“Yeah, but you texted me, so naturally, I’m here.”
“I texted you to inform you that she’s ok because I know you’re worried about her. I’ve already violated privacy by letting you know that. And that’s the extent of my obligation to you. Now, shoo.”
“Mom, I gotta see her. She’ll want to see me. I’m all she’s got.”
Her face softens. Then she sighs. “Honey, I know, but I can’t bend this rule for you, especially because I’m the charge nurse and you’re my son. I can definitely get in trouble. Besides, you might excite her too much, and we’re not advising that.”
She looks around and moves away from the station, taking me with her. She lowers her voice. “Josephine had a cardiac arrest, sweetie. They performed CPR for ten minutes, and that’s too long without a heartbeat. Her mother did four, and the machine did another six. They had to shock her with an AED in the ambulance to restart her heart, which fortunately, revived her. So she needs rest and monitoring in the ICU.”
My nose flares, and I avoid her eyes. Fuck, I’m getting emotional just listening to that. I could’ve lost her last night, and if I don’t get a hold of myself, I’m going to cry my ass off in front of my mother. “Is she gonna be ok, mom?”
She places her hand on my shoulder. “She’s young and strong. As long as she recovers well, she’ll pull through, honey.”
“But that’s just it. She’s young and healthy. How the hell did she suffer cardiac arrest?”
She bites her lip and looks around the wing. “Listen, they’re allowing their housekeeper, Nilda, to see her because she’s all she’s got at the moment. They haven’t reached her aunt, who is currently on a business trip in Europe. Nilda went to the cafeteria to grab a snack, and she should be back soon. I’ll allow you to stay in the lobby until she returns and you can ask her yourself. If she’s willing to share, then you’re in luck. If not, you gotta go.”
I scrunch my brows. “What happened to her parents?”
“You have to ask her that yourself. Now, I need to work. Wait there.” She points to the waiting area and leaves.
After mulling things over, I let things rest and walk to the waiting area. I don’t have to wait long as Mama Nilda emerges from the elevator, holding a brown bag and a styrofoam coffee cup.
“Mama!” I cry out.
She turns to me. Her eyes widen in surprise. Then, she gives me a look that I can only describe as relief. She walks over to me with a grateful smile and her eyes crinkling. After hugging me, she cups my face with her hands. “I’m so glad to see you.”
I beam. “Mama, can you tell me what happened?”
She nods and leads me to the farthest corner of the room. “It’s gotten complicated, my dear, but our girl is ok. Thank god.”
“I heard she had a cardiac arrest.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Her parents gave her a Haldol shot, and the dose was too high for her to handle that it affected her heart. She started having cardiac arrest shortly after administration.”
I ball my fist and seethe. “Why the hell did they do that?”
“When Joey first woke up this morning, she told me they were going to send her to the Philippines. She tried to run, but her parents stopped her. Naturally, she was kicking and screaming, so they felt like they had to calm her down medically.”
I bare my teeth in anger. Who does that?
She takes my hands. “When they ran tests, they found her with high levels of the drug. They started questioning the parents because health professionals only administer that drug, which they are, but only in a medical setting. How did they obtain one? They can only assume that they got it illegally.”
“How?”
“They’re both medical professionals, my dear, and they have friends in health care.”
I nod. “Of course. It’s child’s play for them.”
“They called CPS and authorities. The police arrested them for child endangerment this morning, and I believe they will investigate them for illegal possession of that drug.”
I lean back in my seat. I’m absolutely dumbfounded. “Arrested. Damn. So she really has nobody.”
“Well, she’ll always have me and her Aunty Helen.”
“Have they reached her?”
She nods. “Just a half hour ago. She’s taking the earliest flight but there are no direct flights. It might take two days before she arrives, but that’s ok. They’re keeping her in the ICU for two weeks. She’ll be safe.”
“Two weeks.” That’s a long time.
“Her parents are out on bail since an hour ago. Of course, money is no object, especially since Ella’s father involved himself in this case.”
“Oh, shit. Jo doesn’t stand a chance.”
“I have to discuss with Helen where she will live after the hospitalization. Her home is unsafe.”
I take a deep breath. “At least, she’s out of that abusive home.”
She takes my hand. “Your mother will not allow you to see her, but I can sneak you in, if you’re interested. But Joey is asleep. She’s been in and out of sleep since she awakened this morning. You just have to be quiet.”
I turn to her and take her hand. “I promise I’ll be brief and won’t bother her.”
She stands up and tells me to follow her. Soon, we’re walking to the hallway. I take a mental note that my mother is not around the premises. A welcome blessing as she will have no problem dragging me out by the ears if she sees me.
Finally, Mama Nilda stops at the sign that says, “6B2,” and I make a mental note. When she opens it, I hear beeping as she ushers me inside the room. The smell of rubbing alcohol and something lemony reaches my nostrils. But I ignore it.
The room is dark, save for the light coming from the monitor that’s collecting Jo’s heart rate, rhythm and vital signs. I watch it for a moment and wish I was a medical professional that can analyze that graph. Then, I turn my attention to the hospital bed. I can’t see her yet, as she’s partly covered behind the hospital curtain. Mama walks to the sink across from her and turns on the light switch. Then she draws the curtains aside, revealing Jo.
My nostrils flare and my eyes sting upon seeing her lying there, so small in a hospital gown in this big hospital bed. She’s connected to the monitor and attached to an IV, dispensing powerful drugs continuously in her veins. She looks bloated, no doubt from the fluids being given to her to keep her hydrated. Finally, I walk over to her, my heart in my throat. When I reach her, I place my hands on the bed rail and I breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing the steady rise and fall of her chest. She breathes freely as she sleeps, and she has color back on her cheeks.
I take her hand gingerly, and she didn’t stir. That’s fine with me, as I don’t want to disturb her. Then, I place her hand on my lips and kiss it. “Don’t worry about anything, Joy. I’ll take care of you.”
After a few more minutes of silent prayer, I walk out with Mama Nilda.
Chapter 59
Josephine
They tell me I’ve been here for three days. I believe them because I’ve lost track of time. They isolated me, so the days and nights transition from one to the other without fanfare. In my hospital bed and within these white walls, my twenty-four hours are long and boring cycles of sleeping and waking.
My body feels different, too. Fatigued and achy, I feel heavy, as if bricks made my bones. I’m on pain meds for chest bruising from the chest compressions. Thank god I didn’t suffer any fractured ribs, but it hurts when I cough.
I notice, too, that everything is fuzzy, and I fear that my cardiac arrest affected my brain. I have lucid moments, but periodically I feel like I float on air. Sometimes I have trouble discerning between dreams and reality because my dreamscapes are often so vivid that I believe it’s real. Then I have flashes of a man with exquisite wavy hair, and I wonder if I’ve seen him somewhere or if I dreamt him.
Often, when voices echo around me, I get confused until I realize I am in the hospital with nurses entering and e
xiting my room. But there’s a mysterious occurrence that baffles me. At midnight, when I am teetering between sleep and wake cycles, the energy of a warm body at my bedside, is undeniable. When emboldened, its hand caresses my cheek. On rare occasions, this person speaks. A male voice. Though my foggy brain makes me unconfident these days, it sounds familiar. But I can’t identify it. One night, I thought I heard him say, “You are so beautiful. Even when you dream.”
Sometimes, I try to pry my eyes open, but in the evenings, I am sedated. So, I dismiss it as another auditory hallucination and fall back to sleep. My doctor explained that this could be a side effect of my medications.
Sounds good to me.
***
“Baby, are you awake? I’m here.”
I wake up to my most favorite sound in the world—a feminine voice that reminds me of wind chimes. My eyes flutter open to see my beloved aunt standing next to me. My heart beats with happiness and relief. “Mom?”
She gasps and tears start falling. I didn’t expect to call her that this morning, but right now, I crave for something other than this sterile white walls. Today it feels proper. I need my Aunty Helen. I need my mother.
She wraps her arms around me and sobs. “I love hearing you say that. Honey, I am so sorry for abandoning you. This is all my fault. You were correct. I am a monster for leaving you with them.”
I shake my head. “I’m ready to hear your story now.”
She nods as she wipes away her tears. “There’s a lot we have to tell you. But first eat your breakfast.”
Mama Nilda comes forward and gives me a kiss on the forehead as a greeting. Then, she and my aunt—now my mother—help me sit up in bed. They wheel the overbed table afterwards, and arrange it over my lap. Mama places my food tray on it while my mom removes the cover to show scrambled egg whites, toasted English muffins and apple slices. She also takes the lid off my bowl of oatmeal and sets a straw in my orange juice. I wrinkle my nose. I guess no bacon for me, then.
Then, I furrow my brows and think of my adoptive parents. What do I call them now? Aunt Ella and Uncle Richard? Then I turn to Mama. “Is it true that the cops arrested them, and they’re in jail?”
She nods. “Well, they were arrested and were in jail, but they are out on bail.”
“Are they back home?” I ask with dread.
“Yes, but they are not allowed to see you, ok?” she responds, catching my fear. “They can’t hurt you anymore, anak.”
I nod. I’m not sure what to think. Do I wish them in prison despite years of tormenting me? Not entirely, but I don’t prefer them near me, either.
Then, I hear a knock on the door, and we look towards it. Dr. Desai, followed by a nurse and two medical students, enters my room. Dr. Desai is the cardiologist who’s been treating me since I’ve been here. He appears to be in his forties. Tall, wiry with olive skin and thick black hair, he is handsome, but he has a pleasant aura which adds to his appeal. His warm smile has the power to heal emotional wounds, and it emerges when he sees me.
“Hello, Josephine. I see that you’re up and eating. That’s good.”
“Well, I’m not dining, yet. Where’s the bacon, doc?”
He laughs and mom chuckles in embarrassment. He looks towards my mother and extends his arm. “You must be Mrs. Madrigal. Josephine’s aunt?”
She shakes his hand. “Ms. Madrigal. Josephine’s mom.”
He gives her another winning smile, and it makes her blush. I look at them with a raised brow. Were they just flirting with each other? Awkward. I clear my throat, making them release each other’s hands.
“So, it looks like your vitals are stable. You’re recovering well.”
I nod. “That’s good. When can I leave?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet, Josephine. We want to monitor you for at least two weeks. We need to make sure everything’s working fine. Then, we’ll transfer you to the regular ward for rehab to strengthen you.”
I groan. I’ll handle isolation from the rest of the world. But for how long?
Then I hear my mom speak. “I’d like to be kept abreast, Dr. Desai. I just arrived from the airport. What happened to my daughter?”
He nods. “Josephine had a cardiac arrest after they administered Haloperidol decanoate. You might know it as a Haldol injection. She developed a drug-induced QT syndrome which caused her heart to stop beating.”
“What is a QT syndrome?” she asks.
“It is a heart rhythm condition that causes the heart to beat erratically. If these rapid heartbeats persist, it can cause sudden death.”
She gasps and cries. Meanwhile, I’m grappling with the fact that I died. So where did I go? A tunnel of light flashes in my head. Then it’s gone and I furrow my brows.
“Normally, this is not an issue for most,” he continues. “But some have higher risk than others.”
“What are the risk factors?”
“There are a few. One is having a first-degree relative with a known diagnosis of long QT syndrome. If I may ask, is there a history of cardiac arrest in the family?”
“My adoptive father suffered a heart attack last year, but we’re not related. And I don’t think it runs in my mother’s side.”
My mom bites her lip. “Not mine, but it does on your biological father’s.”
I snap my head towards her. I never thought of who my actual dad was, as I had just discovered that Ella and Richard adopted me. It’s one hell of a trip, though, to hear that he existed.
Mama Nilda clears her throat. “Yes, she’s right. My son died of cardiac arrest when he was only nineteen and so did his papa at fifty-four.”
My breath hitches, and I look at her, then my mother, and then back again at Mama.
What the heck just happened?
***
I watch Dr. Desai and his entourage leave, no doubt oblivious to the bomb that exploded in the room. Meanwhile, my mother, and now my grandmother, are looking at me with guilty expressions.
I cross my arms. “Exactly how many skeletons are there in my closet? Are you gonna tell me next that wolves raised me? I have an evil twin? Julian is my half-brother—which would be super gross, by the way.”
Mom walks over to me with concern in her eyes. “Now, baby girl. I need you to relax. Let’s mind your fragile heart. We will explain.”
I narrow my eyes at her, then at Mama. “Are you my grandmother?”
She purses her lips. Then, sighs. “Yes, anak. I am.”
I exhale. “If you have more secrets you’re keeping, let me know now. This is getting super old.”
My mom places her hand on my arm. “Ok, sweetheart. Just lean back. We’ll tell you.”
I push my tray aside. I’m no longer hungry. “Fine. Enlighten me.”
She nods. “As you know, your grandmother was born and raised here in California. When she married your grandpa, she had to return every six months to make sure she keeps her US citizenship. Every summer, which is March to June in the Philippines, we would visit your Lola’s family in San Mateo and stay with them until the end of break. Ella and I were born here as well, making us dual citizens, so it was easy for us to travel.”
I look at my mom with furrowed brows. I hope she gets to the point soon because I just want to hear the punchline.
The Night Orchid Page 37
