A Diamond with Scars

Rejuvenated

Sucking in a deep breath of the fresh air that blew Anya's long hair side to side she stepped out of her car. It had been a nice time off, but Anya was ready to get back to the old grind. Management had pushed her into taking a vacation for once. So after a week and a half she was well rested and ready to get herself and others moving. Typically she hated being away for even the weekend, but a whole week felt like she was abandoning her patients. Even though most of them were also telling her to take a break. Reluctantly she took her week vacation and caught up on many chores she had been neglecting as well as visited her grandparents in New Mexico.

Making her way inside, Anya was greeted by many of her patients and coworkers who were sitting outside the rehab, enjoying the warming weather. "Glad to see you back, Anya! How was New Mexico?" One aide asked as he wheeled out a patient with a large cast over his leg.

Giving a short description of her visit she headed in where she was greeted by her favorite nurse, Lisa. Anya saw a look of relief wash over the older woman when she caught sight of her, "Oh thank God you are back!" Lisa exclaimed, walking as quick as her arthritic knee would take her. Anya blinked in confusion as Lisa continued on, trying to catch her breath. The woman needed to retire and take it easy, but like Anya, she just kept going. "I think we got your hardest patient yet..." Allowing her gaze to shift to the room where Mark currently resided in Lisa filled her in on the details.

At the end, Anya was on the verge of tears. How could someone be so cruel? She thought as she looked over at Mark again. She knew what it was like to be in his position physically, but she had the greatest support system she could have ever asked for. Not knowing what the future would hold for you was the hardest part about having an accident. Swallowing she thought back to her own accident.

It was her 18th birthday and she was on her way to her Aunt's house where they were holding her large celebration with all her friends and family. A drunk driver struck her car and sent her barreling over a guardrail and into a small wooded area. Her car had rolled several times according to the report and damage to her Jeep. Anya didn't remember any of it. The only thing she remembered was seeing the car whipping around a tractor trailer and hitting her going at least 80 in a 45 zone. She woke up in the hospital hooked up to a ventilator a month later. The accident had caused so much damage, the EMS and police officers on the scene were surprised she was even alive. Said her seat belt was the only reason for that, but when she went forward, large amount of glass and metal got behind her and caused many of the scars she now sported. As well as hot oil burns. Once she woke up she was so confused as to what had happened, but that all washed away when she tried to sit up once they removed the tube from her throat to allow her to breath on her own. She couldn't move or feel. The doctors told her she was paralyzed. Anya could still remember the words echoing inside of her that she would probably never walk again. The damage done to her vertebrae had severely impaired her in addition to the large number of scars across her back and neck. The few she had on the front half of her body were minor, which was a miracle. The surgeons discussed with her and her parents about going in for several surgeries to remove and repair the damage, but it came at a great cost. One wrong move and she would really never be able to move again and need to live on a ventilator for the rest of her life. The damage was great, but the outcome would possibly allow her mobility again.

Anya insisted they do the surgery as soon as possible. Her parents were both for and against it. Seeing their only daughter lying in a hospital bed. Her father cursed the man who had nearly killed her to Hell, wishing he could have gotten his hands on him. The man had hit three other cars and was pronounced dead on the scene. To Anya's relief, the others who had been struck walked away with minor injuries. One car had a couple who were on their way home from the hospital with their newborn baby.