Chapter 250: Home Again

Saturday pretty much passed like the other days since the accident. I was awake more of the day, but I still drifted in and out all day. The nurses brought me cup after cup of Helen's coffee. The biggest problem with the coffee was that I had to go to the bathroom more often. Getting in and out of bed was a real nightmare.

First of all the pain was unbelievable. Even though it was only a few feet to the bathroom, it was still a nightmare. Fortunately the bed had enough controls, so that I could lower it to get off of it. I was also able to raise it when it was time to get back into it. Eve helped me in and out of the bed as well. It was extremely painful to move even slightly, you can imagine just how maddening the pain was when I tried to raise and lower myself.

Even with all the pain, Saturday passed with only a few thoughts of suicide. I was even able to slept more or less all night. When I awoke Sunday morning there was no light coming through the windows, but it was almost 8AM. The day was dark and rainy. It was fitting that I should be discharged on such a bleak day.

After I managed a morning trip to th bathroom, I said, "Eve would you ask the nurse to come in please."

"Sure Maxine, can I do anything else for you?" she asked.

"Do you have a driver's license?" I asked.

"No, the creator didn't want to risk me being in a traffic accident. There would be far too many questions," she informed me.

I simple nodded. She returned in a few minutes with a nurse. "Yes Maxine, what can I do for you?" the slightly over weight, red haired nurse asked. The nurses in the Aster Medical Center were almost all a few pounds over weight, it seemed. At times it as though they were cookie cutter images of one another.

"I need to see the doctor." I stated flatly.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"No, I'm ready to go home and only a doctor can discharge me," I said logically.

"Well, I'll make a note to have the doctor come in to see you," she said.

"I would hope that the doctor would come to see me without being told to. What I want is for you to find someone to come see me this morning. I would like to have lunch in my own home." I smiled. Even so i'm sure that she got the idea, if I didn't see a doctor soon I was not going to be a happy patient.

Eve smiled at the discomfort that I had caused the nurse. "Sweetie, I know that you don't have the authority to just summon a doctor here for every patient that wants to see one. but I really want to see a doctor this morning. I also have the meanest bitch of an attorney in the world. That isn't a threat, it's just a heads up." I did smile when I said it to lighten the impact.

"Are you sure that you are ready to go home," the nurse asked.

"Sweetie, all I'm doing here is sleeping and going to the bathroom. You can use this space for someone who needs care," I said.

"Well, you need to find a ride home," she said. "You certainly are not safe to drive."

"I think we can agree on that," I said with a smile.

I made the call from my cell phone. "Jen it's me Max," I said.

"I know, what in the world do you want at eight in the morning on a Sunday?" she asked.

"I want you to come down here and spring me," I demanded.

"Do the doctor's know you are planning an escape?" she asked.

"I'm trying to tell them now," I admitted.

"Maxine have you even walked around yet?" she asked.

"No, Jennifer but trust me I can walk around my place just as well as I can walk around here." I thought it was a perfectly obvious bit of logic.

"Why don't you consult with the doctor first, then we can decide," she suggested.

"Because I have already decided. Now get your lazy butt down here and let's raise some hell to get me out of here," I suggested.

"You truly are an evil bitch, but okay. Give me a couple of hours to finish what I am doing now," she said.

"Oh and what is that at 8AM on a Sunday morning, or should I ask who it is?" I said with a half ass laugh. As an after thought I said, "Bring me something to wear."

"What you don't want to wear a hospital gown home?" she asked.

It was 10:15 before Jen finally showed up. "It took you long enough," I said

"Hey bitch, play nice or I will leave your ass here," she suggested. "Has the doctor been in yet?"

"No and I'm ready to leave so what do we do?" I asked.

"We don't do anything, I bully them into submission," she said. With that she walked out to the Nurse's station.

Eve said, "You really are an evil bitch. You can hardly get out of bed, but you are making waves."

"I'm not that stupid. I am off the morphine. If I don't move around, I can control the pain with some over the counter stuff. Trust me I know my limits," I explained to her.

Jen had stopped by my place for clothes. She had thought far enough ahead to get a running suit with an elastic waist band. It also had a sweatshirt that was over sized. Eve helped me work myself into it.

"Okay we need to go down and sign about a dozen forms, but then we can leave. They are bringing you a wheel chair," Jen said to me.

"Let's go do it," I suggested.

It took about half an hour for Jen to convince them that I was good for the money. I wanted to pay them but she said, "Absolutely not."