Author's Note: This is another
FICTIONAL story
. All characters in the story are
FICTIONAL
with the exception of my wife and I. All of the actions and conversations in this story are
FICTIONAL
.
It was a Saturday morning that I will never forget. I went out to do a little grocery shopping while my husband watched a soccer game on TV. I was gone no more than thirty minutes but when I got home, I found him collapsed on the living room floor.
"Alan, Alan what's wrong?"
Then I noticed that his arm was bent at an impossible angle and his favourite coffee mug was in pieces underneath him. I knelt beside him and tried to turn him so that he wasn't laying on his arm. Then I realised that I got no reaction from him. I expected at least a gasp or a cry of pain. I checked for a pulse but felt nothing. I immediately dialed 911 and went to unlock the front door.
Thankfully the ambulance station is just a couple of blocks away and the paramedics arrived very quickly. One of them pushed me out of the way and got to work. A couple of jolts with the defibrillator got his heart beating again but he was still unresponsive.
They put him on a trolley and rushed him out to the ambulance. By now our neighbours were in the street trying to see what was happening. As they were loading him into the ambulance Rita (our next-door neighbour) asked the paramedic "Which hospital?"
"Local."
She told her husband to look after our house and, as she was unlocking her car doors, yelled at me to get in.
We arrived at the hospital a few minutes after the ambulance and were taken to a private waiting room. A couple of hours later a doctor came in to let us know what was happening.
"An air ambulance is here to take him down to Central in the city. They can do a lot more there than we can. I have to tell you though it doesn't look too good."
Rita drove me down to Central hospital and sat with me while we waited for news.
After what seemed like an eternity a doctor came to let us know what was happening.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Hansen."
"Hi, I'm Janice. Alan's wife. How is he?"
"Well, he is totally unresponsive but his brain is still working. We did a brain scan and he lit it up like the fourth of July. I've never seen anything like it. None of the usual brain patterns. He is on a ventilator because none of his physical systems seem to be working. I have to tell you that you should prepare for the worst."
"Thanks doctor. Can I see him?"
The doctor called a nurse to take me to his room. I almost broke down. He had so many tubes and wires attached to him that he looked like a chemistry experiment. I resolved that I would stay with him until he got better or died.
The nurses made me as comfortable as possible and Rita brought me several changes of clothes and some toiletries.
About a week into my vigil my phone rang. It was Darby.
"Janice, haven't seen you in a while. Why don't you come down?"
"I'm in the hospital with Alan. I think he's dying."
"Why? What happened?"
I gave him a brief synopsis.
"Which hospital?"
"Central."
"Ok, let me know if there is any change."
About an hour later several nurses came in.
"Come on, we're going upstairs." One of them said.
They unplugged what they could and wheeled him at speed out into the corridor on their way to the elevator.
I had no idea what was happening until a nurse came in and told me to follow her. We took the elevator up to the twelfth floor. I was amazed. The room that she took me into was not just an ordinary hospital room but a suite. It had a separate bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. I knew immediately that Darby's hand was in this.
The next day a different doctor came into the room. He had a clear southern drawl and I knew that Darby was involved again.
"How do you know Darby?" I asked.
"We grew up together in Georgia. He went into business and I went into medicine. I've looked at your husband's case and I have to admit that it doesn't look good. I've seen this only five other times in my career."
"How does it turn out?" I asked.
"Four died, one recovered." He replied. "I have suggested some changes to his medications, it might help."
He stopped in briefly the next day to see how my husband was and to let me know that he was heading home later that day.
I stayed with my husband night and day praying that I would see some improvement but it seemed like a lost cause. Then, about six weeks later I heard a voice.
"Hi, how're you doing?"
I was shocked for a moment or two and then I hit the alarm button. I wanted the nurses and doctors to come and see him so that they might be able to stop him from slipping away again.
"Is the game over?" he asked.
"What game?"
"United were beating Liverpool two nil."
I laughed. "The game ended a couple of months ago. I'll find out who won."
"Where are we?" He asked.
"Central hospital."
"So, I've been here a couple of months?"
"Yes, do you have any idea what happened to you?"
"No. I remember watching the game and seeing my dad"
"Your father died years ago."
"I don't know where we were but I asked him if this was where he lived. He said yes. He seemed very calm and comfortable. Then I asked if it was where I lived too but he told me no, it wasn't my turn yet."
We spent several more weeks in the hospital until Alan was deemed healthy enough to go home. I helped dress him when we were told he could go home and I was shocked at how thin he had become. A nurse told me that he had lost at least fifty pounds. He was just skin and bones.
Not long after we got home, I had to get a bed put in the living room because it was too much strain on him to go up the stairs. He started to gain a little weight but he couldn't keep it on. I, on the other hand, gained weight like crazy. All I was doing was sitting around watching tv and making sure that Alan was still alive. I was eating out of boredom rather than hunger.
I called Darby to thank him for everything that he had done for us.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"Not well. All I do is sit and eat and watch tv. I'm bored but scared that if I don't watch Alan he'll go downhill again.
"Ok, I have a couple of nurses in all of my factories. I can get one to come and help look after your husband while you take some time out. I also have a personal trainer on my staff. He'll help you get back in shape. Is there much room in your basement?"
"Room for what?" I asked.
"Gym equipment. If there is room, I will have a gym set up in your basement."
"Yeah, there's plenty of room."
"Ok, I'll have some guys bring the equipment and set it up on Saturday and I'll have my trainer Laurence come over on Monday morning. His methods are a little unorthodox but I think you'll get along just fine."
Fifteen minutes later my phone rang.
"Hi, this is Laurence. Darby told me about you. I just wanted to ask you not to play with the gym equipment until I have seen you. I will be there at nine on Monday to teach you the proper way to use the gym. My schedule for you is nine to eleven every Monday and Thursday. Any problem with that?"
"No problem at all. I'm looking forward to it. See you Monday."
A few days later the doorbell rang. I opened the door to see a large black lady standing there.
"Hi, I'm Muriel. Darby asked me to come and help take care of your husband."
"Oh. Yes. Please come in."
I was very grateful that Muriel had come to help. I showed her to her bedroom and told her to make herself comfortable. It would take a lot of the weight off of my shoulders to have someone else to help keep an eye on my husband.
I woke early on the Monday and, after a quick shower, I dressed in a sports bra, t-shirt leggings and a pair of runners. I had a light breakfast and sat down to wait for Laurence.
At nine on the nose the doorbell rang. I opened the door and let him in. I had already guessed from his accent on the phone call that he was from the Caribbean. The first thing I noticed was his beaming smile and bright white teeth. He was about five foot nine and it was obvious that he worked out a lot.
"I've been looking forward to this, come on down to the basement."
He seemed very pleased with the equipment and the way it was set out. One by one he explained what the particular piece of equipment was designed to do and showed me the way to use it and how not to use it. We went though a few light exercises and soon my time was up.
"On Thursday we will determine exactly what you need or want to work on and start with some exercises and a bit of yoga. We need to take it easy at the start so that you don't injure yourself. Ok?"
"That's fine. I'm looking forward to starting."
Tuesday and Wednesday dragged and I got up early to be ready for Laurence on the Thursday. Promptly at nine the doorbell rang.
We went down into the basement and he had me recap what each piece of equipment was for. He corrected me on a couple of things and then completely shocked me.