My eyes instantly fell onto the shelf with the chocolate yoghurts, grouped together.
It was obvious that I couldn’t reach them by myself. I swung my arms close to the different levels on the fridge but was still unable to reach them. I bit my lip, considering how I could get the yoghurts. I considered asking Matt but abandoned that thought almost immediately after figuring I knew he’d just tell me to wait.
Eventually I realised the kitchen counters, right next to the fridge, would help me. If I could climb onto the surface, I thought, my arm would easily be able to reach into the top shelf in the fridge.
I tried to pull my body onto the drawer but wasn’t strong enough. Instead I slid my foot into the drawer handle and managed to climb on the surface top with ease. I smiled to myself, pleased that I had done it in the dark and by myself.
I now sat on the cupboard surface, the fridge next to me and easily within reach. All I had to do was move the large jug of water that was in front of me to reach it…
“What the..?! “ came a furious voice. The kitchen lights shot on instantly.
It was surprise and panic that made me lose my balance.
My face dropped and as I turned round to find Matt standing there, my arm brushed against the jug. It hit it softly. Immediately the jug moved slightly from side to side, tipping. I let out a gasp, I knew Matt was angry enough as it was, without me breaking Dad’s jug. He would get the blame simply because he was meant to be looking after me.
It all happened within a second. As I reached for the jug, I moved my body towards it. I felt my body lose balance and instantly realised I was going to fall.
“Daisy!” Matt shrieked as he tried to run towards me to get hold of me. He didn’t get to me in time – it all happened so quickly, it couldn’t have been two seconds since he’d entered the room and I had fell.
The next thing I felt was a sudden shot of pain all up my back. I let out a sob.
The jug had fallen to the floor and the glass shattered into pieces and my back had fallen into one of those pieces. I couldn’t see it but I could definitely feel it.
It was unbearably painful. The agonising pain shot through my body. I began to cry.
Matt held me tightly. “It’ll be okay,” he promised. It didn’t sound like he believed it though, even I knew that. He sounded frantic and uncertain. He glanced at my back, still holding me.
“It’s in the skin, I can’t take it out. I might do more damage to your back,” he breathed. “It’s bleeding quite a bit. I’m going to call an ambulance. Now.”
I began to cry, with the pain was now all down my spine as if needles were being stabbed in my back repeatedly – even Matt was obviously panicking now. He had called the ambulance and was unsure of what to do whilst he was waiting for it to arrive.
“Just stay still,” he mumbled. After fetching a small towel, he put it softly against my back. “Try to stop the bleeding,” he explained and held my hand tightly. “It’ll be okay,” he kept promising me repeatedly. I just wanted desperately for the pain to go away.
It seemed like it was hours before the ambulance arrived. I had cried so much my face was swollen from tears and my eyes were puffy and sore.
A middle-aged woman hurried into the kitchen, led by Matt. She had a small green bag with her. I couldn’t read it properly but Matt explained it was a first aid box, something to help me.
“Ahh,” she breathed, smiling softly. “What have you done, eh?”
I was still crying.
“She fell onto one of the pieces of glass,” Matt told her. “She was on top of the cabinet. She knocked it off, it smashed,” he explained hurriedly. “Then she fell herself.”
“One of the pieces is in her back?” the woman asked. She was looking at my back. Her hands felt cold and sent shivers down my spine. I wanted her to go away but Matt had said she would make it okay. I wished Matt were holding my hand again but he was watching the woman now anxiously.
“I want you to lie on your tummy,” the woman explained. “So I can examine the glass in your back, and see if you need to have to be taken to hospital.” She spoke slowly. “I’m Melissa. I’m going to help you, Daisy.”
I didn’t say anything. Instead I moved on my front with Melissa’s help. I then saw my blood soaked pyjamas and felt my heart thud painfully. I would have cried yet it seemed I had cried so much I was empty. Instead I breathed deeply.
“Matt,” I whimpered. “Matt, it hurts.”
“Just hang in there,” Matt told me, he too looked as if he were in pain. “You’re going to be okay, right? Just be brave, like you are.” He sounded tearful. I’d never seen Matt cry before, or even show much emotion. I didn’t like seeing him look so weak and upset.
“Your brother’s right,” Melissa smiled. “You’re being a very brave girl. Now, I’m going to put an injection, to stop the pain and numb things. Then I can remove the glass without much pain.” I don’t think she was talking to me, more to Matt. “If you can hold her hand and comfort her.”
Matt nodded. He looked pale and worried.
“Now try to relax,” Melissa told me.
I tried to but the sharp pains were still there.
Slowly, strangely, I felt the pain go within almost immediately. I couldn’t feel anything. An odd sensation crept down my body.
“There you are, has the pain gone a bit now?”
I nodded slightly, as if my brain were numb too. I felt anxious at lying there, wondering what was happening. My face was pressed against on the kitchen floor. I heard the soft rustling of Melissa searching through her bag.
“We need to remove the glass before it does more damage,” she explained. Her words went over my head; I simply wasn’t listening but instead felt somewhat scared and terrified. “Then we can take her to hospital.”
There was a pause. She seemed to be considering something.
“You won’t feel me take the glass out, Daisy.”
“Definitely not?” Matt asked. “Can’t she go to hospital and have it taken out?”
Melissa shook her head. “We need to remove the glass as soon as possible. Also, she would have to move and this may make the cut even deeper. Once removed, we can bandage to stop the bleeding, and, once in hospital, she’ll have stitches.”
Matt nodded. He looked white and drained.
I felt Melissa slowly prying the glass out. She had used several tools from her bag. It felt odd to have a feeling inside my back but not feel any particular feeling; except numbness. I closed my eyes.
It seemed to take forever but eventually I heard yet more searching through her bag. “I’m going to bandage the cut up now, ‘til we get to hospital. You’re going to be okay, it’ll soon be sorted out.”
I closed my eyes. My body felt somewhat heavy now, as did my eyes, and I had began to find it difficult to concentrate. I felt myself let out a yawn and tried desperately to keep my eyes open but found it increasingly difficult. A new feeling hit me – as if my body were out of control and didn’t belong to me, the mood would have shook me inside except I felt almost empty.
“She looks really drowsy,” Matt commented nervously.
“She’ll be unconscious soon. Injection she just had will do that… more comfortable… allow us to perform ..stitches…” Melissa’s words were a blur, as if they buzzing around my head and I couldn’t get them. I tried with enormous effort to try to open my eyes or move my body but was unable; I couldn’t even listen to what Mark and Melissa were saying. I felt amazingly numb – both physically and mentally.
Then it hit me. My thoughts distanced themselves and I fell into a heavy slumber.
I heard the faint sound of laughter that sounded extremely familiar to my ears. Instead of opening my eyes I tried to think for a second, as I realised almost immediately that I was led on my stomach. I considered briefly if I had left the kitchen but decided I had to have. The smell – a clean, heavy smell filled my nostrils and even with my eyes closed I could feel bright lights on the side of my face. I could hear distanced conversations and various sounds, all of which made little sense.
“Dad! She just moved her eyes! I saw it,” Matt’s voiced breathed nearby. “She must be waking up.”
“Darling, are you awake yet?” Dad’s soft voice filled my ears. I felt him holding my hand tightly, making me feel safe and reassured.
At a tiny pace I opened my eyes and wince from the vividness of the lights. “Daddy,” I whispered almost silently, relief filling me.
He smiled at me, Matt behind him watching me intently with a wide grin fixed on his face.
“I told Dad what happened, Daiz,” Matt said.
I nodded slightly.
“Do you remember me being with you in the ambulance, Daiz?” Dad spoke slowly and clearly. When I shook my head, he explained, “Well you’re in hospital. The ambulance woman took care of you, didn’t she? They took you here and made sure your back is okay.”
I remained silent and wondered how they made my back okay and why I had fallen asleep at something so very important.
“You’ve got stitches,” Matt told me. “Do you know what they are?” He too spoke incredibly steadily. “It sorta like sowing up your cuts to make them better –”
“Matthew,” Dad interrupted, glancing at Matt with a smile, “don’t scare the poor girl. All that matters, honey, is that you’re okay now,” he laughed, “And that we can safely say that Matt won’t win babysitter of the year!”
