Married To Fire

Chapter 56: Visiting Braden

Shelby gets a call since she's still Braden's emergency contact. She gets Raelyn ready and makes her way to the hospital. Once there she goes up in the elevator, Raelyn standing next to her holding her hand. She immediately sees nurses and doctors running the moment the elevator doors open.

"Tia...what the hell?" Shelby grabbing one of the girls.

"Shelby..." Tia looks at her surprised. "It's Braden."

"What about Braden? That idiot inhale a house full of smoke again..."

"He's coded three times."

"What the hell? What from?"

"We can run some tests. He might have a spinal injury."

"What kind of a spinal injury?" Shelby stops moving.

"He's on a respirator. He can hardly breathe and he couldn't move his lower extremities."

She swallows hard, walking to the window and looking through it. "Who's the little girl?" she asks.

"From what I heard he went into a house and she was in there and he shielded her when the ceiling caved in. She hasn't left his side since."

"Of course he did," Shelby sighs. "Alright, thanks Tia," she walks into the room as Raelyn goes over to the little girl--playing with her.

"Mrs. Evans I presume?" the doctor walks in.

"Um sure," she says quietly, the doctor being a specialist from an outside hospital so they don't even know Shelby. She doesn't correct him.

"I'm gonna be the surgeon that's gonna perform on your husbands spine to see if we can reverse the effects."

"Wait what? Surgery for what? To fix what? Reverse what effects? Tia just said he inhaled smoke and a beam fell on him. She didn't say anything about this."

"The beam has ruptured some of his spine. We tested earlier and he has no movement from his waist down. If we don't do this surgery your husband will be paralyzed for the rest of his life. It's an easy fix, I've done a couple surgeries like this before with great outcomes."

"What's the recovery time?" Shelby asks.

"Months..."

Shelby smirks. "Yeah he'll change you to that," she mumbles. "Thank you," she nods, the doctor walking out. Shelby running her fingers across the scar on Braden's arm from the last time he was sitting in the hospital after he went into a burning house.

They take Braden into surgery couples hour later, giving Shelby updates every so often. She looks up seeing Cole walking down the hall.

"Is he okay?" he asks kissing Shelby's cheek.

"He inhaled smoke, broke his back. He's in surgery to repair it so he's not paralyzed."

"Try to act a little more concerned. He's the father of your child for Christ sakes and at one point he was your husband," Luke snaps.

"I haven't seen or talked to him in months," she looks over at him. "I am concerned. I don't have to cry to be concerned you arrogant jackass."

"Oh I'm the arrogant one?" Luke laughs.

"Go to hell," Shelby says walking away.

"Yeah just like Shelby, to run away when things get tough."

A fellow firefighter grabs Luke. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Get off of me," he sighs. Luke obviously scared for her.

"Dude...calm down. At least she's here okay? She didn't have to come."

Luke sighs sitting back down.

***************

The surgeon comes out hours later, everyone from before still there.

"He's in recovery. He is resting and when he wakes up he might be a little confused. Braden is gonna be in a lot of pain but we are going to try to keep him medicated so he doesn't feel the brunt of it. He's gonna wanna move and we can't let that happen so I need you guys to help with that as well if you're in the room. Braden's gonna have to learn basically how to walk again so please just be encouraging. Right now only two people at a time in his room."

"Go," Shelby says to Luke, Raelyn asleep in her lap. "You're his best friend. You go tell him he can't walk."

"I'll go by myself," Luke says walking into the room. Braden's eyes slowly opening up. Braden's arms restrained to the bed and his neck in a brace so he can't move. "Hey man," Luke says.

He sees Braden's fists clench as he begins to move around, Luke holding him down by his shoulders.

"Hey hey," Luke says. "Don't move." He can't help but feel bad for his best friend, breathing heavy and on the verge of tears. "Man...stay still. Trust me."

Taking a deep breath, Braden looks at his brother-in-law, eyes wide. He's trying to talk but is restricted with the tube down his throat. Braden beyond scared, his hands clenching against the restraints. At that moment, Shelby walks in carrying Raelyn. Luke looks over as she walks next to the bed, the first time they've seen each other in months. Braden's eyes immediately trying to find Raelyn's.

"She's right here..." Shelby shifts her to the other arm since Braden can't move. The little girl leans her head into Shelby's neck as she looks at her dad. "Sweetie...say hi to daddy"

"Hi daddy," she smiles a little.

"Luke take her," Shelby says handing her over. Luke walks out with his niece, Shelby looks directly at Braden. "Blink once for yes, twice for no. Understand?"

Braden blinks once.

"Do you remember going into the fire?"

He blinks once.

"Do you remember what happened?"

One blink.

"A beam fell on you. It hit your spine and fractured some of your vertebrae. The doctors have already gone in and fused it together."

Braden closes his eyes hard, trying to swallow as he then looks back at Shelby.

"The doctor said he's done hundreds of surgeries like this and they were all successful."

He calms down listening to Shelby. He opens his hand. Smiling, sliding her hand into his, letting her fingertips slide across his hand. Letting him feel the light scratching and tingles.

"See? Better already."

Braden squeezes her hand.

"I'll get the doctors to up your morphine to help you sleep. I'll talk to them about taking the tube out tomorrow okay?"

Braden blinks once still holding her hand.

"Do you want to see Raelyn tonight or wait until tomorrow?"

Two blinks.

"To what question?" Shelby laughs, realizing she asked two questions. "Tonight?"

Two more blinks.

"I'll bring her back tomorrow night okay?"

He blinks once letting go of her hand.

"I'm working tomorrow so I'll be in and out," she smiles walking out. Braden closes his eyes falling into a deep sleep.