Love On The Brazos

by Carlton, Susan Leigh

  It is believed she swerved to avoid a head-on collision with a drunken driver. Her car rolled several times, and they had to use the jaws of life to cut her free. I was told by the Life Flite crew the drunken driver was involved in a multiple fatality accident further down the highway.

  Marian asked her husband, “Jim, do you think I should call Michael?”

  “Yes, absolutely, do you have his number? If you don’t, I have First City’s number. I’ll call them.”

  Using his wife’s iPhone, he called the number he had for the bank’s investment department. He reached an operator and asked for Michael. “This is Jim Carlyle. This is an emergency; I need to speak with Michael immediately.

  Michael, this is Jordy’s dad. Jordy’s been in an accident. She was Life Flited to Hermann and is in surgery.” In response to a question, he said, “Yes, she’s alive, but that’s about all we know. We just spoke with a nurse from surgery. We’re in the surgical waiting room…

  Okay, we’ll see you then. Michael, be careful, we don’t need another.”

  Michael made it to the medical center in much less time than Jordy’s parents had. He rushed into the surgical waiting room and found her parents the only ones there other than the staff member. Michael looked as if he had run through a car wash, brushes and all. “How is she? Do you have any word yet?”

  “No, we don’t. We’re still waiting for the surgeon.”

  As she said that, the same nurse appeared at the doors to the surgical suite. The doctor will be with you shortly. They are closing now. Your daughter will be taken to surgical recovery and then to the ICU. The doctor should be out in just a few minutes. You can wait in conference room 2, just over there pointed to a small room on the side wall of the waiting room. She turned and went back into the surgery area.

  Jim Carlyle, his wife Marian and Michael Simms sat in the small consultation room to wait for the surgeon.

  “Have they told you what happened,” Michael asked?

  “Jordy was on her way back from College Station and was approaching the Prairie View exit on 290. A car was in her lane going the wrong way. She swerved to miss him, and her car went off the road and rolled several times. The driver was drunk and had another accident just down the road, resulting in multiple fatalities. He was not hurt.

  Firemen from Prairie View cut her out of the car, and she was Life Flited here. We don’t know the details of her injuries yet.”

  “A tired looking doctor walked in. His mask was dangling by one string. He was wearing green scrubs. “Are you the parents of Jordan?”

  Marion said yes we are, and this is Michael Simms, Jordy’s boyfriend.

  “I’m Dr. James and I have been working on your daughter. She has multiple injuries. She has a skull fracture. Fortunately it was not depressed. With the skull fracture, she has a concussion. She will have to be watched closely in case of a swelling of the brain. The fracture will most likely heal on its own. She has several fractured ribs. We were concerned about the possibility of the lung being punctured, but that was not the case. She has a compound fracture of her left forearm and clavicle. There were quite a few cuts from the glass but none of them serious. There doesn’t appear to be internal bleeding such as we would see in a collision.

  Because of the skull fractures, she will naturally be in ICU. We will probably put her in a medically induced coma to give the brain the opportunity to recover from the trauma.

  You will be able to see her when she is out of recovery and in the ICU. She will not be awake. My opinion is she will make a full recovery. The ribs are going to be very painful, but that is treatable. You just have to wait and see about the skull fractures and concussion. She’s a fortunate girl in one way. If she had collided with the other driver head-on at highway speeds, it would not have been survivable. That’s all I can tell you now. If you want to know her status, ask a nurse. They operate under a policy where if you ask, you get the unvarnished truth. If you don’t think you can handle it, don’t ask. I will be monitoring her condition as long as I’m on service.”

  He shook hands and left the room.

  Marian Carlyle was sobbing softly; her husband had a stricken look on his face, and his face was ashen.

  Michael went to Mrs. Carlyle and whispered in her ear, “I think we should have someone look at your husband. He appears to be in shock. Would you like for me to handle it?”

  “Would you please, Michael?”

  Michael went to the staff member manning the desk and told her they were concerned about Mr. Carlyle, who was a recovering stroke victim. She made a call and a nurse came hurrying in to check him.

  “Was he treated here for the stroke,” she asked? What about heart problems?”

  “He was treated at Methodist. The stroke was caused by a clot.” He is on medication for his blood pressure and cholesterol. He is also on an aspirin regimen. “We were just told the condition of our daughter, and he’s taking it hard. She’s our only child.”

  “His pulse is rapid, but steady, his BP is elevated. Come with me and we’ll take him where he can lie down, and I think he’ll be okay in a few minutes.”

  They followed her to a lounge, where Jim was able to lie down, although not without protest. “Jim, you have to relax and follow orders. We have enough on our plate without you having another stroke.”

  “I’m not going to have another stroke,” he said.

  “Jim, for once do as you’re told and be quiet.”

  “Yes Marian.”

  * * *

  It was another hour before someone other than the nurse came in. Then an orthopedic surgeon came in. Mr. And Mrs. Carlyle? I’m Dr. Flores and I’ve been treating your daughter’s fractures. The arm was problematic because it was compounded, with bone protruding through the skin. Fortunately, it missed the major nerves and the blood vessels. There was some damage to the muscle; I stitched the muscle, and I reduced the fracture and closed the wound. Because of the clavicle, she is in a half body cast and will be for a few days; then we will just cast the forearm. I don’t think there is any lasting damage, but she won’t be a pretty sight when you see her. She will be taken to recovery within the next few minutes. She will be in recovery for about two hours and then moved to ICU. You will be able to see her in the ICU. The attendant will give you a pager, so if you want to go to the cafeteria or such, just check out with the desk, and if there’s any change in condition, you can be paged.” He shook hands, and acknowledged their thanks, then left the room.

  Michael said, “Well, so we wait again. Would you like to go to the cafeteria? I can sign out with the desk.”

  “I don’t think so, Michael. Thanks anyway,” a distraught Marian said.

  “What about coffee or tea?”

  “No, I don’t want to leave.”

  “Okay, maybe later.”

  Jim asked, “Michael, where are you on our new agreement.”

  “We’re going to go for it, Jim. We really don’t have a choice if we want to keep your business, and we do. It’s a shame all of this came up because of that idiot Merriam. Jordy was looking for an investor for her project, and he got carried away, and then insulted her with his sexist remark.”

  “Jordy can be a terror when she gets her dander up.”

  Ruefully, Michael said, “Tell me about it.”

  “What are you two going to do?”

  “Truthfully, I don’t know. We had a dinner date tonight and planned to discuss it.”

  * * *

  A nurse came in and said, “Carlyle family?”

  All three stood and walked to the nurse. She said, “Jordan is in the ICU. You can go in now, but for ten minutes only. She is not awake and won’t know you’re there. This first time, all three of you can go in quietly. After this, visits are allowed on the hour and for two visitors, ten minutes only. We have a decontamination station just inside the ICU. You will need to wash your hands before entering the unit. Prepare yourself. She is in a half cast, and you are going to see several lin
es coming from her body. She has 2 IV lines for medication and rehydration. She has a catheter. She also has a breathing tube in her mouth and oxygen feed. It is not a pleasant sight. Come with me please.” They followed the nurse into the ICU and into a patient area. Little of Jordy’s skin could be seen due to dressings and the cast. She somewhat resembled a mummy.

  Marian looked at her and fainted dead away. Michael managed to catch her before she hit the floor. He looked at the nurse questioning what should he do. The nurse brought a wheelchair into the room, and Michael eased Marian into it. The nurse obtained a cloth dampened it and placed it on Marian’s forehead. She was beginning to come around. Jim was hovering over her. “Thank you Michael,” he said. “I couldn’t move fast enough.”

  Michael stood by the bed, looking at the unconscious Jordy. “God, I love you Jordan Carlyle.” He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer asking for protection for Jordy. He turned away from the bed to see if he could help with her mother. “Here, Jim, let me help. Marian, do you want to visit anymore before we go back?”

  “Yes, please, would you help me?” The three of them returned to the bedside and stood there. Marian was sobbing silently. Jim had a look on his face of a man accustomed to hiding his feelings. Michael could see tears forming, but he would not cry. Grown men don't cry.

  Outside the unit, in private, Michael asked the nurse, “What is her condition. The doctor said you would tell us if we asked.”

  “She is heavily sedated and is in no pain. Her arm and shoulder are fixed and stationary. The vital signs are good; blood pressure is a bit low, but that is due to the sedation. We have a concern about cranial bleeding. She was bounced from side to side violently, probably after the airbags deflated. The side to side motion caused the concussion. She will be very closely monitored for the next 24 to 48 hours for any symptoms, but until she is allowed to awaken, we can’t really tell about any damage. We just have to wait and see on that. You understand; she is in a medically induced coma. It should help to reduce the possibility of swelling in the brain. That is really all I can tell you now.”

  “Thank you. He returned to Jim and Marian and said, “I’ll push her back to the waiting room, Jim.”

  * * *

  The third day of the coma, Michael asked the nurse his usual question.

  “She is better. We are decreasing the medication that has kept her in the coma. She should awaken gradually. Her vital signs are stronger. Her ribs should be starting to heal as should the other fractures. She’s not out of the woods; we still have to keep a close watch for symptoms of swelling in the cranial cavity.”

  Michael had been going in to his office until mid-afternoon and he decided to forego that the next day. He was there at 9:00AM for the first visitation. Her mother was there also. Jim was under the weather a bit and stayed home. They found the breathing tube had been removed from her throat. Michael hung back while her mother stood over the bed, rubbing the part of her face that was visible. She stepped back and allowed Michael to come to the bed.

  “Michael took the uninjured hand in his, rubbing the back of it with his thumb, when he heard a voice so faint, he thought he imagined it saying, “Michael”. It was not his imagination. He heard it again. He turned and motioned to Marian.

  “Welcome back to the world honey. I love you.”

  Very faintly, “Love you too.” Tears streamed down his cheeks. He stepped back and went to get the nurse.

  “She’s awake,” he told the nurse. The nurse came in and checked her over. Both Marian and Michael’s cheeks had tears streaming down. Michael closed his eyes and said softly, “Thank you, Lord.”

  "Sleepy," said the muffled voice and she drifted off again. She would be in and out of it all day.

  Michael quietly left the room and drove to the Carlyle home. He rang the bell. Jim Carlyle answered the door and could tell by Michael’s face that he was not the bearer of sad tidings. “Jim she’s awake. I’ve come to take you there if you feel up to it.”

  “Oh God, yes. Let me shave and get some decent clothes and I’ll be good to go.”

  When Michael walked into the waiting room with Jim, Marian’s face lit up. She hurried to him and said, “She’s awake, Jim. Well, Part of the time anyway.”

  At the next visitor’s scheduled time, Marian said, “Michael, you go in with Jim.”

  “No, you’re her parents. You go in. I’ll be here until they chase me out tonight.”

  She caught Michael’s eye and silently mouthed “Thank you.” Michael nodded and sat down, more relieved than he had been since before the accident.

  Chapter 13 Wide Awake

  When Michael returned to the hospital the next morning, he found an awake, not totally alert but badly bruised Jordy. He moved to her bedside and took her uninjured hand. Good morning you beautiful girl. I have missed you. I have wanted to tell you just how much I have come to love you. When I thought we might lose you, my world fell apart. When I told you I loved you, and you said ‘Love you too’, it was as if a giant elephant had been lifted from my chest.” He covered her small hand with both of his and said “Jordan Carlyle; I love you.”

  “I heard you when I was asleep. I heard you say that. I don’t remember saying I love you too, and if I did it was in my vegetative state and you can’t hold a girl responsible for what she says when she’s unconscious.” This was said with just the hint of a twinkle in her eye, the first sign the old Jordy was lurking somewhere in the battered body before him.”

  “Well you said it and I have an irrefutable witness.”

  “Mom didn’t hear me.”

  “No, but God did. He and I have gotten close while I was praying for your recovery.”

  “Did you really? Pray for me, I mean?”

  “I did indeed, and it was answered.”

  “I was going to tell you yesterday, but the accident happened.”

  “Honey, the accident was four days ago. You’ve been out that long.”

  “Michael what happened?”

  He described the accident and her injuries. As he did, his tears flowed once more. “No wonder you guys were worried. How am I now?”

  “You have to be watched for symptoms of a concussion. Your arm and ribs are beginning to heal. Your ribs are going to be sore for some time to come. They will probably remove the body cast today or tomorrow. When they are sure you’re totally stable, you will move to a regular room. Here’s the nurse, time’s up.”

  “Michael, kiss me please?”

  He did, and it was the softest, most gentle kiss ever. “See you soon. Love you.”

  “Michael?” He turned. “Love you too,” she said in a voice hoarse from the breathing tube.

  * * *

  When Michael’s phone rang he picked it up before his secretary could answer. “Michael Simms, good morning.”

  “Michael, This is Marian…”

  Before she could say anything else, Michael interrupted, “Is Jordy okay? Did something happen?”

  “No, no, this is good news. She’s been moved out of intensive care and into a private room. Her room number is 1032. They’ve removed the big cast and have her ribs taped. Of course, she still has the cast on her arm.”

  “That’s great. I’m going over as soon as I get a couple of things wrapped up. Thanks for calling, Marian. I appreciate it.”

  * * *

  Michael walked into Room 1032 carrying two dozen long stemmed roses in a crystal vase. They had multiple colors, and they brightened the room. Jordy displayed her brightest smile for Michael. It made the room brighter still. In a voice still raspy, she said, “I’m so glad to see you. Put the flowers down and give me a kiss.” He obliged her and said, “You must be feeling better, already giving me orders.”

  Some of the bruises were turning yellow and green, and the small cuts on her face were healing well also. Michael leaned over the bed and kissed each wound gently. “That will help the healing process. Can you get up?”

  “They’ve had me sit on the
side of the bed. It was really painful, but they gave me something for it. They don’t want me getting up without someone assisting for now.”

  “Well, that makes sense. You probably will be wobbly for a day or so, and they are afraid of a fall. I’ll ask the nurse if I can help you in a wheel chair. Do you have any other cuts and bruises?”

  “Pull the covers back and look. I couldn’t tell before because of the cast.”

  He pulled the sheet and blanket back. She was wearing one of those hospital gowns that do not allow for modesty. Michael looked at her legs. There were a few bruises fading from blue to a green. He placed a hand on a leg and softly rubbed it.

  “That feels good. Keep going.”

  He rubbed the thigh and heard her moan softly. Quickly removing his hand, “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, it just felt good, now check the upper part.”

  “I did as far as I could see.”

  “Then you’ll just have to use the Braille method for the rest.”

  At first, he didn’t get it but then he caught on and said, No, someone might come in.”

  “Chicken.”

  “How would you feel if your mother and dad walked in and found me with my hand under your gown?”

  “I would just tell them I had a sore spot, and you were massaging it. Have I told you that I love you today? In case I haven’t, I do. Love you, that is. That was awfully sweet of you to get my dad when I woke up.”

  “I know how much you mean to him and knew he would want to see you as soon as possible.”

  “Well, it was very thoughtful of you.”

  “Can you be serious while we have some privacy?”

  “Ohhhh, this sounds ominous. Yes, I can be serious. What is it?”

  “We talked about us before, and you weren’t sure it was possible. Right now, there is an ‘us’. Where do you want to go with it? You know I love you, and I’d like to have some idea of your thoughts about the future. Our future.”