Dead

Bright lights were shining in the room. People were everywhere, clad in surgical gowns; the light blue uniforms splattered with blood.

The clang of metal tools filled the air, mingling with the unsure beeping of the heart monitors. People talking only added to the chaos in the once clean room. Shallow breathing and a weak, though steady, heartbeat could barely be heard, let alone noticed.

Izabell gasped for breath, fighting against the breathing machine. She glanced around, squinting in the light.

She groaned at the pain in her legs, “Mom!?” she chocked out, “Dad!?” She closed her eyes tight as someone quieted her with a light touch.

A prick in her arm and a rushing sensation took Izabell into sleep. Tears streamed her face as she relaxed.  Izabell let the air fall in and out of her.

All she would remember is numb legs and the loud, flat-lining, beep of other heart monitors.

*******

Izabell fluttered her eyes and held her hand up at the light coming from the window.

She groaned and noticed the air being forced into her lungs. Knowing she wouldn’t have to struggle with breathing, she relaxed.

Izabell looked around, trying to find her parents in the room, “Hello?” her voice called hoarsely. She swallowed dryly; her throat longed for water.

She sat up and looked down at the blankets coving her legs and pulled them off to the side. Just then a nurse walked into the room, “Izabell?” she asked concerned, “is something wrong? What do you need?”

Izabell tried to swing her legs off the bad but she couldn’t even feel them. She looked up at the nurse, “what’s wrong?” she asked almost in a whisper. She was terrified that what she thought was going on would turn into reality.

The nurse looked at her sadly. She took a deep breath before she sat at Izabell’s bed, “sweetheart” she gazed at her and put a hand on her leg.

Izabell looked down at the nurse’s hand on her leg. If she hadn’t seen her hand, she wouldn’t have known it was even there; her legs had no feeling.

“You were in a car crash” The nurse nodded, “do you remember?”

“Yes I remember! My parents were there, where are they?” Izabell glared at the nurse with eyes showing hurt and sadness. She was upset with the lady for not telling her what she wanted to know. Izabell shook her head, eyes still locked with the nurses, “why can’t I feel my legs?” she said in a whisper.

The nurse skipped her first question and went on to what she thought was most important, “you can’t feel them?” she asked examining them, “the doctors were afraid of this” she mumbled.

Izabell’s mind raced and it was all she could do to keep back tears of confusion and frustration.

“I think you should talk to Dr. Bland.” The nurse stood and walked out of the room, leaving Izabell alone again.

“Where are they….?” She asked herself in a whisper. She let a single tear slip down her cheek.

She wiped it away quickly as she saw the Doctor step into the room, the nurse from earlier followed.

“Good morning, Izabell” Dr. Bland smiled gently, if not sadly, at her, “I’m Dr. Bland. I’m happy to see you’re up. But I’m sorry there is some bad news.”


Everything was like a dream, there was no way that this could really be happening! Izabell felt as if she was just watching someone else’s life as she sat there, unable to move.

“That crash was serious. Your lucky, Izabell,” he continued.

Her name sounded weird coming from the man, he went on, “there is a down side, a really big one: you can’t use your legs anymore.” He waited for a response. Izabell had nothing to say, she just stared, mouth agape. “you are paralyzed from the waist down. You will have to use a wheelchair, but you will quickly learn.” He looked at her for a moment before asking, “Your wondering where your parents are?” the Doctor took her hand comfortingly. Izabell gulped at this, something bad was coming.

Izabell couldn’t talk, her throat was too dry, so she only nodded.

“Izabell,” he shook his head, his eyes faltered only slightly from the contact, “I’m sorry, we did all we could” But… they didn’t make it”

Izabell stared at him and her head felt light, “You..” she breathed hard “Your mean,” she whispered, barely being able to talk at all, “they are… dead?”

‘Dead’, such a cold and final word. Izabell could hardly grasp the concept. No breath, no heart beat, no thinking, no seeing, no hearing, no hugging, no laughing….

Izabell closed to her eyes tight and shook her head. There is no way this was happening. She would wake up at a beach any moment. Everything would be fine and her parents would greet her into the morning with hugs.

“Yes, Izabell” Dr. Bland stated, “Your parents… are dead.”