Chapter Text
Pain, that’s all Addy could feel. Everything above and below her neck hurt. Dull throbbing pain from her head, aching pain from her torso, shooting, stabbing pain from her legs. What happened, why was she in this purgatory of agony?
Slowly, her senses returned. She heard faint whispers above a steady beeping, felt cool sheets across her body, smelled the antiseptic of the room she was in. She took a deep breath, and let out a groan from the ache in her chest. The whispering stopped, and she heard shuffling come from beside her.
“Addy? Addy, can you hear me?” A voice came from her right.
She carefully opened her eyes, squinting as the bright lights assaulted her retinas. She felt someone place her glasses on her face. As her vision returned, she could vaguely make out two figures by her side. One, she could feel now, was holding her hand while the other stood over their shoulder, biting their nails. It took her a full minute to realize these were two of her best friends, Kate and Javi.
She could see the relief in their face’s the second she smiled at them, though it was more of a grimace. Kate’s shoulders sagged as she let out a thankful sigh, slumping back into her chair, still holding Addy’s hand. Javi dropped his arms to his side and let out an exasperated chuckle, coming to perch at her beside.
“I’m so glad you’re ok Addy. I don’t know what we would have done…” Javi trailed off.
Addy racked her brain, trying to understand what he was saying. She didn’t know why she was in the hospital. Or what she assumed was a hospital, based on the smell and the white everything around her. She could remember Kate waking everyone by honking the van’s horn, remembers getting caught in a wave of hail, running, and then…nothing.
She cleared her throat, “What happened? Last thing I remember is running…” she trailed off.
Javi and Kate shared a glance, Kate looked down solemnly and Javi sighed with deep sadness. “The tornado we went after, it turned into a 5. We had no clue, I could only watch as it chased after you all. The others…Praveen and Jeb didn’t make it…”
Addy didn’t know what to feel, all of her emotions coming to light at once. Disbelief, they couldn’t be gone. Anger, how dare they leave her here in this hospital, with her other two friends who are most likely barely keeping it together. Sadness, for the fact she lost ½ of her family in the span of an hour.
A sob broke out of Kate, as tears welled up in Addy’s eyes. She leaned over to hug her best friend, but sharply inhaled and crashed back as pain exploded from her ribs. Javi put his hand on her right knee, putting enough pressure to tell her not to get up. Kate hiccuped and whipped her eyes on her jacket sleeve.
“We almost lost you too, Addy. When we were climbing up the overpass, trying to make it, you slid down. I couldn’t reach you, I tried and tried, but couldn’t. And then suddenly, you were gone, swept away by debris.” Kate tightened the grip on her hand, which would have been painful but in the moment, felt like nothing to Addy. “Jeb and I held on as tight as we could, but he was swept away too.
“I almost couldn’t hold on, but then the storm was over. Praveen, you, and Jeb, gone, and I had no idea if Javi was ok or not.” She hiccuped again, tears falling from her eyes. “I tried to understand the devastation around me, and then I saw you under a pile of rubble. I thought you were dead, but I took your hand and you squeezed it. I knew you survived, and that was when I collapsed. I woke up here, stitched up and ready for Mom to take me home.”
Javi chimed in, “But we couldn't leave knowing you were here, alive. We're not leaving, I'm not leaving your side until you're released. And because of your injury, well we might as well get used to hospital food.” He chuckled lightly at his joke.
Oh right. The pain. Addy groaned as her focus turned to herself. She looked down, a hospital gown covered her body, and a sheet rested on her legs from the waist down. She could already see the damage. Bruises, cuts, gauze, and stitches covered her body. Her left arm was in a sling, and she could tell immediately something was wrong with her legs. Addy took a deep breath and ripped the covers off of herself.
An unbelieving huff left her mouth. Her right leg was black and blue, covered in bandages, her left? Her left was gone, just above the knee. Javi grabbed the hand Kate was holding, cupping both of his around theirs as Addy let out a sob.
“The debris that took you from Kate…it didn't leave much left. The doctor didn't tell us all that much, HIPPA I guess, but we could work it out.” He said as he sadly smiled towards the small blond.
A knock came from the door. Addy would belatedly realize that the doctor had been standing right outside, waiting for them to finish their conversation. Everyone in the small hospital felt for these young adults. Everyone in Oklahoma had their own tornado story, but theirs was heartbreaking to the whole staff.
“Ms. Walker, I’m Dr. Stetson. Do you mind if your friends wait outside while I go over some things with you?” The man asked.
Her two friends squeeze her hand, as if asking her to say no, but they didn’t need to. Addy steeled herself, and looked towards the taller man. “No sir, whatever you need to tell me, you can say in front of them.”
The doctor made a face, not liking that answer. “Are you sure? I need to go over your medical charts, and ask some personal questions.”
Determined, Addy nodded her head. “Yes, these are my people and I trust them.”
Dr. Stetson let out a sigh and nodded as well. “As you wish. The first order of business. We tried looking for an emergency contact, but you don’t have one listed. Do you have someone else you would like us to call, your parents or a family member?”
Addy pursed her lips, while Javi spoke up. “We’re her family doctor, no one else needs or deserves to be here.”