Mark and I didn’t talk much while we waited to hear news about Juliana. We both ended up pacing a lot, waiting. I just kept picturing Juliana in the car accident. She was so small and fragile. I wished I could have been there for her, then none of this would have happened.
Finally, after three hours, twenty-one minutes, and seventeen seconds of waiting, a doctor came out, calling for Juliana’s family.
“How is she?” I asked, immediately going to him.
“She got very lucky. With how fast the car was traveling and hitting the tree, it could have been fatal. She broke her tibia in her left leg in three places. Her humerus and radius bones in her right arm are broken as well. Her body is scattered with bruises. Thankfully, she had no internal bleeding and at the moment, she does not need surgery. As a precaution, though, we will be keeping her overnight.”
“Thank gosh,” Mark and I said at the same time.
I sank into one of the chairs, my head falling into my hands. She’s okay. My baby girl is okay. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
“Would you like to see her?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Follow me then, please.”
I got up and followed the doctor through a set of double doors, down a hallway, and then turning right into a patient’s room. The doctor stopped in front of the door and motioned for me to go in.
Before I walked in, Mark said, “I’ll wait outside for a few minutes.”
I nodded and walked inside. I just wanted to see Juliana. When I saw my baby girl, I froze. She looked so small in that gigantic hospital bed, and she had so many cords around her. The green hospital gown covered most of her, but her face was starting to swell up and I could see the pink plaster cast starting at her right hand and almost touching her shoulder. The rest of her body was covered by a blanket. I assumed that left leg had a pink cast to match the one on her arm.
“Hi,” she said, her head turning towards me.
“Oh, baby girl. I’m so sorry,” I said, walking towards her and planting the softest of kisses on her swollen lips.
“It’s not your fault, Robert.”
“Yes, it is. I should have been watching, I should have gone into the bathroom sooner, when I noticed that you were taking longer than normal.”
“No. Then Boyle would have shot you. I couldn’t have lived with that,” she said, shaking her head as if that would prove her point even more.
I decided to change the subject, knowing that we’d never agree on that one. “How are you feeling?” I asked, pulling up a chair and taking her left hand in mine.
“Sore, but from what I’ve been told, this could have been a lot worse.”
“That’s good. I just want you to relax right now. The doctor said they want to keep you overnight. I’ll stay with you and then I can take you home tomorrow.” I’d already started planning extra stuff I would have to buy to make sure that Juliana was taken care of while staying with me.
“I’d like that,” she smiled and gave my hand another squeeze.
“Do you need anything from the house? I’ll stop by it in an hour or so to get a change of clothes for myself.”
“I’ll need one of those too. If you could bring maybe my toothbrush and hairbrush, I think that’s it. I have my teddy under the covers with me,” she said quietly, lifting the covers so I could see her teddy bear.
Despite everything that happened today, I found myself laughing. Thank gosh this incident with Boyle didn’t have any adverse effects on her desire to act little.
“I’ll bring all the stuff you suggested.”
“Thank you. Oh, I’m going to have to call my boss and tell him what happened. I don’t want him to worry. Plus, I’m going to need a couple weeks off work until I’m in a walking cast,” she said, her nose wrinkling as she began to worry.
“Don’t worry about that, sweetie. I’ll take care of it,” I said, letting go of her hand and softly running my hand over her swollen cheek. I was going to make sure that for the next few weeks she would have absolutely nothing to worry about.
“Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?” Mark asked, coming into the room.
“Sore, but alive,” she chuckled.
“I’m glad to hear it. It sounds like you did some serious butt kicking out there. I heard from one of the doctors that Boyle is still in surgery. Apparently, he’s a lot worse off than you.”
“He shouldn’t have tried to kidnap me then.”
“You’re right. But, from now on, leave the butt kicking to Robert and I,” he said, giving her a little fist bop on her shoulder.
“Alright,” she said, pretending to sound upset. It didn’t work too well, because seconds later, she yawned.