Nodding his head, Tony looked up at David and said quietly, “Thank you…I just…don’t feel ready to go yet, you know?”
Tony stopped suddenly, a thought flashing across his face. “Doc, you’ve been doing this gig for a while, what do figure happens when you die? I mean, all those people that have them near death experiences, you must have seen some of that in your line of work.” Tony’s face, though old and wrinkled, looked at David with the innocence of a small child.
Completely at a loss for an answer, David grappled with himself to give Tony any other answer than what his logical Atheist beliefs offered. He couldn’t very well tell the kindly old man that he believed that death was the end. Dirt nap time.
Deciding this was a perfect time to lighten the mood, David started seriously, “Well, Mr. Bishop, I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that.” David then continued with a mischievous tone. “All I know is that if I have to choose between wife and death...I choose death!”
Tony bellowed out a chuckle that jiggled his body so hard, he had to hang on to the oxygen cords draped across his face.
Smiling, he stated, “Well, I trust ya Doc, I know you’re not going to let anything happen to me.” David smiled in response, hoping he deserved the trust Tony gave him.
The men laughed and joked for a few more minutes and after wiping away a few tears from laughing too hard, David promised to check on Tony before he left for the evening.
Relieved at having dodged the death and afterlife question from Tony, David wandered to the nurses’ station to see if he was needed anywhere.
As he approached the station, he noticed a couple nurses chatting intensely amongst themselves, one happened to be the young nurse he'd scolded the evening before. He scrambled to recall her name.
Snapping his fingers, he called out, “Nurse Henderson, how are you today?” Pleased with himself for remembering, he noticed how she’d startled when he spoke. She and the other nurse immediately ceased their serious conversation.
Jumping to attention, Nurse Henderson looked visibly rattled as she regained her professional composure.
“Dr. Blake, uh, hello, I’m…fine, thank you.” She seemed to struggle for words as she addressed him.
“Was I interrupting something? I apologize, I didn’t mean to…” He began.
“Oh no sir, we…we were just…discussing...an incident.” She said cautiously.
“Incident?” David was intrigued now, “What kind of incident?”
The nurses looked at one another tentatively, obviously debating if they should discuss their secret.
“Please, I promise I won’t...say anything or be upset.” He pleaded, unsure as to why he was so eager to discover the contents of their classified information.
The other nurse, a lovely dark-skinned woman, stood and walked to him. She leaned in close, obviously to keep her story within earshot. David noted her name tag stated she was Nurse Ross.
“Well,” Nurse Ross began with her voice barely a whisper. “I was up on the third floor this evening, you know, Palliative Care.”
He nodded and she continued.
Nurse Henderson, listening nearby, started chewing on her nails and pacing to and fro.
“Well, I was changing Mr. Murphy’s dressings when I heard something from out in the hallway. I could hear this noise, like someone walking through the halls with their slippers on, a shuffling…” she explained, her eyes wide, “and there was this awful wheezing, like someone trying to breathe.”
David nodded, urging her to continue.
“I went to see who was out of bed, you know, figured it was a patient wandering about. When I got out there, Nurse Henderson was coming from the next room to see what the noise was too.”
Nurse Henderson nodded in agreement as she continued her nervous marching.
“Yah.” David said, intrigued. His imagination took off in a few directions. Could it have been an intruder or an escape patient from the Psychiatric Ward? His thoughts swarmed with curiosity.
Nurse Ross glanced around with a paranoid sweep of the ward, and then continued.
“Well.” she started, nervous, “then both of us,” she tilted her head back at Nurse Henderson, “saw someone walking towards the end of the hall. It was a…a woman, with brown hair, in a blue robe, but not just any robe, a fuzzy chenille robe, you know…” she seemed to be trying to lead David into guessing who belonged to the blue robe. He responded with a confused shrug.
Sighing, she filled in the words for him.
“Mrs. Lambert, you know, she always wore that fuzzy blue robe, she insisted on wearing it because she hated wearing our hospital gowns.” David frowned and the nurse seemed to be getting impatient with him.
Nurse Henderson piped up to explain, “Dr. Blake…she’s been dead for a year!”
Nurse Ross hushed her and quickly added, “She stopped before she went around the corner, she…she turned and looked at us and...It was her! It was Mrs. Lambert!” She hissed vehemently. “We went running down the hall to follow her, but…nothing, there was no one was there. There was nowhere for her to hide neither. All the doors are locked down that hall.” Nurse Ross shook her head.
David struggled to understand what these ladies were trying to tell him. Did they mean to say they’d seen a ghost this evening?
“But…” He said carefully, “there’s no such thing as ghosts...are sure of what you saw?”
Instantly defensive, Nurse Ross scowled, “We wouldn't be so shook up if we weren't sure of what we saw!” Her tone indicated David had insulted her.
“Well, it’s just that I don’t believe in ghosts, so there has to be a rational explanation.” He stated logically.
Nurse Henderson, pacing behind the nurse’s station, muttered to herself, “Well, of course, he’s not going to believe us.”
“What do you mean by that?!” David demanded as his brow knitted into a scowl.
Nurse Henderson dropped her eyes to floor, remembering her rank, stated quietly, “Well, everyone knows you don’t believe…well…in God or anything for that matter.”
He sat in stunned silence for a moment. It was true, if he had no belief in any kind of afterlife, it would make sense that he didn’t believe in ghosts.
These are intelligent women, David considered, why would they concoct some weird story knowing it might hurt their integrity?
“Okay, I apologize, I’m...a little shocked, I suppose. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just…don’t know what to think about this.” He struggled for words as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.
“Yah, that’s pretty much how we feel about it too.” Nurse Ross said bluntly as she stood up. She paused suddenly, her eyes glazing slightly as she remarked, “Her face, her eyes, they were so…empty.” Shuddering as she recalled the ghost's face, Nurse Ross turned and headed down the hall to do her rounds.
Nurse Henderson retreated to the nearest washroom, visibly shaken.
Ghost?
The very idea of anything paranormal usually created all kinds of involuntary reactions in David, such as rolling his eyes or making skeptical remarks. But these two ladies seemed particularly shaken up. He wasn’t one to take the word of colleagues lightly, so he was disturbed by this latest development.
He hadn’t known Mrs. Lambert very well; he didn’t often work in the Palliative care unit. It brought back too many unpleasant memories for him to voluntarily tend to cancer patients. Not that he didn’t go up there; he just avoided it as much as possible.
Mrs. Lambert had succumbed to esophageal cancer last year. He recalled her stubborn tendency to do whatever she pleased. She'd refused the conventional treatments offered by the hospital.
He recalled the unusual methods Mrs. Lambert insisted upon trying instead of chemotherapy. One such method was called Reiki. Apparently, someone referring to them self a Reiki Master, would come and lay their hands on her. Mrs. Lambert explained that the Reiki Master was utilizing the universe’s energy to heal he
r.
“Um…Okay.” Was David’s polite response to her explanation.
He could understand how someone could be easily led into false hopes, especially in their darkest hour. According to David, however, these alternative therapies were nothing more than silly attempts at delaying the inevitable.
Eventually, Mrs. Lambert’s cancer spread to the rest of her organs and she had to resort to chemotherapy. By this time, however, it was too late for medical intervention.
Such a waste that we spend such a fleeting time on this planet, simply to vanish from existence. David thought sadly, Placed in a box and buried to blend with the dirt.
Shivering from the nurses’ ghost story, he pushed the paranormal story to the back of his mind and headed to his office to research what options he could provide for Tony.
Tears of Sorrow
A fourteen year old Gabe sat on the dock, holding his fishing rod steady, his long legs dangling over the edge. He watched with disdain as the fish came within inches of the hook, then, as though they had an intuitive sixth sense, they would turn around and swim away. After sitting there for over two hours, he sighed with frustration and decided to pack it in and head home.
Not in a hurry to get home, he took the long path back up the hill toward the main road. Carrying his fishing rod and tackle box in his right hand, he let his left hand waft gently over the tops of the long meadow grass.
The slender blades bent over easily, the beige stalks bowing to the every whim of his gestures. As soon as his hand was past, the reeds of grass would quickly stand erect again; like a perfectly programmed army of golden soldiers.
Millions of blades of grass, all perfectly aligned, tamed to grow in flawless formation. Conformity rewarded by protection from the elements and longer life cycles.
Gabe continued up the winding path, the fields of grass choking each sides of the journey up the hill. Off in the distance, Gabe noticed a small clearing in the ranks of the meadow. An opening within the sea of grass that overlooked the breathtaking cliffs that traced the outskirts of the Greek landscape.
Looking intently, he saw a lone wildflower basking in the ocean breeze of the Mediterranean coast. It proudly flexed its teal leaves, like open arms embracing the clear blue sky. The deep sapphire of its petals blossomed boldly as though announcing its existence to the world.
Gabe smiled as he admired the brave and vibrant little flower.
Breathing deeply, he saturated his lungs with the salty scent of the ocean waters. Trudging slowly up the hill, he realized his stomach was snarling at him. He picked up the pace, imagining the wonderful lunch his mother was likely making him.
As he topped the grassy hill, he could see his family’s cottage nestled within the trees.
Nearing his home, he was startled to hear angry shouts, profanities and screaming emanating from within the normally peaceful home. Frightened, he dropped his fishing gear and ran to the front door. Just a few feet from the door, a piercing shot fired that echoed throughout the secluded valley.
Paralyzed, Gabe skidded to a halt and listened with horror to the sound of his mother’s scream followed by a tremendous thud.
Flinging open the door, he was witness to the worst sight of his life. His father was lying on the floor, a large hole gouged out of his chest, blood pooling around his lifeless body. His mother was sobbing, huddled in a far corner of the kitchen, frantically trying to shield Anna and Dimitris from harm.
Gabe turned to face the intruder who was screaming furiously at his mother. A large dark-haired man stood poised in the tiny kitchen, pointing a shotgun at his mother and siblings. Fury flooded Gabe’s body. His hands clenched so hard his nails drew blood within the creases of his palms.
He lunged with force at the man, snarling as he attacked. His fifteen year old body turned lethal as pure rage coursed through his blood. He knocked the shotgun from the man’s hands and wrestled him to the ground.
Managing to pin the man to the floor, Gabe proceeded to pummel the stranger’s face repeatedly with all his strength. The man pushed Gabe off, knocking the boy across the kitchen. Dazed and bleeding, the man grabbed his gun and darted for the open door.
Stunned and confused, Gabe debated whether to console his weeping family or race after the offender. Just as he'd decided to run after his father’s murderer, his mother called to him softly.
“Gabriel.” Her voice was but a defeated whisper. “Oh, God, Gabriel. He killed Angelo.”
Realizing the trauma which he had just sustained, Gabe felt his legs go weak. He had no choice but to surrender to his body’s collapse as he sat clumsily on the floor. His head cradled within his hands, he wept tears of sorrow for his now dead father.
The world felt as though it had spun its last revolution as the Konstantinos family reeled from their painful and frightening experience.
Shattered
Perusing several medical encyclopedias sprawled open on his desk, David’s pointer finger slid methodically down the pages, occasionally jotting down notes.
Sighing, he removed his glasses, placing them on top of one of the open books. He rubbed his tired eyes as he considered the limited strategies he had for helping Tony. With Tony’s failing heart and aging body, it left no option other than a complete heart transplant. The waiting list for heart patients, however, was less than forgiving.
Glancing at the clock, he was relieved to see his shift was over in an hour. Leaning back in his chair, David closed his eyes. His thoughts drifted back to the paranormal conversation between the nurses and himself.
Chuckling a bit, he decided to file that story in the ‘stuff I didn’t want to know’ area of his brain.
Besides, he thought to himself, if ghosts were real and could come ‘visit’, my mother would surely have come to me…wouldn’t she?
“Jeez,” he mumbled under his breath, “next you’ll be questioning the existence of leprechauns or angels.”
Standing and stretching, he put his glasses back on his face and closed up the medical books.
“Code blue…code blue, room 217, code blue…all available staff on unit 6, please assist.” A nurse’s serious voice echoed through the intercom. Code blue stood for ‘patient requiring immediate resuscitation.’
“Room 217...” David repeated as adrenaline rushed through his body, creating an unpleasant pins and needles sensation. “Tony!”
David flung open his office door and started running. Turning a corner, he nearly bowled over an old woman shuffling slowly down the hall. Horrified, she let out a surprised yelp and clutched her intravenous pole for dear life.
“Sorry.” He uttered, then continued to room 217. Entering the room, David saw several nurses assisting a blonde female doctor he didn't recognize.
Feeling his heart pounding in his chest, he wove his way through the bustling nurses and began assessing what he should do to help. The nurses had Tony’s lifeless body hooked up to the machines, reading his vitals and the crash cart was on its way.
The moment turned to slow motion as the female doctor delegated duties to the team.
David began administering oxygen with a resuscitation mask, pumping air into Tony’s lungs, coordinating with the female doctor’s manual compressions.
'Dr. Alexandra Maddox' David noted, glancing at the mystery doctor's name tag. Her blonde hair pulled into a bun and her blue eyes fierce with concentration, she appeared cool and professional. Her mannerism reminded David of his own dedication to his work.
She was a taller woman of obvious athleticism. It's funny, he thought, she looks like a female version of me.
Pausing, he tried to remember if he’d seen her around the hospital. David liked to get know the doctors and their abilities before they assisted with any of his patients, not that he was going to be picky in this emergency though.
“Crash cart! Coming through!” A heavy set nurse yelled, sending the team scattering out of her way. Dr. Maddox stopped the manual resuscitation as David prepared to use the def
ibrillator paddles.
“Clear!!” David yelled as he placed the charged paddles on Tony’s chest. The heart monitor registered each blast and gave a minor beep in acknowledgment. Frustrated, David kept it up. Charging the paddles, clearing the team and jolting Tony’s large chest, hoping it would be the charge to bring his patient, his friend, back to him.
After the fourth try, the monitor registered a tiny, extra beep past the original one. Then a flat line. Hopeful, David kept going. Fifth try nothing. The sixth attempt appeared to not register...at first. Then, an erratic heartbeat forced its way onto the screen.
Life thundered back into Tony’s body as he thrashed about the gurney. Tearing off his oxygen mask, he sputtered and gagged, trying to catch his breath. His arms and legs flailed as the medical team tried to subdue him.
Settling down, Tony noticed David standing beside the bed. With wild eyes, Tony grabbed David’s collar and reeled him. Face to face, Tony tried to speak to him, tears pouring down the old man's face.
“Ohhhhhh….” Tony wailed.
“It’s okay Tony!” David grinned at Tony, “I brought you back!”
Struggling to form words through his sobs, Tony finally yelled out, “Nooooo!!! Let me go back…please, please, I want to go back...”
“But…Tony…”
Suddenly, Tony stopped crying. He looked past David’s shoulder, to the back of the room. Smiling with peace painted upon his face, he sat up and reached toward the empty space behind David.
David looked around, perplexed. No one else in the room appeared to see what Tony was seeing.
As Tony lay back onto the bed, the heart monitor began beeping erratically. With one final breath, Tony smiled and whispered, “The light…the light...”
David's head swam as he felt reality cave in. Tony's last words resonated within him in like a symphony had struck a chord in his soul. Stunned, he backed up against the far wall, slid slowly to the floor and tried to piece together his shattered world.
Dimensions of Genesis Page 5
