Chapter Five - part one

                 Chapter Five

                      Changes

    James slowly began to wake up and tried to sit up. He groaned in pain when he did that. His whole body hurt. What had happened to him? He heard a soft voice from nearby and tried to focus on that voice in an effort to forget all the pain in his body. He was able to actually understand that voice when he heard it again. "You're okay. Just lay back and give it a minute. Can you hear me?" James slowly turned his head toward that voice and opened his eyes just as slowly. It was too bright, the light hurt his eyes. As they adjusted he saw he was looking towards an open window. It must be a bright sunny day from the amount of light pouring in that window. Aadila was sitting up on a bed in front of that window, a hospital bed. James glanced down to make sure, but he already knew he was in a hospital bed too. Aadila was smiling at him, but the concern on her face was still obvious. James smiled back as he finally tried to speak. His mouth was dry and it even hurt to talk, but he managed a few words. "I hear you just fine Aadila."

    The new smile that spread across her face was much brighter and filled with relief. She slipped off of the bed and managed to take a couple of careful steps to sit down in the chair beside his bed. Still smiling she reached out and gently laid a hand on his forehead and then traced it down to his cheek. Smiling even more she spoke again. "You scared me. You really, really scared me. I mean when we crossed that finish line I thought you must be made of iron. You looked so strong and sure. You had just sprinted up that last hill and then allowed me to walk across the line with you. I thought nothing could stop you...and then you just..." She stopped and gave him a timid smile before continuing. "You just seemed to melt into my arms. You were still smiling, but your eyes just closed as you collapsed with me under you. I thought you were dead."

     James reached up and took her hand from his cheek and squeezed it lightly. He tried to look reassuring, but he wasn't sure he succeeded. Aadila shook her head and went on. "You were so hot. I hadn't noticed it while we were running, well while you were running. But after we went down it felt like you were on fire. You scared a lot of people. They loaded us in the ambulance and rushed us here. I think they believed you would surely die." James just grinned and shook his head slowly. The grin turned to a frown quickly. Even moving that much hurt. Aadila didn't get to say anymore. They heard a voice call out from the door of their room first. "Doctor, he’s awake." A nurse walked in smiling as she spoke to James for the first time. "Well, well, you did finally wake up! We were starting to wonder."

   The doctor who stepped in immediately behind her wasn't smiling and he wasted no time. He stepped directly up to the bed and looking down at James spoke in a firm commanding voice. "Well let me see how you are after that stupid stunt you pulled. Look up. Now follow my finger. Good. Well do you know where you are?" James managed a smile."Yes Sir, I'm in the hospital." The doctor asked his next question. "Do you know what day this is?" James grinned and shrugged. "I‘m not certain, but I figure it is Sunday. I was pretty beat after the run was over, Sir." Now the doctor smiled as he shook his head. He folded his arms and still smiling spoke in an amused tone of voice. "Tired? Son you were physically exhausted. You had spent everything you had to spend and more. You never even reacted when we covered you with ice to cool you down.  I was afraid you had suffered a severe heat stroke, but we couldn't be sure until you regained consciousness. It’s Tuesday, Tuesday afternoon to be exact. You’ve been out four days, just a bit less actually. That is still a long time to sleep though. It was sleep too; all of the tests that first day showed that you weren't in a coma, just asleep."

    James was stunned. He had slept for over a day at a time on more than one occasion after working even longer without sleep on the farm. That was nothing, but four days? The doctor sat down on the edge of the bed beside James and patted his leg softly. "I think you’re fine, but you could have died. In fact, you probably should have. Your body temperature was just over 105 when you arrived here. We packed you in ice to get it down and put enough fluid in you to float a small boat. You pushed yourself far beyond the ability of the human body, but somehow your body managed to take that abuse. You should know that you were 14 pounds lighter when you finished that run than you were when you started it. Frankly, I think you are just what cadet Farah says you are. I think you are an Ironman, and I think God was watching over you too." The doctor stood up and smiled as he shook his head. "Now, I think we better see if you can eat. Bring him some broth and if he does well you can bring him something a little more solid, but not too much before breakfast. Don't take the IV out until we see how he does." He turned to leave and then stopped to speak to the nurse again. "Oh, don't give him breakfast unless he has a bowel movement first. I think he’ll be fine, but I don't intend to press his luck or mine any further." Then he was gone. The nurse smiled and winked at James as she started out behind the doctor. "Be back in a bit with that broth, sleeping beauty."

    James could still hear her laughing, even after she closed the door. Aadila was just smiling at him. He tried to sit up and moaned softly again. He felt like he had been run over and stomped on. He did manage to sit up though. When he was able he turned his attention to Aadila. "So you want to tell me what has happened since I passed out? Are we still Doolies?" Aadila smiled and shrugged. Then she spoke in that soft musical voice she had. "I think perhaps we are, but I truly do not know for certain. They have allowed me to speak to no one except the nurses and they will say nothing. I have heard the doctors talking and I now believe that since you are awake we will soon know where we stand." James nodded and looked at her bandaged feet. "And you, how are you doing?"

 She smiled and shrugged again. "I am healing. My feet are still very tender, but the salve helps the pain and the skin is already growing over the blisters. What of you? How does your leg and back feel? I did not know you had cut yourself so badly when you fell. You lost a great deal of blood and your leg took many stitches." James started to lift the covers to look and sudden realized he had on only a hospital gown. He turned red, but still peered under the covers to see a long wound on the side of his calf. It was red and swollen, but didn't appear to be infected. He also felt around on his back and quickly located some other tender wounds. Shaking his head he spoke again. "Don't feel too bad, Aadila. I didn't know I had been hurt either. I guess I was already hurting too much or was just too numb to feel it." Just then a much younger nurse than the first returned with a plate. There was broth and even a few crackers on it.   ss The nurse stayed in the room until he was done with the broth. After he had finished the broth she told him she would go see about removing his IV.

    James and Aadila talked a while after the nurse left, but he was still very tired. After a few minutes the nurse returned to remove his IV. Then he laid back and went to sleep again. He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but for now he was just too sore, too weak, and too tired to care. Aadila had talked a lot to him, but she had told him very little. All she really remembered was him collapsing on her and the ride to the hospital. After that it was all a blur until Monday morning for her. Since then she had just slept and watched him sleep. James was still thinking about everything when he drifted off to sleep. It was almost dark outside before they woke him to eat. He still didn't get a lot to eat, but at least he got something more than broth. He was hungry now, but they would give him nothing more than water and broth after the meal until he had a bowel movement. He did a good bit of griping, Aadila called it whining, but it did no good. No more solid food until after he proved he was able to handle it.  Finally he just gave up and tried to go back to sleep. At least they only woke him twice during the night.

     He was awake with the dawn the next day. Aadila was still sleeping soundly. He tried to be quiet and not moan too much when he sat up. He was still weak and sore all over, but he felt better today. After sitting on the edge of the bed while moving his arms and legs, he tried to stand up. His legs still felt like rubber, but he could stand up. He made it to the bathroom. That was a shock. He got his first look at himself. He looked almost hollow. His hair was a mess, even as short as it was now. He also needed to shave. He looked, but they had no razor for him. He did manage to shower and wash his hair. The hot water and moving had helped. He was still sore, but the stiffness was almost gone when he came out. He had just started back to the bed when a nurse walked in. Her hands went on her hips and he got a good lecture about moving around on his own. He just grinned and shrugged. Aadila woke up to the sound of that lecture. She wasn't too pleased to see him up and moving around before she was either.

    There was one good point in the arrival of that nurse though. He informed her that there was a bowel movement in the bathroom and he was ready for breakfast. A dozen fried eggs, a pound of sausage, a pot of black coffee and biscuits if they had them, light bread if they didn't, would be just fine. A little jelly for the biscuits would be great too. That got him a hard look followed by laughter. The nurse went and checked the bathroom before telling him she would see if he could have a bit of oatmeal or some cereal. She seemed amused, but James wasn't. He believed he was hungry enough to eat all he had asked for and look for more. When Aadila started laughing at his whining he just shook his fist at her and threatened to eat her breakfast too, if they didn't bring him a decent one. A man's laughter made them both look at the door.

    The doctor was watching them as he laughed. He stepped inside, followed by his nurse with a small Ipad. "It sounds like you are both feeling a lot better. Now take a seat and let me see how much better you really are." James quickly sat up on the edge of his bed. Aadila sat up too. The nurse came over and began to unwrap her feet as the doctor examined James. A quick check of his heart and breathing were done before the doctor stepped back and smiled. "You look better, you sound fine, and you seem to be doing well. They will be bringing your breakfast shortly. You look to have taken a shower and washed your hair too. That is good, but you could still use a shave. I’ll have them bring you a razor. Now how do you feel? Are your legs still a bit wobbly?" James smiled. "Yes sir. I was glad they had those handles to hang onto in the shower. I feel pretty good other than I’m starving. I’m still sore and I hurt in places I didn't know I had, but it is getting better the more I move around. Sir, when can I get back to the Academy? I don't want to get behind or I will never get caught up."

    The doctor grinned. "Well let's see how you do today and then we will talk about that. You have a little time left. Classes don't start until next Monday and you were already registered for them, so just concentrate on getting back a little strength first." Then he turned his attention to Aadila. "Now young lady let's see how those feet are healing, right foot first." Aadila lifted her foot up for him to look it over. James looked too. Her feet were still red and the skin looked very tender, but it was healing. As the doctor finished the first foot he made a few comments to the nurse before asking Aadila again. "Let's see the left foot now." It looked a bit better than her right, but it still made James flinch when the doctor probed some of the most red looking areas. As he released her foot he spoke to James without ever looking back at him. "You did a good job of cleaning her feet up Cadet Cooper. Where did you learn how to do that?"

    James spoke without thinking. "I was raised on a farm and I have a sister who is a doctor and another is a nurse." When the nurse gave him a sharp look for not saying sir, he quickly added, "Sir, Sorry Sir! I just did what I could with what I had. Washed them out with water and then tried to wrap them to keep stuff out until she could get proper care, sir." The doctor had walked over to wash his hands and turned to look at James. Smiling he spoke to them both. "Well it was lucky you knew enough to do what you did. I think he saved you some real problems by cleaning those wounds out and dressing them properly. That was as good a field job as I have seen, by the way. You wrapped the dressing snuggly, but not too tight or too thick. It kept the trash out, but still let the air in. Have you ever considered becoming a doctor? You seem to have a natural touch."

   James smiled as he replied. "Sir, I considered it, but my sister told me I wouldn't like it. No offense, but she said doctors aren't really allowed to treat patients anymore. They just have a check sheet that tells them what is and isn't allowed. She told me to find another way to help people." The doctor grunted and from the sudden change on his face James had touched a nerve. "Your sister spoke the truth, but the real doctors who are left will still find ways to take care of their patients. Well, that is a whole different issue. You two are both doing very well. I’ll see you again in the morning." Looking at Aadila, "You stay off those feet a few more days and then we can get you started walking on them again, but NO boots or stiff shoes until I say so!" He turned to James, "You just try not to push too hard, but you need to move around and get some of that soreness worked out. Just remember your body has been pushed far beyond its limits. It needs time and rest in order to heal itself." With that, he turned and started out the door giving the nurse some more comments to enter on the Ipad as he walked out.