Eleanor
I couldn't hear nor could I see anything.
I couldn't even feel anything apart from a mind numbing pain that spread through my body in a split second. I couldn't even scream or yell out in pain.
It felt like I wasn't even in control of my body anymore. I suddenly wished I had accepted how everything was numb a few seconds ago, when I wasn't feeling anything. Because the jolts of pain that followed after that were more than excruciating.
But there was one part of my body I still couldn't feel though.
My legs.
Just then my hearing returned and I could hear people mumbling above me. Their voices started off as a faint hum, a distant murmur that slowly grew louder, echoing in my ears as if from a tunnel.
"Patient is a 23-year-old female, multiple trauma from a motor vehicle accident."
"BP is dropping…90 over 60 and falling!"
"Start an IV line, wide open! We need fluids now."
"Type and crossmatch for blood—get O-negative ready!"
"Respirations are shallow—intubate her, now!"
"What's her Glasgow Coma Scale? She's not responding to pain stimuli."
Everywhere around me was dark and everything felt numb. I wasn't even aware people could feel numb and still be in pain. The only thing that seemed to be working right now were my ears…and that scared me.
I was supposed to be at my interview today, but instead I got hit by a car. Of all the places or people it could crash into, it just had to be me.
Most people would say I'm being selfish and inconsiderate but come on let's be real. No one would want a car to hit them, right when they were standing by the side of the road.
I think it was safe to say that I really did have bad luck…and now the managers of the company were going to think I missed my interview because I wasn't serious or something.
"We've got open fractures on both legs…apply a temporary splint and stop the bleeding." I heard another voice.
I would've screamed if I had the ability to.
Fractures.
I had open fractures on my legs. No wonder I couldn't feel them. I just hoped this injury wouldn't paralyze me or anything.
I couldn't lose my legs, I didn't have anyone to take care of me. Cassie had her own problem so I didn't even have anyone to rely on. I was raised in an orphanage and thankfully sent to school so now I have to take care of myself and work so my kids won't get the same life but I definitely couldn't do that if I lost my legs.
I decided to listen more to get information on my condition.
"Massive blood loss…hang another unit of blood."
"Oh God. We're losing her…pulse is faint, barely palpable."
"Her oxygen saturation is plummeting…she's desatting fast!"
"We need another round of epinephrine—1 mg, stat!"
"No response to pain stimuli—neurological function is failing."
"She's going into multi-organ failure. Her liver and kidneys are shutting down."
"Her body isn't responding to the transfusion—coagulopathy is setting in."
I was supposed to be afraid right now, but my mind was numb. Completely numb.
Was I going to die?
It was just a car accident. Most people don't die from car accidents…right?
I had a thousand things I still needed to achieve, I couldn't die now. What were my neighbors going to think? Who was going to take the box of pizza I ordered for this evening? What about the hangout I planned with Cassie?
Was I….was I not going to be able to make it to any of them?
"Last set of compressions…come on give me something!" I heard another voice…but this time it sounded way distant than the others.
"Push another amp of atropine…this might be our last shot." Another voice came, sounding even more distant.
I was going to die. The thought dawned on me.
"She's flatlining—no pulse for the last two minutes."
"We've tried everything—she's not coming back."
I was actually going to die. I was going to leave this earth and never come back and that terrified me. Where was I going to go now? I wasn't a bad person…but I wasn't a righteous one either.
Was I going to go to hell or heaven?
"Nori! There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere." A voice echoed in my ears and it certainly didn't belong to any of the nurses or doctors.
It was Cassie's. But she sounded younger…way younger. Like back then when we were tiny children in the orphanage.
"Come check out this drawing…" The voice came again but it was followed by an image this time. An image of little Cassie sitting on the ground with a big paper in her hands.
"It took me all morning but I finished it. It's a drawing of both of us." She further explained smiling up at me and more memories flooded my mind one after the other.
I guess Samuel Tuke was right after all. Life really does flash before your eyes when you're staring death in the face and now I had no choice but to accept my fate.
I was going to miss Cassie and everything that had made my life worth living, but there was nothing I could do about it really.
If you'd ask me, I'd say life has an incredibly sick sense of humor. Minutes ago I was saying I didn't want to lose my legs and now I was losing my life.
Well, on the bright side, at least I'll finally be able to see my parents and what they look like, that is, if I eventually find them, until then, I'd be alone.
~~~~~~~~
I woke up to the sound of my alarm, but instead of the normal shrill unbearable one, it was a beeping sound.
A beeping sound?
When did I ever switch my alarm clock to normal?!
My brows scrunched together even though my eyes were still closed and I rolled over, only to notice that my bed was a lot softer than usual, feeling impossibly comfortable as I was half-tangled up in the sheet.
What the actual…
I sat up to check what was wrong but for some reason, I couldn't see properly. My vision was all…blurry. But that didn't stop my nose from detecting the faint smell of lavender in the air which was strange since I couldn't recall getting lavender scented candles or air fresheners for that matter.
What the heck was going on?
With my vision still somewhat blurry, I decided to get out of bed. Even though I still couldn't see properly, I knew for sure that I wasn't in my rusty apartment anymore.
Just then an image of a red car speeding right towards me flashed in my head and that was when it all came back to me. Wasn't I meant to be dead?
I'm certain I could recall the doctors saying I wouldn't make it.
Or did I? Did I actually make it? Was I still alive?
And was I still in the hospital?
A thousand more questions flooded my mind as I looked around again.
Was it all a dream? Was the accident a dream?
But if it was, what about the interview and where was I?
My eyes darted to the window, staring at the soft glow of sunlight that snuck in through the cracks of the curtains. My gaze then drifted to my bedside table only to find what looked like a pair of glasses.
Curious, I moved over to the table, and picked them up. I never used glasses before but I don't know why I felt the urge to put them on and suddenly, it was like my clear eyesight returned.
"What in the world…" My voice came off in a small whisper sounding a bit more lighter than usual. "Huh?" I spoke again to see if it still sounded weird.
"What the fuck?" I blinked rapidly, wrapping my fingers around my throat like it was going to help. "What happened to my…." My voice seized as I noticed my skin.
I wasn't paying attention to it before because I couldn't even see properly but now it was crystal clear and white???
Since when was I white?!
My hands immediately moved to check my hair only to see that it was now silky and straight, well it was wavy but it was still straight. I then ran my fingers through my hair before bringing it to my face and my jaw dropped.
"What?! What happened to my hair?" I asked no one in particular as I stared down at my now blonde silky hair. Since when was I a blonde?
My head jerked up as I glanced round the room, praying that I found what I was searching for. When I spotted it, I rushed towards it, almost afraid to look at my own reflection, but after taking a few breaths I summoned up the courage and stepped in front of the mirror.
My eyes widened as I stared at the stranger in the mirror before letting out a loud piercing scream. "What the heck?!"