Fully

Chapter 6

In the week following their rapid homecoming, Jamie was hired at the Children's Hospital where Alla was staying. She had applied before her wedding, and she was ecstatic when she was assigned to Alla's floor. Jamie came in to check on her throughout the day. Her work provided her with the chance to speak to Hazel often.

Slowly, Alla Mae started to make a full recovery. She began to reawaken from the terrifying state she had been in, and it wasn't long before her smile returned. With clearance from the surgeon, Alla was allowed to get up and be wheeled around. The bones in her arm and leg were almost completely healed and everyone could tell little Ally was itching to run around like before.

Her whole demeanor had changed. She was once again full of energy. Nobody would have guessed that she was in an accident, but she was eager to talk to everyone who came to visit and tell them all about it. She recalled the truck coming hurdling toward their car and she recalled closing her eyes and asking Jesus to protect her.

At that, most visitors teared up and smiled. Ally was never without a visitor, and after a week of visitations, it was starting to take a toll on her. Jamie and Hazel both noticed that she was slowly becoming more and more lethargic, but they both decided it was from all the visitors.

One morning, however, Jamie walked in and noticed a dramatic change. The spark in Alla's eyes was gone and she was just lying in bed staring at the wall. Jamie glanced toward Hazel. "How long has she been acting like this?" Jamie walked closer to try and examine the issue.

"She's been lethargic like this for a few days, but this morning it really hit her hard." Jamie our her hand to Alla's head and jumped back. "Wow her head is hot." Hazel felt it and a look of worry covered her face. "Has she thrown up at all?" Hazel nodded. "She threw up this morning at around 3 am..."

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Jamie rushed out of the room and grabbed another nurse, briefly explaining the situation. "I think it might be some kind of infection." Jamie and the other nurse, Megan, darted back the room before examining Alla closely.

Jamie and Megan intricately examined Alla. They searched the IV sites, listened to her heart, looked in her ears and finally looked at her incision sites. Jamie carefully lifted back the bandage on Alla's leg, but it looked healthy.

"Hey Jamie I think I found it." Megan gingerly lifted the bandage on Alla's arm to reveal a small but growing infection at the incision site. Jamie looked it over. "I don't think this would be enough to cause such a severe change... But I can't think of anything else. Megan, could you run and grab some of that antibiotic?"

Megan nodded and brought back a bag which Jamie hooked up to one of Alla's IV's. "This should help soothe her fever and remove the infection." Jamie then set to work on re bandaging Alla's arm and applying antibiotics to the infection. "She should heal up seen after this."

Hazel walked over to her daughter and sat down. "It's okay Ally, you'll feel better now!" Ally smiled weakly and fell asleep. Hazel looked up, and her own face showed that of deep exhaustion.

Jamie embraced her best friend. "Is there anything more we can do?" Timothy walked to comfort his wife. Jamie looked them both in the eyes and said, "Pray." Hazel and Timothy nodded and Jamie walked up to the oncology floor to check on her other patients.

"Knock knock!" Jamie knocked sweetly on the door of Anastasia. "Come in!" Jamie heard an enthusiastic five-year-old voice and she entered the room. "Well I see you're feeling better today!" Jamie smiled and Anastasia grinned back.

Anastasia was the newest member of the oncology floor. Her mother, Mary, had noticed that she was very sick: vomiting, headaches, and she lost her appetite. Mary gave her flu medicine and didn't think anything of it. One night, Anastasia came into her parent's bedroom complaining of a headache. Seconds later, she was on the floor in a startling seizure.