Chapter Seven
Agnes hovers near the door, Robby has yet to let go of his mother's hand. She holds him tight, needing and wanting the comfort from her son. "I'm scared Mom."
Alex pulls him closer, "I know, honey." So am I.
His face is clean-shaven, she smiles at that. The heart monitor is keeping a steady beat in the background and an air tube is positioned in his nose. She finds herself staring at his chest, watching it expand and deflate.
"Bobby," she reaches across his body. "It's time to wake up." Placing her hand on his cheek, "Bobby please open you eyes." He does, and she and Robby smile. He doesn't have the strength to move his head she gently moves it in her direction. "Bobby," she says his name again, sweetly. He remains quiet finding it hard to focus on the faces. Their joy is short lived as he closes his eyes and is asleep again. She still has a hold of her son's hand as she places her small hand on top of Bobby's. She, for a moment, expects him to move his hand and hold on to hers, he does not.
"Mom," Robby calls to her.
"Yes," she says without turning her head to face him.
"I have to go to the bathroom."
"What?" She gazes at her sons' sad face. "Bathroom, you….you haven't had dinner." He smirks at her, "Huh?"
Agnes taps his shoulder, which startles him slightly, she points, "Right in there, honey."
He pulls his arm back for her to release her hold, "Mom, let go."
"I don't…." she smiles shyly as she releases his hand. She turns her attention to Bobby, thinking she heard a sound from him.
"It's the automatic BP unit going on." Agnes says. "It checks his BP every hour."
Alex maintains her focus on him, "Has he spoken to you at all?"
"Aside from asking where you and your son were, no Ma'am." A quick check of the time, "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."
Alex smiles, "I forgot that….that you work here."
The older woman returns a comforting smile, "I'll be back in about an hour, I'm on till 6."
She finds herself alone in the room; except for the heart monitor beeping it is quiet, too quiet. The ringing of her cell phone startles her, she rummages through her bag to find it, without checking the caller ID, she flips it open. "Yes," she says sharply.
"Alex, its Mom, Dad needs directions to the hospital."
"Mom I can't think about that…."
"Alex we left home over an hour ago, we are in the middle of town, and we just passed the diner."
She smiles, "Tell Dad to make a left at the light and you'll see the blue hospital sign. Thanks Mom."
"We'll be there as soon as we can, how is he?"
"He's very ill, Mom." She feels behind her back with her hand and finds the arm of the chair, pulling it forward she sits down. "He's asleep now but he did open his eyes for a minute. Next time he'll stay awake longer," she says confidently. "I love you Mom, tell Dad the same."
"We love you all; we'll see you soon, Bye honey."
"Bye Mom," she closes the phone then sits back in the chair.
Unbeknownst to her Robby is standing directly behind, staring at the man in the bed afraid to get any closer. It doesn't even look like him.
He's doing this to himself, she thinks as she props her feet on the railing on the bottom of the bed. The memory of the last conversation with her husband streams through her head.
"How's Robby?"
"He's acting more like his old self since you talked to him."
"Yeah I took care of it," she can hear him tapping on the wall. "Like I do everything else….for everyone else."
"He's your son and he needed to hear it from you."
"I know that and I did it, what more do you want from me? Tell me please because I really need to know?"
"I just want you…. to get the help you need and get better."
"The help I need?" He expels a long breath. "You….I feel like I'm talking to a stranger. Talk to me Alex, tell me off, say something."
"I don't want to fight with you Bobby….not on the phone."
"Fine then get in the Goddamn car and get up here."
"No, Bobby, I've told you time and time again that I refuse to go up there."
"Alright Alex you've made your point. I fucked up royally I know that."
"I understand Bobby, I understand why. I honestly do."
"You understand? Well that is just so considerate of you."
She bites her lip, "You asked me what more do I want from you, nothing. You're the one who has to decide what you want and what you have to do to get healthy."
"What? Jesus Christ Alex, you sound like you're reading a paragraph from a substance abuse pamphlet."
"I'm just trying to…."
"Condescending, I don't need that shit. What I need is for you to hang up the phone then call me back and talk to me like the fiery, feisty woman I married."
"I hung up on him and never called back," she says aloud.
"Mom," Robby taps her shoulder. "Mom, are you alright?"
"No, ah yes. I was just thinking about…." She stands. "Your Grandparents are due here," she checks her wristwatch, "Soon, very soon."
She hears a soft knock on the open door, then her name. "Dad, Mom," she dashes across the room, hugging her mother first then her father.
"How is he?" Sara repeats her inquiry from earlier. She walks further into the room, followed closely by her husband.
Alex turns to face him, "He's asleep, needs a great deal," she walks slowly back to the side of his bed. "He can't breathe without the tube." They watch her from behind as her body begins to shake. "He's gonna," she turns abruptly, eyes full of tears, to face her family. "Dad I need you to take Robby and…." She digs into her pocket for her car key, handing it to him. "First he needs to eat then check into the Motel, you know the one."
"Motel 6," her father answers.
"Yes, yes. There are two suitcases in the backseat of my car."
John pats his wife's back, "You stay here. I'll take Robby and check into the Motel." He kisses her cheek, whispering in her ear, "She's trying so hard to be strong for all of us, she keeps that up and she'll need a bed in this hospital."
Sara nods her head in agreement, "I'll talk to her."
"Robby, come on," John waves to his grandson.
He looks to his mother, "Mom, I want to stay here."
"No, Robby you go with Grandpa and then come back to say goodnight to your Dad."
"Mom," he says with a slight whine.
"Don't argue with me Robert." She points, "Go with your Grandfather, now!"
"Come on kiddo," John winks at him.
"Oh alright, see you later Mom, do you want anything?"
"No, nothing I'm fine," she snaps. She gazes upon her son's gloomy face, "Robby I'm sorry, come here." He shuffles over to her. "Hey," she says as she slowly lifts his head to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry," Cupping his face in her hands, "Sorry I raised my voice to you." She kisses his cheek.
"It's alright," he kisses her back, "Come on Grandpa lets go."
"We'll be back shortly," John says as he follows his grandson out of the room.
Alex resumes her seat, obliviously to the fact that her mother has remained. Sara positions herself next to her daughter, "Mom?" she says surprisingly. "I didn't….I tried so hard to be understanding Mom. I think it backfired."
"How do you mean?"
"I was remembering our last conversation. He was trying to get me to open up about how I was feeling but I couldn't, I wouldn't. I thought I was being supportive but I came off sounding cold and uncaring, that was the last impression he had of me. This is my fault."
Sara's smirk is not noticed by her daughter, "If you were told the day that he became ill would you have driven up here?"
"That's a stupid question Mom, of course." She turns her attention away from her mother and back to him. "I should have called him back like he asked, I didn't. If I got in the car and drove up to visit him I would have know that he was ill, I didn't."
"Alex, this is going to sound so clique but you can't dwell on the past. You are…we are all here now. The next time he opens his eyes we'll be there for him." She places her hand on her daughters shoulder, "I think you need a break, let's go get some coffee or a …."
Alex interjects, "Mom, no," she waves off the suggestion.
"Starving yourself will not help anyone."
"Oh I suppose you're right, but I can't leave him, what if he wakes up and I'm not here."
"I'll go get something for the two of us. Bet your Dad and Robby have gone to the diner."
"That's fine Robby needs….he's only nine years old he shouldn't be without his father at nine."
"Alex! Think positive," her mother scolds.
"I'm trying but look at him; he's so weak," she picks up his hand holding it to her cheek as the tears are falling from her eyes. "He didn't, doesn't have the strength to turn his head."
"One thing you have to remember about Bobby, he was always a fighter."
"Not this time," she releases his hand, wiping her eyes. "Yes, yes you're right," standing with her hands on her hips. "You're right and I'm not going to let him give up." Alex catches her mother's sweet smiling face. "You know what else you're right about," she nudges her mother's arm. "I could go for something to eat."
Sara holds out her arms, mother and daughter embrace. Sara kisses her cheek before letting go. "I'll be right back."
Alex nods, Sara leaves and Alex is once again alone in the room. "Alright Bobby it's time to open your eyes. We're here, well not in this room," she covers her mouth chuckling softly. "Your family is here you're not alone anymore, we're here for you, honey please, open your eyes," she says sobbing. She takes his hand in hers as she sits down, feeling the need to close her burning eyes; she continues to hold his hand.
Sara returns to find her daughter's eyes closed, she places the sandwiches that she bought on the tray table and occupies the seat on the other side of the bed.
When she fell asleep, she's not sure, but she is awoken by her father's voice and his grasp on her elbow. "Alex come on, you need to lay down; let's go back to the Motel."
"No," she snaps, pulling her arm away. "I can't, I can't leave him alone. I have to be here when he wakes up."
"Missus Goren," Agnes calls to her.
Alex keeps her eyes focused on her husband, "I'm not leaving," she says sternly.
"I wasn't going to ask you too," Alex looks up and smiles, "Here," Agnes says as she holds out a blue blanket and a white pillow.
Alex graciously takes them, "Thank you."
TBC