Chapter 2: Recovery and Shock

When I awoke the pain washed over me. My head pounded, my eyes burned, my mouth ached, my groin hurt, and my knee seemed to throb with waves of pain.

I tried to open my eyes and slowly forced the left one slightly open. I could just barely raise my eyelid enough to squint out. My right eye would not open. I tried to raise my hand to touch my eye but waves of scolding hot pain flashed through my whole body and all I could do is moan.

The moaning attracted my mother-in-law who I later learned had stayed by my side until my own parents could arrive at the hospital. They, my parents and mother-in-law, were taking turns caring for my little daughter.

She leaned over, patted my chest, and said firmly, "Don't try to move, Sam. You've been very badly hurt. Lay still while I go get the doctor."

I must have fallen asleep because I never heard her come back. Later, when I opened my one eye a man was leaning over me. He smiled and said, "Hello, Sam. Glad you're back with us. I'm Doctor Samuels. I've been your attending physician since you were brought into the emergency room five days ago."

I thought, Five days? That animal has probably killed Kim by now. But then she seemed to be into everything he did and wanted her to do. I guess she made her choice. She just let him beat the living crap out of me, her partner and supposed mate.

I tried to speak and then it hit me that my mouth was wired shut. I tried to raise my hand and it seemed to be restrained. I tugged on it and almost panicked. The doctor saw me struggling with the restraint and said in a soothing manner, "Sam, stop struggling. We had to tie you down to keep you from further injuring yourself. Whoever beat you up injured you quite enough without you adding to the damage. Now lay back and relax!"

I did as he said and tried to relax. He said, "Good, now lay back and listen. You're still too raw today for me to talk with you about your injuries. Maybe in the morning? You promise to get a good night's sleep and I promise to fill you in early tomorrow morning. Deal?"

I nodded my head very slowly. It hurt to move it.

That night I dreamed about Kim, and that animal, Eddie. I dreamed Kim was standing at the foot of the hospital bed laughing at me as Eddie cut off my nuts and dick. Eddie was saying, "Watcha think, Kimmy? Should I stuff this worthless piece of meat down his throat?" He had my cut off penis in his hand twirling it around. Kim had laughed and replied, "Hell, I don't care. Stuff it up the wimp's nose for all I care. It's so small ... it'll probably fit in his nose."

They were both laughing as Eddie started to stuff the thing into my mouth. Just then, I woke up in a cold sweat. I opened my good eye and there was Doctor Samuels standing over me, again. He said in a jovial manner, "Good morning! Or I should say Good Afternoon. You've been asleep for over sixteen hours. That's good. That's what you need right now. Lots of rest."

The doctor grabbed a chart from a hanger on the wall and dragged a chair to the edge of the bed. "Okay Sam. Time to be honest with you. You are one fucked up guy. Whoever did this to you really laid waste to your body. I'm going to run down the list of your injuries, so just listen."

The doctor opened the chart he had taken from the wall and began to read:

1) Broken jaw (in three places),

2) Broken right eye socket,

3) Damaged right eyeball,

4) Shattered eardrum,

5) Six broken ribs,

6) Severely bruised genitals,

7) One testicle ruptured and infected,

8) Right knee cap crushed,

9) Bruised left eye,

10) Various abrasions and bruises.

The doctor put the chart down and said, "Sam, I've got to be honest with you, your rehab will be very long and very painful. You will never see out of your right eye again. The broken socket splintered a small piece of bone that cut through the nerves at the back of the eyeball. You'll never hear out of that damaged ear. You'll probably lose one testicle."

He stopped because he saw the tears running from my good eye. "Hang on there, guy. I have one more piece of bad news. Your knee will never heal properly. With rehab we can get you walking again, but for at least a year you will need a walker. After that you will always walk with a serious limp."

He stopped and waited for me to react. I finally stopped crying and turned my one-eye gaze back to him. He said, "Now for the good news, you ... are ... alive."

It was as bad as he said it would be. In fact, it was worse. The rehab on my knee was torture. The knee would never bend again. So I would forever walk with a stiff leg.

Being one-eyed caused problems. The lack of depth perception affected my ability to drive. So I had to rely on family and friends to take me to the store or my medical appointments until I could re-learn to drive.

They did save my ruptured nut, but I would never sire children again. The infection had affected the good nut and caused me to go sterile.

My mother-in-law had stopped in one day after I was well on my way to recovery and told me she had received a phone call from Kim. Kim had simply said, "I'm with Eddie now. Don't look for me. I'm with Eddie and I have to be with Eddie."