Life After a Balla by Jackie D.

okay?” Skye said, kissing her forehead.
    When Payton started crying uncontrollably, Skye was even more devastated. Suddenly the doctor treating Payton walked around the bed and introduced himself.
    “Hello, my name is Dr. Matthews. I’m one of the pediatric orthopedic surgeons here at Southern Regional Medical Center,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m sorry, I haven’t gotten your name yet.”
    Skye did a quick handshake. “Skye Washington. Is my baby going to be okay?”
    “Can I speak with you for a second Ms. Washington?”
    “Why…what’s wrong?” Skye questioned with a concerned expression.
    “I just need to speak to you for a second. Don’t worry,” the doctor tried to convince.
    “I’m not leaving my daughter. Can’t you see how upset she is?” Skye said.
    The doctor reached over and pressed the button for a nurse. When she walked in a few seconds later, the doctor told her to stay with Payton for a few minutes so he could speak with Skye. When the nurse was able to quiet Payton down, Skye agreed to go.
    “Mommy will be right back, baby,” Skye informed. She knew something was wrong with her daughter when she didn’t throw a temper tantrum like she did most of the time whenever Skye left her.
    Skye followed the doctor into a private area not far from the emergency room and quickly took a seat, anxious to find out what was wrong.
    “Ms. Washington, your daughter’s right leg has what is called a Growth Plate Fracture,” the doctor said, getting straight to the point.
    Skye’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. “A Growth Fracture? What’s that?”
    “The Growth Plate is the softer part of your daughter’s bones where growth occurs, and it’s generally the weakest part, which is why it’s so easy to obtain a fracture. It’s a very common injury for kids during a car collision. Most likely, your daughter’s car seat wasn’t properly secure and that caused her to be thrown around in the car, shattering her leg.”
    As the doctor continued to speak, tears continued to stream down Skye’s face. She immediately felt guilty.
    “We’re waiting for the X-Rays to come back, but I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve seen this type of injury many times before. Unfortunately, surgery has to be done to put the bone back into the correct position. If the surgery isn’t done, the injured bone can possibly become deformed. That unfortunately can cause her leg to become shorter than the other.”
    At that moment, Skye became frantic. “Oh my God. I can’t believe this is happening. My poor baby. A fracture basically means it’s broken right?”
    The doctor patted her on the shoulder. “Yes, that’s correct, but don’t worry Ms. Washington, everything will be fine. This type of fracture can be corrected. Plus, things could’ve been a lot worse.”
    “Is it painful?” Skye questioned.
    “Yes, I’m sure there’s pain involved which is to be expected. But I’ve already given her something to try and keep her calm. Once we’re able to sedate her, that’ll help even more.”
    “Where did all the blood come from on her pajamas?”
    “She has a few minor cuts on her neck and collar bone which the paramedics said came from the shattered glass, but that’s also nothing to be concerned about. Your wound, however, needs to be looked at.”
    “I’m fine,” Skye tried to assure.
    “No, I need you to go back and let one of the other physicians stitch up that cut. I’ll come over and get you once we get Payton’s X-Rays back. I’ll need you to fill out some paperwork in order to proceed with the surgery.”
    “Yes, of course. Thanks, Dr. Matthews.”
    When the doctor left, Skye sat gathering her thoughts. Completely upset, it wasn’t long before she broke down crying once again. The fact that she’d come out of the accident with only minor injuries, but her baby needed surgery weighed heavy on her heart. Skye couldn’t believe that she’d let herself get so upset over a