“Waiting on results from the CT scan of her head and tests they’ve already done. I was going to go to the flat to grab some things she needs. If I give you a list, can you and Andy do that? I already asked, and they’ll let me stay here tonight. You can take your things and freshen up. I know this all happened quickly. Make whatever sleeping arrangements there that you would like.”
“Two beds there, right?” she asked.
“Yes, Mom,” he smiled. “Listen, I need a favor when you get there; can you go to our bedroom first? It’s not that it’s risqué or trashy or anything, but Andy doesn’t need to see it. There’s a picture on the table on my side of the bed. It’s from our trip to Tuscany. We got caught in a rain downpour,” he said sheepishly, “and well, Carlee doesn’t wear a bra…”
“You don’t need to say anything else. I’ll slip it in a drawer.” She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“The sheets in the spare room are clean; you can find clean ones for our bed in the linen closet. No idea what the bathroom or the kitchen will look like…” he mumbled.
“Stop worrying about all that; you have enough to fill your head here. You’ve had a long day,” she told him, kicking into full on ‘momma bear mode,’ as she always did.
“Some birthday party, hunh?” he said, sadly.
~ ~ ~
Matthew and Geni looked in the room and saw Andy stroking Carlee’s head. He’d leaned over and appeared to be whispering in her ear. She was crying, and Matthew and Geni both knew why. She was thinking of her mama, and she was scared…
“Carlee, I need to know why you haven’t gone back to the doctor. We could have already been dealing with whatever this is - had it behind us,” Andy was saying.
“I don’t know, Papa. I guess because I don’t want to know - I’m scared,” she mumbled.
I love her so much. I’m trying not to worry. I’m trying to hide my own fears and be strong for her, but this is killing me on the inside with worry.
~ ~ ~
Later, Andy and Geni went to the flat to take their bags and gather the things Matthew asked for. Geni slipped the picture into the drawer beside the bed, but not without an artistic glance at the photo. It’s beautiful, she thought as she closed the drawer.
When they returned to the hospital it was around 8:30, and the doctor was in the room. “Dr. Saunders, my mom, Geni Davis, and my father-in-law, Andy Stevens,” he introduced them.
“I was just getting ready to talk to Carlee and Matthew about some results that we have so far,” he looked to Carlee.
“I want them all to hear whatever it is you’re going to say,” she said, knowing he was looking to her for guidance.
“This is what we know for now. Carlee, you were right; you are not pregnant," he smiled. “As we explored the results I kept the vertigo diagnosis in mind and reached out to Dr. Withborne. After our conversation I dug a little further into that. Vertigo isn’t a disease or sickness - it’s a symptom of something deeper. With some, it’s fluid in the ears and the vertigo is mild. Yours is not fluid, and we know now that it’s definitely more than a mild reaction.”
Geni watched Matthew gently caressing the backside of Carlee’s hand as she lay there taking in what the doctor was explaining. She watched Andy and saw a more intense look, his attempt to hear and process the information being shared.
“We know that motion is a trigger based on the information you shared about your flight from the U.S. earlier in the summer. It appears that at times, even slight movement brings it on. Dr. Withborne tells me that he’s had you on a mild dose of Valium, which is a proper mask for the symptom. Now, we need to explore further to find out exactly why we need to treat at all. I’m sorry to tell you that you won’t be leaving here for a few days. I’ll be calling on an ear, nose and throat specialist to help us get to the bottom of this. Does anyone have any questions?”
“Not yet,” Carlee said after a moment.
“I’ll check back later,” the doctor told them. He turned to Carlee and said, “You need to rest. They’ll be bringing you some gelatin, some broth, and juice until we settle that tummy down. And they’ll be coming in to set up an IV to give a slightly stronger dose of Valium. An IV will help it remain continuous so we know there’s no break to chance another wave of vomiting. We’ll keep fluids going; you were pretty well dehydrated when you came in.”
~ ~ ~
The four of them sat quietly for a while, processing what the doctor had just shared with them. Finally, it was Carlee who broke the ice.
“White, with butter cream frosting, and that hazelnutty stuff,” she said out of the blue, “like our wedding cake.”
Matthew looked at her, wondering if she was delirious. “What?”
“That’s what kind of birthday cake I want, with lots of roses - yellow. I know it’s late now, but there’d better be a cake here tomorrow.”
“You two stay here a while; I’m gonna go home and shower,” Matthew said to Andy and Geni.
“I will be staying,” he told Carlee. “And I’ll have a quick errand for the two of you to tackle in the morning.”
“Listen to me, all of you, please,” he said. “If Dr. Saunders returns, please call me and put it on speaker so I can hear what he says.”
“Carlee, I love you,” he said and added, “more than words. I’ll be back in an hour, tops.” He kissed her and rushed from the room.
~ ~ ~
In the car, Matthew placed a call to his good friend, Cook. “I need you my friend,” he said when he answered.
“I’ve been waiting all day for your call,” he replied quickly.
“Something is wrong with Carlee; waiting on more info. They admitted her, running tests… I’m going home to shower and then heading back to the hospital,” he rambled. “Where’s that cake?” he asked.
“In the cooler, when do you need it?” Cook asked.
“Carlee’s papa will come pick it up in the morning. We’re having a birthday party in room 213 at London Royal at one tomorrow afternoon.”
“No,” Cook said. “I’ll bring it, and a pan of scones, if it’s alright that I visit. Let her papa be there with her and not be worryin’ about a cake.”
“It’s OK, I already talked to him. I have a couple other things I need him to pick up,” Matthew started, but Cook interrupted.
“No, tell me what you need, and it shall be.”
“Birthday balloons and flowers, white daisies,” Matthew said.
“I’ve got it. I’ll take care of it all. Me and the missus will be there.”
“You’re a good friend, Peter Cook,” Matthew said.
“It’s easy to be a good friend to a good man,” Cook replied.
He hung up and called his friend Michael. “Hey, are you and Deb available for a little birthday party tomorrow?”
“Sure, sure!” Michael replied. “At the flat? What time?”
“Actually, it’ll be at one, in room 213 at London Royal,” Matthew replied.
“London Royal? What’s going on, Matthew?” Michael asked.
“It’s Carlee, we’re still gathering info, but I think she’ll be there a little while.”
“We’ll be there,” Michael reassured him.
~ ~ ~
Matthew showered, changed, had a sandwich, and was back in the room when the doctor returned at 9:40. “Just checking in,” he said. “You’ve had a little time and I wanted to see if there were any questions.”
“One,” Matthew said. “Can we please have some family time around one tomorrow afternoon, and can she have a bite to eat by then?”
Dr. Saunders laughed, remembering. “I believe a birthday was overlooked today. We’ll see how she’s feeling in the morning, but I’m sure she can have a bite of cake by then, and I’ll assure that the tests we run are early in the day. Carlee, rest,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” she replied in a tired voice.
Dr. Saunders left the room. Carlee was ready to rest, and Matthew saw it. “Mom, Andy, please go get settled an
d rest. I’m sure you’re tired after all this. There’s stuff at the flat to make sandwiches. I’m not leaving.”
~ ~ ~
Back at the flat, Geni found meat and cheese to make sandwiches and fixed them a bite to eat. There was no conversation. Andy’s mind was a million places - Geni’s only one. All she could think about was how scared Matthew and Carlee must be about all the unknowns.
Later, Andy turned to her and drew her into his arms. “Geni, I’m not asking for any reason other than I don’t want to be alone. Will you sleep with me tonight? Just the same bed; I don’t want to be alone… thinking about all these different scenarios…”
They dressed for sleep, and climbed into the bed in the spare room. Andy wrapped Geni in his arms, spooning her body against his own. She felt the tears on her skin and turned in his arms to look at him. “Listen to me, Andy Stevens. You have to be strong for Carlee, for Matthew. I can’t imagine the thoughts in their heads, or yours. You can cry here; you can be scared with me. I believe I know some of your fears, but you cannot let them see it. They need your strength.”
They fell asleep, Andy with a woman in his arms for the first time in a lot of years.
~ ~ ~
At the hospital, they moved a recliner into Carlee’s room for Matthew. He grabbed the pillow and blanket they’d provided and turned to move the chair closer to her bed. Carlee reached for him before he settled into the chair.
“Come here, please,” she said in a soft, tired whisper. He went to the side of the bed and leaned to kiss her. She reached for his shirt and pulled him to her. “Can you please just crawl in here with me? I don’t want to sleep alone.”
He carefully crawled in beside her making sure the IV lines were in no danger of tangling or being pulled out. Once settled, he wrapped her in his arms. Their fears brought tears from them both.
Dr. Saunders was completing rounds. He knocked lightly and stuck his head in; if they were awake he was going to talk to them, but he observed that sweet vision and quietly pulled the door closed.
Chapter Four
Andy woke early the next morning and went to the kitchen. He found what he needed to make coffee. Geni joined him, and they sat quietly and sipped the rich brew.
Finally, Geni spoke. “Before we talk about Carlee and Matthew, I want to tell you that last night was nice. Whatever the reason, it felt nice.”
“I know,” he smiled at her, “I liked it, too. I wish the circumstances were different, but it was nice.”
He leaned toward her to place a tender kiss on her lips and said, “I’m gonna call Matt.”
“Good morning, did you rest?” he asked when Matthew answered.
“One of us did, but it wasn’t me,” he laughed. “Let me call you right back. They’re here to take her for an MRI.”
~ ~ ~
Geni showered, and Andy waited for Matthew to call.
“Hey,” he said when he did. “They said she’d be gone an hour or so. I’m going to run down and get a good cup of coffee; they wouldn’t let her have anything, and I didn’t want to drink it in front of her if she couldn’t have any. What I was able to scrounge up here on the floor kinda sucked,” he laughed.
“I made coffee, got a travel cup somewhere, I’ll bring you a cup. How is she?”
“That’d be great,” he said adding, “She’s amazing. She woke in good spirits, and when they came to get her for the MRI she was hurrying them along, telling them to “come on, let’s get this over with, I’m hungry.”
He told Andy where to look to find the travel cup. “I also need a favor. There’s a blue velvet box in the drawer of the table on the left side of our bed. I forgot to grab it when I was there last night. Can you please get it, and then, in my briefcase, by the front door, there’s a gift bag with some paper stuff and a card; can you grab those too, please?”
“Whatever you need. We’ll be there as soon as we get going here. If you think of something else in the next few minutes, call me back.”
Andy went in and sat on the side of the bed. He opened the drawer and as soon as he did he saw the picture. He quickly closed it as Geni entered the room.
“Matt asked me to get a blue box out of this drawer, I wasn’t snooping,” he said quickly.
Geni smiled at him. “If you can turn your ‘Papa eyes’ off and look at it as art, open the drawer and look again. If you can’t see it without being her papa then I’ll get whatever it is he needs.”
He sat there a minute, quietly. “Let me tell you about it first,” she said as she sat beside him on the bed, “and then you can decide if you can look at it. He asked me to put it away, told me that when they were in Tuscany they got caught in a downpour, and this was an unexpected result. It’s really very beautiful Andy, if you can see the art and not just Carlee,” she said again.
He gingerly slid the drawer open and took the picture out. It was beautiful, and he thought about that and all that was going on and started to cry. Geni wrapped her arms around him.
~ ~ ~
They were just returning with Carlee when they arrived.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Andy said and leaned to kiss her cheek.
“Oh, man, is that coffee you have?” she asked Matthew.
“I’ll share,” he smiled. “I know you’re hungry, I’ll run down to the café and get whatever you’d like.”
“They said I can eat if I want, but what I’d like isn’t here,” she smiled. “Mmm… warm brown sugar scones…”
“Let me go see if I can find a close second,” he laughed. “Mom, join me?”
“I’d love to.” Geni kissed Carlee’s cheek, and they left her and Andy alone.
“Papa, whatever this is, we’ll get through it, all of us - together,” she said, seeing the worry on his face. “I know where your head is.”
“Just concerned,” he said, gently smoothing the hair from her face as he’d done so many times over the years. Hasn’t she already had her share? he wondered.
“And scared. I know you.” She paused a moment, then added, “I am too.”
He sat on the side of the bed and wrapped her in his arms. “I love you, sweet girl.”
~ ~ ~
When Matthew and Geni returned, they had an apple turnover, and Carlee devoured it. As she was licking her fingers, savoring the last bite, Doctor Saunders entered and greeted her with a smile.
“Good morning, all. Must have been something good, Carlee,” he said.
“Some kinda apple thingy,” she replied.
“Matthew, I hope you got some rest. I imagine those beds are tight for two,” he smiled again at the vision of them wrapped in each other’s arms.
“It was just right,” Matthew replied with a big smile and added, “Way better than that recliner, and I couldn’t begin to imagine sleeping anywhere else.”
“What’s up, Doc?” Carlee said, and they all laughed.
“Seems your spirits are up since yesterday,” he noted.
“Well, it seems kinda pointless and a waste of my time and energy to sit around here and mope until you tell us something to affirm that moping is necessary.” Carlee replied. Andy looked at her and wondered, once again where her wisdom came from.
“You’re right. No sense moping, because I can tell you honestly that I have no idea yet as to what is going on. I have a few avenues that we will begin to explore.”
“The first being what?” Andy asked quickly.
“As I’ve spoken with Dr. Withborne and Carlee, our first avenue will be to concentrate on labyrinthitis.”
“Which is…?” Andy responded.
“An infection of the labyrinth - the middle ear area; bacteria can enter the inner ear through the cochlear aqueduct - the ear canal,” he explained. “We’ll be looking at that first. It’s the most common culprit in vertigo. I asked Carlee a mass of questions as we’ve talked, seeking information on anything she’s experienced since this began that may have seemed insignificant at the time. Every piece of the puzzle will get
us closer to knowing. We talked about any type of ringing in her ear or discomfort, and she indicated that she didn’t think she’d experienced anything along that line. We will do some tests on that to make sure. We talked about balance and gait, and she indicated that she recalled a few times when she’s had to put her hand out, reached for something to steady herself, but that she didn’t really feel the hazy, dizzy feeling, during those times. Even subtle dizziness is an important symptom to explore.”
“I need to know anything and everything,” he continued. “We also discussed any changes to her eyesight, and while she says she’s not noticed anything, we will be exploring that as well. And we talked about camp and swimming pools, because it could have something to do with water that may have gotten into the ears, and I want to know what kind of water she’s been exposed to. ‘No lake swimming’ made me happy, when I asked her. So this is where we stand at the moment. I’m keeping her here as we go through these tests; that way she’s right here. If we discover something we need to explore further, we can do so quickly. Plus, I don’t want her falling from another lightheaded episode.”
He looked around the room and saw them all deep in thought… absorbing, he thought.
“There’s one more thing,” he said. “Carlee explained a trip home to the U.S. for Christmas,” he looked her way and saw her eyes well up with tears before he continued. “She won’t be flying anywhere until we figure all this out. She knows this and tells me she’s ‘OK with it.’ I’m not quite sure how ‘OK’ she really is, but I explained the importance, and she understands. I’ll give you some time alone. I need to go consult with the ear, nose and throat doctor - you will meet him later. Any questions?” the doctor asked.
“Can we change her into some PJs today, or does she need to be in the hospital gown? Just for today,” Geni asked.
Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3) Page 5
