September Sickness
She had just been feeling so run down lately; she had no idea as to the reasons. It began around three weeks ago, but it was in her nature to not let anyone know when she didn't feel well. There were so many people that depended on her and she just couldn't let them down. She knew she would be on her own for at least another two weeks; he would be back then.
She watched as the twins sat in the living room having a snack and watching a cartoon. She loved them so much, she never thought in a million years she would see two more grandchildren. Philip and Jamie were a joy to help raise and she enjoyed the challenge of the two boys at the time they were growing.
The twins were different; she noticed that even at the age of two that they really took care of each other. They had some kind of fight everyday but like their parents; it usually was quickly forgotten. They seemed to have their own language and at times only they knew what they were talking about.
The pain in her shoulder was worse and as she went to stand to go get some medicine she fell on the floor and collapsed into darkness, her last thought was of the two in the living room. Matt went to throw his juice box in the trash and saw his grandmother sleeping on the floor. He told Jennie to be quiet that grandma was sleeping, so she sat next to her grandmother and began to rub her hair, like she would do with Jennie.
The twins looked at the table when the phone started to ring and Matt knew he wasn't to answer the phone but he didn't want to wake his grandmother so he picked the phone up, "Hi."
Lee heard Matt's voice and that funny feeling he had all day since leaving them at Dotty's came back in full force, "Matt, daddy needs to talk to Grandma." Amanda walked in and wondered what Lee had to talk to her mom for.
"Daddy, she is sleeping on the floor right now. Jennie is lying down with her."
"Sleeping I need you to wake her up, Buddy. It is real important that I talk to her." He motioned for Amanda to pick up the other line and call 911 and get it to her mother's house.
"She is really tired she won't wake up." Lee heard the little boy start to sound scared and Lee told him that a police man was on his way and to let him in, but only the police man or Daddy or Mommy.
Amanda and Lee rushed over to Dotty's apartment in record time; the EMT's and police were already there and Jennie and Matt wouldn't let them near Dotty. They flashed their badges and explained who they were and went inside and Lee took the children to the couch and told them to stay there.
Matt was yelling at them to leave his grandma alone she was sleeping. Lee was trying to calm the twins down who were very upset by what was happening and took them outside to sit inside the Corvette. When he saw Amanda come out she explained that Dotty was still unconscious and the EMT's were taking her to the hospital. Lee sat the twins in the back buckled them in and went to the hospital. They arrived at the hospital to find the ER doctor who explained that Dotty had had a heart attack, was still unconscious and as soon as they finished running all the tests they would likely prep her for surgery.
Amanda sat in the waiting room until she was told she could go and see her mother. It was two hours before that was even possible. "How did we not know she was sick?"
"Amanda, she is her daughter's mother, do you really think she would tell us that she wasn't feeling up to par? I am sure she will be fine after the tests are ran and if she has to have surgery then we will take care of her and get her back to normal. Isn't that what this family is all about, being normal?"
Amanda tried to smile and then she called the house to tell the boys where they were and what was going on. The twins were antsy and wanted to see Dotty. When Lee explained that they were old enough to see Dotty at the moment, they sat and got quite. Lee placed his arms around Amanda and then the doctor came back and said that Amanda could come back and see her mother but only briefly.
"Mother, mother it is Amanda. I am right here and so is Lee."
"Twins, where are.."
"Mother, they are with Lee in the waiting room, they are fine. They took care of you until we could get to you. Why didn't you tell me that you weren't feeling good mother?"
"I thought it was just the weather changing and my allergies; I really didn't think it was anything serious."
"Well, it is and Lee, myself, and everyone else is going to make sure you get better and we will take care of you; instead of you taking care of us. No arguments young lady, I'm not ready to lose you; I have lost so much already and I still need you, I love you Mother." Amanda tried to stop the tears but she couldn't. She had tried to be so strong she felt her mother's hand on her own and looked in her eyes as her mother whispered, "Panda, I am not done raising you or Lee yet of course I am not going anywhere."
Amanda gave her mother a kiss and said that her time was up and Dotty told the nurse to send Lee in to see her. Lee walked in the room and noticed it was like looking at Amanda on their honeymoon, he swallowed hard and walked forward. Sitting in the chair next to her he took her hand in his and thought it always seemed so strong but now it looked so small and fragile.
"Lee Matthew Stetson, I want you to know something and to understand this as well. I always thought Amanda was involved with or cared for someone at work. Little did I know it was a man that was always putting my daughter in danger, but by doing that you showed her own strength; because it takes a lot of strength to lie to your mother for as long as she did. I am so glad that it was you, you have brought more love and joy into this family; we were incomplete without you. Now I am not going anywhere, it is not my time but I know that this family has had a lot of sadness this year, I am not adding to it. Don't hide if you are scared so if you need to break down, break down here and not in front of them."
Lee was already crying when he walked in and listening to his mother in law he found he couldn't stop. He held her hand and cried and she cried with him and after a few minutes he stopped crying and said, "I love you, Dotty. Thank you for accepting me when you had more than enough reasons to reject me. Thank you for giving me the greatest joy any one person could have ever asked for. Without your daughter I would not be the man you know, I would be a shell of a person or be dead. She blessed me with a wonderful family and I am more that glad to know that you aren't going anywhere, but they are here to take you to surgery. Now when you get out we will be here waiting for you. I love you, Mom."
Dotty smiled and she knew everything was going to be fine and she asked Lee to stay with her until they took her into surgery; he never left her side and held her hand in his for as long as they would let him. Her fingers slipped from his as she was wheeled from the room. He walked the short distance to the family surgical waiting room he came in to see the twins sleeping, holding hands, Philip and Katie, holding hands, Amanda and Jamie, holding hands, and all awake seemed to be praying. All but the sleeping twins looked at him and then as he collapsed into the chair they all stood, walked to him, and surrounded him in his own grief and they all held each other.
Five hours later the doctor came in and said, "Mrs. Stetson, your mother is in recovery. It was worse than the tests lead on after we got in there; we almost twice, but she fought hard and is doing well at the moment. She is going to be here in ICU for a couple of days and then we will move her to another room for a week and then when she gets home she will have to take it easy and have round the clock care for the first two weeks and then she be able to start doing more and more every day and then we can get her back into tip top shape."
"Thank you will we be able to see her tonight?"
"Yes, but only one at a time and for only about five minutes. The nurse will let you know when it is time."
The family sat back down and Amanda was glad that Constance had come and taken the twins and let Katie stay. Lee let out the air in his lungs he had been holding longer than he needed to be. The nurse came in and said that two people could actually go back at a time but for a very short time. Amanda and Jamie went in and Jamie gasped when he say his grandmother still hooked to a machine and tubes and wires in her. He noticed the large bandage down the center of her chest and another on her right leg. He walked over and held her hand and whispered in her ear; what Amanda couldn't hear and she thought it was okay, what he had to say to her was for her not Amanda. Amanda walked over and kissed her mother and then walked Jamie back out to the waiting room and the nurse waited for the next two.
Philip stood and looking at Katie and Lee he said, "Dad will you come with me please?"
Lee nodded and stood and the two followed the nurse remembering the reaction of the last boy the nurse said, "Now she is still asleep and still hooked up to some machines but she really is just sleeping and she will be fine."
Philip nodded and assumed the speech was for him due to the look on Jamie's face when he came back into the waiting area. Even telling him still didn't prepare for what he saw. Philip almost lost his balance and swayed a little with Lee bracing him up. After a brief moment Philip gave Lee a nod that he was fine and walked over to his grandmother and without shedding a tear he said, "Grandma, I know you can hear me so don't act like you can't. I am not holding in my feelings because I am not crying, but you are still here and I will not cry until you aren't with me anymore. The doctor said you tried to leave twice, stop that, your place is here now. I will not lose you do you hear me, not now anyway. I love you, you are the second strongest woman I know and your heart is too big to give out. I will see you awake ion the morning. I love you." He leaned over and kissed his grandmother on the cheek and walked from the room leaving Lee alone with Dotty again.
"He isn't as strong as he sounds. Neither am I, besides I hadn't had a chance to tell you, I'm leaving the Agency. I told Amanda I wanted to be the one to tell you. The boys don't even know yet. It was going to be your Christmas present from me to you. Get some rest and we will be back, I love you."
The nurse watched the family leave together and then wasn't surprised when the man was back a few hours later and asked if he would be allowed to sit his mother in law's room. She said it was against policy and he said he knew that but he hated hospitals and was a rule breaker. She laughed at that and when he flashed his dimples she gave in a let him in and asked if he needed anything.
"Just for that woman in that bed to wake up and come home and let her family enjoy her for a lot more years."
"How long have you known her?"
"I have been getting to know her since 1983 and I continue to learn something from her every day; I never had a mother after the age of five until her and I am not going to stop now."
Lee came in late and left early until Dotty was out of the hospital and back at home. She had agreed to stay with Lee and Amanda at the house until Kirk was back in town; even after reaching him he couldn't get away as fast as he wanted.
"Stop fussing over me; I am going to be tired Lee. Now go into work; they won't let me keep your job if you aren't there to do it. I have Amanda and the nurse and the twins. You can play nursemaid when you get home."
Lee was walking out of the house and saw the cab with Kirk getting out and walking up and shaking hands Kirk asked, "How is she?"
"Verbally back to normal; physically she is still weak that is why we have her here, she isn't able to do stairs yet, but I think after seeing you things will get back to normal faster."
"How did this happen? She was fine when I left for Florida."
"I will let Amanda inform you of everything and I will see you when I get home tonight. Glad to have you home, Kirk."
"Glad to be home, Lee."
Kirk walked in and Jennie saw him first and yelled, "Papa Kirk, Grandma is on the couch come on, come on, come on." She encouraged not that he needed any. Kirk sat next to her and leaned in to kiss her eyes while she laid there with them closed. Without opening her eyes she said, "Don't you ever leave me again, do you understand?"
"Never, if I have another conference you are coming with me; even if we have to bring the twins."
Dotty pulled him in close and hugged as tight as she could without busting her stitches open. She had only admitted to Amanda she was worried about the scar she would have on her chest now. Dotty was worried that Kirk wouldn't find her attractive anymore. Amanda said she knew exactly how her mother felt. Amanda remembered that day in the hospital while Dotty was dressing that Amanda said, "Well Mother try being on your honeymoon and end up getting shot; doesn't exactly leave the greatest beauty mark." The two women laughed at it and it was then that Amanda knew her mother was going to be fine.
A week later she was back at home and doing well her normal routine, minus the twins, was getting back to normal. She missed the twins but until she was given a complete clean bill of health Lee and Amanda insisted she wouldn't be watching them, even with Kirk home. She needed rest still and maybe by the end of October she could have them back while Lee and Amanda were at work.
True to their word the day after Dotty was cleared for all normal activities and routines she opened the door to see the twins standing there smiling and asking if she was ready to play again. She leaned down and hugged them and with tears in her eyes she said, "Grandma is ready to play anything you want, anything at all my darlings."
