I close my eyes again. Whatever is wrong, it has to heal. I’ll work extra hard to make sure of it. Please don’t take my work from me.
“We don’t know anything for sure until we run some more tests. But you had no damage to your spinal cord when you arrived, which, considering your other injuries, is a miracle.”
No spinal cord injury. That means this could be temporary. Perhaps something is swollen. Something similar happened to a friend once. “So, I’ll be fine soon?” I ask.
The doctor steps up next to me. “Your body experienced a great deal of trauma. As for beingfine, you have a long road of recovery ahead of you. We will take it day by day.”
He didn’t answer my question. I shouldn’t be surprised. He can’t make promises.
His brows pull together. “You did have some swelling in the brain. It’s possible the swelling is causing these symptoms. What’s important is that you stay positive and let your body heal. We’ll do another MRI soon and see if the swelling is decreasing.”
The doctor turns to Piper. “Please make sure he stays calm. He really does need to rest.”
As worked up as I am about all of this, I’m exhausted. I try to stay awake, but I can’t. I’m in and out, hearing some of what is said, but I forget a lot of it a moment later.
Some words stick with me. Brain swelling. Broken ribs. Abnormal results.
One thing I’m certain of is that Willow has been here anytime I’ve opened my eyes. Except this time. I glance around my room, and no one is here. I’m still hooked up to a bunch of monitors.
My stomach growls, and strong hunger pangs hit. There is no food on my table. I wonder if they will let me eat. Wait. I had some applesauce yesterday. Was that yesterday? There’s a fog over my brain that I can’t quite shake.
The door opens, and Piper steps in, wiping her eyes. “Oh, you’re awake. He’s awake,” she calls out to the hallway. Piper smiles, but it’s her fake smile. Something is wrong.
“What happened?” I ask.
The doctor steps into the room. “I’m glad to see you alert.” It’s the same doctor as the last time. “Can you tell me your name?”
I frown. “Callan Myers.”
“Good. And do you know why you are here?”
I remember saving a dog. I was stuck in the river. Then, the rush of water. Wait, I didn’t remember that before. Or did someone tell me? “I went over a waterfall.”
The doctor smiles. “Yes, that’s right.”
“I can’t stay awake.”
“That’s likely due to your brain injury. Sleep is good for healing.”
Brain injury? He must mean concussion.
“How much longer do I have to be here?” I ask.
The doctor’s smile drops. “At least a couple more days. We’ll see how you progress. We don’t want a scare like this last one.”
Piper wipes her eyes again.
“Last one? What happened?”
“The machines all went crazy. We thought we were losing you,” Piper says.
“Did I die?” I ask.
“No,” the doctor says. “But you did have to go in for emergency surgery.”
There is a knock on the doorway. I turn and see Ozzie grinning at me.
“Ozzie,” I say.
