Second Chance

My wife gave me two sons. Life gave me you. – Brute to Taz

She tried to move her head to look for her parents. Her head didn’t seem to be able to move. Trying to lift her left arm, she discovered she couldn’t do that either. 

Whatever was in her throat hurt, and she wanted it out. Pulling her right hand out of her uncles hand, Brute woke up. 

“Don’t do that, sweetheart.” He said gently laying her hand back on the bed. He pushed the handheld call button on the long cord.

“Nurse Williams.” A crackling female voice said. “How can I help?”

“She’s awake.” Brute said as Jasmine looked around confused. 

“I’ll let the doctor know.” Came the response. 

“It’s OK, sweetheart.” Brute said as he called his wife. “Hey babe, she’s awake.”

The door opened and Jasmine turned her eyes to see an older man and two nurses walking in. The doctor smiled at her and gave some quiet instructions to the nurses. 

“Let’s get that breathing tube out of you.” The gray haired man said gently to Jasmine. 

The nurse gave instructions gently to the seven year old girl and warned her that it would be uncomfortable. Next to be removed was the feeding tube going down her nose. 

Jasmine gagged and coughed hoarsely for a moment. She tried to speak but her throat hurt too much.

The second nurse held a cup of water with a straw in it for Jasmine. “Little sips, precious.”

The first sip burned so bad that it came back up. The little girl began to cry and her uncle kissed her temple. 

“I know, baby, I know.” He whispered against her hair as tears fell.

“Let’s try again, precious.” The nurse urged. 

The second sip still burned, but it also soothed as it went down. 

“Daddy?” she hoarsely whispered looking at her uncle. 

“Your throat is going to be sore for a little while.” The doctor told her as he removed the neck brace. “I know you have questions, but let’s try not to talk. Does that feel better? Just nod or shake your head.”

Jasmine nodded as she continued to cry. 

“Good. I’ll order a few tests.” He said taking out his pen light and looking in her eyes. “Can you follow the light? Good. Now open up wide and let me see inside. Hmmmm… just as I suspected.”

He looked at the nurse still in the room. “This patient is in dire need of a chocolate ice cream treatment. Should probably be administered as quickly as possible. Follow up therapy at least twice a day.”

“I’ll notify the pharmacy.” The nurse replied handing him a syringe. 

“This will help with the pain and may make you drowsy.” He said injecting the medicine in her IV. “You’ll be on soft foods for a few days. I hope you like banana pudding.”

Jasmine smiled up at him. 

“I’m glad you decided to come back to us.” Brute said gently as his eyes filled with tears. Wiping them away, he turned to see her aunt enter the room. “You’re a lucky girl.”

The doctor left them alone as her aunt shed her own tears hugging the little girl. He did not envy them. They had to shatter the little girl’s world. 

Her parents, brothers and several others were dead. Of the nearly thirty victims, she was the only survivor.