Lying in the dimly-lit hospital room, Patrick began to remember how he came to be here. Both of his wrists ached, and he could feel the braces heavy on his hands as he slowly put the pieces together.
It was a the league championship for his high school, and the tying run for the other team came barreling down on him as he blocked the plate. They told him that he took a terrific shot, and that the run didn't score and his team came away with the victory, but that he came away with two badly sprained wrists for his trouble. And now he was slowly awakening from a sleeping pill, not knowing what time - or even what day it was.
Someone had undressed him and given him a hospital gown, and he couldn't help wondering who it was that did it. "Oh, man, I hope it wasn't some old guy." he thought, repulsed by the picture of a male orderly undressing him. He also noticed that he had been cleaned up a little - probably at the same time. "Yuk," he grimaced as the scenario returned unbidden.
Just then a crack of light appeared at the door, and someone peeked inside. After a moment he heard a kindly voice whisper, "Are you awake, hon?"
"Yes," said Patrick.
"Those pills always wear off about now - I don't know why they keep the dosage so low." The figure came into the room, and Patrick could make out a nurse, perhaps 5-1 and petite. She came up beside the bed and placed her hand on Patrick's shoulder. "How are you doing, tiger?" she said with a smile. "Are you still hurting?"
"My wrists ache a bit, but it's not too bad," he said, not wanting to appear to be a baby about it.
"I'm Nurse Jensen and I'll be in charge of you while you're here with us. You've already been treated for the sprains, and we just need for you to rest and take it easy while you heal."
"How long do I have to stay in the hospital?" said Patrick, already sick of it.
"Just 3-4 more days, sweetie", said the nurse, admiring the handsome 18-year-old who was perhaps twice her size and she more than twice his age. "We have to make sure the healing is progressing well and that you can be on the team when you get to college." She smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
"Here, let me check something," she gently raised his arm and sniffed his armpit.
"Whoa! Those silly candy stripers never do a decent job." Patrick turned a hot red in the dark. "Oh, never mind, honey," she said as if she could see him blushing. "I imagine you work up quite a sweat playing baseball - nothing to be embarrassed about. We'll just take care of that. Are you pretty much awake?"
"Uh, I guess so, but..."