"This is humiliating," Jackie said to Rachel with her arms crossed.
It's the just the two of them in the room at that moment, as Catherine left the room to take care of a few things. Â Jackie's mum also left the room to talk to the doctors about the potential plan for Jackie's discharge when she's out of the hospital.
"You're my little baby," Rachel teased, as she played airplane with the spoonful of mashed potatoes that she was feeding Jackie.
"I'm not eating if you continue to do that," Jackie protested.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop," Rachel surrendered, trying to wipe the amusement off her face.
"Rachel, what am I going to do? I can't survive living with my mother again, yet alone in this condition. I would literally be stuck there and having to rely on her for everything. I would feel like a child again."
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"Be with Catherine but she hasn't said a word about it. Maybe she doesn't want the responsibility of taking care of me. I don't want to be a burden."
"I highly doubt it. Why don't you just talk to her?"
"Because I don't even know how we would go about it. My apartment is impossible and I couldn't ask her to come and stay out here that long. She has Ethan."
"We will figure out something. I promise," Rachel said, placing her hand on Jackie's knee.
"Well, it better be fast. I'm being discharged in two days."
"Look at you eating!" Catherine said as she entered the room. "Thanks for letting me go and take care of a few things, Rachel."
"You know, you guys don't have to monitor me 24/7. I'm not a baby."
Jackie was quickly becoming annoyed with her lack of independence and the current situation that presented itself.
"Sure you are, you are what? 12?" Catherine teased.
Jackie flashed her a displeasing look.
"What? You're the only one allowed to make age jokes?" Catherine asked, coming over and kissing Jackie on the forehead before disappearing into the bathroom.
"Don't say a single word to her about this," Jackie warned Rachel.
"Did you eat?" The nurse asked as she walked into the room.
The constant traffic of people in and out was also getting to her.
"A little bit," Jackie replied.
"Good. You're going to need your strength because we are getting you out of this bed."
"Today?" Jackie asked excitedly.
This was exactly what she needed.
"Yes, the physiotherapist is coming. Today we will just start you slow. Getting up and taking a few steps to the bathroom. I'm going to go and get you your pain medication first, then we are going to remove some of these tubes."
"What's going on?" Catherine asked, as she came out of the bathroom.
"I'm finally getting out of this bed!" Jackie beamed.
However, her beam was short lived. Her spirits instantly dropped as soon as her mother appeared at the door.
"The lawyers won't be here for a couple more hours," Jackie snapped.
"I can't just see my daughter?" Her mother replied with a snarky tone.
****
When the nurse came back, she warned Jackie that they were beginning to ween her off her pain medication, and would be removing her IV to begin her on a pill regime.
"Don't worry. You will still be given ample amount of relief. It just won't make you so drowsy and isn't as potent."
"Good. We don't need her developing an addiction. Shes's strong enough to handle the pain anyways," Jackie's mother chimed in.
Catherine noticed Jackie flashed a look at Rachel. She had seemed irritated since she returned from sorting out a few things. Also wondered what the two of them had talked about while she was gone.
"Okay, I'm going to need to ask everyone to give us some privacy so I can remove some of these tubes," the nurse asked everyone in the room after Jackie had swallowed her medication.
To say outside in the hall was uncomfortable and was an understatement. Catherine had no idea what to talk to Jackie's mother about. So instead, Rachel tried to cut the tension and make small talk with her.
When they were allowed back in the room, Rachel excused herself to let them know that she would be back when the lawyers arrived.
Catherine was nervous to be left alone with Jackie and her mother, so she tried her best not to step on anyone's toes.
The physiotherapist arrived and greeted them all.
"We're going to start slow. Just to warn you, you may experience some dizziness and nausea from laying down for so long. It's not unusual. Now this is going to be a little tricky, since you have a shoulder injury and leg injury on the same side of your body."
He went to the hall and brought in a walker and crutches.
"I brought a few different options. A wheelchair is also on its way."
"I am not using a walker," Jackie scoffed. "And I would rather not use a wheelchair. I just really want to be independent."
"We want you to be too but your health and safety comes first. So let's just see how things go. First things first, we need to teach you how to correctly get out of bed. I know it sounds silly but it's important so you don't harm yourself further."
After he showed Jackie, her had her mother and Catherine to try it also. In which it increased the tension.
"Okay, now we're going to try and stand. We're going to use the walker just to get you steady, alright?"
Jackie nodded.
"Can I have you ladies come and stand on either side of her? For her injured shoulder, just place your hand on the middle of her back."
Catherine walked to her injured side, not wanting to impose on Jackie's motherly instincts and assumed that she had any.
When Jackie noticed, she became disheartened. Her theory of Catherine not wanting to help her mend was becoming more of a reality. Determined to do this, Jackie grabbed hold of the walker and tried to stand but was unable to. She felt incredibly weak.
"It's okay. Take your time and try again," the physiotherapist said with encouragement.
This time Jackie put forth everything she had in her and stood.
"Whoa, not so fast!" He said cautiously.
As soon as she was upright, Jackie became extremely lightheaded.
"I need to sit," she whispered.
"Just stand in place for a moment. It should pass," he said.
"I'm going to pass out," Jackie warned.
"You're fine. Just do this. Take a step," her mother insisted.
"No steps yet. She won't be able to use the walker with one hand. She will need a crutch but I just want to work on her balance right now. Can you two hold her on your own while I grab the wheelchair?"
"Yes," Jackie's mother answered for them.
"Sit me down. I can't do this right now," Jackie pled as the nausea began to set in.
"He's getting the chair. Just wait a little longer," her mother replied.
"I'm serious. Sit me down. I'm going to be sick."
"Okay," Catherine said softly, moving in front of Jackie to help her sit down.
"No. She needs to wait for the chair!" Her mother argued.
The physical therapist finally came back with the wheelchair, but Jackie couldn't wait any longer.
"She needs to sit. She said she''s going to be sick," Catherine informed him.
"She's fine. Let's get in the chair," Jackie's mother cut in once again.
As they were turning Jackie around to sit in the chair, Jackie felt it coming and didn't have time to warn them.
Then it happened. She got sick all down her gown.
Catherine was holding on tightly to make sure Jackie wouldn't fall, but her mother quickly stepped away.
"Oh, for heavens sake!" Her mother yelled.
"Get out!" Jackie yelled at her mum.
"Jackie, I didn't-"
"Get out!" She yelled again.
Her mum grabbed her purse and stormed out.
"Let's get you seated in the chair and I'll call the nurse to come and clean you up," the physiotherapist said. "We will try again tomorrow, but I'm glad that we got you up. You did good."
****
After the physiotherapist and Catherine carefully sat Jackie down, he left to get the nurse. Jackie sat in the chair and was mortified with the fact that she was covered in her own vomit. This wasn't exactly going to win over Catherine or the idea of taking care of her.
Feeling embarrassed and defeated, she felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn.
"Great. Just one more thing to add to the humiliation," Jackie said to herself.
She covered her eyes as she began to sob. Catherine leaned down and rubbed her back.
"Hey, it's okay."
"Can you please leave me alone?"
"No. I'm not going anywhere."
"Look at me. I'm repulsive. I don't want you to see me like this."
"Jackie, you don't have to be embarrassed. He said this was normal."
"Please just leave!" Jackie yelled.
Catherine grabbed her phone and wallet from the bedside table next to the bed. Then walked out of the room to respect Jackie's decision.
"Oh Honey, you poor thing," the nurse said as she walked into the room. "Let's get you cleaned up. We're going to need to redress that shoulder."
Jackie sat in the wheelchair and was being stripped and bathed by nurses. She was feeling completely degraded and worthless, as tears streamed down her face.
****
Catherine sat in the hall and felt awful for Jackie. She wished that she didn't need to be so embarrassed. It wasn't her fault. She kept telling her them that she needed to stop, but her mother kept pushing her.
When the nurses came out of the room, to let her know they were finished, she re-entered the room. Jackie was siting up and her eyes were glazed from crying. She was staring blankly.
"Is it okay for me to come back in?" Catherine asked after she lightly knocked on the open door.
"Sure," Jackie responded, as she continued to look down.
"Are you okay?" Catherine asked softly.
"I just vomited on myself, then was bathed and dressed by strangers. And I can't even stand on my own feet. What do you think?"
Catherine sighed as she waked over and sat on the bed. Before she could say anything, Rachel, Jackie's mother, and who she assumed were the lawyers behind them, knocked on the door. Catherine excused herself because she thought it wasn't appropriate for her to be here.
****
What felt like an eternity later, she watched as everyone filed out; including Jackie's mother who failed to even look in her direction. Rachel was the last, who gave her a concerning look as she came over.
"Everything okay?" Catherine asked Rachel.
"That poor girl. I don't know much about her and her mother's relationship, but I can see why they're estranged. She seems pretty beat down. Maybe you should go in and see her. I'm going to talk to the doctors and see if I can help her in some way."
Catherine wasn't sure what Rachel meant but she was more concerned with Jackie. When she walked into her room, Jackie's bed was down and she was looking away towards the window. She didn't know what to say. You can only ask someone if they're okay a certain number of times, so she decided to just be there for her. Catherine walked to the other side of the bed and sat down on the chair.
"Can I get you anything?" Catherine asked.
"Can you turn off the lights?" Jackie replied, not looking away from the window.
"Sure."
After she turned them off, Catherine could see the tears falling down Jackie's cheeks from the glow of the television. She moved closer and rubbed her hand until she fell asleep.
****
The next morning, the physiotherapist came to see Jackie early.
"Are you ready for round 2?"
Jackie nodded reluctantly an Catherine was determined to make this a better experience to lift her spirits. Thankfully, her mother was not there.
"Yes she is!" Catherine said as she came over and offered her support. "It's just the two of us this time. I think we can manage."
"Alright, I like the positivity!" He replied. "You let us know if you need a break, okay?"
Jackie nodded again and then stood slowly. Catherine was trying her best not to rush her.
"You good?" She asked, once Jackie was on her feet.
"Yeah, just give me a minute."
After a few moments, she was ready.
"Okay, want to try the crutch?" The physiotherapist asked.
Jackie nodded and he brought it in. She struggled a bit on balancing herself on it. Even though she took it slow, and surely with their help, she made her way to the wheelchair and sat down.
"Great work! See, I told you we would get there. It will get easier once you're out and about," The physiotherapist said to Jackie.
They practiced for half an hour. Getting in and out of the wheelchair and bed to the bathroom. Once her session was over, Jackie stayed in her wheelchair to get used to being upright. She was already looking happier and Catherine wanted it to stay that way.
So she had an idea.
"I'll be back in a second. Do not move from that chair," Catherine warned.
When she returned a few minutes later, she was almost bursting at the seams in excitement.
"You wanna get out of here?"
"What do you mean?" Jackie asked with confusion.
"I just got permission from your nurse to take you for a ride."
The smile on Jackie's face told her everything she needed to know and she was glad to see it surface after yesterday's awfulness. After strolling through the halls, they made their way out into the hospital garden. Catherine watched as Jackie breathed in the fresh air and sun.
"I feel like I've been in a cave."
"You have been, but you're being released tomorrow. You should be happy about that."
She watched closely as Jackie's gaze shifted to the ground and noticed her struggling to swallow, as if she was choking down tears.
"Are you going back to Bloomington?" Jackie asked timidly.
"Not until I know you're okay," Catherine replied as she took her hand.
Jackie looked up and smiled weakly. The joy in her eyes began to face. Catherine knew she didn't want to stay with her mother, but wasn't sure how she could help.
One thing for sure though, abandoning her was out of the question. After noticing the time, she realised they unfortunately had to get going.
"The nurse made me promise her that we would be back by lunch time," Catherine told Jackie.
Jackie just nodded and Catherine started to wheel the wheelchair back inside.
****
Making their way back indoors and through the lobby, a sudden flash of camera's erupted. Photographers were lined up outside on the street. They were shouting and snapping pictures of them through the glass walls.
"There she is!" They called out.
Jackie covered her face and yelled at Catherine to hurry. The sight of them all outraged Catherine. The crows had not been that immense the last time she had left.
As they made their way through the hospital, people started to give them looks and whispered as they noticed Jackie. Catherine tried her hardest to get her back to her room as quickly as she could, but it was drawing more attention to them.
When she finally got her in the elevator and they were alone, she knelt in front of her and saw her trembling. Still covering her face.
It was then Catherine knew she had to everything in her power to get Jackie out of Los Angeles.
A/n Thanks for reading my story. Please vote and drop a comment. Comments will help me a lot more than you might think. â¤ï¸