by Carrie Carr
Chapter Twelve
THE EMERGENCY ROOM for Parkdale Memorial Hospital was crowded, since it was the largest hospital in the county. Amanda stepped through the entrance and was inundated with an overwhelming cacophony of crying children, multiple conversations, and the constant blare of the overhead speaker. She turned to Ellie, who had ridden from Rodney's office with her. "Is it always like this?"
"Pretty much. A lot of folks don't have insurance, so they have to come here for everything."
Ellie gestured to the far side of the room. "The line's not too long. Come on."
Ten minutes later, Amanda was ready to slap the woman in front of them. The woman was trying to get the nurse working the counter to let her call her son, long distance, from the hospital phone. After a particularly loud whine from the woman, Amanda tapped her on the back. "Excuse me."
The woman turned around and wrinkled her nose at the pair. "What?"
"There are several pay phones on that wall," Amanda said as she pointed to their right. "If I give you a dollar, will you leave this poor woman alone and make your damned call?"
"What gives you the right to butt into my business?" the woman sneered.
Ellie cringed when Amanda stiffened, but wisely kept quiet.
In a deadly calm voice, Amanda whispered, "You just lost the dollar. Get out of my way before you have to be admitted."
"Are you threatening me?"
Ellie grabbed Amanda's arm and stepped in front of her. "No, of course she's not. But, please. We need to find out about my cousin, who was recently brought in. I'll loan you my cell phone if you need to make a call that badly."
"No, that's all right." The woman gave Amanda another dirty look. "But I'd advise you to keep her on a leash."
She pushed by them and headed for the pay phones.
"A leash? I'll show her who needs a damned leash." Amanda tried to brush off Ellie's grip.
Ellie stepped to the counter and smiled at the harried, gray-haired woman across from her. "Hi. Could you please tell us if my cousin, Lexington Walters, is still in the emergency room? She was brought in around fifteen minutes ago by ambulance."
The triage nurse, whose badge read Margerie, asked, "Do you have some identification?"
Amanda joined her and handed her driver's license across the counter. "I'm her next of kin."
"Ah." Margerie's fingers flew across her computer keyboard. "I'm sorry, but this shows that she's on her way to intensive care." She glanced up from her screen. "Take the elevator to the second floor and turn left, and show your identification to someone at the nurse's station."
"Thank you." Ellie tugged on Amanda's arm and led her away. "Let's try to keep out of trouble, all right? You won't do Lex any good if you're in jail."
"I wasn't going to do anything." Amanda pushed the up button for the elevator. "That woman just got on my nerves."
"Mine, too." When the elevator door opened, Ellie motioned for Amanda to precede her. "But I think my cousin's temperament is rubbing off on you."
Amanda pushed the button for the second floor. "Lex would be the first to disagree with you. But if you want, you can ask her yourself." The smile disappeared from her face. "If she's able to."
"Hey, she's going to be fine, Amanda. I'm sure of it." Ellie tried to keep upbeat for Amanda's sake. As a nurse, she knew how unpredictable pneumonia could be, especially since it had escalated so quickly. When the door opened, she patted Amanda on the back. "Come on. Let's see how she's doing."
TWO HOURS LATER, Amanda was beside herself. They had been relegated to the critical care waiting area, and not even Ellie could get any information. Amanda paced the small room, pausing only long enough to glare at the door that led to Intensive Care.
Ellie sat sideways on a chair, with her feet stretched out on another one. She had tried more than once to get Amanda to settle down, with no luck. She lowered her chin and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch Amanda pace.
"How can you just sit there?" Amanda asked as she dropped into the chair beside Ellie. "And why won't they tell us anything?"
Ellie turned so that she could put her feet on the floor. "One of us going crazy is enough, don't you think?" She took Amanda's hand in hers." It takes a while to get someone settled in ICU. I'm sure we'll hear something soon."
They both turned as the elevator door opened, and Jeannie stepped out. She hurried to join them in the otherwise empty room, and embraced her sister when she stood to greet her.
Jeannie's eyes were full of tears as she hugged Amanda. "I came as soon as I heard. How's Lex?"
Ellie stood up and stretched. "We haven't heard anything, yet. I was just about to make a coffee run. Would either of you like anything?"
Amanda sat and pulled Jeannie down beside her, but kept their hands linked. "Instead of coffee, do you think you could bring back a bottle of water? My stomach already hates me."
"Sure, no problem. How about you, Jeannie? Coffee, water, candy bar?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks, Ellie."
Once they were alone, she squeezed Amanda's hand. "How are you holding up?"
Amanda kept her eyes glued to the entrance to the ICU. "We thought she had a cold."
"Mandy, it's going to be all right. You know how stubborn Lex can be. She's not going to let a little thing like this keep her down for long. Rodney told me that you caught it in time."
"Did we?" Amanda turned and focused on her sister. "She wasn't that sick. How did it get so bad, so fast?"
A slender, middle-aged man in dark blue scrubs came through the ICU door and made a beeline for the two women. "Walters?"
Amanda stood so quickly that Jeannie had to follow, or tumble from her chair. "I'm Amanda Walters. How is she?"
He glanced at Jeannie before returning his attention to Amanda. "You're her...sister?"
"Wife," Amanda succinctly answered. The look that accompanied her comment dared him to dispute her claim.
"Oh. Uh, well." He straightened and regained his composure. "We ran several tests and have concluded that Ms. Walters has a particularly virulent strain of streptococcus pneumonia. She's already quite weak, but we still had to sedate her in order to keep her from fighting the BiPAP."
At the distressed look that appeared on her sister's face, Jeannie gently put her arm around her waist. "What's BiPAP?"
He cocked his head at her and looked at Amanda.
"This is my sister, Jeannie Crews. Her husband is Dr. Rodney Crews," Amanda explained.
"I see. I'm afraid I don't know Dr. Crews." He spoke to Jeannie as if she were a child. "BiPAP is bilevel positive airway pressure. It's a noninvasive ventilation to help the patient breathe. As the wife of a physician, you should already know this."
Jeannie wrinkled her nose and was about to go off on him, when Ellie returned with a box filled with drinks and snacks.
"Dr. Robens, hello." Ellie placed the box on a chair and joined the others.
He blinked and took a moment to place the newcomer. He nodded when he made the connection. "Are you still in the ER, nurse?"
"No, I'm working for Dr. Crews, in Somerville. Lexington Walters is my cousin. When can we see her?"
"I'm afraid that's out of the question for the time being. As I told them," he gestured to Amanda and Jeannie. "Ms. Walters has been sedated and put on non-invasive ventilation. She should be out until sometime tomorrow morning."
Amanda wouldn't be dissuaded. "I'd still like to see her."
Dr. Robens glanced at his clipboard. "She won't even know you're there. I'd suggest you go home and get some rest. The next few days will be difficult."
Amanda gritted her teeth and took a step forward. She was quickly stopped by Jeannie, who moved in front of her. "Doctor, would it be possible for my sister to see Lex for just a moment? She has to go home to their three children, and it would be nice if she had something to report back to them."
"Three children?" His gaze went from Jeannie, to Amanda and back again. "Very well. Come with me,
Ms. Walters."
Jeannie's smile was meant to reassure. "We'll call the family and let them know. Right, Ellie?"
"Yeah, sure." Ellie watched Amanda and the doctor disappear through the door before she sank to the nearest chair. "Damn it. This is not good."
ONCE THEY PASSED through the doors, Amanda stopped to take in the ICU. It wasn't much wider than a hallway, with glass-partitioned rooms along one side and a long desk opposite. Two women were at the desk, one typing on a computer while the other looked up from her paperwork to acknowledge the doctor.
Dr. Robens gestured to the room directly across from the desk. "Ms. Walters is in room four. Please don't touch anything, and if you have any questions, I'll be at the nurse's station."
"Thank you." Amanda walked as quietly as possible to the room. She stood in the doorway for a moment to get her bearings and composure.
Lex lay deathly still with her upper body raised to a near forty-five degree angle. A clear, plastic mask covered her nose and mouth. The beeping of the monitors and the clicking and forced air from the BiPAP mask were fighting for dominance in the small room. Her injured arm was once again secured across her abdomen, and an IV was attached to the inside of the uninjured arm that rested outside the thin covers.
Amanda moved slowly into the room and stood next to her wife. She raised a shaky hand to touch Lex's face. "You really did it this time."
She stroked Lex's cheek. "They won't let me stay with you, but I'll be here as much as I'm allowed. I promise."
She glanced through the glass wall before she leaned and kissed Lex's forehead. "I love you."
Although she hadn't expected an answer, it was still hard for Amanda not to hear Lex return the sentiment. She touched her wife's face once more before she backed out of the room.
AMANDA DROVE HOME after a long and heated argument with Jeannie and Ellie, who both wanted to accompany her. While she appreciated their concern, she needed the time by herself to come to grips with Lex's illness and its consequences. Before she left the hospital, Rodney had arrived to explain in better detail what was happening. She now understood that the next day or two would be critical, which didn't make it easier to leave and return home without her wife.
She drove along the familiar route as if on automatic pilot, and it wasn't until she pulled up to the house that the weight of the day landed on her shoulders. She turned off the engine and mentally prepared herself for what was to come.
The children would be in the kitchen, enjoying an after-school snack.
Amanda picked up her purse from the passenger seat and opened it. She removed the small bag of personal items they had taken from Lex. Her watch, wallet, cellphone and a small handful of change rattled in the plastic bag. She returned the bag to her purse and played with the ring that was on her left thumb. The nurse had suggested that Amanda keep Lex's wedding ring, at least until she was out of ICU. She told her that while they didn't expect any problems, it was always better to take the valuables home instead of leaving them in the hospital.
Amanda closed her eyes and kissed the ring. She knew she needed to be with their children, but the largest part of her heart was in Parkdale.
Freckles greeted her at the gate, prancing circles around Amanda's legs when she stepped into the yard. "Why aren't you inside, begging for goodies?" Freckles barked and followed her to the house. When she stopped on the porch, the dog reared up on her hind legs and danced. "Goofy dog."
Amanda took a deep breath before she opened the back door. She stepped inside and was not surprised to hear Melanie chattering happily about her day.
"And then Heather laughed until she had to run to the bathroom! It was so funny!"
Lorrie giggled. "Did Rose get into trouble for making fart noises?"
"No, but Mr. Sandlin looked mad. He didn't know who did it, and we wasn't tellin'."
"All right, girls," Martha gently scolded. "That's enough of that kind of talk at the table."
Eddie blew a raspberry that caused both girls to laugh harder. He was the first to notice Amanda standing in the hall. "Mommy!"
Amanda hung up her coat and walked into the kitchen. "Hi, everyone." She kissed all three children on their heads and sunk into Martha's motherly embrace.
Martha rocked them in place for a moment. "How are you holdin' up, honey?"
"I've been better."
Martha lightly pushed her toward an empty seat at the table. "You're just in time for some sliced fruit and cheese. Lorrie, would you mind getting your mom a glass of milk?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lorrie was eager to help and quickly did as she was asked. She set the glass in front of Amanda and rejoined them at the table.
"Mada told us that you took Momma to the hospital. Is she really that sick?"
Amanda gave Martha a grateful smile for preparing the children. "Yes, she's sick, and Uncle Rodney decided that it would be better if she stayed in the hospital so that they can help her get better."
Eddie looked around. "Momma?"
"How come she didn't just stay with Uncle Rodney? He's a doctor," Melanie asked.
Lorrie rolled her eyes. ""˜Cause hospitals are for sick people, silly." When she got a look from Martha, she added quickly, "Sorry. I meant that hospitals are made for sick people to stay at, and Uncle Rodney's house isn't."
"Oh." Melanie shrugged and bit into an apple slice.
Eddie looked at Martha, then at Amanda. He swatted his high chair tray to get their attention. "Momma?"
Amanda got up and took him out of the high chair. "I'm sorry, honey. But Momma's not here." She kissed his cheek and rested him against her hip.
"Can we go visit her?" Melanie asked.
Martha answered for Amanda, who looked to be at a loss for words. "I'm sure you'll see her soon, sweetie. But your momma needs to rest so she can get better. But I bet she'd love some of your pretty artwork for her room."
"I can do that!" Melanie took her plate to the sink and practically ran from the room.
Lorrie looked at her plate. There was a lone cube of cheddar cheese, which she picked up and began to break into tiny pieces. "Momma's too sick to see us, isn't she?"
Amanda sat beside her. She shifted Eddie to the opposite side of her lap so that she could put her arm around Lorrie. "You're old enough that I don't have to keep things from you, so you know I'll tell you the truth, right?"
Lorrie didn't look up.
"Momma's very sick, and they've got her in a part of the hospital so they can take the best care of her. But she's not allowed many visitors, and you have to be at least thirteen years old to be allowed in."
"Is she gonna die?" Lorrie looked up into Amanda's face. "I don't want her to die."
"Oh, sweetie." Amanda pulled Lorrie closer and kissed the top of her head. "She's not going to die. She just needs a little more care than we could give her here at home."
Lorrie sniffled and rested her face against Amanda's shoulder. She started to laugh when Eddie sweetly patted her cheek.
"Leelee," he cooed. "Mommy, love Leelee."
Amanda laughed and nuzzled his soft, fuzzy hair. "Yes, baby. We love Leelee."
She pulled both children as close as possible. "We're going to get through this, I promise."
JEANNIE WAITED UNTIL the rest of the family left the hospital. It took some patience, because Rodney had seemed determined to stay and keep her company. She finally got him to leave by telling him that she needed some time by herself. She easily talked her way past the nurse's station in ICU, but paused before she stepped into the space that Lex occupied.
She took a deep breath and moved through the doorway. "Oh, Lex. No wonder my sister was such a mess."
Jeannie slowly inched closer until she was beside the bed. She trailed her fingertips along Lex's unencumbered hand. It was overly warm and she fought off the tears that threatened to fall. "You listen to me, Slim. This is completely unacceptable. I don't want to have to try and pick up the pieces if anything happens to you."
Jean
nie pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. "I hope you can hear me." She reached beneath the bed rail and covered Lex's hand with hers. "Don't you dare leave us. I've had to struggle every day with losing Frank. Even after all these years, there's still a huge hole in my heart. Don't do that to Mandy. Please."
She squeezed Lex's hand and released it before she stood. "You're stronger than this, Slim. Don't give up." She straightened the covers on the bed before she slipped from the room.
EDDIE CRIED AND rubbed his eyes as Amanda carried him upstairs. "Momma," he sobbed.
"I know, sweetie." Amanda closed the child gate at the top of the stairs and headed toward Melanie's room. "Do you want to help me tuck your sisters into bed?"
She had bathed and dressed him in his pajamas earlier, but he had been too restless to go to sleep.
"No." He put his face on her shoulder and wiped it back and forth. "Momma."
Amanda grimaced but continued down the hall. Her blouse was properly covered in tears and snot, Eddie's new thing to do. She tapped on Melanie's partially opened door and stepped inside.
"Mel, are you ready?" She stopped and looked around at the total destruction of the room. Even Eddie stopped crying and was enthralled with the mess.
Sheets of construction paper were scattered from Melanie's easel to her bed. She had at least half a dozen watercolor paintings laid out as well, all in various states of drying. Melanie was stretched out on the floor by the easel. Her face had splotches of paint on it, and she had a handful of crayons in her left hand as she drew with her right. She looked up at Amanda and grinned. "Hi, Mommy. I'm almost finished."
"Uh." Amanda blew out a breath. "I'm going to check on your sister. Get this straightened up before I come back, okay?"
"But, Mommy," Melanie whined. "I'm not done."
Amanda gave her the patented mom stare.
"I was gonna--" Melanie started, but when her mother didn't say anything, she put her crayons in a box and jumped up. "Yes, ma'am."
Eddie pointed to the floor. "Ugh. Bad."
"Your room isn't much better, mister," Amanda reminded him.
His favorite pastime was seeing how many toys were in his toy box, by removing them all and scattering them across the floor. She laughed when he gave her his cute face, which usually got him out of trouble. "Uh huh. Come on, let's see about Lorrie."
