We have an incredible meal once again. The prime rib was amazing. We walk the two blocks to the bar. At the corner, we see the bar across the street. I press the crosswalk button. I turn around, and Libby is crossing the street. I take a few quick steps to catch up. As I do so, I see a car that isn’t stopping in my left peripheral vision. She just cut a car off and is using both lanes. Libby has no idea.
I sprint and push Libby out of the way. The driver clips one of my legs, causing it to go to my right, under me. My body is rolling across the hood. So far, my leg and hip hurt. Now I hit the windshield with my body, which thrusts me up due to the angle. She couldn’t have been going too fast because I hit the roof, rolled off, hit the trunk, and landed on the ground.
OUCH!
I hear several car tires screech to a halt and several gunshots followed by a crash. Oh fuck, I’m in agony. I pass out from the intense pain.
+++++
I wake up in pain. I see a bright light.
I hear a man scream out, “FUCK, HE IS STRONG! Knock him out. QUICK!”
+++++
I wake up in the ICU. I don’t hurt. In fact, I feel awesome, like I could walk out of here. Then I see the cast on my leg; my head is throbbing; it’s got ice on it. My hips are painful even with the good painkillers. One arm is in a cast. No family is here, but there are four stunning and tall nurses. They each seem to have a task and are trying to complete the task while not delaying someone else.
It’s fascinating to watch them. One notices that I am awake and runs out of the room. A doctor comes back with her.
We start with blinking to answer questions. Then squeezing fingers to answer questions. I can’t press my feet against a hand. I begin to cry, realizing that I am paralyzed. Doc says that due to the swelling, it’s probably temporary and will go away within the week. I have internal injuries, had an operation, have a broken leg and arm. My head hit the asphalt, so I have a big knot on my skull.
Due to my muscles, I will live. A thin person would have died. They want me to sleep rather than take painkillers, so they give me sleeping pills.
+++++
The next time I wake up, I hurt like hell. I make a noise, and two nurses are at my side asking about my pain. They asked about pain, one to ten noises, and I stopped at twenty. I see mom at my side. I get a shot, and I soon drift off.
+++++
Next time I wake up, I hurt, but it’s not the end of the world. I have no idea how long I have been out. I’m still in the ICU, and I see mom, Libby, and Jane watching me, and I smile, which confuses them.
Mom asks me, “I give up; why are you smiling?”
I have no idea how they understood my groveling, but I reply, “I didn’t get shot again.”
The nurses come running at the laughing from my family.
Since I’m not much of a conversationalist, they do the talking. Libby is the first to apologize 1000 times. Mom is next; the drunk driver was a college girl driving home after a party downtown. Jane adds that my security shot out her tires, causing her to crash. The police aren’t happy about the gunplay, but obviously, the woman was dangerous. I have a broken arm, leg, a ton of bruising on my hip, my internal organs had some damage that the operation fixed.
My legs are paralyzed still, and I still have swelling, so there is hope still. My head looks better; the goose egg is gone. Many of the bruises are better looking. They figure that my body conditioning and muscles padded me, or I would be dead. Ah ha, proof that working out is good for you!
I fall asleep.
+++++
I wake up to only Vickie in the room. She smiles at seeing me wake up. She tickles my feet, still no feeling.
I feel better today. I have more energy, and the fog that has been my life for … a while seems to have lifted. My speech is slurred, which depresses me.
Vickie is quick to add, “You have had tubes down your throat; they said it will take a while. You need to drink lots of liquids. Yes, I am here by myself. Jane and your mom were worn out. Libby was exhausted because she couldn’t sleep; I sent them all home. Jane released me from my contract while you were in the hospital. Neither of us has found it fun since you ….”
I somewhat say, “… played human bowling.”
She gives me that fantastic smile, “That’s one way to look at it. Some think you have a death wish.”
I can only weakly raise one hand in an attempted stop sign, but I do manage a feeble, “NO!”
That relieved her.
I add … poorly, “No time to yell. Training took over, and I acted. I rather get shot; it hurts less.”
Vickie has tears in her eyes as she giggles and says, “I can’t believe I can cry still; we all are doing a lot of that. We’re worried about you.”
I smile at her, “Even if I can’t walk, I’m still twice the man most men are.” I almost giggle. “My big ass guarantees it.”
Vickie smiles as she kisses me, “I think you’re feeling better. Your humor is back. Now teach your feet to work again.”
Mom, Jane, and Libby walk back into the room with the doctor following behind. He was watching their fine asses and knew I busted him. He blushes, and the girls are looking at him curiously.
He says to me, “There isn’t much else to do now but watch you heal. Your mother assures me she has enough wealth to have full-time nursing at home plus a doctor to stop by daily. You might as well sleep in your own bed and eat real meals. A guy your size probably doesn’t like hospital food.
“I have strict diet outlines for a while. Nothing spicy and lots of soft or tiny food. Your body’s still healing. Nothing strenuous, but you do need to move a bit to prevent bedsores. I expect any day that your legs will start working. Your spine didn’t sustain damage, and you still have swelling. When it goes down, you should be able to walk. Don’t. Not until a doctor sees you and then only with a lot of help.
“If you have any questions, your family has my number. An ambulance will take you home. Since you will have a doctor seeing you daily, I want to see you in a month or two weeks if you still can’t walk. Any questions?”
Vickie is friendly enough to ask, “Can w … I blow him still?”
The doctor laughs, “Sure. However, if he can’t walk, his other leg may not work either. His … factory is just fine, and one of the few things that saw zero damage.”
My entire family makes the doctor laugh when they all show a sigh of relief.
+++++
A guest room has the hospital equipment Sophia used. We kept it just in case. There is very little that we need still. Mom talks to our chef as soon as I enter the house. Swell, pudding, and milkshakes for a while. I am quickly in place and fall asleep from all the excitement.
+++++
I wake up to Jane and Vickie in my room. Vickie is different; she looks happy.
Jane is confident-sounding, which worries me as she spills out the plan, “When Vickie is at the house, she is MY slave. With you lounging around all day, Sophia and mom have decided to continue your work with Vickie on your special project. Mom and I are way behind at work and can’t be here to watch my slave.
“Therefore, I am assigning you temporary ownership at home when I am not here. I can see you smiling. There is a BIG exception to this. Vickie has veto power.”