Max slowly wakes up again. This time better than last time, as he could breathe freely. Still in pain in the areas where the bullets had hit him and still his legs were numb.
He opens his eyes and tries to look around. The room was rather bland, could do with a bit of decoration.
He noticed this was the only bed in the rather spacious room. Or do you call this a ward? He had no idea.
Max tried to look to the side of the windows to see if he could see where he was, but it was raining and made it difficult to see clearly especially as his head and neck was still restricted.
He looked to the other side and saw the room, or ward door, was open partly, and there were nurses and people dressed in casual ware walking past.
Where was he?
Max unconsciously clenched his right hand only to discover there was something in it. He felt it, lifted it up and discovered it was a remote type button. Must be used to call for assistance. He pressed the button and waited. It felt like ten minutes of waiting, but Max was sure he was wrong, when someone came into the room.
"Hi Max, how are you feeling?" asked a male nurse. What happened to the other beautiful nurse?
In a frog voice, Max answered. "Sore, head throbbing. Neck cramping from not being able to move it. Mouth feels like it is full of sand. Confused – where am I? My - my daughter. I need to call my mother-in-law! Where is my cell phone? Where is it? I can message her from there. What day is it? What time is it? Oh, crap my head wants to explode. And my back and hip are on fire."
"Ok.Wow! Slow down buddy. Calm down," said the male nurse, standing at the side of the bed, glancing at something on the wall behind Max. "Breathe! Jeez, you're not in a race car, slow down."
And he turns away to walk to the chart while speaking, all Max could hear was some sound.
"I am deaf, you know." called out Max, watching the nurse. He was slightly tilted, allowing him to angle his eyes all the way down, to see the nurse now at the foot of the bed. "I need to read lips. I cannot understand you, if you face away from me. My hearing aid is not in my ear, so I have to read your lips to understand you. Or is it here so I can put it in, to assist me in hearing you better?"
The nurse glared at Max, and the doctor just so happened to walk in behind him, at the same time, when the nurse huffs and retorts back to Max.
"No need to be bloody rude. It's not my fault you can't hear me. Jeez, you could have…"
"Enough!" the doctor interjected sternly. "Leave at once and send the sister in here. STAT!"
The male nurse, gasps and Max can only assume, went red in the face. He basically flew from the room and moments later, an African middle aged sister entered the room.
"Everything, alright here, Doctor?" she asks.
"Sister, I will discuss that nurse with you later. Kindly could you assist me, or have someone with decency and consideration to assist Max here please."
"Certainly Doctor, let me assist you for now. And I will assign another nurse to our patient. Hi Max. Nice to see you finally awake and get to meet you. I am Sister Sipokaze Mdzane. But you can call me Sister Sipo. How are you?"
Again, in a froggy voice, Max answered: "Before I start. Please can someone make a notice or poster, stating I am deaf. And I need to read lips. I don't know where my hearing aid is."
"We know you are deaf, Max. And it has been noted in the file. But I will make a big notice and place it above your bed for you, okay? Was that the issue with the other nurse?"
"Yes, he was rather rude and couldn't care about my difficulty in understanding him when he turned away from me and spoke. I tried to explain, which he basically verbally attacked me until the doctor stopped him and told him to leave. I am sorry for my disability, but…."
"No, no, not your fault, not at all, right Doctor"?
"Correct" answered the Doctor. "So, Max, how are you feeling now?"
"My body is sore, throbbing away about to explode. My neck is cramping from not being able to move it. My mouth feels like it is full of sand."
The Doctor nods the whole time to each indication and makes notes.
"I am confused – where am I? What about my daughter? I need to call my mother-in-law! Does someone know where my cell phone is? I can message her from there. Also, what day and time is it? Oh, and my back and hip are on fire."
The Doctor finishes with his notes and looks up and smiles.
"Firstly, your family is aware you are in hospital. You are in St Georges Hospital. Do you know where that is?" and Max nods yes.
"Good. Your hearing aid – no sorry, nothing was brought in with you, except … we had to remove the mould from your ear. That is what is recorded by the ER doc when you come in. You are due for more meds on the pain as you have been out asleep for over 18 hours. And it seems you needed it, just a heavier dose. Sister, please give him five of morphine and then two of paracetamol, every six hours. Today Max, is Tuesday and you have been in the hospital since last week Thursday. You were unconscious from then till yesterday afternoon. What was the last thing you remember?"
"Erm, Doctor. Max's cell phone. We have it locked in our secure storage with his wallet. I will go get it for you, Max and see if you can use it. Hopefully the battery is ok, or we will have to charge it," answered the nurse.
"Thanks, bit much to take all in. My head is still throbbing. What happened to my car? And the Girls on the beach?" Max asked.
"I think we need to first get you in for a full CT scan, from head to toes, and check there is nothing we have missed. The MRI will be scheduled as soon as they have a spot. I am a bit worried about your headache. As for your car and the girls, I don't know. But I know the police have been waiting for you to wake up so that they can come talk to you. But first, you need the CT Scan. Then I will grant them access to you after I have reviewed it. Sister, can you please prioritize the CT Scan asap, and let me know as soon as it is done. In the meantime, let him have another 5mg of morphine, iv pushed, to cover the pain for now."
"Yes doctor" she replied, "Max, I will be right back."
"Max, I will see you later, you hang in there, ok?" the Doctor spoke to Max.
Max tried to nod with minimal success.
"Max, as soon as I see the CT Scan, I will decide if we can remove those neck restraints, but for now, stay still."
"Ok, thanks" Max replied.
"Max, I know you can't really hear anything without your hearing aid, but would you like the TV on for distraction?"
"Ok" relented Max.
The doctor turned the TV on and put it onto ETV, which had the news on at the moment. He wondered if there was DSTV here at the hospital.
Patting his shoulder softly, the Doctor walked out the room.
Max chose to rather ignore the TV, which was on mute, as it was not showing anything of interest and try rearranging his thoughts. He tried to push the pain away, so he could gain control of his mind and body.
Moments later. another African nurse entered with two syringes in her hand. She silently inserts them one at a time, into the IV inlet on his hand while smiling at Max. Soon, Max noticed the pain was subsiding and his body was pleading to go back to sleep. But Max, this time, fought sleep as he knew if he gave in to the wonderful sensation of sleep from the meds, it would delay important things. He needed to do things, needed to sort out important matters before he could peacefully relax again, and that was to check on his daughter, his mother-in-law and mother, and his car. He hoped the sister did have his cellphone and it did have some battery power.
Max chose that moment to close his eyes and pray. While praying for healing, for God to take control of his worries, the stresses, the fears, he prayed for his daughter who must be going beyond her mind with worry or fearing her father was dead. Suddenly, lacking control, Max started crying while praying, pleading to the Lord for his healing arms to come hold him as he needed this badly. Suddenly he felt someone leaning over and tried to hug him.
Max thought it was the Lord.