Chapter 4

Five hours later, Florida

Simone's plane had landed in Florida, the nap on the plane had been good for Simone and she was ready to face the challenges of getting Mark healthy again both physically and mentally. She got her luggage and grabbed the first taxi she could get and went straight to the hospital Glen had taken Mark to. Right at 2:30 Simone walked through the hospital doors and made her way to the floor Mark was on, as she stepped out of the elevator she saw Glen talking to a doctor and made her way over to them. Glen saw Simone from the corner of his eye and wrapped her up in a big hug, he was ready to cry as Simone wrapped her arms around her big friend. The doctor had finished what he was saying and left Glen to tell Simone had that all he had just told Glen, the friends went over to the waiting area and sat down so they could discuss the test results.

"Take your time sweetie, just breath and relax then tell what the doctor said." Simone was rubbing Glen's back to help him calm down so he could tell her what the doctor had said.

After about ten minutes of breathing and Simone rubbing his back Glen was finally to speak and tell

Simone what the doctor had said.

"Well the doctor said that Mark is suffering from a serve case of starvation, along with a case of alcohol poisoning, he also has several sores on his back side that have gotten infected due to the way that I found Mark. The doctor also said if I haven't found Mark when I did he wouldn't have lasted another week so he was lucky that I found him when I did. Simone I don't know what I'm going to do about his mental health though, a doctor is looking at him now." Glen started to cry he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

"Don't worry Glen I'm sure Mark will pull through this he has you and me to help him through this tough time. And with his mental health we will get him the best doctor in the state of Florida, will get the best in the country if we have to." Simone tried to make Glen feel better about all that was going on at the moment.

"Thanks Simone but right now the situation looks really bleak, I just feel so helpless I wish there was something I could do for him." Glen wanted so bad to help his friend, he felt so helpless at the moment.

"I know sweetie but you have to remember that we are helping him by being here for him and plus we will help him get better by getting him the help he needs. But right now you need to go to your hotel and get some sleep, I will stay here with him tonight so he won't be alone. Tomorrow I will go over to Mark's house and have it cleaned from top to bottom I have already called a cleaning crew to help me get the job done. But I need to please tell the doctor that it is ok to release information to me so I can tell you what they say, can you do that for me sweetie?" Simone needed to know all that the doctors had told Glen, she had a feeling that Glen was holding back information from her.

"Okay I will tell that it is ok to release information to you." Glen got up from his seat and went over to the nurse's station and told the nurse that it was ok to release information to Simone. He had fill out a couple of forms and the deal was done afterwards he went back over to Simone and sat back down next to her.

"Thank you Glen, I promise I will call you as soon as the doctor comes back with the test results. Now please go get some sleep you need your rest and please try to eat something if you can." Simone knew Glen was tired both physically and mentally, he face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had been awake for days.

"Are you sure you will be alright here by yourself?" Glen was a little unsure of leaving Simone alone overnight to watch over Mark for him but Simone's smile helped feel better and eased his mind.

"I'm sure Glen, now please go get some rest and I will you here at 8am if you can, I need to be at Mark's by 9 so I can help the cleaning crew." Simone wanted to get out of the hospital and on his way to his hotel so he could get some rest and a hot meal in his belly.

"Ok I will be here; here is the key to his house and the code for the gate I want to give this to you now so I don't forget later." Glen handed Simone the spare set of house keys where she immediately put them on her key chain so she won't lose them.

"Great, thank you Glen. Now please go get some sleep and something to eat too." Simone walked Glen to the elevator and gave him a giant bear hug before the elevator took Glen downstairs to leave the hospital.

With Glen finally gone to get some much needed rest Simone decided to talk to the doctor and get all the information that Glen left out and see if the other doctor was done evaluating Mark's mental condition. The nurse called for the doctor and he arrived within five minutes, they went back into the doctor's office where he told everything he had told to Glen only thirty minutes earlier. Simone was in shock Mark had several infections and a lot of sores on his body, he would have died in a matter of days if it wasn't for Glen. With Mark in the hospital he was going to make a full recovery in a couple of weeks, but mentally that was a whole other story. As Simone and the doctor talked there was a knock on the door and the doctor that was evaluating Mark's mental health had finished his tests. His face had a look of concern and despair on it, Simone knew the results were not good.

"Hello Doctor Jones I have finished my tests." The doctor was unsure if he could give the results to the young woman who was sitting in the chair across from Dr. Jones.

"It's alright Doctor, she is family of Mr. Calaway, how is his mental condition?" The doctor was anxious himself to hear how Mark was doing mentally.

"Well to be quite honest, not good I'm afraid he is completely catatonic. He is there but not there Mark has checked out mental in laymen terms. He could be like this for a few weeks or for months depending on the trauma he has suffered, if you don't mind me asking you ma'am what happened to Mr. Calaway in the last four weeks to make him go so far into himself?" The doctor hoped there might be some way to get Mark to come back to reality.

"He just divorced his third wife Michelle, they were only married for about two and half years but he was really depending on this marriage to work. He was really hoping she was the love of his life the one he could spend the rest of his life with, he didn't get mad or anything he just told her to get her things and leave and never come back. It wasn't like him at all, they got divorced because his wife was cheating on him with a much younger man. Please doctor will Mark ever come back to us?" Simone was worried that Mark might never come back to reality or his friends.

"It's hard to say honestly but I have seen and heard of people coming back from such severe emotional trauma but this will take time. He won't come back in a day or so it may take weeks or months for him to come back. I would suggest that once he physically able to that he be taken away from Florida to a more relaxing place. Somewhere that doesn't hold any painful memories for him, somewhere calming and relaxing for him. But it is up to you and the rest of his family to make that decision, right now all you can do is be there for him and give him time. He will come around when he is ready to, Doctor Jones if you don't need anything else from me I have to check on some other patients of mine." The young doctor was anxious to get back to his other patients that also needed his help.

"No that is all, thank you Doctor." Doctor Jones shook the young man's hand before he left the room and said goodbye to Simone as he left.

"Are you alright Simone?" The doctor was worried that all this information might be too much to handle for the young woman.

"Oh I'm sorry I was just thinking about what the doctor said about taking Mark to a different place to recover. I think it might be a very good idea but I will have to talk to Glen and see if he is willing to go along with the idea." Simone hoped that Glen would agree to her idea of taking Mark away from Florida to another place to finish his recovery but where would they go, where could they take Mark without anyone bothering them or Mark for that matter.

"I think that is a great idea, if Mark responds well to the treatment he should be ready to leave in about two weeks. I know it sounds like a long time but consider the state he was found in he needs at least that long in here to recover any less and I don't feel comfortable with him traveling anywhere." The doctor was very adamant about Mark's recovery.

"No problem Doctor may I see Mark now please?" Simone wanted to see him and know for herself how bad he was.

"Alright he put him in a private room with a guest bed set up next to him, if you need anything the nurse is right down the hall. I must warn you though there are a lot of tubes and wires hooked up to him and he has a feeding tube in also to help him get his weight back up as well. In a couple of days we will start physically therapy to help him get his muscles back into shape and once you have taken him to a relaxing place he will need to continue his therapy there too." The doctor explained Mark's needs as he lead Simone down to Mark's room where he was resting peacefully at the moment.

"Thank you Doctor Jones for taking care of Mark and we will do everything that you have said I promise." Simone reassured the doctor that she would take good care of Mark and all his needs would be meet.

Simone walked into Mark's room and was shocked by the sight of all the tubes and wires that were hooked up to Mark. She dropped her bag in a corner and went over to Mark's left side and held his hand, it was cold and pale you could see every single vein that was in his hand. Mark was so frail and childlike all she wanted to do was pick Mark up and hold him close to her chest and make him feel better. Simone leaned over the bed very gentle and kissed Mark on the forehead and whispered softly in his ear.

"Hi Mark, my name is Simone. Glen is a friend of mine, I know we don't know each other very well but I am here for you to help you get through this horrible time. Please Mark come back to us, we need you and we love you. Your children need you Mark, Glen needs you and I need you too, please come back to us Mark please. I love you."

Simone kissed Mark on the cheek this time and sat down next to him still holding his hand, she stayed like for hours never leaving his side unless it was to go to the bathroom. Simone decided that she would get something to eat so she called down to the cafeteria and have them bring her up something and then try to get some rest before going over to Mark's house to help clean.

Once Simone finished eating she grabbed an extra pillow and blanket from the closet and sat right back down next to Mark. She continues to hold his hand as she drifted off to sleep, hopefully within the coming weeks Mark would get better and everyone could relax a little more.