“You’ll be fine,” my father said as i stayed frozen on the ground. mom was upset i was interrupting my brother’s celebration. (5 of 7)

“Police?” my father sputtered. “Surely that’s not necessary. This was just an unfortunate accident.”

Sarah fixed him with a level gaze. “Sir, deliberately creating a hazardous condition that results in serious injury is not just an accident. Additionally, I understand there was a delay in seeking medical attention for your daughter despite her reporting a loss of sensation, which is a medical emergency.”

The last thing I saw before the ambulance doors closed was a police cruiser pulling into the driveway. For the first time in my life, someone was taking my suffering seriously.

I awoke to the rhythmic beeping of hospital monitors. “Welcome back, Audrey,” a nurse said. “You’re at Massachusetts General.”

A woman in a white coat entered. “Good morning, Audrey. I’m Dr. Martinez, the neurosurgeon who has been overseeing your care. When you fell, you suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury. The impact fractured two vertebrae and caused significant compression. We performed emergency surgery to stabilize your spine.”

“Will I walk again?” I asked, the words I’d been terrified to speak.

Dr. Martinez didn’t offer false hope. “Spinal cord injuries are complex. The fact that yours is an incomplete injury is positive news. A lot will depend on your healing and physical therapy.”

“So, I might be paralyzed forever?”

“I would not use the term forever, but yes, you are currently experiencing paraplegia.”

The news hit me like a physical blow. “There is something else,” Dr. Martinez continued. “The circumstances of your injury have prompted an investigation. There are two police officers waiting to speak with you.”

I told them everything: the fall, the prank, and my family’s response. “So, to be clear,” Detective Sullivan clarified, “after you fell and reported that you could not feel or move your legs, no one called for medical assistance?”