Kiera's Soulmates

"I did it!! I actually did it!" I screamed. My personal assistant comes running in the door. "Are you ok?," she asks. Stella is nice. She is 25 years old, newly graduated with a major in sports medicine and a minor in household management. She is easy on the eyes too. I can appreciate why my husband hired her. "Yes I am," I reply. not even looking at her but staring at my newest masterpiece, a painting I have been working on for a client for the last month. "Dinner will be ready in an hour." "Ok. Thank You." She turned and walked out the door shaking her head. Oh, I'm sorry. Let me introduce myself. I'm Kiera. I am 40. Just turned and still unsure how I feel about it. The only thing I am sure of right now is that I love my husband and my black lab Brutus, who is currently staring at me knowing I need to take my next set of medicine. And that I am paralyzed from my hips down. Brutus is my service dog. if I don't take my medicine soon, he will start whining and then pawing at me. I sigh. "ok Brutus." He perks up and barks once. I take my meds and he settles back down. Some days, I wish I could skip them. I have tried, but the pain has gotten unbearable. It's been a long road for the last six years. A road of pain and heartache and success and love. I don't regret it though and I'm not angry. The accident is how I met my husband... I can remember that day like it was yesterday. "Yes mom! I'm fine. I'll be there in an hour." "ok. Just be safe. I don't need another member in this family in the hospital" "ok mom" I hang up the phone and toss it on the seat next to me. I'm driving frantically south on I-95 from St. Augustine. "My dad.. in the hospital.. how could this have happened?? He is always careful. How did his tank run out? He has been a firefighter and doing scuba dives for 45 years now. He knows better than to not check his watch or his air. Now he is struggling to live." "Went to long without air. Brain is swelling. The next 24 hours are critical. He may not make it, but we are doing our best." The doctor had said. I feel so lost. I don't know what I will do without my Dad. 34 years old and just went through a bad relation... *SLAM* I woke up 15 days later in the same hospital my Dad was in... I tried to open my eyes but they hurt and the light is bright. My head starts pounding. I move my arm and it hits something. "YOUR AWAKE!" I hear my mom yell. I flinch. I hear the door slam and know she has run to get someone. I try my other arm and it moves. I hear snoring next to me and oddly it sounds familiar and comforts me. I wonder where I am and why my head hurts so much. I know something isn't right. I can hear machines beeping but it doesn't click right away that I'm in a hospital. I start to panic and I can hear the beeping of the machine go faster. I try to blink but the movement hurts. feeling my face I can feel it is swollen and it hurts to touch. I am connecting the dots and I figure out I am in the hospital. I hear the door open. "it's ok sweetie. The doctor is coming." I try to talk back to her but I can't. I am panicking more and more. I don't understand what is going on. The doctor walks in. "Hi Kiera. I'm Dr John. I have been treating your injuries. Give me one minute while I have that tube taken out of your mouth. Nurse?" I hear foot steps coming to me and am told to take a deep breath in. I do and the tube is removed as I exhale. I cough trying to catch my breath. "Where am I?" I ask. The snoring continues in the next bed. "You're at Daytona Memorial." my mom tells me. "Dad?" I ask. "In the next bed." I hear the exhaustion in my mom's voice. "he suffered a stroke trying to resurface before his air ran out. He is resting comfortably but has some paralysis on his left side" I sigh in relief knowing my dad is a fighter and he will get back to himself soon. The doctor clears his throat. "Yes, your dad will be fine. He will be getting physical therapy. As for you, can you wiggle your feet for me?" I do. "Good." I can hear the concern that has come into his voice. "What?" I ask. "We need to run a few tests, but your spinal cord has been restricted by swelling. We can't tell the full extent of your injuries until the swelling goes down." I shake my head and bring myself back to the present. The damage was done. I had partially severed my spinal cord between the L1 and L2 vertebrae. It has left me in a wheelchair for life. My legs are weak and cannot support me. Though I do have feeling below the break. Painting has become my passion and I'm damn good at it too. I hear the front door close and smile, knowing my husband is home.