Chapter Seven

“It’s 7:15.” the nurse answered back quietly.

Nick started to wake up. He looked over at the nurse that was pushing medication through his IV. She smiled at Nick. She was looking at her watch while she was injecting the medication.

“How are you feeling, need anything?” she asked Nick.

Before Nick could answer, another nurse appeared in the doorway. She also had a syringe. “Jill, I’m here to take another draw,” the short blonde nurse announced. She was dressed in a smock that had the Barney the dinosaur prints on it.

“Hey Nick, look, it’s Barney.” Jess teased.

“Ha ha.” Nick answered back dryly. It was barely audible.

The nurses laughed along. It was hard to make small talk with their patient. They knew his celebrity status and felt a little intimidated by it.

As the nurse put the needle into Nick’s arm, he winced. “Oh, I’m sorry honey,” the nurse replied.

The IV nurse was finishing up and asked Nick if he needed anything for pain. Nick nodded. He felt worse since he woke up. His stomach was hurting.

Dr. Gaynor entered the room. He was doing his usual morning rounds. “Good morning, I’m glad to hear we have someone back with us this morning.” Dr. Gaynor smiled at Nick.

“I’m Dr. Gaynor, I was on call when they brought you in Saturday.” The doctor rubbed Nick’s shoulder when he spoke. He set the chart on the bedstand. “I’ve been anxious to examine you once you were awake. You can tell me more this way then when you were unconscious.”

Dr. Gaynor started to do the vitals, listening to Nick’s chest, checking his eyes and ears. Then he started doing tests that he had not been able to do before. He took a pen light and held in front of Nick’s face.

“Follow the light with just your eyes.” Dr. Gaynor instructed.

Jess watched Nick’s eyes as they tracked the light perfectly.

“Okay, now can you drop your chin to your chest like this?” Dr. Gaynor demonstrated by lowering his chin to his chest in one motion.

Nick tried to copy the motion but could only get his head partway down.

“That’s fine, don’t worry about not getting it all the way down, that’s to be expected right now.” the doctor tried to reassure Nick and Jessica.

The doctor then pulled the blankets back. He asked Jessica to turn away for a moment while he checked Nick’s incision.

“OK, you can look back again. I just needed to look at the incision to make sure everything was doing well.”

The doctor then pulled the blankets all the way back exposing Nick’s legs. He pushed down on Nick’s right big toe.

“Nick, can you push back on my hand?” Dr. Gaynor asked.

Jess looked at Nick as he tried. His eyebrows were drawn and he struggled to move the hand. Dr. Gaynor tried the same thing with his left foot, without success.

“I would like to order some more tests to see what is going on and how his spine looks. There was quite a bit of swelling when he was admitted and we may have to change the dosage of the steroid we are using to reduce the swelling.” the doctor explained.

“Nick, it is a little too early to be concerned about your not being able to move your legs. Your body went through a traumatic injury and the body needs time to heal. The tests could reveal a few more things that we may have missed and I would like to look at them before I make any more decisions. Are there any questions you have for me?” Dr. Gaynor asked as he stood up.

Both Nick and Jess looked at each other. The doctor answered any question they would have when he talked about paralysis and the possibility that it may be temporary.

“I know you’re anxious to be one hundred percent better, but these things take time. When you are starting to feel better, we will want to start physical and occupational therapy.” the doctor stated.

“How long until then?” Jess asked.

“I would expect no earlier than the end of the week if things go okay.” Dr. Gaynor responded.

“How does Nick’s bloodwork look?” Jess was hoping that it was improving.

Dr. Gaynor took the chart from the bedstand and thumbed through it. “Well, the most recent draw shows his hemoglobin level at ten point eight, which is still low, but he is improving. I expect that the latest draw should come in the same or a few points higher.”

“Anything you need, Nick?” Dr. Gaynor asked before he was leaving.

“He asked the nurse for something for the pain and she hasn’t come back yet.” Jess answered.

“Where do you hurt, Nick?” Dr. Gaynor asked.

Nick tried to speak up. Nothing came out the first time. He swallowed and then managed to say, “My stomach.” Nick was very weak and the words barely came out.

“He is still so weak, is this normal?” Jess was concerned.

“It will take some time for Nick to get his strength back.” Dr. Gaynor responded. “I’ll see if that nurse is coming back with the medication.”

Dr. Gaynor left the room. Jess smoothed Nick’s hair off his forehead. “I’m sure the nurse will be in soon.”

Just as Jess finished, a nurse did return with a syringe. She injected the medication into the IV line.

“Would you like to get a fresh gown on and maybe get cleaned up a little?” the nurse asked Nick.

“Yeah.” Nick mumbled.

“I’ll bring the things in and Jessica can wash you up, unless you would rather someone else did it,” the nurse inquired.

Nick was shocked to think of some stranger giving him a sponge bath. “She can.” Nick smiled at Jess weakly.

“When can he get his hair washed?” Jess asked the nurse. His blonde hair was almost dark brown from the blood that had stained it.

“We could send someone in to do that for you. We have a kit that can be sent up. Would you like to have your hair washed?” the nurse asked Nick in an upbeat way.

Nick managed to nod his head slightly.

“Okay, I’ll put a call in for that and hopefully it will be here quickly. I’ll be back in a sec with the stuff for him to get cleaned up.”

“Would you like the TV on or listen to some music? Something to take your mind off being washed by yours truly?” Jess winked at Nick.

“TV is k.” Nick answered back.

Jess turned the TV on as the nurse came back with the supplies for his sponge bath. She told Jess that the basin to wash his hair was on the way and she would be back in to do that.

Jessica went over to the sink with the tub and filled it with warm water. The nurse supplied her with a washcloth and some baby bath and baby powder. She made a mental note to go down to the pharmacy later to get some toiletries for Nick. She came back and set the tub on the bedstand and started by gently washing Nick’s face.

“Let me know if I hurt you, I’m scared to do this.” Jess said as she washed where his face was scraped the worst.

“Feels good.” Nick whispered. He closed his eyes while she washed him and dried him off, a section at a time. She got done with his feet when there was a knock at the door. It opened slightly.

“Is it okay to come in with the basin?” the nurse asked from the other side of the door.

“Yup, I’m just finishing his feet.” Jess replied.

The nurse walked in. “Don’t you feel better, Nick?” she asked as she walked over to the sink.

Nick smiled. He did feel good, it was amazing how good he felt after something so simple.

The nurse set up the basin and did the tedious job of washing his hair. The water was brown from the blood that was being rinsed out of it. After she shampooed his hair and rinsed it twice she gently toweled it dry.

“I’ll bet that feels good. I can’t stand it when my hair isn’t washed everyday, bet you were going crazy.” the nurse was making idle conversation to put Nick at ease. “Now you’ll be up for your family to come and see you.”

Jess looked at Nick’s face. His cheeks had better color in them since the bath and his eyes seemed to look brighter. She could tell by looking at him that he did feel better.