Carissa's Law

by Misty Boyd

“Oh, yes, ma’am.” Sandy apologized. “I’m sorry. I should have known that with the spina bifida and all. I’ll bring the catheter.”

  Carissa smiled. “It’s fine. Not everyone thinks of it.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Carissa was left alone with her thoughts and her hospital booties. She put everything on, including the little gown that didn’t cover anything, and climbed onto the bed. She didn’t understand the point of those. She might as well be naked when Isaac came back there.

  Sandy popped back in with the catheter just as Carissa was getting settled on the hospital bed.

  “Do you need any help with this? I assume not. You’re probably better at it than me.”

  Carissa took it. “No, ma’am. No help needed. I’m pretty good at it. Thanks!”

  “Okay, then. You okay if I go get your family? You should be settled back in bed before we get back.”

  “That’s fine.” Sandy left, and Carissa went to empty her bladder into the cup. The nurse had been right about the timing. Just about the time she got settled in the bed again, Isaac and her parents walked in the room.

  “I like your hat,” Isaac smirked.

  She blew him a raspberry. “Ha, very funny.”

  The nurse came back with all the equipment needed to start Carissa’s IV.

  “Great,” Carissa thought.

  “Which arm do we like?” the nurse asked.

  “I have a good vein on the left arm… riiiiight here.” Carissa grinned. She didn’t know where Sandy got the “we” from. No one was shoving a needle in her arm.

  “Works for me!” Sandy laughed. “I’ll take the one the pro knows!”

  She rubbed Carissa’s arm with alcohol, let it dry, then stuck the needle in. Carissa winced; she hated IVs. Needles were never fun, no matter how “pro” you were.

  “Okay, all done. I’m going to start some fluids,” Sandy announced. “Are you nervous? I can ask the doctor to give you something to calm you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She needed calming.

  “I’ll go get that.”

  “Thank you.” Carissa laid back in the bed.

  The nurse left them alone in the room. There was some light chatter between Jim and Isaac, but Sarah and Carissa didn’t talk much. They just waited. Soon, medical professionals were coming in and out non-stop to get information out of Carissa before surgery, so there wasn’t much time to say anything else.

  The different medical staff people asked Carissa the same line of questions about six times. She wondered why the first guy didn’t just come in, ask all the questions, and then deliver the message to everyone else. She knew, though, that they were looking for discrepancies. They wanted to make sure she gave the same answers every time so they could know they weren’t getting false information, whether by mistake or on purpose. One false answer could be life or death when you were unconscious on an operating table.

  Carissa had no reason to lie, so she gave the same answers repeatedly until she thought she might forget the answers altogether. During all the questioning, the nurse came in and gave Carissa the calming medicine she had asked for, and her nerves finally settled.

  “Thank God for modern medicine, huh? I wish they had some of that for me,” Sarah said.

  “I wish they had this stuff for everyone,” Carissa replied.

  Just then, a short, bald man in blue scrubs came in, introduced himself as the limo driver, and told everyone it was time to get the show going.

  “Okay, kiddo!” Jim said. “Show ’em what ya got!”

  “I love you, Carissa. You’ll do great.” Sarah kissed her on the forehead and hugged her as best she could with all the paraphernalia in and around her daughter.

  Isaac walked over, tears in his eyes, and leaned in and kissed her. “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered back. “Ha! You kissed me in front of my dad!” And the “limo driver” rolled Carissa away.

  “Now we wait,” Jim said.

  “Yep,” Sarah responded.

  “Well, does anybody want some breakfast?” Jim asked. “Carissa won’t mind now. We won’t be eating in front of her. Let’s go down and see what kind of hospital slop we can pull together.”

  Sarah and Isaac agreed, and they headed toward the hospital cafeteria.

  They managed to find some over-done scrambled eggs, some under-done bacon, and some semi-warm coffee. It was about as good as it got for hospital food. Ketchup would make up the difference between the slop it was and the food they wanted it to be. Enough cream and sugar would make the coffee palatable. At least they could hope.

  Isaac tried to pay for his, but Jim covered it when they got to the register.

  “Thank you, sir. You didn’t have to.”

  “It’s no problem, son. I’ve got it.”

  They took a table near the window and started in on the breakfast pretending to be breakfast.

  “Mmmm… hospital food,” Sarah joked. “We’ve had too much of this stuff in our lifetimes, huh, Jim?”

  “Yes, we have,” he replied. “I think I’m almost starting to tolerate it. Is that a bad sign? Do you think I’m catching something?”

  “Probably. Stick out your tongue.” She held up her spoon like a thermometer.

  Jim shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”

  “Well, I can’t check if you won’t let me see it. Guess you’ll just have to be a sicko.”

  “Fine with me!” Jim laughed.

  They finished breakfast and still had some time to kill, so they went down to the hospital garden to sit and take in a view and smell non-antiseptic air.

  Jim looked over at Isaac. “Isaac, I want you to know I think it means a lot to Carissa that you came today. And it means a lot to us, too. You’re quite the gentleman,” Jim said.

  Isaac glanced away for just a second, then locked eyes with Carissa’s father. “I wouldn’t miss this, sir. I like Carissa a lot, and I wouldn’t want her to go through this alone. I don’t want to be anywhere else today,” he said. “I don’t know what I else I’d be doing if I wasn’t here. I’d probably be pacing my room until someone called me. I’d rather know right away that she’s okay and comfortable.”

  “Well, we appreciate it,” Jim said, laying a hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “She really likes having your support.”

  They sat in the garden and looked at the flowers some more, Sarah identifying each one for the guys. As the morning went on, it got too hot to be outside, so they went back to the waiting room. Shortly after they arrived, the nurse came out to update them on Carissa’s progress.

  “Carissa is doing fine. We’re just closing up now, and she’ll go to recovery for a little while. At that point, Dr. Brock will come out and tell you things from his perspective,” the surgery room nurse told them. “When she starts to wake up a little bit, we’ll come get you so you can go in and see her, two at a time. Everything has gone well to this point, though, and we don’t expect any complications. She should be done really soon.”

  “Thank you,” Sarah said.

  The nurse walked away, and they simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know it was almost over and she had done well. No one expected less out of Carissa, but it was still good to hear it was true.

  “Man, I’m glad we’re on the downhill side of this,” Jim admitted.

  “Yeah,” Isaac agreed.

  “I just want to see my girl,” Sarah replied.

  It took about another hour for the doctor to come out. When he did, he took a seat in the middle of them to tell them how the surgery had gone.

  “Carissa looks good. She went through the surgery well, and I think she might regain all of her previous movement and sensation. Her bladder may come back to normal as well. Of course, everything is kind of ‘wait and see’ at this point, but I’m optimistic.” Dr. Brock paused. “I’m glad Dr. Taylor caught what he did on his end; otherwise, this could have gone on for much longer and been much more damaging. Hon
estly, I think it went as well as we could expect. She could be out of here in as little as a few days, depending on how well her spine recovers. I expect some outpatient rehabilitation for a while, but things look really good. You should be able to see her in a half-hour or so. Any questions for me?”

  “No. Thank you so much, Doctor,” Sarah said. “I just want to see my baby again.”

  “You will soon,” Dr. Brock assured her. “Let me go back and check on how things are progressing, and I’ll send a nurse out as soon as you can come back.”

  Dr. Brock left and, once again, a sigh of relief filled the room. It had gone well. She would only stay a couple of days. They really couldn’t ask for more. All this was definitely good news.

  It wasn’t long before a nurse came out and told them they could come back to see Carissa, but only two at a time, so as not to overwhelm her or crowd the room.

  “You guys go back. I’ll wait,” Isaac volunteered. “You’re her parents. I’m sure she wants to see you.”

  “Are you sure?” Jim said. “I don’t mind waiting. I mean, not forever. That’s my little girl back there, but I can wait for a bit.”

  “No, no,” Isaac protested. “That’s okay. Go on back. She’ll want her dad.”

  Sarah hugged Isaac, and she and Jim headed back to see Carissa. When they got to her room, she was drowsy, but awake.

  “Hi, honey. Are you in any pain?” Jim asked.

  “A little. Not too much.” Her words were slurred and a little slow. “Just tired. How did I do?”

  “Dr. Brock said you did great, and he expects you to return to normal. He said you’ll probably be out of here in a few days,” Sarah told her.

  “Good. I want to go home.”

  “Hold on there, kiddo! We don’t even know if you can still walk!” Jim said.

  “Dad!” Carissa half-yelled, half-mumbled through the anesthesia working its way out of her system.

  “Jim, that’s not funny,” Sarah scolded.

  “It’s kinda funny,” Carissa giggled. “Hey, did Isaac stay?”

  “Yes, he did,” Jim said, his voice positive and almost admiring. “But they would only let us back two at a time. He’s in the waiting room. I’ll go get him before your mom slaps me for making more jokes.”

  Jim left the room and went to get Isaac. “Someone is asking for you,” he told Isaac.

  “Is she? How does she look?” Isaac looked concerned.

  Jim smiled. “Good. Tired, but good. Not too much pain.”

  “That’s fantastic.” Isaac got up. “I’m gonna go back.”

  “Okay, I’ll be here,” Jim said.

  Isaac walked down the hall to the post-op rooms and found Carissa’s name on one of the doors. Hesitantly, he opened it. It would be hard to see her like this, but it would be harder not to see her. He peeked around the corner. “Hey, can I come in?”

  “Come on!” Sarah said, from closer to the bed.

  He walked in and stopped. Carissa looked so tiny and frail in the bed. She had always been tiny, but the bed and blankets, along with all the equipment around her, made her look even smaller.

  “Hey, you,” Carissa said, smiling up at him. “I’m okay. It hurts a little, but I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. You look worried.”

  “I just really care, and it’s harder to see you like this than I thought.” He moved to the bedside and reached for Carissa’s hand.

  “I’m gonna step outside and let you guys talk,” Sarah announced. “Isaac, if you need anything, or if she needs anything, I’ll be in the waiting room.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

  “Isaac, you can go if you want to,” Carissa said. “My dad can take you home.”

  “I wouldn’t even consider that,” he said, his voice solemn. “I’m here as long as you and your parents will allow. I might have to go home at some point and get clothes, but I’m not leaving for long. I just wouldn’t.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know how I’d sit at home and not be able to see you.”

  “Okay,” she grinned, obviously pleased at his response. “You can stay then, but I won’t be very entertaining.”

  “I’m not looking for entertainment,” he said. “I’m here to support you.”

  “Well, then your first order of duty is to find me a soda.”

  “Can you have that yet?” he wondered, his voice tentative.

  “I don’t know. Why?” She was indignant. “Are you the soda police?”

  His look was stern. “I am until the nurse says you can have one.”

  “Ugh. Are you sure you love me? Love brings sodas,” she pleaded.

  “Love makes sure the nurse says sodas are okay. You get a soda when I hear the nurse okay a soda. There’s a call button in your hand.” He pointed at the device.

  “Ugh! Meanie!”

  “I accept my title. Call the nurse.”

  Carissa pushed the nurse call button on her hand control.

  The nurse answered quickly. “Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”

  “My boyfriend says I have to ask you before he will go get me a soda. He’s mean.”

  “Ha! Now that’s a good boyfriend,” the nurse told her. “You can have a clear soda. Nothing brown or any other color. Clear. You just came out of anesthesia. I don’t want you to mess up your stomach. Clear soda,” she repeated. “That’s if you can figure out how to drink it lying down. Your doctor’s orders say to keep you on your back for twenty-four hours but, if you can figure it out, you can have it.” The nurse hung up.

  “I want a Dr. Pepper,” Carissa said.

  “Great! Sprite it is. I’ll be back,” Isaac replied.

  Chapter 31

  Isaac went on his mission to find a soda. On his way out, he heard Carissa yell, “Mean! You’re mean!” and he chuckled to himself. At least she felt well enough to argue.

  At the end of the hallway, he found his pot of gold, a vending machine. He got himself some chips and a Sprite for Carissa. He also bought a Dr. Pepper for when she could have it.

  He brought the loot back to the room, only to find Carissa sleeping. He decided not to disturb her, and left the Sprite on the table beside her while he took the chips and Dr. Pepper out to the waiting room where her parents were. He knew she’d sneak the Dr. Pepper if he left it there and, if the Dr. Pepper was off limits, he was sure the chips were, too.

  In the waiting room, he found Mr. and Mrs. Schultz sitting in the same seats they had been in while they waited for Carissa to come out of surgery.

  “How’s she doing?” Jim asked.

  “She’s asleep.” Isaac set the Dr. Pepper and chips on one of the tables close by. “She sent me on a soda mission, but couldn’t hold out until I got back. Anesthesia is fighting her hard. She’s losing the battle.”

  “Yeah,” Jim commented, “she’ll be in and out tonight. If you want to go home, I don’t mind taking you. She’ll be okay. You can drive back up tomorrow so you can have a car to come and go as you want to.”

  “If it’s all right with you guys, I’d like to spend the night.” Isaac stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’ll sleep out in the waiting room so I’m not sleeping in the room with her, if that makes you uncomfortable.”

  “You can stay as long as you’d like,” Sarah said gently.

  “If you need to go home at any point, though, just say the word,” Jim put in. “It’s no problem to run you back. And you can sleep where you’re comfortable. She’s not in any condition to do anything we wouldn’t approve of. You can’t get away with much,” Jim replied, smiling indulgently.

  “Yes, sir. I guess you’re right,” Isaac said. “Just trying to be respectful.”

  “I appreciate that.” Jim leaned back in the waiting room chair.

  They sat in the waiting room for a long while, letting Carissa rest. After some time, the receptionist came over.

  “Are you guys with Carissa Schultz?”

  “Yes, we’re her mom and dad,” Sarah answered.

  “
Well, her nurse asked me to let you know that she’s fully awake now, and she’ll be moving to a regular room soon,” the woman said. “You may want to go back and find out where they’ll be taking her.”

  “Thank you,” Jim said.

  They got up and headed back toward Carissa’s room. “I assume we can all go back together, since they’ll be moving her soon anyway. If not, well, we’re doing it anyway!” he said as they walked down the hallway.

  When they got to the room, they found Carissa with Sprite in hand, precariously drinking from a straw while lying flat and trying not to spill it on her face.

  “Ha! Well, the nurse DID say you could have it if you could figure it out,” Isaac laughed.

  “I’m a pro,” Carissa said around the straw. “Sorry I fell asleep.”

  “It’s okay. You need to rest.” Isaac touched her hand gently. “We have couch parties to get to.”

  “Yay, couch parties!” Carissa beamed at the thought. “As soon as they let me do something besides stare at the ceiling.”

  “I can wait,” Isaac replied.

  Then the nurse came in to take Carissa to the room where she’d stay for the remainder of her time in the hospital. Everyone followed down the hallway behind the big bed, Carissa still sipping on her Sprite.

  An elevator and two floors later, they were settled into the room they’d be in until Carissa was released. The nurse came in and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Chris. I’ll be taking care of you for the rest of the day. If you need anything, you have a call button right here. Do you know how to use it?”

  “Yeah, I kinda do this hospital thing,” Carissa replied.

  “Great! I see you have a Sprite. How’s it doing on your stomach?” he asked, fussing with her pillows to make sure she was comfortable. “Are you nauseous or anything?”

  “Nah, I’m fine,” Carissa told him.

  “Good deal. Do you think you could handle some crackers if I brought them?” Chris asked. “We want you to eat just a little bit tonight, and tomorrow we’ll sit you up and make things easier. Then you can have a full breakfast. Sound good?”

  Carissa nodded. “Crackers sound okay. I’m not hungry. Still a little sleepy from everything. But I’ll eat them if you bring them.”