“Yes, yes, it is,” Ella quickly replies, leaving me completely in the dark. “Now, can we drop the subject?”
As far as I’m concerned, I’m just getting started, but a quick squeeze from Phoebe has me turning to her to see her mouth, ‘I’ll fill you in later, okay?’, so I nod and change the subject. “You said you have about two more weeks, right, Phoebe?”
“Yeah, give or take a day. I don’t remember if Thelma is wound care certified or not, but if she isn’t, I’ll have to see who the doctor recommends locally because at least once a week, the wound vac has to be changed,” she says.
“How does that work to heal the wound, though? I would think it would take a lot longer,” I question.
“It’s actually kind of cool, at least to me,” she says. “So, it uses continuous suctioning, just like a vacuum, that removes excess bacteria and drainage, increases blood flow to the injured area, and pulls the wound edges together. Since the doctor just cleaned it, it’s unlikely whoever comes to put it on will do it again, but they might, so I guess we’ll see. Anyhow, there’s a special foam that they cut to fit the wound, then there’s a piece of thick plastic that’s placed over it. A tube is inserted and once the vacuum is turned on, it sucks out the excess air while putting negative pressure on the whole thing.”
“I don’t think it’s actually plastic, Fee,” Ella teases. “Or at least, not the regular kind. Maybe medical grade? I should know this because I added that certification not too long ago, but I don’t. The cool thing is you can see the progress almost every week.”
“How are you going to be able to work with it attached to you?” I ask.
Phoebe shrugs. “I have no clue, but they probably have a sling or something since it’s attached. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Hours, and I do meanhours, later, Phoebe’s finally given her discharge papers and Ella heads down to get the truck they borrowed pulled around. Data and I will follow behind them, since I know both women are exhausted. He’s with Ella so I turn to Phoebe and say, “Quick, hurry and tell me what the deal with the two of them is.”
Phoebe looks around then whispers, “He’s the one who got away, according to Ella. They had a short, intense relationship while she was on a contract, then poof, it was over.”
“Huh. Well, from how they were acting during our wait, I don’t think the feelings have gone anywhere for either one of them,” I muse.
“You noticed that, did you?” she teases. “I honestly don’t know more than that except that we’re bound to figure it out because I suspect Data is as hard-headed as my best friend.”
“Wonderful,” I grumble. “Well, if nothing else, he can help me and whatever crew I go out with so he’s not just sitting around twiddling his thumbs.”
She starts laughing and I briefly wonder if all the meds combined with what they did to her have caused her to go over the edge. “How much do you wanna bet that he’ll figure out a way to go with her when she’s in the field? Because I don’t see him moving too far from her side at all.”
“You may be right,” I concede. “Wonder if we should swap RVs? Let Data stay with Ella and you can stay with me.” Her face flushes which has me smirking. “It’s worth looking into, sweetheart.”
She’s about to say something when I see a huge truck pull to a stop right in front of us. Pushing the wheelchair that the hospital made Phoebe use closer, I open the door then before she can utter a word, lift her up and into the passenger seat. Leaning in, I make sure her seatbelt is secure then say, “Y’all give me a few to grab my bike and I’ll be ready to go.”
When we arrive back at the camp, I pull up next to where Ella has parked, shut down my bike then rush to the passenger side to help Phoebe out. I know she’s still a bit woozy from all the medication she was given while in the emergency room, so I scoop her into my arms and start walking to the RV that Data brought.
“Wait, where are we going?” Phoebe asks as Data unlocks the door and I head up the stairs.
“We’re in this one because you need more room than the bunk you’ve been sleeping in, sweetheart,” I reply, gently letting her down then holding her steady while she gets her bearings. “You’ll be more comfortable sleeping in a queen-sized bed since you have your wound vacuum.”
I’m thankful that because of Thelma’s contacts she didn’t have to wait for one to come in; one of those medical companies brought it to the hospital for Phoebe’s use and she’ll come home with it since they have a branch in our state as well. Not that she’s paying for it, thank goodness, since the injury happened while she was working.
“Fine,” she mumbles. “I need to see if Thelma has any of those giant ice packs for when the nerve block wears off.”
“She doesn’t, but I have your prescriptions,” Ella replies, having come inside. “So, I’ll dose you up through your PICC line, then leave the oral meds in case of breakthrough pain.”
“I’m hoping it won’t hurt too much,” Phoebe says. “But it was pretty bad after it happened, and with everything the doctor did,I’m sure it’s raw and swollen, so I won’t complain about being prepared.”
“Good. Now, what do you need from Ella’s place?” I question. “Because I think you need to get comfortable while I go see what there is to eat.”
“Got that covered, brother,” Data says. “I mean, the food. Ella can grab her some clothes.”
“I just want to sit down for a few minutes,” Phoebe murmurs.
“Okay, then you sit there while the three of us gather everything,” Ella replies. She walks over to Phoebe and leads her to the couch which apparently has recliners on each end since she activates it into a lounging position so Phoebe can relax. Then she grabs a decorative pillow and props her arm up, setting the wound vac to the side.
It’s not very loud, but I guess that’s because it’s a contained system, not that I totally understand what it does, despite Phoebe’s earlier explanation. Still, if it helps her heal quicker and keeps her wound from becoming infected, I don’t particularly care if it’s loud or not.
“You stay put,” I instruct, leaning in to kiss her. “We’ll be back in a few, I promise.”
Her eyes are closed and she’s leaned back, so I can see the exhaustion on her face much clearer than before. I’m sure the pain she was in earlier didn’t help, which means my first goal once she’s eaten is to get her comfortable so she can get some sleep. If nothing else, I know that rest helps in the healing process.
