile and left my room.

 My parents sat in the two chairs next to my bed. My mom looked at her hands for a little awhile and finally spoke,” Abigail, we have something very important to talk about.”

 She stopped for a few seconds to figure out what to say.  “You have been staying in the hospital for a long time and we think it’s a good idea for you to come home.”

 I stared at my parents for a while letting my thoughts of it fly around in my head. I finally spoke,” No. I can’t leave. What about Jessica? What is she going to do?”

 My dad was quiet since he first walked into the room and he finally spoke,” We’re going to let you come visit Jessica a few days a week. But Abigail you need to get back to your regular life.”

 My rage came bubbling through. I mainly yelled,” What regular life? My life is never going to be the same ever again. I can’t walk! I can’t do the things I love to do anymore. I’m going to have to go to regular school, where I know no one.”

 I am balling my eyes out. I have no life anymore. I just figured it out. All of my friends are busy with homeschool and gymnastics and I can’t play sports or do anything.

 My dad rose up from his chair and gave me a hug and whispered into my ear,” It’s going to be ok. We’ll figure out something.”

 They both left my room. I’m now alone. I was having mix emotions about this. I kind of wanted to go home and see my dog, Buster and everything. But I also just can’t leave Jessica by herself. I knew my parents had won.

 In a few days I was going to have to leave the life I have gotten use to for the past few months.

 Once Eric came back in, I told him about me going home. He gave me a hug and told me everything is going to be fine. He tried showing me all the good stuff. Like how I could go to the gym and how I wouldn’t have to be around all the doctors anymore.

 He grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes and said,” I know it’s going to be hard to leave Jessica, but that I can take you whenever you want to go see her. I’ll be there for you.”

 I had Eric wheel me to Jessica’s room to tell her the bad news. I hated telling her horrible stuff since she has been sick. It makes it look like she got worst after I tell her.

 I told her all about it and we both started crying and she said,” I know it’s not your fault your leaving, it’s your parents. You couldn’t have stopped them from making you leave. But you have to promise me that you will come visit me.”

 “Of course I will. I’ll try to come by almost every day if not I’ll text you.”

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Today is the day that I am finally going home. After about four months in the hospital, I kind of had forgotten what my house even looked like.

 My mom parked in the driveway of my house. My dad also came with to say good bye because he needed to get home again. When I was in the hospital my dad had to leave for a few weeks and then he would come back. Eric also came with because he felt the need to help if I get emotionally.

 My dad helped me out of the car and into my wheelchair. I looked at my house and found that something was different. My mom had built a ramp for me to get into the house. I thought of how a burden it would be to get just to my front door.

 Eric noticed my nervousness and grabbed my hand for comfort.

 Once my dad struggled to push me up the ramp and into the house, he looked tried and worn out. He said to my mom, “How much steeper could you have made the ramp. It’s going to be impossible for her to get up that.”

 Eric bent down and whispered into my ear,” You have a pretty nice house. Do you think your mom would mind if I came here to hang out with you?”

 “I don’t see why she wouldn’t. She likes you.” He smiled at me and tightened his hand around mine.

 My mom was in the laundry room probably getting Buster out of his cage. Then I heard the little pitter pater of him running across the tile. He rounded the corner of the room and he jumped into my lap. He started licking my face and I started giggling.

 "He must have really missed you.” my dad said.

 Then my mom walked into the room and said to my dad,” I’m going to get the ramp fixed. We don’t want Abby to start rolling down the ramp halfway there.”

 We all laughed at her statement. Then my dad looked down at his watch and said “O gosh! I need to get going or I’ll miss my plane.”

 He got down on his knee so he was in eye level of me. “I am planning on having you come spend about a month at my house pretty soon.  Would that be ok with you? I’m going to miss you.”

 He embraced me in a hug and whispered into my ear,” Love you.”

 “Yes, I would love to come. Love you too.”

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Jessica’s POV

It is so lonely here in the hospital now. The only people I can really talk to is my parents. But I can’t tell them about anything because they already know about everything.

 I’ve been feeling a little better since I moved to my own room, but not a whole lot better. I don’t understand why God gave me this disease. Or can’t he at least stop getting me sick.

 In a normal life I imagine myself riding bikes with friends or going to the beach. All I have is a friend that was forced to go home and the nurses that just come in to giving me more medicine or just to check on me.

 I hope I get better really soon. So I can get out of this smelly hospital and see Abby. And just have some fun.

 A nursed walked into my room. Irrupting my daydreaming, that I have a lot now.  And came over to me and said,” Here is your afternoon medicine. Also here is a glass of water.”

 These pills make me fall asleep super-fast. I took the pills and suddenly start feeling drowsily. I wish Abbey was here right now.