Normal (Book One)

Three...

When I woke up next, Abby was the only one out of the three there, and my mother was sitting on a chair as well. I was confused and my head felt heavy. I went to sit up, but felt sick and slumped back into the bed, tired and out of breath. "Rach babe, how are you feeling?" my mother asked, a crease of worry across her head. "Where am I?" I asked unsure. Was I at home? I didn't even remember anything else, after Gabe explained he had called Abby from his phone, I remember getting into the car and that was it. Looking around, I saw that Abby had left the room and it was just my mother and I. "I am so sorry mum... I didn't... I just wanted to go for a run." I claimed. She smiled, leaned over and gave me a light kiss on my cheek. "You're ok now. Your friends were quick thinking. They brought you here right away, a good thing too. You hit your head when you feel and passed out from concussion and a bit of blood loss." She explained, making sense of a few things my head was screaming out did not click

I looked around again for a moment, and then it made a little more sense. I was at the Hospital still, and by the looks of things, I was in a room on my own. I would have thought I was in emergency, but I doubted that was the case. "Mum, what is the time?" I asked, she tried to hush me, but knowing the look that formed on my face, my mother was not going to be able to stop me asking questions. "It's one o'clock in the morning. When you arrived, they had to clean and stitch you up. They did some scans and found that you have broken your wrist as well." She told me. I shifted my gaze and noticed for the first time my hand and arm was in a cast laying numbly next to my side. I assumed I had a few bruises, but we did not need to worry about those. I shook my head. First day of school and things already were a mess. What a good change this move had been. I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn't help thinking that if we had stayed in town, this would not have happened.

The door of the room opened again and Abby returned, followed by a female dressed in a doctor's coat. "Hi Racheal, I am Doctor John. I have been looking after you." She explained. I looked at her for a few moments, the same last name as Abby and Gabe. Where they all family? No wonder I was seen to quickly. Doctor John smiled at me, as if she knew what I was thinking and moved to check my obs. "Things are looking fine. I am happy for you to head home, if you would like. You will need to keep up on the pain meds though, we had to reset your hand and I am sure your head is going to be painful for a little while, as would your side." She explained more. I nodded. I was happy to be given the chance to go home. One in the morning, my mother needed to get to sleep for she had work the next day. I had school and even though I had injuries, nothing was going to hold me back.

"Rach, maybe it would be best if you stayed home, I can miss work and stay home, you don't look all too well." My mother told me, knowing just what I would be thinking right now. I shook my head in disagreement, which hurt and made me need to close my eyes for a moment. "I just need to sleep for a few more hours and then I will be ok. You need to go to work, you cannot take time off." I told her, and my tone was everything she needed left. She knew I had made my mind up and that was it. There was no point in arguing with me over this.

Dr John nodded, and started to fill in some forms, most likely my release papers. At the same time Abby smiled and explained she will head off now, glad to see I am ok and headed out of the room. I watched as she walked away and then looked to Dr John. The older woman was very different to Abby. She had a bob cut to her thick brown hair, green eyes and was not overly tall. They were on two very different scales, which made me think that maybe it was pot luck that they had the same last names.

Letting my mother assist, I got off the bed and balanced myself for a moment. I seemed to be dressed in some track pants and a loose top. My own clothes, and that told me my mother had gone home and gotten fresh clothes, so I did not have to stay in those damp workout clothes any more. I thought this was better than nothing, and knew it was because she loved me. It was just hard sometimes, to accept that she could still be the same mother I had always had, even when I was so different in life compared to some time ago.