A Family Of Heroes

Chapter Three

Waking up the next morning, Glacia smelled the familiar bland breakfast but there was a new scent mixed among the soggy eggs and stale toast. The unfamiliar aroma of bacon made her eyes open. Someone expanded the breakfast budget.

A rounder nurse with a caring look about her lifted Glacia's bed to a relaxed seating position and placed the breakfast tray across her hips. Lightly touching her shoulder before she left, the nurse returned to her other duties. Glacia looked down at the tray, now very much interested in the new addition to her plate. Eggs, bacon, toast, and milk. She ate the bacon first in two bites but ate the rest of her breakfast without as much zeal. Extremely bored and understimulated, she turned the TV on and waited for something interesting but to no avail. It was boring in the hospital and she wished they had brought her play with. Maybe a coloring book, a puzzle, books, or even a yo-yo.

Sighing, Glacia turned to the window again and saw something she never noticed before. The window was beginning to frost over. She was most certain that it was at least the beginning of May.

"You may be wondering why the weather is so strange," spoke a voice that made Glacia jump. Turning to face the door, she saw Charlie, his hands behind his back. "It has been around six months since your accident. It's November 14th."

"I was unconscious for six months?"

"Five months. You've been conscious for a month, at least."

Glacia's brow furrowed and she frowned. "I missed the rest of third grade and the beginning of fourth."

Laughing at her initial reaction, Charlie pulled up a chair like many before him. "I must say, that wasn't the first thing I would've thought to come out of your mouth."

Glacia smiled a bit and covered her mouth with her casted hand. "I don't want to redo school."

"Oh, Glacia, you don't have to redo all of it! just the couple weeks you missed. Plus, I've seen your report cards and you look like a quick study."

"Quick study but not quick at anything else."

Chuckling at her reply, Charlie leaned back into the chair to get a more comfortable position. Over the next couple weeks, he came in quite frequently then began to ask several questions and they exchanged stories. One story about Cody made milk come out of Glacia's nose she was laughing so hard. When asked about touching subjects the girl replied with honesty. It was one of the best experiences she had in a long time.

After more time went by, Dr. Kerensky came in for longer amounts of time and removed the knee and wrist brace. Unfortunately, her fractures and breaks needed a couple more weeks, the latter needing the most time. To avoid any spinal damage, she was to keep the neck brace on for just a week more. Physical therapy would start as soon as her legs were healed but that would take place on Griffin Rock.

Now with dreams of her new family, she was no longer bored. She envisioned her new brothers and sister loving and cherishing her like no one had since she had her family. She imagined school plays and late homework nights with Charlie's help. She couldn't help but cry with unknown emotion when she was alone. She could barely contain herself when the good doctor finally said it was time to remove her casts and replace them with braces. One step closer to fulfilling her daydreams.

In the middle of Glacia finishing her apple juice box, Charlie entered the room after getting off the phone with his family back home. They anticipated her arrival. She had just gotten done with a lap around the floor of her hospital wing in a wheelchair. It was pretty fun. She and Nurse Tyler had good talks on their strolls. One especially exciting trip she asked her favorite nurse if she could cut her hair for her. It had grown a little too long her her liking in the past couple months. They swiped scissors off the receptionist's desk and laughed and giggled while she did her best to cut Glacia's hair in the foggy bathroom mirror. Now with a fresh cut and her fading bruises, she looked so much healthier.