enTWINed – Ch 14 (A Thai Fanfic)

The quiet beeps and humming noises of equipment were a soft white noise in the background as his consciousness pulled him from the darkness. Ken could hear voices too low to understand, along with a sense of movement around him. The slightly sharp smell of disinfectant did not completely cover the scent of human sweat and fear. His eyes felt heavy, and he did not want to open them.

Where was he?

Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his head as images poured into his brain.

The drive. The out-of-control truck. The accident.

Ken knew he was badly injured, yet all he felt were various cuts and scrapes on his arms and shoulder. There was no sensation below his waist. He tried to move his fingers and was rewarded when both hands responded. He tried the same with his leg but sense no movement, which was strange as his left leg was definitely broken by the impact as well as impaled on that metal.

Steps made by rubber soled shoes alerted Ken that he was not alone.

“Khun Ken?” The voice was unfamiliar. “I am Dr. Patel of the Emergency Department. You are at Petcharavej Hospital in Bangkok. You were involved in a motor vehicle accident. Do you remember anything?”

A croak issued from his mouth; he tried to lick his dry lips and swallow, but it was difficult. A straw was immediately placed against his lips, and he gratefully sipped the cool water before attempting to speak again. He ignored the gummy feeling as he finally forced his eyes open. He squinted for a moment before he got used to the bright fluorescent lights.

It was a typical hospital room, with dull, off-white walls and a light green privacy curtain, now pulled back. An IV bag ran through a small machine before the tubing reached his right hand and went under a bandage there. A nurse was in the attached bathroom rinsing a plastic pitcher. He looked at the physician waiting at the side of his bed.

“Yes. I was sideswiped by a truck and pushed into a retaining wall. How am I? I’m worried that I can’t feel my legs. How long have I been here?”

The doctor was in his thirties, with eyes that seemed much older. A clipboard was in his hand and a stethoscope around his neck. He made a mark on the chart before looking at Ken.

“Your lower half sustained a significant impact and crush force. Your right femur is broken near the socket, while the left lower tibia sustained a green stick fracture. Your left knee was dislocated. It appears the safety features of your vehicle prevented any head or torso trauma.

“You were in surgery for over two hours. Everything is pinned back together to the best of our ability. According to a specialist from our Brain and Nervous System Center, there appears to be little damage to your nerves. We gave you a spinal block during the operation, so the feeling should slowly come back over the next hour or so.”

He pointed to the IV pole. “You are currently on a morphine drip as your pain will ramp up as the anesthesia wears off. This is scheduled for the next 24 hours before you are weaned off the machine, but if you feel the need for additional painkillers, contact the nurse. Now that you are awake, we can move you out of Recovery to a private room. You will stay for several days while we monitor you. Once we confirm that surgical repairs are good, we will discuss your rehabilitation schedule. You will be needing both follow up care and physical therapy.”

Ken nodded calmly, despite his inner turmoil. He will just need to take this one day at a time for now.
“Also…” The doctor’s voice pulled him back to focus on him. “There are several police officers outside who would like to speak with you about the accident. I had them wait outside while I examined you, but if want me to delay them longer, I can do that. I know this is a lot to take in.”

“Have you contacted my family?” Ken asked. He was surprised that no one had showed up at the hospital.
Dr. Patel’s eyes finally looked sympathetic. “We contacted your company, but there is nobody from your company or your family as yet.”

Ken mused at the information. Anyway, the sooner he speaks with the officers, the sooner the investigation can start. Despite his slight wooziness, he understood the strangeness of the incident needed speedy resolution.

“Thank you, Dr Patel. You can go ahead and send the officers in. I will talk to them.”
The doctor nodded and gestured to the nurse to leave with him.

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and a few uniformed men walked in.

“Khun Tanasugarn? I am Police Lieutenant Amorn Saritdeechaikul, of the Klong Tan district precinct. We would like to take your statement, and ask some questions, regarding your accident.”

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