Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Phoebe
Waking up the next morning, my first thought is that my body has been set on fire.
Apparently, my nerve block wore off at some point while I was sleeping and every centimeter of skin that the doctor scraped during his debridement is now screaming so loudly that I can’t help the whimper of pain that passes my lips.
The strong arms that are surrounding me, along with a ton of soft pillows to support me tighten and I hear a raspy voice ask, “Do I need to do something to help?”
“Let me teach you how to administer my pain meds through the PICC line,” I manage to say through my clenched teeth.
Suddenly, something jumps on me, and I hear purring as a little furry body makes its way to my chest where it walks around several times before curling up underneath my chin. “What on earth?” I mutter.
“Found a kitten when I was out yesterday,” Eli replies. “The vet was at the rescue tent and checked him out. He still has to be bottle fed because he’s only about four or five weeks old. I haven’t named him yet, but I thought you and Cami might enjoy a pet.”
Tears fill my eyes and I know that they’re happy ones despite the pain wracking my body. I’ve always wanted a cat, I just hadn’t gotten around to going to the local rescue to see if one called to me. “I love him,” I say. “If you get me squared away, I’ll feed him once you show me how.”
“Then let’s get this party started,” he teases.
“Good, because I might be in hella agony, but my bladder is also letting me know I need to get up,” I reply. He helps me stand and I can see the question in his eyes. “I should be okay to do this on my own, but don’t go too far just in case.”
“I’ve got you, Phoebe. I’ll get coffee started, as well as your diet soda, then we’ll give you some pain meds, you can feed Mr. Kitty, and we can figure out breakfast.”
I don’t waste any time heading to the bathroom and while it’s not the easiest thing I’ve ever done, I manage to take care of business without any help, then I brush my teeth.
As I look around the bathroom, I notice the bed in the corner, as well as a makeshift litter box.
“How on earth did I miss seeing that yesterday?” Shaking my head, I finish up then head into the kitchen area.
“This is really nice. It’s almost like a tiny home on wheels,” I tell him.
“I thought the same thing. There’s another bed that’s up there,” he replies, pointing to a bunk area that’s above the driver and passenger seats. “Plus, the couch opens up into a bed, and so do the benches you’re sitting on. I think Data said it can sleep up to eight people.”
“I like that it’s just us,” I confess.
“Me too, sweetheart, me too. Okay, now, tell me what I need to do because I can’t stand to see you in pain.”
“How can you tell?” I mean, my mom always told me that my eyes changed color whenever I was sick, but his comment has me wondering if they do the same when I’m in pain.
“Besides the fact that you’re wincing with every move you make? Your eyes are darker, Phoebe. Plus, even though you didn’t move once you went to sleep, underneath your eyes looks bruised.”
I walk him through how to flush my PICC line then administer my pain meds and am now sitting in the recliner, my wound vac next to me, as I feed the kitten, who hasn’t stopped purring.
“What about Sir Purrs Alot?” I ask as Eli walks over with a tumbler for me.
Taking a sip, I sigh when I get that burst of fizzy flavor.
“God, this is so good. Or wait, what about Purrzee? It could be a play on Percy. I don’t think we need a typical orange cat name. ”
“I kind of thought he looked like a Kevin,” Eli admits, making me laugh.
Looking down at the tiny furball, I nod. “Kevin it is. Now, Kevin, if you’re full enough, I need to put you down so I can take a nap since my meds are kicking in.” Instead of moving, Kevin snuggles in. “Fine, you can stay where you are.”
Floating away, I’m in the middle of the best dream of my life when I hear, “Sorry, girlie, but I gotta take care of this now before I hit the field.”
I open my eyes to see Ella standing there, and groan. “I’m so tired, EllaBee.”
“I know, babe. Honestly, if you want to doze back off, it’ll make this easier since it takes so long to administer.”
“Ugh. Fine. Then I want food,” I retort.
“Data went to get some for y’all. He’s apparently going with me into the field today,” she replies.
The steps to administer medication through a PICC line may seem ridiculous to those not in healthcare but there’s a process for a reason.
As she starts, I mentally go through the to-do list of things I’ll be able to do as hampered as I am right now.
I look at my wound vac and realize the canister is nearly full.
“Dammit, do we have new canisters? I forgot that they usually fill up quickly when they’re first attached to the wound.”
“I’ll get Thelma over here to take care of it for you,” Ella says.
By the time my antibiotics are done, I’ve eaten breakfast and Ella has helped me get dressed. While I understand I probably need a few days of rest, I won’t do it dressed in my pajamas. I have to draw the line somewhere, for heaven’s sake!
“Why don’t you go and lay down?” Eli says as the RV empties and it’s just us and Kevin once again.
“What are you going to do?” I ask.
“A new shipment of supplies came in, so I figured I could help get them sorted,” he says. “Unless you need me to stay.”
“Maybe later? I think I need some sleep,” I admit as a yawn escapes.
“Then let’s get you situated so you’re comfortable,” he replies, helping me stand. Kevin is nestled in a sling thing that Ella found from somewhere and he continues to purr even in his sleep.
Before I drift off to sleep, I get the sweetest kiss of my life.
“Kevin, now that you’re done eating, I’m going outside,” I say, kissing the tiny orange mush. Based on the size of his paws, he’s going to be a big boy, but right now, he’s so little he barely registers on the scale.
Slipping my sneakers on, I realize that tying them is beyond my ability right now, so I head to the triage tent, my shoelaces flapping.
When I reach the tent, my jaw drops as I see all the boxes of medical supplies that came from the hospital I work for.
“Holy smokes,” I murmur as Thelma reaches my side.
“Let me check you over,” she instructs, leading me over to a cubicle. “First things first, I’m going to tie your shoes,” she teases.
“I tried, I really did,” I reply.
“I know you did. How’s your pain right now?” she asks.
“It’s going up,” I admit. “I had a dose before Ella came over to do the antibiotics.”
“Then it’s time you got some more. It’s important to stay ahead of the pain. You know this, Fee,” she admonishes.
“I know, I know. It’s just… dang it all, Thelma, do you know how hard it is for me to ask for help?”
“Look, no man is an island or whatever that saying is,” she replies, “and we all need a little bit of help from our friends from time to time.”
“I definitely need it right now,” I say, grinning. “Hell, I can’t even tie my own shoes!”
We’re both laughing as Thelma checks the canister for the wound vac, then the PICC line to make sure it’s still intact. Finally, finally she administers a dose of pain medication in my PICC line after she takes a blood draw.
“I’m doing that based on the orders that were sent to me for your continued care,” she says even though I didn’t ask her anything. “They want regular draws to make sure nothing is growing that the antibiotic you’re on doesn’t handle.”
“Makes sense to me. At least I don’t have to get stuck every day to get it,” I reply, waving my right arm. “Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
“I see the morphine is kicking in,” Thelma says, rolling her eyes. “Let me help you back to your RV. I know you don’t want to hear this and that you already ‘know’ it, but rest is honestly the best thing for you right now.”
I feel like whining so I do, just a little bit. “But I’m bored, Thelma! I mean, Kevin has to be fed every few hours, but outside of that, I think I’ve slept more than I’ve been awake since I got back from the hospital.”
“My suggestion is to put on a show you like that you’ve already binged. That way, if you fall asleep, you won’t miss much and can pick the storyline back up,” she drawls out as she helps me back into the RV. Seeing Kevin, she grins and says, “Besides, you’ve got the perfect cuddle buddy right now.”
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll go back to bed, but I think I’m going to order some flip flops to be delivered since tying my shoes is beyond my ability right now.”
“Believe it or not, we’ve been getting deliveries. I’ll text you the address to use, just put your name on it so we can get it to you, okay?”
“Sounds great! A little retail therapy ought to keep me focused.”
Once I’m ensconced in the bed once more, I open up the app on my phone and start shopping.
Not only do I order flip flops, but I decide to get several things that should hopefully make my life easier while I deal with this wound vac and PICC line.
Finally finished, I hit ‘buy now’, set my phone on the table next to me then it’s lights out for Phoebe.