As we entered the office, I felt my stomach tossing and turning all over the place. Suddenly, the room was spinning. Or was it me? I held my head and closed my eyes tightly, in an attempt to make me see straight. “Jade? Are you okay?” Charlie asked. I felt his grip tighten around my wrist. I stood as still as I could, bracing myself for any dizziness that could make me lose balance. Feeling ready, I slowly opened my eyes, feeling myself tense and decompress all at the same time. The office was still spinning but not as much as before. “I don’t feel very good,” I said, grabbing hold of Charlie’s arm to keep me balanced. He tightened his grasp on my wrist and I felt his position shift. “Let’s get you seated.” He said, walking forward slowly. I couldn’t see that much so I had to rely on Charlie to help me. I took it one step at a time, just like dancing, but this time, I couldn’t see. One step forward. Pause. One step more. Pause. Spin. Curtsy. And bow. The cushion I was sitting on felt rough and uncomfortable, but it was better than standing up right now. “What’s wrong?” Charlie asked. I shook my head. “I don’t know. I just felt really sick and dizzy all of a sudden.” His spinning figure looked nervous at my words. I felt his hand on my back and I attempted to look at him. His bright blue eyes looked like oceans when they were spinning. “I’m going to get the nurse. Will you be fine by yourself for a few minutes?” He asked. I nodded. My stomach hurt so much that I didn’t feel like talking. I felt if I said another word, my lunch would be all over him and the floor. Charlie’s spinning figure got up from my side and around the office corner, leaving me all alone. I was glad that he didn’t have to see more of my nauseous illness but I was also scared to be alone. What if something happens and nobody’s there to help? I could say the person who works at the office front desk but she isn’t there all the time due to many problems in the system and not enough workers to help it. The quiet was loud and I felt like collapsing on the floor. My head throbbed and my stomach was killing me. But my eyesight was clearing up, so I guess that's a plus. Charlie came back with the nurse in just a few minutes, as he said. “Do you think you can walk?” The nurse asked, kneeling down in front of me. I thought about it for a moment. I could see better. Enough that I could walk, but the only problem was this pain in my stomach. Thinking about it made it worse. I winced and shut my eyes tightly. I must have looked silly in front of them. I felt something on the bottom of my legs. I opened slightly to see the nurse trying to pick me up. She put her arms around me and lifted. I felt like I was flying but in the worst way possible. I felt her walking, her heartbeat thumping in my ears. Budum. Budum. Budum. I’ve never met a nurse before. She smelt like vanilla and her hair was tied up into a messy bun. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties and she had a small flower tattoo on her arm. We arrived in a big room with bright blue walls and a gray floor. I could see different medications and tools. She sat me down on a couch and Charlie stood beside her, fidgeting nervously with strings of his curly blond hair. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” The nurse asked, looking me into my eyes. “My stomach…My head…My eyes...” I managed to mutter. “Do you feel nauseous?” She asked, putting her hand to my forehead. I nodded. She took her hand off and examined me. After a little while of pacing the floor and reading notes, she looks at me, her face pale. “C-Charlie!” She calls out to him. “Call the hospital!” She yells, fumbling as she hurriedly passes her phone to him. “What for!?” He asks, dialing the emergency number. “Pre-stroke! She needs the hospital! NOW!” She yells, rushing over to me and picking me up quickly. I could feel her heart beating fast through her chest. Budum. Budum. Budum. Budum. What did she mean by, ‘pre stroke’? Was I going to be okay? I could also hear Charlie’s panicked voice talking to the authorities while frantically trying to keep up with us. My hearing faded in and out in waves. It was very unsettling. I could hardly hear my loud cries over the sound of sirens. The flashing lights bubbled in my senses. Along with my hearing, my eyesight was weaning. Darker and darker, until everything was pitch black.
Chapter Two: The muffled sound of voices filled my ears as the remembrance of what happened traveled in my thoughts. Was I okay? Was I dead? Where am I? The only way to answer these questions was to actually open my eyes, but I felt afraid. A part of me wants to know what happened while another part of me wants to keep my eyes shut forever. I could smell plastic in the air and some other unusual things I couldn’t figure out. I heard a small sniffle by my side and I was very curious. Who was there? I also felt a weird cold thing on my face. Where was I? It took a lot of thinking to finally come to a conclusion. I held my breath and slowly opened my eyes. The dark became light and I could see it fade but then appear into view clearly. I was in a hospital room, I suppose. The walls were big and white and there were cabinets and gadgets everywhere in neat coordination. I looked to my side and I was shocked to see Charlie sleeping in the chair beside the hospital bed. “Charlie?” I inquired, which made him wake up. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and yawned. “Hi. How are you feeling?” He asked, standing up and stretching. “I’m feeling better. Where are we?” I asked, taking another glance around the room. Before Charlie could explain, the door flung open and my parents sprinted to my side, looking very worried. “Honey oats! Baby girl, are you okay!?” Mom questioned, hugging me tightly. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a slight headache.” I hugged her back. “The doctors diagnosed you with high blood pressure. Your friend Charlie told me about the situation. Jade Blade, why did those mean kids hurt you? The doctors say that was the situation that triggered you to have a stroke.” Dad explained. “Pre-Stroke.” Mom added. “If the nurse didn’t call in time, you would have had an actual stroke.” She started to tear up and Dad held her close. “They said that you won’t be able to walk because the pre-stroke still caused a lot of damage because you are so young.” Charlie butted in. Wait! No walking!? No walking means no moving my feet! And no moving my feet means no dancing! And no dancing means goodbye my dream! I felt my arms trembling as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I know, honey oats. I’m so sorry, baby girl.” Mom tried comforting me but I could in her eyes I could see doubt and sadness. Hours passed by of doctors coming in and talking to me, then my parents, and then me again. They told me that they ran some tests while I was unconscious and that I would have to learn to do things in a wheelchair. I could still feel my fingers numbing beneath the covers. I didn’t know what to do. I always had a dream. I dream of becoming a famous dancer and living my best life in Paris. Hip hop. Ballet. Tap. All that would be a loss. All of it would be gone. All of it would crumble beneath my fingers and there would be nothing I could do about it. I sniffled and groaned in agony. How could this happen!? To me of all people!? I did my best to not throw a tantrum in front of Charlie, who stayed by the big window, pacing the floor and checking on me every five minutes. Mom and Dad talked to the doctors most of the time. Glancing at me through the door window from time to time. This was the most hectic moment of my life. It was boring and sad all at the same time. It was making me nervous and angry. It made me scared and curious. I was experiencing the most mixed emotions I had ever felt in a while. So many questions. So many feelings. So many different things that could make or break a person. “Jade, I’m sorry.” Charlie said, sitting down in the chair next to me. I shook my head. Why was he saying sorry? He didn’t do anything wrong. If he hadn’t brought me to the nurse in time, I could have been dead. I grabbed his hand. “Thank you for saving me.” I said, squeezing slightly. “No worries. It wasn’t intentional but I’m glad I could help.” He smiled. Once again, the door flung open and Mom and Dad appeared into view. “Okay, honey oats,” Mom started. “Once they finish getting the rest of the tests done, they will give us your medication and we will be able to go home with a brand new wheelchair, okay hun?” She explained. I nodded my head and felt a bit more calm. I was going to go home. I was going to forget everything that happened and I could live with the knowledge that I was born disabled and that I had always been this way. I didn’t have a pre-stroke. I didn’t pass out. I didn’t go to the hospital. I had always been this way. Don’t know how I’d explain to my classmates that I was always in their class but just with a wheelchair. I’ll figure it out. Somehow.
