Page 183 of Hutch
The room turns serious and it’s Dr. Sturgis who tells me the extent of my injuries and I want to pass out. How am I alive?
“You’re a very lucky young woman,” he tells me. “That fiancé of yours, your brother, and your friend Dylan is the reason you’re here with us now. They performed CPR until the paramedics arrived, and Mr. Hutchinson has not left this room for more than a few minutes since you got here. Every time I came in, I heard him telling you to just breathe and everything would be fine. You’re very lucky to have someone who loves you so much.”
He stayed here the whole time? But his position with the Raptors…no way will they keep him if he missed so much practice and then games…why would he do that?
You’re very lucky to have someone who loves you so much.
Dr. Sturgis’ words finally register.
He loves me?
“We gave you a dose of heavy painkillers earlier when we decided to bring you out of the medically induced coma. They’ll be wearing off soon. My practice is to not prescribe high does of pain medication, but in your situation, you need it.”
I shake my head. I don’t want that.
“Your body is going to be in so much pain, you’re not going to be able to handle it, Miss Canton.” Dr. Briney says. “As I said, it’s not my practice to prescribe them, but for the next few days, maybe a week, you need them.”
I shake my head stubbornly. My mother got addicted to prescription pain meds and then moved onto heroin. Addictionruns in my family. My dad was an alcoholic who died when he crashed his car drunk. I don’t want that stuff anywhere near me.
“Your brother, Robert, said you might have this reaction. Your mother was an addict?”
I nod.
“I’m not going to let you get addicted, young lady. We’ll wean you off of them before we allow you to go home. You’re going to be here another two weeks at least. You need the medicine for a few days while your body continues to heal. Without the pain medicine, you will stress your body out and slow the healing process. We want to get you home, not keep you here longer than necessary. Please allow us to help you. I’m not going to let you become addicted. I promise.”
I’m already starting to feel some twinges of pain. I don’t like pain, but I don’t like pain medication either. What to do?
“We’ve got you this far, Miss Canton, let us get you home.”
I sigh, which makes me cough, which sets off pain. Severe pain in my lungs. If he’s telling me it’ll be worse than this, maybe a few days of pain medicine won’t hurt.
Just a few days, I mouth at him, my voice gone. He understands and nods solemnly.
I need to tell him about my hearing.
Can’t hear too good, I mouth at him and he frowns, stepping closer. It’s not like I can write it down with both hands in casts.
“What was that?”
Ears. Can’t hear well.
“Your ears?” he asks.
I nod.
“You’re having problems hearing?”
I nod vigorously.
He frowns and comes closer, pulling something from the wall and shining it in my ears.
“How did we miss this?” He’s muttering and I just barely hear him. “Looks like both your ear drums are ruptured.”
“What?” Dr. Sturgis comes over and looks into my ears as well. “We both missed it. There was so much swelling in and around her head.”
“Compared to all your other injuries, this is going to be simple. Nothing to worry about,” Dr. Briney assures me. “Ruptured ear drums typically heal on their own within a few weeks. You’re already on high does antibiotics, but I’m going to add antibiotic ear drops as a precaution. It’s nothing to worry about. We’ll watch it closely while you’re here.”
It doesn’t feel like nothing to worry about.
