Dreaming of Cheers (Standing Up to Life Book 3)

Chapter 30:

PART IV: Healing

THE NEXT THING I remember was being on the gurney in the ambulance pulling away to go to the hospital. I heard a paramedic take a reading on my blood pressure as he dabbed at one of my many cuts with something that stung. My mom held my other hand tightly and was sobbing off to the side. "Mommy?" I called out softly.

"I'm here sweetie," she told me as she squeezed on my hand. As she said that she sobbed even harder. I cried as well and lost track of time as we drove towards the hospital. I could hear the sirens blaring from above, and now that some of the cuts on my face were cleaned, I could see a little better. My eyes felt swollen though, and I was sure they must be, so much so that I could just make out some stuff through my slitted eyes.

The paramedic that was working on me put a blanket on me. I was shivering uncontrollably now. I was alive! Why am I shivering? I can't be alive... I didn't know anything that was going on around me as we pulled into the emergency room entrance.

"Patient was attacked by several assailants. She has multiple lacerations and abrasions on her face, back, hands, and chest," the paramedic told the doctor that must have been following me in.

"Okay, let's get her into here and get her cleaned up," I heard the doctor say. He began looking at me and poking in several spots. "Let's get a cat-scan setup for her as well. I'm a little concerned by how hard she might have hit her head," he said.

"Tiffany, can you understand me?" He asked me.

"Yes," I gasped, I hurt so bad.

"I'm Doctor Hannah, we're going to have to do some stitches here, but it looks like you're going to be okay. You're a brave young lady and we're going to take good care of you," he told me while he squeezed my hand. He seemed to have noticed my mother standing there who hadn't let go of my hand the whole time. "Are you her mother?" he asked.

I heard a sob and felt my hand squeezed again.

"She's going to be fine, but I want to get you out of here while I work on her, okay?"

"NOOO!" I screamed, "Don't leave me!" I sobbed.

I heard a sob in reply next to me and I think the doctor decided that it wasn't worth the fight. "If you're going to stay, I need you to put some scrubs on Mrs. Jacobson," he told her.

"Tiffany she'll be right back," he assured me and I felt another hand take my place as a whole new round of sobbing began.

"Nurse can you get me...?" I heard him order off a dosage of two medicines and felt a needle go into my arm a moment later. I felt all fuzzy all of the sudden and the pain sort of went back behind a curtain. I didn't really know what was going on, but could sort of sense people move around me. For a long time, I just was. I wasn't aware or interacting with anything, I just was. I was vaguely aware of tugging at my skin by some sort of needle, I felt my clothes get removed and heard a brief gasp from a nurse. Then I felt nothing for a long while.

MY NEXT MEMORY was of waking up and seeing my mom, Melanie, and Amy all standing around in my room looking concerned. Amy saw me stir and said, "Tiffany!" worriedly coming to my side and holding my hand.

"Tiffany, how are you feeling?" I heard Melanie ask me in her doctor's voice as she came over to me.

"Hurt," I managed to croak out a moment later after trying to figure out my answer. My throat was dry and on fire. My face was sore, my stomach hurt, my breasts felt sore and I couldn't figure out if that was just their normal soreness, or because I had been hit there, I groaned.