This choice: After a few minutes, Dr. Saunders returns and takes you to see your family. • Go Back...Chapter #5Dr. Saunders takes you to see your family. by: Wassel   Looking over again at the woman on the bed, having to keep reminding yourself that it wasn't in fact Miss. Card, it was Randall, you took a second or two to compose yourself and gripped at the wheels of your chair. Feeling a little stronger now, due to the drugs having worn off slightly. Wheeling yourself over to the bedside of your sleeping friend.
"Shit, buddy..." you softly whispered, feeling a bit strange to be looking down at him while he was like this, as if in some weird way it was like you'd broken into your teacher's bedroom to watch her sleep. Nothing about this face indicating in the slightest that it was actually Randall. "Things have really gotten pretty fucked up," you continued, trying to ignore this fact and shut out the conflicting emotions. Remembering what Dr. Saunders had told you before, about him needing your help and support and realizing you were going to have to be strong, "But don't worry, cause I'm gonna help you through it. Just the same as you'd help me. Cause you're my best friend, Randall, and nothings gonna change that."
Getting no response from him (not that you'd really been expecting any), you let out a long, breathy sigh and ever so gently placed your hand against his, giving it a reassuring little squeeze. Ignoring the awkwardness that came with touching your former teacher's soft and delicate skin. You sat there for a minute or two, simply watching him breath, still clutching his hand, while in your mind you reflected on all the things you'd done together up to this point. All the fun and mischief you'd gotten up to, and how different things were going to be from here on out.
Breaking you from your thoughts, the door behind you suddenly swung open, and feeling slightly embarrassed, you quickly released Randall's hand and turned to see Dr. Saunders enter.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, clinging to the door, "But your family is here. ...If you're up for seeing them that is."
"Yeah, of course. Where are they?" you enthusiastically replied. In all this craziness having almost completely forgotten about your family, glad to hear that from the sounds of it they were all okay.
"Just in the waiting room at reception. I can have them sent up once we get you back to you room."
"Okay, sure," you said, taking one last little glance at your sleeping friend and adding, "There's not much I can really do here anyway till he wakes up."
Wheeling you back to your room, Dr. Saunders helped you back into your be. This time with the help of a nurse rather than Dr. Kerry (who had mysteriously vanished), making you comfortable in an upright seating position for the arrival of your family. Not too long after, Dr. Saunders and the nurse both left and you watched as your mom and dad came scurrying through the door, both of them appearing just as relieved to see you as you were to see them.
"Oh thank God you're alright, sweetheart!" your mother cried, rushing over to the bed and wrapping her arms around you, "We were so worried!"
"How you doing, son?" your dad inquired, joining your mother at your side.
"I'm okay," you told them, examining them both as your mother released you from the hug, looking for any sign of injury or bruises and seeing that, apart from a large plaster on your dad's forehead, they both seemed alright. "What about David and Tabitha? (your little brother and sister)"
"They're fine, they're just outside," your mom told you, indicating towards the door, then to your father's head, "We all got off quite lightly considering. Just a few little knocks and scrapes, nothing too serious. It was you and... and Randall we were most worried about."
"Yeah... Randall. Have you seen him? I mean, like he is now?"
Your father nodded, "The doctors took us to see him while you were still unconscious, after the transplant..." His voice trailing off again, unsure exactly what else he could say.
Thankfully your mom stepped in, having always been better with words than your dad, grasping your hand and telling you,"What happened to Randall is just awful, Tim. I can't imagine how he's going to feel when he wakes up. But at least he's alive, and we'll all help him in anyway we can. He won't have to go through this alone." This was true, and you knew your mother meant it, having always had a great deal of affection for Randall, practically treating him like another member of the family.
Recalling something Dr. Kerry had told you inside Randall's recovery room, before he was silenced by Saunders, you then asked them, "One of the doctors mentioned something about Randall having to assume Miss. Card's identity in public. Did you know anything about this? Did you agree to it too?"
Your mom and dad both looked at each other awkwardly for a second. Their reaction clearly giving the answer away, before your dad leaned in closer to the bed and explained, "It's for the best, son. Jim and Alice (Randall's parents) both agree, as do the doctors, life really would be much too difficult for him if word of this got out. The press would be all over it and they'd never give him a moments peace. Never mind everyone else looking at him as if he were some kind of freak. You can understand that can't you?"
"I guess so," you agreed, seeing the sense in it, but at the same time feeling that it was unbelievably unfair that it had to happen, "It just really sucks is all."
"I know. But its happened," your mother softly spoke, brushing a hand through your hair, "and we've got to do everything we can now to make the rest of Randall's life as easy as possible." Informing you that, "We haven't even told David or Tabitha what's happened yet; they think he's still in intensive care being treated. I guess it's up to you whether we tell them or not..."
Suddenly realizing that nobody had mentioned your girlfriend yet, Allison having been on the other side of you from Randall when you'd crashed, you began to panic and asked, "Wait a minute... What about Allison? Is she okay?... Why is she not here?!" nearly jumping out of the bed in the process to find out why.
"It's alright, Allison is perfectly fine," your mom told you, instantly calming you down as your dad then helped you properly back into bed. "Her parents took her home yesterday. We told her we'd call her when you woke up, so no doubt she'll be here soon."
Hearing this caused a huge wave of relief throughout your body. Glad that she too was okay, and composing yourself once more, you then asked, "And what about her, does she know?"
"No, not yet," came your mother's reply, "Again that's entirely up to you."
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