Altered States - Chapter 25
"Mr. Carter?"
I took my head out of my hands and glanced up over at the door. An older nurse dressed in
scrubs, a bright green stethoscope hung lazily around her neck.
"He’s settled in his room, you can go in but only for ten minutes, follow me."
I followed her like a lost dog, through some double doors with the words ICU
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY yelling in bold letters on the front of each door. The
ward was a complete circle, every room had a huge window so you could see every bed with
every patient laying in them. She led me to room number 6 and held the door open for me
to pass by her. I gave her a slight nod for thanks and walked numbly into his room.
The noise coming from the machines added to my already building guilt but when I finally
took a look at him I wanted the earth to swallow me up and take me right at that moment.
His left leg was resting on two pillows, the cast going from mid thigh to the tips of his
toes. Brian’s face was bruised and scraped, his lower lip was cut and swollen. Any skin that
was exposed on his body was either scraped or covered in bruises or both.
"Oh god what did I do to you?"
I sank to my knees and buried my face into the side of the hospital bed. Suddenly I felt
some fingers lightly touching the top of my head. At first I dismissed it as just a "feeling"
but the touch persisted and when I finally looked up, I was expecting one of the guys to be
standing over me.
"It’s okay," Brian softly whispered, his eyes were open only to slits but you could still see
the sharp blueness of his eyes.
I laid the side of my face into his open hand and he took his other hand and placed it
against my other cheek. The warmth and calmness of his touch had a definate calming
effect over me. I was still hiccuping from the crying jag, trying to get my emotions back in
check and here Brian was, laying in this bed all broken up and bruised and he was
comforting me!
Then it hit me. The window was open again and Brian was with us!
"Is she okay?"
I narrowed my eyes at Brian for a second then I remembered the little girl he sacrificed
his life for. "Oh, yeah. She was shook up but she’s okay thanks to you."
With a slight smile on his face, he closed his eyes. It was as if once he knew she was
alright he could rest and concentrait on getting better.
As I gently touched his shoulder, praying I was making contact with a spot that didn’t hurt
him, I reaffirmed his need to get rest and heal.
"I’ll check back on you later my friend."
Chapter 26
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