The Accident - Part 2
by Barbara Lynn Terry

(Author's Note: I have re-read the comments to The Accident - Part 1. I notice that there were a lot of comments about not asking the child. The reality is, no parent asks their child if this is what he or she wants. It isn't done, except in some families, and these families are far and few between. Also, the reality in this story is that Jaime having been hit by the speeding car, could no longer function as a male. So, let me ask any of you. Would you rather, in this instance, have your child be sexless, or allow the child to be the opposite sex? I would want the latter because then my child would at least have some kind of a sexual life. Legally, Jaime is not old enough to consent to making life changing decisions. You can ask any attorney about this. You will not like what he or she says.)

Chapter 3 - Jaime is still in the hospital.

When Jaime woke up, she saw her mother sitting there reading a Cosmopolitan magazine.

"Mom? I'm...I'm hun...gry."

"Alright, dear. Do you have to use the bed pan?"

"No, mother, because of the thing the nurse said they put inside of me."

"Yes, it is called a Foley catheter. I will call the nurse in." Beverly pressed the button for the nurse.

Nurse Jo came in and asked what was needed.

"Nurse Jo, I...I'm hun...gry."

"Alright, dear. I will call down to the kitchen. Is there something you would like?"

"I suppose a burger and fries is out of the question."

"Yes, ma'am, it certainly is. We have chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese and maybe a nice soothing cup of chamomile tea. Do you like tea, Jaime?"

"Yes, Nurse Jo. What is chamomile tea made from?"

"It is made from wild chamomile. Its scientific name is matricaria recutita. It is also spelled camomile. So I will order that, and a nice glass of milk, too. Do you like lemon and sugar with your tea?"

"No sugar, but lemon would be nice."

"Then I will go and order it for you." Nurse Jo left with Jaime's order and called the food service immediately. Then she went back in and told Jaime. "Food service said your order will be here in forty five minutes."

"Thank you, Nurse Jo." Nurse Jo just smiled.

"You're very welcome, dear."

"You know, Jaime, that chamomile tea is very relaxing, and calms you down. It is a very good medicinal tea to drink, like right before you go to bed. It helps you sleep better."

"Thank you, mom. Mom? Do you think I will make a good girl?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I certainly do. Dear, do you know what fate is?"

"Yes, mother."

"Well, I believe fate had a hand in all of this. See, honey, the reason I am not angry with you, is because I have known for quite sometime that you were more of a girl than you ever were a boy. It wasn't necessarily any one thing you did, but it was all the things you did. You even eat like a girl. When Bobbie wanted you to wear her clothes, you said yes. I thought you looked really, really beautiful then. I think you are going to be a very pretty girl."

"Thank you, moth...er." Jaime fell back asleep with a very peaceful look on her face. Beverly just sat there and admired her little angel, sleeping so peacefully.

Another fifteen minutes and a lady from food service brought up Jaime's tray. But seeing that she was asleep, she left the tray at the nurses desk, telling the nurse that the patient was asleep.

"Bev, do you think we should wake her and tell her her lunch is here?"

"Let her sleep, Jo. She is so worn out. Is there some way that you can put it away for her, and heat it up later?"

"Yes, there is. I will go and do that, then. If she wakes up, press the button."

"I will. Thank you, Jo."

"You're welcome, Bev."

Beverly went back to reading her Cosmopolitan magazine. She liked the stories other women sent in and were put in the magazine. One story was about a lady raising her only son and only child. She said that she had learned a lot about baseball, football, and just playing catch in the yard. She said the child's father had left when her child was about two years old.

Beverly thought that there were similarities in this woman and her. The only difference was that her son had not been in an accident and seemed like a "normal" boy. Beverly's child did have an accident making her child sexless until she had given the doctor permission to make her child female.

Beverly thought, what else could she have done? Her child without the srs would be sexless, and wouldn't know the joys of being with a boy. A boy who would treat her like a lady. Beverly started crying because she had made the only decision she could for her child's welfare.

She felt a hand on hers, and saw that her child was awake.

"Don't cry mother, I am sure you did your best. I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

Beverly smiled a weak smile and patted Jaime's hand.

"Are you ready to eat, Jaime?"

"Yes, mother." Beverly pressed the nurses button.

"Yes, Bev? Oh! Jaime, you're awake. Would you like your lunch brought in?"

"Yes, please."

Jo brought in Jaime's tray after heating up the soup, the grilled cheese and heated more water for the tea.

"Eat everything, Jaime. This lunch is very good for helping to build blood cells. So far you are doing great."

"Thank you, Nurse Jo."

"You are very welcome, dear," Jo said, with a smile.

It isn't often that a nurse gets a thank you from a patient, especially older patients who demand the nurse wait on them immediately. Nursing is a very thankless job, and if it was just the money, these nurses would not be there. They became nurses so they could care for the sick and infirm. Nurses are the guardian angels that were sent to help the patients get better.

Beverly thought how her daughter had always said thank you to everyone that did things for her. She will go far in this life with an attitude like that.

"Hello, Jaime," came a voice from the door to her room.

"Auntie Joanne, Darla! Thank you for coming to see me. Auntie Joanne, are you mad at me because I am a girl, now?"

"No, Jaime, I'm not. I have often wondered what you would look like made up as a girl. When you get out of here, you are going to get a make over for a twelve year old. Listen, Jaime, I am so proud of you for having the courage not only to go through an operation like this, but for having the courage to still have the same attitude you had, before the accident occurred. It takes a strong person to be able to do that."

Joanne Spelling gave Jaime a hug, and told her she still loved her. But, that now, she can actually do what she had thought of.

Darla Spelling was the same age as Jaime, and when their mothers went out in the hallway to talk, Jaime asked Darla a few questions.

"Darla, do you think I will make a nice girl?"

"Yes, cousin, I certainly do. Jaime, I have always thought that you were a little girlish anyway. Not because of how you acted, or the way you walked, or the way you talked, but it was all of that together. Jaime, You have been more girl than you actually know. I am proud of you that you are not screaming that your a boy."

"My mother and Dr. Reed said I could never be a boy again. Dr. Reed said that my down below was damaged so badly, they had to remove it and make me a girl, so I could have a better life."

"Mother told me. She said that you could never have sex with a boy, if they didn't make you into a girl. But, mother and I are so proud of you for bouncing back and realizing that this was best, so you can get on with your life. I will help you, cousin, because we are both girls, and you need some, not a lot, but some instruction.

"See, Jaime, there are things we learn as girls as we grow. Every day is a learning experience. Boys tend to be boys forever, even after they become men. We, on the other hand, actually mature more than boys do. Boys think talking dirty, spitting, telling bad jokes and being gassy in public is cute. We think it is gross. Boys are always thinking about sex, too. We think about sex, too, but we control it. Boys aren't all bad, but they do have one thing in common...and that is they are always thinking about getting in to our panties.

"One of these days, when a boy asks if he can get in to my panties, I am going to ask him if he thinks they will fit." Both girls giggled, but Jaime held her chest.

Darla ran to get her mother, who came in with the nurse.

"Jaime, what are you feeling?"

"Nurse Jo, when I giggled, I got a stabbing pain in my chest."

"Alright, dear, you just try to relax. I am going to give you some medicine, to help ease the angina. That is what we call chest pain. I don't think you need any nitro, but I will let Dr. Reed make that decision. I am going to go and call her right now."

Darla sat by Jaime's bed and held Jaime's hand.

"It will be all right, cousin, you just wait and see."

Darla looked at the monitors, and she saw the wavy lines. They seemed to be even, and she wondered what it all meant. Darla has never had to be hospitalized...not yet, anyway. A woman, carrying what looked like a cloth belt, came in the room.

"Hi Jaime. Let me see your band. Good. I'm here to make sure that whenever you are ready, we can walk around the room at first, then we can go out by the nurses desk, then we can walk farther and farther each day."

"Can we walk to Mickey D's?"

"Uhm, no child, just around here on the floor."

"Oh darn, and here I was hungry for a Big Mac." All the girls giggled, and Jaime held her chest. "The saying, 'it hurts only when I laugh' is sooooooo true."

Alright, Jaime, I will be back in about three days. My name is Connie, and I'm a physical therapist. When you are ready, I will come in and help you walk."

"Thank you, Connie."

Connie smiled when she said, "you are very welcome, dear."

"See, cousin, that is what I mean. You have always thanked people for doing things for you or helping you with things. You are going to make a very decent girl."

"Darla, will you help my mother shop for some clothes for me to go home in?"

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about and don't worry, I will make sure the skirts and dresses are just a little above the knees. You won't need mini skirts for a few years, yet."

"She won't need mini skirts at all, if I have anything to say about it."

"Auntie Bev, you see what I am wearing? Well, Jaime is about my size, but may be a little more or less my size by the time she goes home. Auntie Bev, I will help you shop for Jaime's going home clothes."

"Thank you, Darla."

Even though these two families were not related by blood, they had known each other ever since the children were born. Joanne had started at Bev's Hair and Nail Spa when she was ready to go to work again. She started as a hairdresser and manicurist when Darla was two months old. They had become fast friends, and were always at each other's house. Then both mother's got the idea to have one baby sitter for both Darla and Jaime. This way they could pick their children up at the same time.

They had to make sure, though, that the baby sitter they got was responsible enough to look after two newborns.

Beverly thought that now, even when Jaime was three years old, she liked dolls better than trucks. In other words, she liked Barbie and Ken dolls more so than G.I. Joes. Whenever they were in the toy department of any store, Jaime always held her hands out for the Barbies and never even bothered to look at the G.I. Joes or the trucks and cars. Even at three years old, Jaime was starting to act like a girl. When Beverly had put Jaime in a dress, Jaime seemed content. When she put Jaime in a pants and shirt, she threw tantrums. Beverly couldn't help but think these things, now, that Jaime was female, physically. Dr. Smythe had said that she could have made a uterus for Jaime using stem cells, but that there was still time for that. She thought that she would have to look that up on the computer, when Jaime went home.

There was a lot that Jaime needed to know, and Darla said she would help and her mother would help, and auntie Joanne, and...and...and...well, you get the idea, she thought.

"Dear, auntie Joanne and I are going down to the cafeteria. Darla would you like us to bring you something back?"

"Whatever is fine, auntie Bev."

"Okay, I will see if they have 'whatever'." Everybody giggled, and Jaime held her chest again.

"Does it hurt really bad, Jaime, when you giggle?"

"Yes, Darla, like somebody is stabbing me in the heart."

"Well, young lady, let me take a listen," Dr. Reed said, coming in to the room.

Dr. Reed listened to Jaime's heart, lungs and belly. She took a small flashlight and ran it past Jaime's eyes a couple of times.

"Dr. Reed, why did you do that with the flashlight?"

"To see if your pupils react. You're fine so far, but I am going to order blood drawn. I want to check those heart enzymes. You shouldn't be feeling any pain in your chest when you laugh. I will be back in a bit, I want to go and order the blood draw."

Dr. Reed left to go and write the prescription for the blood draw. She then called down to the lab, and ordered the blood drawn, stat.

A few minutes later, a lady came in the room with a tray full of glass tubes.

"Name and birth date, please." Jaime told her and she looked at Jaime's wrist band. "Hello, Jaime, my name is Marie and Dr. Reed wants me to draw three tubes of blood. Are you ready?" Jaime just nodded.

Darla had never seen blood being taken from somebody's arm, and she watched fascinated by the process. When Marie was finished, she placed a folded square of gauze on Jaime's arm and taped it in place.

"Take care, Jaime, and get well soon,"

"Thank you, Marie."

Marie smiled when she said, "you're very welcome, Jaime."

Beverly and Joanne came back from the cafeteria with a grilled cheese sandwich, a thing of milk, and an small order of French fries for Darla.

"Darla, Jaime can't have any fries. Not yet. Not until she goes home."

"Oh, okay." Everybody giggled and Jaime held her chest.

This time Dr. Reed saw her holding her chest and all Jaime did was giggle. Dr. Reed also ordered an echo of Jaime's heart. She wanted to see if there were any obstructions. Jaime was tired, but she was getting better. She wanted to sleep, but used her will power to stay awake.

"Honey, if you want to sleep, you go right ahead. Me and Darla will be here until they tell us we have to go. So we have all afternoon to visit."

"I will be here, cousin, until mom and I have to go home. But then we will be back. If you're tired, Jaime, go to sleep. Sleeping helps you get better, too."

Jaime didn't hear that last part, because she was asleep. Darla was very worried about her life long friend, whom she always called her cousin and Jaime's mom, auntie Bev.

With Jaime and Darla in the same school, in the same grade, Beverly knew her daughter would be fine. If Jaime needed any help with her school work, Bevlery was there to help. She started crying, and Joanne moved to hold her.

"Bev, it is all right. Jaime is healing, slowly, but she is healing. She will be just fine."

"I...I know. But, I almost lost her because of a careless driver that was in a hurry. The police told me that he didn't even stop at the stop sign, but drove right past it without stopping. The police said they arrested the man for injury by use of a motor vehicle. They said that was a felony and the man will go to prison, and be forced to pay the hospital costs. The police said they asked why he didn't stop for the stop sign, and he claimed he didn't see a stop sign. When they showed it to the man, he said 'how did that get there'.

"I...I...almost...lost my...my an...gel."

Joanne hugged her friend and adopted sister. This is what true friends are for, to support each other. Joanne gave a worried look towards Darla, who in turn looked worried, also.

A little while later, a young woman, with chestnut brown hair, and a sparkling smile, came in the room. Is this Jaime McAdams. Joanne nodded. The woman looked at Jaime's wrist band, and then she asked the PCA to help move Jaime to radiology.

"Ma'am, don't worry about a thing. We can do the echo while she is in her own bed." Jaime was hooked up to a telemetry monitor, and then the IV was placed on a telescoping pole on the back of the bed. When Jaime was ready, the two women took her to radiology where the EKG would be performed.

This would tell Dr. Reed if there were any obstructions. The EKG also saw a little below the heart, too.

About forty five minutes later, they brought Jamie back. She was still sleeping.

"She didn't wake up during the echo at all. That was actually a plus. Anyway, just call if you need anything."

Darla held her "cousin's" hand, so that even in sleep, Jaime could feel safe, knowing someone cared.

A few minutes later, Dr. Reed came in the room.

"I see she is still sleeping. Her heart enzymes are good. I am just waiting for the echo results. When she wakes up, ring for the nurse and let her know Jaime is awake. I need to check the surgery area and see how it is healing."

"All...right...doc...tor."

"Bev, everything will be all right. You will see. The danger is past us now."

"Yes, but I can't help it knowing I almost lost her. If she had actually died, I don't know what I would have done. She is my light and my life."

"Well, you just calm down, Bev. I don't want to have to sedate you, too."

Two police officers came in the room with Nurse Jo.

"I was hoping the child would be awake, said one of the officers. This man smiled too much to be a police officer in a big city. Most Beverly had seen were stone faced and without emotion.

"What is your name, officer?"

"Sven Petersen. We will be in the cafeteria. If she wakes up, call down to have someone let us know."

"All right, Sven, we will."

The officers didn't get very far, before Jaime woke up and asked for some water.

"Hello, young lady. My name is Sven. Can you tell me what happened, if you remember, about the accident?"

"Well, I was on my way to my friend Danny's house and we were going to go to White Castle. When I looked in White Castle, the one on twelfth and Mitchell, I saw Danny was already there. I looked all ways before starting to cross the street. I was thinking that Danny being there meant I didn't have to go all the way to his house. When I got almost to the other side...then the next thing I remember, I woke up here."

"But you remember looking for cars before you crossed the street. Is that right?"

"Yes, Sven. I didn't see any cars and started crossing the street."

"You have a remarkable memory for someone so young who has been in a life threatening accident."

"Hello officers. I am Dr. Reed, the child's physician. We did a CAT scan and it showed no abnormalities. I have scheduled another one for next week."

"How long is the child going to be here?"

"For quite a while, officer. She is still weak from her surgery and from a loss of blood. I want her in here until she is strong enough to go home and I can see there won't be any complications."

"So, how long is quite a while?"

"About another month. By then her antibodies should be back where they belong, mostly, and she will be walking on her own, hopefully. Right now she is too weak to get out of bed."

"I see. I will let the district attorney know. Here is my card with my name and squad number on it. Give me a call when she is able to go home."

"I certainly will, officer."

"Jaime, you get well as quickly as you can. This hospital food might keep you alive, but, I bet that White Castle's is better." Sven smiled.

"I agree, Sven." Both officers left.

"Well, Jaime, now you have something to get well for. But, young lady, when you do go home, you leave the White Castle food, McDonald's food, Taco Bell's food, Burger King's food and any other fast food alone. When you are able to move like you did before the accident, then you can have a burger and fries, but not until you can get around like you used to. If you eat anything fatty just lying around, you will gain weight very fast. We don't want that, now do we?"

"No, Dr. Reed."

"Good girl. Now, I need to check your surgery area. I was going to do that before I was interrupted."

Dr. Reed checked the surgery area, and didn't see any infections. She noted that Jaime was healing just fine.

"Everything is coming along just fine, Jaime. You're still raw there, and by the time I let you go home, you should be either healed all the way or at least ninety per cent healed anyway. By the way, Jaime, would you like a middle name to go with your name?"

"No, Dr. Reed."

"All right, but I had to ask. Bev, I will give you a letter to send to where ever Jaime was born to have female placed on her birth certificate."

"Thank you, Cyndi."