College Chastity Choice Game 2

"Perhaps I could explain the extent of your injuries and how your recovery went?", says the doctor.

"I would like that. I am guessing that everyone here but me knows the details, and perhaps I should know", I say.

"Ok, let's start with the obvious. Your coma was caused by a massive intracranial hematoma. This means blood accumulating in the brain."

"Isn't that dangerous?", I ask, worried

"Extremely, so we shaved a small portion of your head and performed a trepanation. That is, we drilled a hole in your head"

"Oh my god!", I reply, raising my hands to touch my head.

"Don't worry, it's sealed back up.", says the doctor, smiling. "It was a tiny hole, just to insert a tube to relieve the pressure. We acted fast enough to actually prevent brain damage, but the inflammation caused you to fall deep into a coma"

"So I shouldn't have brain damage?"

"We'll go do an MRI soon to be sure, but the first ones we made showed great recovery and no signs of atrophy. This is good."

I exhale in relief. I use my brain to work, so it's a major point.

"Obviously", I says, "My arms are ok?"

"Well, you had a major compound fracture to the left wrist and might have less agility than before, and your right radius was split in two, and ulna in three. These are the two bones of the lower arm"

I look at my right arm, and sensing my question, the doctor resumes.

"We had your arm in a cast, but had time to remove it before you came out of a coma. Your left wrist was operated on, as we didn't know you would be in a coma for so long. Still, it was in a brace in case you woke up"

"So I missed the joy of having casts?", I say, with some sarcasm.

"Oh, and your legs were in casts too, but they are healed"

I try to lift my knees to see, but can't seem to.

"I can't seem to be able to move my legs", I says. "Are they strapped?"

But both my husband and the doctor become sad.

"What?", I ask them.

"Your T10 and T11 vertebra were shattered", says the doctor

"So? Did you repair them?"

But the doctor looks serious

"What?", I ask her, a lot more angry than I hoped, but I feel like I am missing something

"It's really hard to repair a vertebra, but you have to understand that the issue isn't the vertebra itself, but rather the spinal cord it protects", says the Doctor, not looking at me.

"So? What does it mean?", I ask

It's my husband, Michael, who replies. "That you are paralyzed, roughly under the navel"

Before I can say anything, the doctor adds. "It's still possible to live a fully healthy, functional and happy life. You survived what would have been a fatal car accident only a few years ago. You will be able to keep teaching, to have friends and bite life to the fullest"

"But in a wheelchair", I say, understanding the subtext, but not get the full picture.

"Well, yes", says the doctor

"Will I be able to have kids?", I ask. This is something that was planned for us in the next few years. We had already bought the house for it, all I was waiting for was to have job security at the college.

"Sadly no. I am so sorry. ", says the doctor

"Hurray. I'll be the kid, needing help at all times", I say.

"Most of my wheelchair bound patients have a good level of autonomy. Many still drive"

"Without pedals?"

"With hand controls"

"Ah."

"But Nadia, you are still young. There are breakthroughs in spinal cord regeneration and fusion. We managed to install new non-metallic vertebra to replace the broken ones, and every year there are new trials which we hope will help heal you. You might walk again in a few years, but I can't promise it"

"Would it allow me to have kids?", I ask

Even Michaels turns to the doctor. It's obvious he had the rest of this discussion with her, but not that part.

"Well, probably not. But, Michael did ask us to freeze some of your eggs before your ovaries would atrophy. You could use a surrogate mother"

"I didn't want you to miss out", he says, as a tear starts to form.

I've always hoped to become a mother, so this is a great thought from him.

"Are you angry at me?", he asks, seeing me cry

"No, I am so happy you thought of that.", which makes him smile.

A silence settles.

"So how do I pee?"

"You don't. We installed a catheter which will collect urine in a bag, which you or Michael will change when full"

"Eww. I will even sleep with it?", I ask

"Yes, but that's not all", she says

"Let me guess, I will have bowel problems too?"

"The good news is that the kidneys and the intestines are okay. The problem is getting both out of you, without muscle control. A catheter solves the urine problem, but for the bowel movement, you'll need a diaper and well, some physical therapy to help. Don't worry, we have great specialists to help", says the Doctor

"Awesome. I feel like a kid again, learning to use the potty", I say, but neither of them say anything.

"Anything else I need to know?", I ask, as if things would be worse.

"Well, your leg muscles will atrophy. Don't worry, if you get healed somehow with intervention, you will also get physical therapy to rebuild your muscles. They will not die, they will just, well, stop being stimulated and will just reduce in size to save calories"

"Great, so I'll have to diet just because half my body won't work", I say, Sarcastically

"Weight control can be an issue, but you won't be alone in this. We will assign you specialists to help out. If you do not have questions, but perhaps I can leave you alone with your husvand so you two can talk. Don't worry, I will be back later, and we have nurses and orderlies who can fetch me", she says, putting her hand on my shoulder, and then, leaving.

"Thank you", I tell her, as she leaves.