Just some fiction
Pain. Just pain: filling her entire body. The pain lasted seconds before being replaced by intense cold, which was replaced again by intense pain, and then nothing.
When she awoke next there was little pain and she felt comfortably warm. Something hard was in her throat and she sat up coughing and retching, staring in disbelief as a hard plastic tube came out along with a little bit of blood. She put her hands to her mouth and felt pain surging through her arms.
She looked down at her arms and saw tubes and needles going into them. She screamed and pulled them out as quickly and painlessly as she could. Her head swam and she slumped forward and lost consciousness.
"Ellen?"
The voice was vague and distant, but it kept repeating itself, gradually getting closer and more distinct each time.
Ellen opened her eyes, a nurse was standing over her nudging her awake. The nurse smiled, "Thank goodness you're awake."
Ellen tried to speak but her throat coarse and pain made her cough, an iron taste filled her mouth and panicked her.
The nurse settled her back down. "Try not to speak; you've been through a lot. Here," she said, and offered Ellen a glass of water, "Drink this, it'll help."
She took a few sips and lay back down again. Her stomach cramped and she began to wretch, the nurse was swift and had a bucket ready just as she threw up.
The nurse stroked her short hair and waited until the watching had stopped before taking the bucket away and cleaning her up.
Ellen was now sobbing uncontrollably and the nurse held her close until she had fallen asleep.
Ellen opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling. She heard footsteps and looked in the direction they were coming from. A nurse smiled and said “morning”. She turned and walked out.
A few minutes later the nurse returned along with a group of men. One of them stepped forward and set on Ellen’s bedside.
“Hello Ellen,” He said, “my name is Dr Bremen, but you can call me Jack, is that ok?” Ellen nodded and he continued, “This is Dr Menzies” he said, pointing to another doctor.
Dr Menzies stepped forward, “Please, call me Ben.” He smiled at her and stepped back.
“These other doctors are only here temporarily so you don’t need to know who they are.” Jack stood up. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, but we have other patients to see. Just call us if you need anything.” Ellen nodded again and watched as they all left the room.
She felt tired and weary. She rain her hand through her hair, it was still short but getting longer. It was maybe about two or three inches now.
She eased herself down in her bed, made herself comfortable and fell asleep.
Ellen woke again; pain was gnawing at her belly like a beast. She struggled to sit up and reached for the glass of water by her bed. She took a few sips and pressed the button to call the nurse on duty.
The nurse arrived swiftly, “what would you like?”
Ellen looked at the nurse, “Can I have some food please?”
The nurse smiled, “I’ll have to check with the doctor, but I don’t see why not. I’ll be back with a menu if it’s ok.” The nurse smiled and walked out.
Ellen sipped some more water and sighed, tugging at her fringe. It was a good few inches long now and was at the point where it was too short to tie back but was also so long that it kept going in her eyes. She sighed again and wondered what to do. She hadn’t really though about anything, she couldn’t remember who she was or how she got there. She didn’t know why her hair was as short as it was or how it got that way.
The nurse opened the door and interrupted her thinking, “The doctor says it’s ok to give you a small amount of food, and nothing too rich.” She handed the card to Ellen, “if there’s something you’d like that’s not on there, just ask and I’ll see if it’s ok.”
Ellen looked through the menu and pondered. “Um,” she began, and then stopped.
“Yes?” the nurse looked at her.
“Um,” she began again, “can I have some eggs, soft boiled with toast?” She didn’t know why she wanted this but something told her it was a good thing to eat.
The nurse smiled and nodded, “sure, I’ll have the chef prepare it for you.”
The nurse was just about to leave when Ellen reached out and caught her arm, “I don’t want anything in the eggs.”
The nurse nodded, “I’ll make sure the chef doesn’t add anything.” She turned and left.
The nurse returned with a plate of chopped soft boiled eggs and toast and a glass of water. The nurse sat down beside Ellen’s bed and began feeding her slowly, offering her the water after every few mouthfuls.
When she was done eating she thanked the nurse as she left. The nurse smiled, “it’s ok hun; it’s what I’m here for.”
Ellen sighed and lay back down. What was she here for? She didn’t know and wasn’t sure where to begin.
When she awoke next there was little pain and she felt comfortably warm. Something hard was in her throat and she sat up coughing and retching, staring in disbelief as a hard plastic tube came out along with a little bit of blood. She put her hands to her mouth and felt pain surging through her arms.
She looked down at her arms and saw tubes and needles going into them. She screamed and pulled them out as quickly and painlessly as she could. Her head swam and she slumped forward and lost consciousness.
"Ellen?"
The voice was vague and distant, but it kept repeating itself, gradually getting closer and more distinct each time.
Ellen opened her eyes, a nurse was standing over her nudging her awake. The nurse smiled, "Thank goodness you're awake."
Ellen tried to speak but her throat coarse and pain made her cough, an iron taste filled her mouth and panicked her.
The nurse settled her back down. "Try not to speak; you've been through a lot. Here," she said, and offered Ellen a glass of water, "Drink this, it'll help."
She took a few sips and lay back down again. Her stomach cramped and she began to wretch, the nurse was swift and had a bucket ready just as she threw up.
The nurse stroked her short hair and waited until the watching had stopped before taking the bucket away and cleaning her up.
Ellen was now sobbing uncontrollably and the nurse held her close until she had fallen asleep.
Ellen opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling. She heard footsteps and looked in the direction they were coming from. A nurse smiled and said “morning”. She turned and walked out.
A few minutes later the nurse returned along with a group of men. One of them stepped forward and set on Ellen’s bedside.
“Hello Ellen,” He said, “my name is Dr Bremen, but you can call me Jack, is that ok?” Ellen nodded and he continued, “This is Dr Menzies” he said, pointing to another doctor.
Dr Menzies stepped forward, “Please, call me Ben.” He smiled at her and stepped back.
“These other doctors are only here temporarily so you don’t need to know who they are.” Jack stood up. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, but we have other patients to see. Just call us if you need anything.” Ellen nodded again and watched as they all left the room.
She felt tired and weary. She rain her hand through her hair, it was still short but getting longer. It was maybe about two or three inches now.
She eased herself down in her bed, made herself comfortable and fell asleep.
Ellen woke again; pain was gnawing at her belly like a beast. She struggled to sit up and reached for the glass of water by her bed. She took a few sips and pressed the button to call the nurse on duty.
The nurse arrived swiftly, “what would you like?”
Ellen looked at the nurse, “Can I have some food please?”
The nurse smiled, “I’ll have to check with the doctor, but I don’t see why not. I’ll be back with a menu if it’s ok.” The nurse smiled and walked out.
Ellen sipped some more water and sighed, tugging at her fringe. It was a good few inches long now and was at the point where it was too short to tie back but was also so long that it kept going in her eyes. She sighed again and wondered what to do. She hadn’t really though about anything, she couldn’t remember who she was or how she got there. She didn’t know why her hair was as short as it was or how it got that way.
The nurse opened the door and interrupted her thinking, “The doctor says it’s ok to give you a small amount of food, and nothing too rich.” She handed the card to Ellen, “if there’s something you’d like that’s not on there, just ask and I’ll see if it’s ok.”
Ellen looked through the menu and pondered. “Um,” she began, and then stopped.
“Yes?” the nurse looked at her.
“Um,” she began again, “can I have some eggs, soft boiled with toast?” She didn’t know why she wanted this but something told her it was a good thing to eat.
The nurse smiled and nodded, “sure, I’ll have the chef prepare it for you.”
The nurse was just about to leave when Ellen reached out and caught her arm, “I don’t want anything in the eggs.”
The nurse nodded, “I’ll make sure the chef doesn’t add anything.” She turned and left.
The nurse returned with a plate of chopped soft boiled eggs and toast and a glass of water. The nurse sat down beside Ellen’s bed and began feeding her slowly, offering her the water after every few mouthfuls.
When she was done eating she thanked the nurse as she left. The nurse smiled, “it’s ok hun; it’s what I’m here for.”
Ellen sighed and lay back down. What was she here for? She didn’t know and wasn’t sure where to begin.