Page 56 of My Salvation
Wrenching up my gaze, I watch as he smirks and stalks off.
CHAPTER 26
THAYER
Fear makes my heart pound as I wait for the guys to arrive. I asked the doctor to give me my test results once my brothers got here, so they could hear them directly. I feel some sensation in my legs, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. It was so stupid to let that baby announcement get to me so badly. It’s not like I even miss Nessa anymore, but I had thought I’d have a family by now. She has everything I so badly wanted. Now, I just want to walk again.
Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I drop my head and close my eyes for a few minutes. Hearing the door open, I watch as Shaw, Lev, and Lowell enter the room.
“Hey, guys. You all look worse than I feel. What’s up? You didn’t get any news from the doctor, did you?” I tense, worried he told them the news before me, so they could help ease any impact.
“It’s nothing to do with your prognosis. We’ll explain after the doctor leaves. He’s on his way now.” Shaw swipes his hand over his face before coming around to grab my shoulder.
Lowell looks at Lev, and they have a silent conversation. Lev’s brows furrow in disagreement. My frustration builds. Usually I’m involved in those conversations, but I guess I’m out of the loop tonight.
The doctor enters the room and explains the diagnosis. “Hello, everyone. Let’s get to the point, shall we? Thayer, your spinal cord is severely bruised in your lower lumbar region. At this moment, we’re not able to identify the severity of the injury until the swelling goes down. If moderate, it will go away with time and rehabilitation. If severe, we’ll assess and determine if surgery is required, or if the loss of some function will be permanent. We’re giving you medication to bring the swelling down. Once it’s down, we’ll determine if our next course of action is rehab or surgery. I’m optimistic, given that you have sensation in both legs, but regardless, you have a long road of recovery ahead of you. Do you have any questions?”
After our questions are answered, the doctor leaves. I swallow hard as I take in the information. Everyone’s somber as they look at me. Shaw, of course, is already in planning mode, given the look on his face.
“We’ll start getting the house ready. I’m assuming you’ll be in a wheelchair while you recover, which means we’ll need ramps installed in the house. In addition, I’ll switch out our rooms so you can have the ground floor when you get home. If rehab becomes an option, we can set up a room for your therapy, too,” he tells me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Shaw, damn it. Give me a second to breathe here,” I demand, shrugging off his hand. “What if I don’t walk again?”
“Then we’ll deal with it. We count our victories and start planning our next moves.” Arms crossed, he stands steadfast as he looks me in the eye.
Frustrated, I stare at him. “What victories?”
All three of them look at me like I’m stupid. Shaw spits out, “The fact that you are alive is our biggest victory. Until last week, when you woke up from the coma, it was looking like we would have to plan your funeral. This week, we found out your spinal cord isn’t severed and you have sensation in both legs. Those are the victories we will celebrate. We can only take this one day or one week at a time. So, fucking wallow in your pity for a day or two, but then we’ve got work to do. Do you hear me?”
My gaze travels from Shaw to the other two, and I can tell I’m outnumbered. Unable to see through today’s news, I grit my teeth. Shaw has never steered me wrong in the past, and he’s not about to abandon me now.
Deciding to change the subject, I assess each one of them in return, noting their exhaustion and anxiety. “What’s going on with you three? Am I the cause?”
Lev takes point as the spokesperson, which surprises me. Usually Shaw or Lowell lead serious discussions. “While you’ve been in the hospital, we employed a doctor to take over your practice. Dr. Kate Michaels.”
“Is it not working out? What happened?”
