Forgetting

Forgetting

By: Rhonda Norris

           Liam was a family man who had just moved back home to his birth state with his family. A wife who loved him dearly, three daughters who looked up to him, two grandchildren who he adored, and one more on the way. He worked hard every day to make sure everyone had the life of their dreams. Little did he know his life was about to change,

           Liam was traveling home on roads he had traveled many times throughout his life enjoying the view and looking forward to getting home to his family. When all of a sudden, a loud bang, glass flying, he was spinning his body being crushed and his life flashing before his eyes. Liam had passed out and woke to face the direction he had just come from. He could hear a voice telling him “be still don’t move”, he looks and there’s blood everywhere. He passes out again from the pain, when he awakes, he hears the loud noises of sirens, and screeching blades in the air, “what could this be, what has happened?” He’s on a stretcher, but why the screeching blades are getting closer, “where are they taking me?” He yells for his wife and he’s out again.

           Liam is taken to a critical care unit where his family arrives at him barely hanging on to his life. His body shattered to pieces, blood everywhere, and doctors and nurses surrounding him. Liam awakes yelling, the doctors order the nurses to administer medication to keep him still. His family awaits the news as Liam is taken into surgery to try and save his life. While the doctors work aimlessly to save his life he watches from above. “What has happened to his body, why is he here?” He hears the doctors spouting orders “where is this bleeding coming from?”, we have to stop it”, “bring blood now”. The doctors stop the bleed but Liam hears the doctors say something else that worries him, “we have stopped the bleed for now, but with the shape, both legs are in he may lose his right one”, then he hears the doctors say “this right elbow is gone he may have to lose this right arm”. Liam watches as he is sewn back up and returns to his body.

           Liam is kept in an induced coma, yet the nurse awakens him every few hours and asked questions, such as “do you know your name, do you know why you are here?” Liam thinks to himself, as he cannot answer because of the tubes running down his throat, “how do you expect me to answer, you have this tube in me, take this thing out and I’ll answer. Then he’s put again, this goes on for days after many surgeries to try and save his legs and arm, the whole time Liam watches.

           Liam is finally moved from ICU to a regular room, most of the tubes removed, yet he sleeps. When he awakes, he is in excruciating pain, his wife and kids by his side. Liam cannot move his arm is hanging in the air. Every two hours medication in his IV for the pain, he is being fed by a tube. He still doesn’t remember why he is here, what has happened, why are his wife and children here, “you need to leave, I can’t stand you seeing me this way” Liam said to his wife and children. His wife and children went to the hall, his children decided it was best to leave for a while, while his wife refused to leave his side.

           Days, weeks, and finally a month went by learning to move and learn a new way of doing things. Liam could not use the bathroom, change his clothes or even move from the bed to a chair on his own, “what kind of life is this, let me die” Liam ordered. His wife refused and kept telling him “stop feeling sorry for yourself, things will get better”. But, would it, the only thing Liam could remember was the pain, the suffering, nothing about the accident or even parts of his life. But, does he want to remember? Stories have been told of what happened, yet Liam doesn’t want to hear them. He is reminded of things from the past, but he doesn’t want to hear it he wants everyone to leave him alone to sit in his chair and be left alone.

           Liam’s family doesn’t give up on him, but he only wants to forget, why would anyone want to remember the past, the happiness he is reminded of when he can’t do for himself. Why would he want to continue with his life, is this a way to live? Months go by, still, no memory of the accident everyone reminds him of, and few memories of things in the past.

           Liam wakes one day watching his grandchildren play in the yard and knows he has another grandson on the way he decides that although he doesn’t have his memory of many things in the past or how he got in the shape he is in he has many things to look forward to. Two more years go by and another grandchild is born, Liam knows he faces challenges, he still can’t walk without using equipment to help him, he is still in pain daily, he wonders where the man went that he once was, how did he get here? Yet he decides life is a blessing how can a man have so much, yet know so little of how he has it? How can a family love and cherish him while in the shape he is in? He decides that to remember the past and the pain he was in was not worth giving u what has right in front of him. He must let go of the past and take life as it is and move forward. No matter what life has in store he can face it without knowing what happened, he has a family that loves him. What does life have in store, a life of love, a life of hope, and a life without the past?