Edinburgh, Scotland
Several hours post-op following Sean Parker’s knee surgery
Despite my eyes being closed, the room is spinning. Like I’m either concussed, hungover or both. I gingerly open my eyes, as if dreading the rollercoaster ride to come. Nope, here it comes! Like an erupting volcano, except the crater is my stomach. A disgusting cocktail of bile and water scorches my throat as I spew up into the cardboard basin next to my bed. I gasp for breath. That’s the thing about vomiting, it’s never once. Like opening the floodgates, your body decides when it’s done. I wretch several times, feeling like my insides are being twisted like a f*cking balloon animal.
”Oh, f*ck!” I groan, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. The door to my private room then creaks open and a nurse comes in, seeing the state I’m in, a sympathetic expression crosses her face.
”Dear me, Mister Parker,” she says, walking over to my bed and discarding the vom-filled basin, “you’re really not coping with this pain relief, are you? Let’s see if we can’t get you something that’s a little easier on your stomach, eh?”
Aye, that’d be f*cking magic, hen. Oh shit. I was so caught up in barfing my guts up and trying to stop the room from spinning, I forgot all about it. The pain. My knee feels like it’s going to explode. I involuntarily jerk forward, grabbing onto the black-coloured brace that my knee is ensconced in, deep short breaths shooting out my mouth like I’m in labour.
”Fuuuuuck!” I shout, flailing at the velcro straps of the brace. The nurse hurriedly stops me, gently pushing my hands away.
”Oh no, Mister Parker, you need to leave the brace on for now, the wound needs to heal. Remember, this is what Doctor Metcalfe said. You need to breathe through this and I’ll get you sorted with some tramadol.”
My face screws up, breathing in sharply through my nose as my teeth bury themselves into my bottom lip. I grip onto the bottom rails of the hospital bed like my life depends on it.
”Where…” I manage, ”where is my girlfriend…my aunt?”
The nurse puts two white chalky pills into one of my hands and hands me a plastic cup of water.
”They just nipped home to freshen up but they’ll be back soon, Mister Parker. You’ve got a good one with that girlfriend of yours. She certainly cares for you a lot, took your aunt some convincing to leave you even just for an hour. They’ll be back soon though, now come on, take these, they’ll help.”
”I’ll be the judge of that, hen!” I say as I release my vice-like grip on the bedframe and toss the pills to the back of my throat, chugging down the luke-warm water.
“What about…what about my dad?” I ask. “Has he been in yet?”
”No, not that I’m aware of, Mister Parker. It’s only been a few hours though, I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Now, just you try and breathe through this, I know it hurts but the pain relief will help. You’ll need to be on your feet tomorrow to begin your rehab and get used to the graft in your ACL. We don’t want any lesions forming either.”
The nurse could have been speaking Swahili for all I knew at this moment. Her lips were moving and sound was coming out but f*cked if I could make it out. All I know is my dad’s not here and I want to see him. Where is he?
”Where are you dad? Where…are….you?”
The room starts to turn on its head, like I’m falling over. The colours merge together, like running wet paint. And then…
“Hey Sean!” A familiar voice said warmly. “You made it for dinner after all! Michelle! Great to see you, you’re glowing! How’s my daughter-in-law-to-be?”
“Thank you, Mister Parker, you’re so sweet!” Michelle said with a smile as my dad kissed her delicately on the cheek.
”How many times have I told you to call me David, lass?” he smiled.
“Hey Dad!” I beamed.
“Good to see you, son!” Dad replied with a hearty smile, smacking my arm playfully. As Michelle made her way into the living room. She plonked herself on the couch, exchanging pleasantries with my mum as they delved into a conversation about wedding dresses, flower arrangements and all sorts.
Meanwhile, Dad and I made our way to the kitchen. From inside the door of the fridge, he quickly reappeared with two bottles of beer, handing me one.
“So, how goes the wedding planning?” Dad asked.
“Getting there,” I said, taking a sip from the beer. ”There’s still a couple of churches Michelle is looking at. There’s her local one in Salt Lake City where she had first Communion. And then, it's just trying to figure out where to sit everyone, you know? Michelle’s dad is still a bit…off with me.
Dad dismissed my concerns with a wave of his hand.
“Ach, that’s easy, just sit them next to us,” he said. “I’m sure Michelle’s mum and dad will be fine with your mum and I, and then Butch, Wisdom, Diana and Logan. It’ll all be fine, son, trust me! I just want to know when we’re going to be getting grandbabies!”
A flush of red filled my cheeks.
”Dad! I told you about Michelle’s faith and what it means to her. We’re not doing anything….you know…like THAT until we’re married!”
Dad just smiled and winked at me with a cheeky smile before clinking the neck of his beer bottle with mine.
”Ahhh, gotcha, so a wee wedding night bairn then? Nice one, son, that’s how you were conceived!”
My eyes widened as I involuntarily looked back to the living room where Michelle was with mum.
”Dad…Jesus Christ,” I said hushedly, not being able to stop myself from chuckling.
”Ach, I’m only pulling yer pisser, son. As long as you two are happy, that’s all that matters. You definitely scored with her though. Bonnie wee lass so she is.”
I looked around, seeing Michelle on the couch chatting away to mum, showing off her engagement ring. As I turned back, the room turned into a blur, like everything turned to smoke and then nothing.
My eyes blink again, and then widen. The room isn’t spinning anymore. The pain in my knee is still there but nowhere near as debilitating as it was before. I sit, straining. My hand instinctively goes toward the brace wrapped around my knee but I remember what the nurse said before and clench my fist. Suddenly, the door opens for my room and Michelle walks in.
”Sean, you’re awake!” Michelle says with a smile. She walks over to my bed, gently sitting at the side, running her hands through my hair. It feels good, feeling her gentle touch as her fingertips knead my scalp as she plants a delicate kiss on my cheek.
”Yeah, the pain relief before was making me sick, I’m glad you weren’t there to see it, it was like something out of the Exorcist!”
”I still can’t believe you made me watch that.”
I manage a half-smile.
”Anyway, have you heard from dad yet? I was telling him before we need to start making plans for the wedding. I’m surprised he hasn’t been in to see me yet.”
My impromptu head massages stops dead as Michelle steps back, a look of confusion painted across her face.
”Wedding plans? Very funny, mister! I think those painkillers are playing away with your head, silly billy!”
Why is she being like this? She knows I’m in pain.
”We’re engaged, Michelle, I’m not being silly!”
”Sean, sweetheart, I think this medication and coming out of surgery is confusing you. We’re not engaged! I’m going to go speak to the nurse okay? I got you a sandwich, your aunt made it, it’s your favourite, ham, cheese, cucumber and coleslaw! Eat up and I’ll speak to the nurse, see if we can get you on some better medicine.”
She hands me the small package wrapped in tinfoil and kisses me on the cheek again before turning and leaving the room.
What the f*ck is going on? And where are you, dad?”
The scene fades to black.
Message Thread
« Back to index