Read: I’m No Ordinary Girl, Chapter One, Part One

Read: I’m No Ordinary Girl, Chapter One, Part Two

Read: I’m No Ordinary Girl, Chapter Two, Part One

Chapter 2: Where Am I?

My parents rush to my bedside, and I grab my dad’s finger like the day I was born. My dad always tells me he knew I was going to grow up to be something special because I grabbed his finger the day I was born. Dad clutches my hand for as long as I need him, too; it brings me comfort. Mom went to get Nurse Kim to examine me.

Nurse Kim breezes into the room. “How is your breathing, Samantha?”

“When I woke up from my nap, I felt out of breath.”

“I’m going to recheck your breathing. Can you blow into the tube for me?”

Nurse Kim removes the oxygen cannula from my nose.  I take a deep breath and exhale into the breathing tube with everything I got. There’s a tightness in my chest like when someone hugs you too tight.  I try blowing into the tube three times, but I couldn’t move the red marker very high. Nurse Kim places the cannula back into my nose and turns the dial on the oxygen tank to three liters.

She’s scratching her face. “I’m not exactly sure why Samantha is having trouble breathing. It could be her asthma, or she might have a sleep problem.”

“What can we do, Nurse Kim?” Dad asks.

“I will talk with Doctor Reed and suggest we order a chest x-ray.”

“Please let us know,” says Mom.

“Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. I’ll be right back with the glucose monitor.”

Nurse Kim comes back holding the glucose monitor kit, but something must be wrong. She’s looking down at her feet. Does she know what’s wrong with me? Am I sicker than they’re telling me? She wipes my index finger with an alcohol wipe, pulls the trigger on the needle pin. The prick of the needle is like an electric shock traveling down my hand. Blood spills out of my finger little by little onto the test strip.

“Your blood sugar is eighty. I’m going to bring you a snack and a diet soda. Dinner won’t be coming for another hour.”

“Thank you. I don’t want to have low blood sugar again.”

“No problem, sweetie.”

“Dad, can you turn on the television?”

“Yes, sweetie. What do you want to watch?”

“Do they have the Food Network channel?”

“I’ll look.”

Dad found the Food Network channel, and my favorite show is on. Watching Cupcake Wars and eating peanut butter crackers are making me feel better. I’m still panicking about staying overnight at the hospital. I am not inclined to have another scary dream. At least bedtime won’t be for a bit.

“Scooch over,” Mom says with a dimpled smile.

“Why?”

“I want to lie down and watch Cupcake Wars with you.”

Mom squeezes into the hospital bed with me. Mom watches Cupcake Wars with me. I stare in amazement, watching the lady pipe buttercream flowers. I became passionate about baking a few years ago. After, my great grandmother taught me how to make chocolate chip cookies. Something about watching the ingredients mix inside the mixer. Then seeing what you create come out of the oven makes me light up like a Christmas tree.  

“Mom, do you think one day I can decorate cupcakes like that?”

Mom smiles and says, “Yes, if you practice and work hard, you can do anything you want.”

“I want to become a baker like the contestants on Cupcake Wars.”

“Speaking of desserts, I can go for doughnuts and coffee,” says Dad.

“Okay, honey. Hand me my purse.” Dad walks over to the blue chair and picks up my mom’s purple purse. Mom digs for her wallet and hands, dad ten dollars.

“Go to the coffee shop downstairs and get us coffee. I’ll take a vanilla cream doughnut too.”

“Samantha, do you want something?”

“No, dad, I’m good.”

“Be back in a few minutes,” says Dad grinning from ear to ear.

Dad loves his coffee. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a beautiful woman with long black hair and heard her say, “I’m looking for my granddaughter…” I perk up and knew right away; Grandma Mary is here. Mom’s eyes flash wide open; surprise, grandma came to the hospital.

Grandma says, “I received your message and wanted to check on my grandbaby.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Mom.”

“I was worry about Samantha.”

“Sorry to worry you, Grandma. I collapse in my bedroom from low blood sugar.”

“Oh dear,” Grandma says with a long face.

“They’re keeping Samantha overnight for observation. The doctor thinks she might need a change in her medication.” Mom explains to Grandma.

“I’m glad they are thorough.”

Grandma hands me a polka-dotted gift bag and says, “I have a surprise for you.” My face lit up in glee, finding a cute teddy bear in the bag. I move the pink tissue paper and found a crossword puzzle book. I sit up and kiss grandma on the cheek and hug her.

“Thanks so much!”

“You’re very welcome. I thought the puzzle book would keep you occupied.”

“Mom, can you stay with Samantha? I’m going to meet John downstairs and get us some food.”

“Sure, I will stay here with her.”

“What would you like to eat, Mom?”

“Anything you get would be fine.”

“Do a puzzle with grandma. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay, mom.”

“What kind of crossword puzzle should we do?”

Grandma is flipping through the pages. “How about this one? It’s about television shows.”

“Sounds good. What’s the first clue?”

“A guy living with two girls. Ooh, I know. Three’s Company.” When grandma watches me after school, we watch old television shows on TV Land.

“Good job, honey! I like watching old television shows with you, Grandma. Jack is hilarious.”

Grandma giggles. Nurse Kim interrupts. “Time for your medicine!”

“Nurse Kim, this is my grandma, Mary.”

Grandma shakes hands with my nurse. “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m here to give Samantha her insulin shot for dinner.”

Grandma doesn’t know much about diabetes, so, Grandma asks Nurse Kim questions. She inserts the syringe into the top part of my arm. I squeeze my eyes shut because my insulin shot burns.

Grandma grabs my hand. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. It burns.”

“I’m sorry, Samantha. I will go slower next time.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Dinner will come shortly. Sorry, again.”

I nod my head, letting her know I’m okay. Sometimes when you push fast on the insulin pen, it burns. “Do you want to watch TV, Grandma?”

“Sure, see if Steve Harvey is on?”

“I’ll look through the channels.” Grandma enjoys watching Family Feud before the six o’clock news.

“I found Family Freud, Grandma.” I smell something good, could be french fries. Mom and Dad walk into the room, carrying two trays with lots of food on them.

“We got garden salads, sandwiches, fries, and drinks,” says Mom.

“Sounds good, I’ll have a salad for now.”

“Okay, mom.” Mom pushes the side table from under the window,  to where Grandma is sitting. She places a salad, napkins, fork, and a bottle of Sprite on the table.

“Which way is the bathroom?”

“Walk towards the nurse station and turn right down the hall. The bathroom is on the right-hand side.”

A tall gentleman wearing snoopy on his scrubs almost ran into Grandma with my dinner.

“Sorry, ma’am.”

“It’s okay. At least the food didn’t spill,” says Grandma.

The tall man laughs and says, “Delivery.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He waves. “Enjoy your dinner.”

I lift the brown cover and see a fruit cup, milk, turkey and potatoes. I take a few bites of the turkey breast and eat the fruit cup. I taste the mashed potatoes, but they didn’t taste as good as my mom’s mashed potatoes.

“Mom, these potatoes taste nothing like yours.”

“What do they taste like?”

“Like box potatoes and your taste creamy and buttery.”

“Sorry, dear, not everyone cooks like mama.”

I can’t help it. I’m spoiled with good homemade cooking. My mom went to culinary school. After she graduated, she started working in the kitchen at the organic food market. My mom handles all the catering orders for the store. Everyone loves her food.

I steal half of my dad’s sandwich and mom’s french fries. Grandma watches me steal food from my parent’s and laughs while my parents are chatting.

A staff member comes to pick up my food tray, and I try to move.  Dad grabs my arms and pulls me up. I swing my legs over the bed. I press the nurse button on the remote.

“What do you need, Samantha?”

“I have to use the bathroom.”

“Okay, let me disconnect your wires and oxygen.” Nurse Kim glares at my mom and says, “Let me know when she finished.”

I take two steps and feel like I will collapse again. Thank goodness Dad is right behind me. I wrap my arms around my dad’s neck, and together, we reach the bathroom. I have never felt so weak or scared before in my life. Tears fall down my face. My heart beats like crazy, thump thump. My spine feels squeezed. My legs vibrate from the inside out, causing me to shake from limb to limb. I wipe my tears with toilet paper before my mom comes back. Both of my parents assist me back into the hospital bed.

“I’m going to leave before it gets dark, says Grandma.”

“Thanks for visiting me.” Grandma kisses my forehead and waves goodbye as she exits the room. Nurse Kim connects me back to the machines. My eyes feel heavy, and I’m nodding off while I watch television.

“Mom, Dad, I’m going to take a nap.”

“Okay, sweetie.”

I sleep for an hour before hearing footsteps and the beeping of the IV pump.

“Sorry to wake you, time for a check-up.”

“It’s okay.” I’m happy that I didn’t see anything supernatural or not normal inside my mind.

Nurse Kim hangs a new IV bag and pricks my finger again. “Your blood sugar is normal. It’s one hundred and twenty.”

Mom takes a deep breath. “I’m relieved that my daughter sugar is not fluctuating as much.”

“She did well with the twenty units of Humalog. Get some rest.”

The hospital is starting to look dark like a ghost town. As visitors are leaving and patients are getting ready for bed.  Thank God, the hospital is letting my parents stay overnight with me. The hospital has provided reclining chairs and blankets for both of my parents. I try to relax and watch television until I fall asleep. Dad is snoring in the chair by the window. I know mom is falling asleep because her tablet is sliding off her stomach. I place my hand over my mouth so; I don’t laugh too loud. I’m the luckiest girl in the world. God has gifted me the greatest parents in the world.  They always take amazing care of me. They work hard to give me everything I need and help me through the toughest times like now.

I try to relax, but it’s so difficult to get sleep at the hospital. All I hear is beeping noises from the IV machine, and the Tick-Tock from the clock hanging on the wall. As I close my eyes, a voice is calling my name.

“SSSSSSAMANTHA, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE,” says the mysterious voice.