A/N: I know I promised all of you a chapter a day. When I tried to post this at my usual time, FF, as usual was hiccupping and having a brain fart.
Btw, thank you all for reviewing, the favorites and following. I'm blessed.
Chapter 9
"Hey dad; you've read that story about footprints in the sand, right?"
Aaron rubbed his head with his right hand. "Son, with the job I do, and mom understanding it as well as she does, she gave me a plastic card the size of our bank card for my wallet with that poem on it. She sent it to me in one of her letters she had Uncle Dave deliver. I carry it with me always."
Matt looked his dad in the eyes. "That's too cool dad." He paused, taking in the thought of Uncle Dave being their letter carrier in those dark days. And how much that poem had to mean to his father. "Dad, there's only one set of footprints right now, isn't there?"
"Yup son," Aaron smiled, "there is." Matt snuggled to his dad more; perfectly comfortable being a college freshman that still was that close to his dad. His eyes got heavy in the safety of that arm and he nodded off. Aaron, seeing that his son was relaxed, put his head to the back of the couch and shut his eyes as well. They both dozed.
Aaron woke twenty minutes later to his cell vibrating in his pocket. He gingerly reached for it so he wouldn't wake up Matt. He looked at the text; it was from Jarrod. In air; keep us in loop. Aaron texted back one simple word: Promise.
Holding his cell phone in his hand, he looked at his oldest son. Matt was now conked out, lying against his chest. Aaron rubbed Matt's head again, laid his head back, and dozed off again.
He woke to someone gently shaking his knee. He immediately opened his eyes to Tamika sitting on the coffee table. "I'm not one of the doctors, but one will be in soon," she smiled. Aaron lifted his left hand, cellphone still there, and looked at the watch on his wrist. 1:18 am it read.
"They're done?"
"They've been done for about ten minutes; they're moving her to recovery. Dr. Mickland should be in shortly." He nodded his thanks and gently shook Matt awake.
"Dad," he asked, taking his head off his father's chest and rubbing his eyes.
Aaron smiled at him. "They're moving mom into the surgical recovery room. Dr. Mickland should be in soon." Matt smiled and rubbed his eyes more as Aaron sent a text to Dave and Jarrod.
As Matt got up and stretched, with Aaron doing the same, he got a text back. It was from Dave. Info ASAP. His celled pinged again with pretty much the same message from Jarrod. He texted them both back. Waiting on doc.
Anne Mickland walked into the room in her surgical scrubs and smiled at them. "It went better than we thought. Please you two; sit down." Aaron and Matt sat down on the couch while Dr. Mickland sat on the coffee table.
"The first thing we did was put a drain in to relieve the pressure of the bruise hemorrhage from the compartment syndrome. That was the biggest and trickiest part. If it didn't drain right, we knew we had more trouble. It drained perfectly. Once we got in with the scope, it was easy sailing. I repaired all the damage to the muscle that I could. We gave it a good head start; now it just needs rest and some final healing time."
"What kind of timeframe are you looking at Doctor before we can see here," Aaron asked.
"While she's in recovery, Dr. Dansgupta, on my directive, has got her out for another three to four hours. I'm sorry you can't talk to her but she desperately needs that time for her body to recognize that it's healing." Matt looked at Aaron. "Matt, with the pain she's been through since the injury, her body needs to settle and recognize the pain source is gone."
"And that's the time her system will need to let the anesthesia completely clear as well. You'll be able to talk to her for a bit then. We'll be moving her back to her room in the next hour. But I'll tell the both of you straight up. After that, I'm going to put her flat out for a minimum of six hours. I don't want her moving."
"We appreciate your care Doctor. What happens next?"
"After that," Anne Mickland smiled, "you can bring the other boys here to see their mother in the afternoon. She should be awake. We get some food in her, let her visit with all of you, and then tuck her in for the night and let the healing process continue. Barring any surgical complications, which I really don't foresee, we'll have her up and walking Thursday morning and she'll be sleeping with you at home Friday night," she smiled at Aaron.
"That quick," Matt asked.
Anne Mickland smiled. "Yes, Matt. We've given her that big of a head start. She just needs rest and recuperation time right now." Dr. Mickland bored an eyeful into Aaron. "We got it all fixed. She just needs a little down time. I'm gonna make sure of that," she winked.
"I don't know how to thank you Doctor," Aaron said.
"You stick to my after surgery plan and make your wife do it as well Aaron, we're even. I'm just glad we were able to finally get her fixed up. Janice told me how many years she's been struggling. We get her through the next 36 hours, she'll be on the road to brand new." Matt smiled and shook his head.
Aaron looked at his oldest son. "I think you know the buy-in we have," he smiled at Dr. Mickland.
She patted Aaron on the knee. "I'll let you know when they're moving her back up to her room so you can be there with her when we let her wake up. You two can go back up there now or hang out here: your choice."
"Dr. Mickland, mom's room doesn't have this couch and coffee table. I could use grabbing some more sleep with dad," he smiled.
Anne Mickland rose off the coffee table and rubbed Matt's shoulder. "That's the best thing you can do for mom right now. This room is all yours."
Aaron extended his right hand. "Thank you Doctor. Have someone let us know when they are moving her and then we'll go up there."
Dr. Mickland smiled. "Done deal; see you two in the morning."
Matt leaned into the couch while Aaron typed a single text to send to Dave and Jarrod. Out of surgery. Everything and her A-OK. Making her sleep for while. See her in 4 hrs. He hit the send button, leaned back and pulled his son back to his shoulder. "Thank you God," he quietly said. Less than five minutes later, they were both sleeping.
About an hour later Tamika came in the room and gently woke them. "Dr. Barkley is back in her room." They both rubbed their eyes open a bit and then stood up, thanking Tamika for all of her help. She smiled and left the two of them as they moved to the elevators. When they got off on the fourth floor, it was eerily quiet.
They entered Cait's room and found a nurse taking a round of vitals. She smiled at them as she checked Cait's pulse. The room was mostly darkened, with just a soft light on above Cait's head so the nurses could see to do their work. She made her notes in the digital chart and hung it back on the bed and looked at them. "Everything checked out normal except her blood pressure; and that's getting better," she whispered. Aaron nodded at her and she left. Matt moved to the padded chair in the corner of the room, took his tennis shoes off and put his feet up on the end of Cait's bed. He snuggled in and tried to get some more sleep.
Aaron silently pulled up the chair he and Matt had sat on before and looked at Cait. Take away the swelling and the bruising that is already started, she looks perfectly content he thought to himself. But I wish she was home, in our bed. He reached under the covers and found her hand, gently taking it in his. He quietly moved the chair so he could hold her hand, slid his tennis shoes off as well and put his feet up on the bed as well.
He nodded off, every now and then; as well as he could in the uncomfortable chair. At her three o'clock check of Cait, a nurse returned with a pillow for his back. Around four, he felt Cait lightly squeeze his hand. He looked at her and she was still conked. But she knows I'm here he smiled.
Around five, Cait began to stir a bit. Aaron turned the chair so he could face her. He gently rubbed his thumb over the top of hers. The same nurse came in to take Cait's vitals. "Her BP is just about normal. She's doing fine." Aaron nodded at her. As the minutes passed, she slowly came around, moving a bit and then nodding off. Aaron's cell buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to look at the message. Landed early. On way to taxi. Room number?
Aaron texted back 436. Cait squeezed Aaron's hand a little harder and tried to open her left eye. She took a deep breath and then relaxed again. Aaron switched to holding Cait's hand with his left and took his right hand to gently rub Cait's head. "We're here Cait. Just take your time," he softly said. Matt woke to his voice and rose out of his chair.
"Is she coming around?" Aaron softly smiled and nodded his head. She squeezed his hand again and propped her eye open for a second or two, then nodded off again. Matt gently massaged her foot, no longer her pain release outlet. It lay comfortably and quietly.
Cait squeezed Aaron's hand again. "My heroes are still here?" she softly said. Aaron rubbed her head and reached up to kiss her forehead.
"Welcome back."
"Hi mom," Matt said, gently squeezing her foot. Cait opened her eye and looked at the two of them and slightly smiled at the sight. They both looked haggard, Aaron more so, with their usual overnight stubble making its appearance. She didn't mind.
"How do you feel," Aaron asked.
"My back is sore but not scorching with pain. But I have a helluva headache." Matt smiled. For his mother to use that language, she had to have a huge headache. Looking at her, as the bruise around her right eye deepened by the second, he understood. Two years ago, she had got him through a tough night after breaking his nose in a high school football game. He knew the feeling.
She relaxed a bit and then woke again. "What time is it?"
"It's a little past five Doc. Dr. Mickland wanted to keep you still for a while to let your back rest."
"And the surgery?"
"You came through with flying colors mom."
"And Dr. Mickland was able to repair the muscle damage. You just need time to recuperate. Dr. Mickland said baring any complications, you should be home Friday," Aaron added.
Cait shut her eye and then opened it. "Matt, what about your classes today?"
"Mom, I emailed all my professors before Pete drove me here. I'm excused. And coach understands. I'm excused from practice today."
"Pete brought you here?"
"Cait, I'm glad he did." Cait just smiled. Matt happened to look at the person coming in the door. He got up and walked to his grandmother who quietly entered the still darkened room.
Matt pulled her into a hug as Jarrod rolled into the doorway, pulling their luggage bag and shook Matt's hand. As Matt pulled away, he noticed Jake walking in as well, pulling his bag as well. He pointed to the two men where to put their bags and then nodded at them to follow him out into the hall, after sharing a hug with his uncle.
Maggie grabbed his arm. "Something wrong Matt?"
"No grandma, just a heads up. Her head hit the counter pretty hard. Her eye is already swollen shut and the bruising is setting in. She doesn't really look like mom. But the surgery went great and they expect a full recovery with her having no more back pain." He looked at the three of them. "I just wanted to warn you."
They all nodded and entered back in to hear Cait asking Aaron where Matt went. She felt a rub of her foot and heard the voice. "To give me a hug big sis," Jake said.
Aaron stood up and shook Jake's hand as he moved to the foot of the bed to let Jake talk to Cait. He hugged Maggie and shook Jarrod's hand, while Cait said to Jake, "What are you doing here?"
"Ummmm, I was in the neighborhood," he smiled at her with his pearly whites as he sat down on the chair. Maggie and Jarrod took a long at their daughter and both shook their heads. Aaron rubbed Maggie's shoulder. "But hey, look who else I ran into," he beamed.
Maggie and Jarrod joined Jake. Cait blinked and a tear ran out of her eye. Aaron rubbed her foot as Matt walked to the left side of the bed to rub her shoulders.
"You didn't have to…." Cait gulped out through another tear.
"Yes we did," Jarrod said, gently kissing her forehead. "We don't care how old you are. You're still our daughter." Jake got up and let Maggie sit down.
She reached under the covers and found her hand. "How do you feel?"
"My back is sore and I have a ….."
"…. helluva a headache," Aaron and Matt both said with her. Maggie and Jarrod quietly laughed.
Jake wrapped his strong arm around Aaron's shoulder. "Hell if I looked like that, I'd have a headache too."
Cait squeezed Maggie's hand a bit tighter; a signal a mother would recognize. "Cait is the pain getting worse."
"A bit."
Aaron rubbed her foot. "Cait, Dr. Mickland wants your system to fully get rid of the anesthesia, and then they're going to put you out for at least six hours. You need to rest. They should be coming with that soon."
Matt tensed. "Mom, you OK?"
While she couldn't see him, she immediately knew his concern. "Matt, it's nothing like before; just post-operative pain." Maggie rubbed the tears off her cheek, holding her hand. Jarrod lovingly rubbed her head.
Jake looked up to see a doctor and nurse entering the room with the nurse carrying a tray. "Sis, I think the pain squad is here."
The doctor looked at the group, and smiled. "Can I ask which one of you is Aaron?"
"I am."
"Good morning Aaron, I'm Dr. Newton, the night shift doctor. Dr. Mickland prescribed some pain medication we need to administer."
"She told us," Aaron said, nodding at Matt. He quickly made the introductions.
Dr. Newton walked to the side of the bed, rubbing Maggie shoulder. "You're fine right their mom," he said as he looked at Cait. "Dr. Barkley, how are you feeling?"
"A bit uncomfortable."
Dr. Newton smiled as the nurse hooked up the IV drip of Advil 3. "We're going to take care of that. And then Dr. Barkley, you need to sleep."
"Dr. Newton, we all do," Aaron said. "Matt and I have been here all night and Cait's family just arrived on a red-eye flight from California."
He looked around the room and smiled. "I'd say you all need some rest. Dr. Barkley, you'll probably get about ten, maybe fifteen more minutes with your family and then I'm going to chase them all to bed. They can come this afternoon. Given what you went through the last eight hours, you need the rest. And so do they."
"I understand Doctor; thank you," Cait said, showing him the same professional courtesy.
The nurse nodded at Dr. Newton and they left. Within minutes, Aaron noticed Cait starting to relax, as did Matt. He walked around the bed and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you this afternoon mom. Love you."
"I love you too Matt. Give Mike and Jack a hug for me."
"You got it mom," he smiled. Jake, Jarrod and Maggie added their good-byes and moved away.
Aaron sat down on the bed, taking her hand. They shared a kiss. He rubbed the top of her head. "Cait, just relax and sleep. You haven't really slept for three days. You need it."
Cait closed her eye and took a deep breath. "I love you. See you later. Hopefully shaved?"
Aaron laughed a bit and rubbed her chin. He gave her another kiss. "Promise; I love you too."
Cait blissfully feel asleep surrounded with the thoughts of the family that she loved as much as they loved her.
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A/N: Dr. Newton is a shout-out to the victims and their families of Sandy Hook. May they all find this kind of peace. Footprints in the Sand is a spiritual poem that provides comfort to those that are hurting physically or mentally. I carry a copy as well.
