Finding Jaime

Chapter 23

"You got that for me?" I asked.

"Of course!" Meagan said.

"If I get an Xbox for getting lost and falling in a canyon, what does getting hit by a bus get me?" I asked.

"Don't even think about it," Pete said.

Meagan pulled a chair up to my bedside and took my hand.

"We're so sorry this happened, Jaime. Ashlee was out of line. I know she feels terrible given what happened but she should never have said what she did.  At all. Pete and I are furious with her right now. We'll get over it. We have to. For Bronx and the kids. But she should never have said what she did."

"Screw her," Bronx said. "Too bad if she feels bad. She made Jaime run off and because of that he wound up in the canyon and now in the hospital."

"Bronx!" Pete said. "She's still your mother."

"And Jaime's my brother. And I nearly lost my brother before I got a chance to get to know him. And that's because of Mom."

"An' I have a brudder!" Marvel said.

"Me too," Saint said. "A much cooler older brother." 

Bronx punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Saint said, but smiled.

Bronx already considers me his brother?  Saint, too? I smiled. I have a brother. Two brothers. And a sister.

The boys wanted Pete to hook up the Xbox so we could play. I played for a little while until it gave me a headache.

"Okay guys, Jaime needs his rest," Pete said. "Mom will take you guys home. You can come back tomorrow, okay?"

They groaned.

"I seep wif Jaime," Marvel said.

"No you don't, little bug," Meagan said, picking her up off the bed. "You sleep in Marvel's bed. Jaime sleeps in Jaime's bed. We'll come back tomorrow."

"Night night Jaime," Marvel said.

"Night night, Mar. Night Bronx, night Saint, night Meagan," I said.

"Night, Jaime," she said, and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Jaime, wake up," I heard.

"What?" I asked.

"Dinner is here."

"You woke me up for that? I'm not hungry," I said, closing my eyes again.

"Come on, son. You need to eat. Besides, it doesn't look too bad. Mac and cheese."

"Ugh. So not in the mood," I said, putting my arm over my eyes.

"Come on. Just a few bites. Then they can take that tube out of your nose."

I felt my face and sure enough, there was a tube up my nose.

"They've been feeding you that way," Pete said.

"Alright. I'll try some,"

Pete brought the tray closer and raised the head of my bed so I was sitting more upright. He uncovered the macaroni and I looked at it.

"Who serves Mac and cheese with peas and carrots?" I asked, poking at the vegetables on the plate.

While I was eating, a doctor came in the room.

"Well, I heard you woke up. Had to see for myself," he said. "I'm Dr Axmith.  I've been hoping to meet you."

"Uh, ok. Hi," I said.

"How are you feeling?  Any headaches? Any pain?"

"My head hurts some. And I got tired playing Xbox. And my chest hurts if I move too much."

"Broken ribs will do that.," he said, pulling out a penlight.

"Follow my finger," he said, shining the light in my eyes. I did.

"Okay, good. Give me your hands," he asked.

I stuck out my hands and he had me squeeze his, and then push down on his hands. That hurt my chest.

"Can you wiggle the toes on your left foot?"

I did. It hurt a little.

"Any pain?"

"A little," I said.

"Wiggle your right toes?"

I did.

"Good. Any questions?"

"When can I go home?" I asked.

"Oh. You'll be here at least a couple more days. Your electrolytes were all over the place from being dehydrated and we want to make sure your kidney function hadn't been compromised. You haven't had much urine output."

"I haven't had to pee at all," I said.

Pete laughed.

"What?"

"You wouldn't know if you've peed. You have a catheter in. It's in your bladder so you won't feel like you have to pee."

I felt my cheeks go red. Pete laughed more.

"Don't be embarrassed , Jaime," he said.

"Well," the doctor said, "we want to see more urine output and your bloodwork to come into more normal ranges before I consider letting you go home. Plus you'll need to meet with PT to learn how to use crutches."

I looked down at my left foot, encased in plaster. With a lot of drawings on it.