Rectify

38

Nia
7:29 A.M.
Her Apartment

"Hey Brandon! What's up?" I asked my landlord. "Nothing much, you?" he asked. "Nothing much either," I smiled. "I saw your email about breaking your lease and the only way I can do that is if you pay your rent for the next six months in full," Brandon explained. "Are you sure that's the only way?" I asked. "Yes," Brandon nodded.

"Thanks Brandon!" I went inside my apartment. I quickly walked into my room, jumped in the bed and called Michael. "Hey Nia!" he smiled. "Hello!" I tried to match his energy. "What's up? You packing to come see us yet?" Michael asked.

"Michael...I can't make it to Houston. My landlord said I can either wait out the six months or pay him all of my rent in full right now and I would but we have so many expenses with the house. I have choreography to finish and an album to start," I sighed. "So you're going to wait out the six months?" Michael asked. "Yes," I replied.

"We're going to miss you Nia," Michael said. "Me too, but we'll talk everyday and I'll visit if I can. I wish I could be there to support you with transitioning Jeremiah into school and with you starting the food truck again," I told him. "It's okay, we'll be alright," Michael said.

* * *

3:48 A.M.
Her Apartment

I was getting myself a snack from the kitchen and watching Netflix when I got a strong pain in my back. "Ow!" I yelled. The pain brought me to my knees. The pain continued to surge through my back. I hadn't felt anything like this since my car accident. I had a session with my choreographer in the afternoon and I couldn't feel like this.

"Ow!" I curled into a ball and rocked back and forth. I spent the whole night rocking back and forth. I needed a doctor fast. I pulled myself up, grabbed my keys and left the house all while in pain. I took forever to walk to my car and kept stopping to breathe.

When I finally got into the car, I started it and drove as fast as I could to the emergency room. I was admitted straight away when I got in. "Mrs. Jordan, we would like to do a CT scan and an x-ray," the doctor said. I was laying in the small bed in pain. "Okay," I nodded my head.

A nurse rolled a wheelchair in and helped me into it. The nurse pushed me to the scar room where I did my x-ray and CT scan. I was wheeled back to my room where I was alone until the nurse came back. "Mrs. Jordan, do you have anybody you would like to call right now?" the nurse asked.

I shook my head, "No," I replied. I didn't want to worry my parents or worry Michael. "Are you sure?" the nurse asked. "Yes," I replied. Soon enough, the doctor came in. "Mrs. Jordan, we took a look at your scans and found that parts of your spine are a little inflamed. Probably due to your car accident, but it's just affecting you now," the doctor explained.

"Do I need surgery?" I asked the doctor. "No, but I can give you a steroid shot to stop the pain for a little," the doctor explained. "Is it safe?" I asked. "Yes, you just have to make sure not to have too many in one period of time," the doctor continued. "Okay, I'll do it," I said.

"Okay, be right back," the doctor left the room. I was all alone in pain, it made me sad to think about. I tried to push it out of my mind until the doctor came back. "So, the shot site will need to be protected until it starts working which is in about four days. But there is a possibility you will feel an immediate relief," the doctor explained. "Sounds good," I replied.

That was until I saw that big needle. I closed my eye and breath in and out. "I'm going to stick it in at one, it will only be a pinch," the doctor told me. "Alright, ready?" the doctor asked. "Yes," I took a breath in. The doctor stuck the needle in and I felt a little pinch before he said everything was done. I felt a little bit of an immediate relief. The pain was still there but not too bad.