Chapter 18 #2
She handed my chart to the nurse and leaned over me to shine a light in each of my eyes.
“Everything looks good here, but we’ll want to keep you for another night for observation and to run a few more tests.
Standard protocol for concussions. We’ll send you home with pain meds, as well as a schedule for upcoming appointments with a doctor and a physical therapist. If you do everything you’re supposed to, you may be able to begin weight-bearing exercises as soon as four to six weeks, depending on how well you follow instructions.
” She sent me a look as if she thought I might argue.
“So can I ride my bike? That’s not a weight-bearing exercise.”
She didn’t respond right away, maybe because she was waiting to see if I was joking—which, for the record, I wasn’t. “You are technically correct. Riding a bike is not weight bearing, but falling off is, and it’s not recommended unless you’d like to compound your injury and break something else.”
She took my chart back from the nurse and jotted something down before sliding it back into the slot at the end of my bed. “Do you have any more questions for me?”
I had several, but I knew without asking that her answer to all of them would be no. I shook my head.
She said good-bye before giving Jolene an odd wave, then left, the nurse staying behind to check my vitals and perform other annoyances.
Jolene frowned down at me. “I wonder if they’ll let me bring a pretty scarf to drape around your neck to soften the harsh light. I’ll ask Sherri.”
“Sherri?”
“Yes—Dr. Longo. She and I were sorority sisters at LSU. It’s such a small world!”
“I guess that explains the pink lab coat and pearls,” I said.
“Could you please find my phone? I think it’s best to wait until JJ’s competition is over before calling Melanie and Jack, but I need to call Sarah.
Or maybe you should call Sarah. She’s going to be so disappointed not to be going to Mississippi with you. I can handle Melanie and Jack.”
“Not as disappointed as I am. At least Jaxson will still be going, so he can drive your car back.”
I tried to sit up, but Jolene gently held me down, reminding me of how her petite exterior disguised a warrior woman who could change a flat while wearing heels and repel an intruder with nothing more than a giant plastic Barbie head.
I vigorously shook my head. “Oh, no. Nope, nope, nope. If I could think clearly, I might be able to come up with a creative way to tell you what you can do with that car that doesn’t involve it being anywhere near me. Like—”
“Don’t say something you’ll regret,” Christopher said as he entered, carrying a bouquet of happy-face balloons. He was followed by Cooper, who looked as ragged as Beau but appeared to have at least changed his clothes since the accident.
I looked around at the crowd gathered in my hospital room. “Who’s minding the store?”
Christopher chuckled. “I guess you’re feeling all right. I don’t know anybody else who would worry about practical matters right after waking up from a coma.”
“I do,” Beau and I said in unison.
Christopher made room on a small table by the window for the balloons.
“To answer your question, Camille and Henry.” He shared a quick glance with Mimi.
“Or mostly Camille, I should say. And Trevor will be there after school to manage them. I’m actually on my way there now.
I just wanted to stop by and see how you were. I’m glad to see you’re awake.”
“We all are,” Mimi said. “And I should be going, too.” She rose and began gathering her things.
Cooper moved to the side of my bed, and I reached for his hand. He looked exhausted, the pallor of his skin highlighting the pink scar on his chin.
“Are you mad about your car?”
Cooper sighed, sat down in the chair vacated by Mimi, and put his elbows on the edge of the bed, momentarily holding his head in his hands.
“I don’t care about the car. It’s insured and replaceable.
You’re not. I have no idea what happened, but it wasn’t your fault.
I’ll let the insurance adjusters figure out what went wrong. All I care about is that you’re okay.”
“I know what happened,” I said quietly, pulling him closer. “There was someone—”
The nurse reappeared, interrupting me. “Okay, everyone. Time to give the patient some privacy and rest. You can visit again later.”
I started to protest, but I stopped when I saw what the nurse was carrying. I squinted at it, trying to figure out why he might be holding the doll that I remembered Cooper sticking under the car seat before the accident.
“Where did you get that?” Beau asked, holding out his hand.
The nurse eagerly relinquished it. “It was propped up outside your room. I thought one of you had left it there. It’s scaring the other patients, so I was hoping one of you could take it when you go.”
“It was in the car,” Cooper said. “Maybe one of the EMTs brought it in?”
The nurse shrugged. “That’s possible. I just need to make sure it goes away.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mimi said. “It’s an old Madame Alexander doll and might be quite valuable. Here, let me see it.”
She put down her needlework bag and reached for the doll, grabbing it before Beau could stop her.
Mimi froze in place with her fingers clutching the doll’s arms. Her eyes rolled back in her head before she sank to the floor, still holding the doll, its eyes wide open and staring directly at me before it uttered the only word it knew. “Mama.”