Chapter 13
Charlie was anxious and exhausted. He had been awake off and on since about 6 AM. Around 6:15, he really wanted to hear a familiar voice and for a nanosecond contemplated calling his house, and talking to whoever he woke up first. Then he realized how incredibly self-centered calling that early in the morning would appear and gave up on the idea.
He waited a full hour before calling Don. It was an exceedingly long hour; which in Charlie's brain, he understood, was impossible because an hour consisted of 60 minutes or 3600 minutes respectively.
Charlie was not happy that he had to put an end to his call to his brother.
As Isabella went about checking her patient's hands and extremities for color, temperature and sensitivity she felt a pair of unhappy brown eyes boring a hole into the side of her head.
"Sorry, my friend, but I have a schedule to keep." Isabella said as she continued her evaluation. "Both Dr. Cosmos and Vaidya will be in soon and they will want to see the latest readouts."
"Izzy (Charlie learned a long time ago if you at least try to make a personal connection with a hard-to-reach student it makes the term goes so much smoother – hence his nickname for Isabella) I think the sedative they kept giving me last night was definitely past its use by date."
Despite trying her best not to; Isabella cracked a smile.
"Interesting theory." Isabella replied. "Seeing how you've been awake more than asleep since four." She had not been fooled by Charlie's "I'm asleep" routine. Isabella walked to the door and pumped out some hand sanitizer and proceeded to rub it in for a second time. "You're exhausted."
"Yes." Charlie answered honestly. "But I don't want any medicinal help to fall back to sleep because my father and brother are going to be here around nine."
"No medicinals huh," Isabella replied. She hoped Charlie's family members knew about the two previously postponed road projects that started up this morning without much advance public warning. Isabella hated to think that Charlie just might end up being very disappointed in an hour's time.
"Can I lower the head of the bed about ten degrees?" Charlie asked. "I was told it had to stay at a thirty degree angle."
"I don' know what misinformed person you've been talking to when I'm off the floor." She said only semi-joking. "You certainly can lower it. However, if you want to raise it back up again, it cannot be higher than a thirty degree angle."
"Got it." Charlie replied. He put his hand on the device that helped lower or raise the top or bottom portions of the bed.
Isabella watched as the young man appeared to freeze.
"Charlie?" The nurse said gently. "You okay there?"
"Yes," Charlie quietly answered. "Just an unexpected memory." He lowered the head of the bed to a position that felt more comfortable.
Isabella helped reposition the pillow behind Charlie's head and then smoothed his cover and did some tucking because Charlie looked like he could use some motherly attention.
"Thanks Izzy." A smiling Charlie stated.
"Not a problem Prof." Isabella replied. She matched the young man's smile.
"Do you think that I will I get the biopsy results this morning?" A worried sounding Charlie inquired.
"It will depend on how inundated the lab is with requests." Isabella answered. It was the standard hospital line. The truth: Doctors with decades under their belt like Andrew Cosmos had connections and that helped move things along quickly. Meanwhile, anxious patient's with newbie doctor's had to wait a lot longer for results. Charlie was "a name" to the hospital board and that also helped move things along.
"I'm going to take that as a yes." Charlie said. He knew how the game was played. It was the same at CalSci. All he had to do was ask for use of the overly booked Super Computer and BAM time suddenly became available.
"Dr. Cosmos wants you either resting or sleeping as much as possible. Thankfully for the both of us the man is not around yet, or you would be a witness to one of his epic hissy fits." Isabella remarked.
The nurse was happy to see her remark made Charlie smile. He had such a warm smile. However, she could also see that he was losing the battle to stay awake.
"Okay, I'm going to give you ten minutes to fall back to sleep on your own. If not, I will have to offer up some assistance."
Lucky for Charlie every other patient on the floor had coverage and were still asleep; Isabella settled into the chair by his bed and fixed him with a look that said: time starts now.
Charlie visibly relaxed, which made Isabella happy. It did not take ten minutes; Charlie Eppes was asleep in four minutes.
Isabella quietly moved the chair back to its original resting place, did another scan of the monitors, and then left the room.
Charlie was wide awake at 8:46 AM. The short nap helped. It cleared out the remaining cobwebs from his head. It also served to keep Isabella happy and off his back. It was a win-win.
When a staff member came through his door to collect a tray Charlie was majorly let down.
At 8:50 AM: Charle received a call from his father to tell him that added detour traffic had them playing stop and go. His father said they would be in his room not later than 9:30 at the latest.
Charlie heard his brother cursing out some poor harried commuter who unfortunately found themselves in front of an impatient Don Eppes.
At 9:03 Charlie he heard the unmistakable sound of several pairs of feet pounding past his door. The mathematician did not need his stratospheric IQ to deduce what all that running signaled. He grabbed the TV remote, turned the volume up on a morning news program, and drowned out the hallway noise.
At 9:10 Andrew Cosmos and Ana Vaidya walked into Charlie's room. Introductions were made.
After which, Andrew Cosmos asked Charlie if he would mind turning off the TV.
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"I'd love to meet the moron who made the decision to funnel detour traffic onto a two lane residential street." Don gripped. The driver of the Lexus driver in front of him slowed and for a millisecond looked as if they would attempt to make an illegal U-turn. "Don't do it!" Don warned the oblivious driver.
"Well, it probably looked like a really good idea on paper to a person who has never left the comfort of their office." Alan remarked. He checked his watch for the tenth time.
It was now 9:25 and Don and Alan were still a good ten minutes from St. Vincent's.
"We're going to be cutting it close. I should call Charlie." Alan suggested.
"Tell him that I'm doing the best that I can and that we are presently surrounded by idiots." Don remarked.
Alan pulled out his phone again. It almost slipped from his hand when Don had to brake unexpectedly.
"I'm going to start running plates soon." Don grossed. "Starting with this one." He pointed to the slow moving Volkswagon Beetle in front of them.
The remark left Alan smirking as he waited for his call to connect.
"Charlie?" Alan spoke into his phone. He held the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. It was the right number.
He received no answer.
Waiting for the light ahead to turn green again; Don looked over at his father.
"What's wrong?" Don questioned.
Alan simply shrugged his shoulders. He tried again. "Charlie?"
He was about to end the call and start over when the distinctive tone of his youngest son's voice sounded in Alan's ear.
"Dad, are you and Don still coming?" Charlie questioned his father.
"Charlie, we're only a block away now." Alan responded. "Your brother had to drive through a sea of idiots.
Don glanced over to see how Charlie had reacted to Alan's traffic observation. The expression on his father's face was not one of amusement. Instead, his father looked anxious.
The light turned green and Don had no option but to eavesdrop on a one-sided conversation.
"Okay. I'll be waiting for you." Charlie replied. He just could not stay on the phone any longer. He had to get off.
"Charlie? Hello?" Alan was at a loss. "He ended the call."
"I'm sure it was because a staff member came in and told him to get off." Don said, trying to lower his father's anxiety level.
"He's scared." Alan said. "I heard it in his voice."
The two men just looked at each other. Neither one giving voice to their thoughts.
"We're here, Dad." Don said patiently. He waited for a chance to make a left into the medical center's parking lot. "We'll go in and find out what's going on."
In a moment of irony: a METRO bus (the last vehicle that Don needed to wait for in order to turn) passed and on the side of the bus was a colorful advertisement that proclaimed St. Vincent's as a top-ranked cardiac care institute.
As soon as the lanes were clear; Don made his turn and pulled into St. Vincent's expansive complex. He had to loop round the main visitor lot twice before he nabbed a recently vacated parking spot.
Alan and Don were both in the process of shutting the SUV's heavy doors when Alan's phone rang.
Alan reached for his phone once more. The number showing on the phone's screen had Alan scrambling to open it.
Don, quickly shut his door.
He made it around the back of the SUV just as Alan issued a worried sounding greeting.
Don stood in front of his father, hands on hips, waiting. He was not good at waiting.
"Yes, Don and I are in the process of walking into the building." Alan said. "We were stuck in traffic."
"Cosmos?" Don inquired. If it were Charlie his father would have an expression that showed equal parts of relief and worry. The expression his father now wore consisted of 100% worry.
Alan nodded and said yes.
"Good."Andrew Cosmos commented. "I think that it's important that we meet as a family after I have finished morning rounds."
"Dad?" An impatient Don questioned.
Alan gave his equally nervous son a "one minute" look.
"Dr. Vaidya and I spoke with your son roughly 15 minutes ago." Andrew Cosmos explained. "Charlie's endomyocardial (heart) biopsy revealed the presence of GCM cells." The cardiologist heard Alan Eppes inhale sharply. He heard Don Eppes ask his father if he was okay.
"Alan, do you want me to speak to Don?" Andrew Comos suggested.
"No, I'll do it." Alan replied.
Despite the hard-hearted persona the staff bestowed on him; Andrew Cosmos felt for every patient and their family members when the news he shared was the one no one wanted to hear.
Being the bearer of bad news weighed heavily on a physician: even ones believed to have hearts of stone.
"Alan, we'll talk shortly. Come in. Charlie needs to be with his family." Andrew Cosmos ended the call.
Andrew was finished his morning rounds. By now he would be headed back home in order to catch up on paperwork (he still had paper files), grab some lunch, read a good book on his deck, and then grab some sleep before his night shift. Today, though, he would wait for the Eppes clan to collect themselves before going back to Charlie's room.
The cardiologist's news left Alan reeling. He bent over as if in physical pain. His mind went completely blank. It was not until Alan heard the sound of his eldest son's voice that it registered in his brain that he still had to share the news with Don.
"Dad!" Don shouted. He instinctively threw an arm around the older man's back and took hold of his father's forearm. He was afraid that Alan was going to pass out.
"I'm okay." Alan whispered. He made it to an upright position and gratefully allowed Don to help back him up against the SUV's door.
"He discussed the biopsy results with Charlie." Don asked.
"Yes," Alan replied. "Don…"
"Don't" Don stated. It was a request not a mean spirited warning. He took a step back. "Charlie's waiting for us, Dad."
Alan understood completely. For now, Don, who had so many components to him, would internalize and do whatever it took to be there for his brother. Alan also knew one other thing; Charlie would never see his brother break down.
Isabella Garcia was just coming out of Charlie's room when she spotted Alan and Don Eppes approaching. By the drawn look on each of the two men's faces; the nurse knew that they had been updated.
Even so, as they stopped in front of her, Alan Eppes gave her a smile.
"I just finished another circulation check and Charlie's doing very well. He was very happy to hear that instead of every 15 minutes I will only come in every hour on the hour." Isabella explained. She had done her best to try and lighten the mood before the two men went into the room and faced the reality of their loved one's situation.
"Thank you for all the extra time you have spent with Charlie." A grateful Alan acknowledged the woman's kindness.
"Oh, please Mr. Eppes spending extra time with Charlie is by no means work." Isabella answered truthfully. "I even earned myself a nickname in the process."
Armed with the knowledge that his brother only awarded his most challenging students with nicknames; Don took a sudden interest in his shoes and hid his smile.
"Let me get out of your way. Charlie's waiting." Isabella moved to go around Alan. She stopped, however, when he put a hand on her forearm.
"I know from talking with Dr. Cosmos that it's important to keep Charlie from moving."
"Yes, it's extremely important that your son remain as still as possible and I cannot stress enough that Charlie is not allowed to move his right leg. Also, the head of the bed can only be raised up to thirty degrees." Isabella instructed.
"What if during our conversation he becomes upset?" Alan all but wondered aloud.
"Alan," Isabella patiently addressed the worried man. "Charlie is well aware of the sensitive nature of the pump. If at anytime you feel that my presence is needed just push the call button. I won't be far away."
The fact was that Isabella planned on waiting in the hallway until she was sure there would be no need for her to go back in to Charlie's room.
Isabella stepped around Alan Eppes.
"Dad, you ready?" Don asked his father. He placed his hand on the door handle.
Alan wanted to ask for a few minutes alone with Charlie, but the expression on his eldest son's face told Alan that there was no way that Don would even entertain the idea of waiting.
He swallowed his disappointment. "I'm ready," Alan said quietly.
The moment Charlie saw his father and brother, his face started to crumble.
"I'm so sorr…" Charlie began.
"Whoa," Don announced loudly. "What did I tell you earlier."
Alan looked at Don as if he had lost his mind.
"What the hell are you doing?" The older man whispered harshly.
Don strode over to Charlie's bed. It took everything in him to ignore how pale and sick his brother looked in order to continue.
"Why are you being like this?" A visibly upset Charlie asked.
"Tell me what I told you earlier." Don demanded. If his brother did not catch on then he would stop because the way Charlie was looking at him now was gutting Don.
Charlie looked away.
Alan grabbed Don's elbow and angrily whispered in his ear, "This is not the time to be playing some FBI mind game." He was just about to pull his oldest son away from the bed when Charlie looked at Don.
"I'm not to say "I'm sorry." Charlie said in an emotion filled voice.
Don pulled away from his father and leaned over the bed rail.
Alan looked on dumbfounded.
"Which you've done three times now." Don replied. He stared coolly at his younger brother.
"Wait! You can't hit me. I'm all hooked up here." Charlie warned his sibling.
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Andrew Cosmos stopped walking and stood directly behind Isabella Garcia in the hallway.
"What the hell did I just hear?" The cardiologist asked.
"Give it another minute." Isabella said calmly.
"Don't, don't you…" Alan started to warn his oldest son.
"Yo bro, you better listen to dad…"
Don leaned even closer and by doing so, he now could now hear the sound of the balloon in his brother's chest inflating and deflating. When Don met his brother's eyes, he managed to make it seem like the sound had not thrown him. It was Don's best acting to date.
Don lightly flicked his brother in the forehead.
"You are certifiable." Charlie declared. He rubbed his forehead with his non-bruised hand. Despite his proclamation; Charlie was smiling.
"Nice after I went and left you off easy." Don countered. He would banter all morning with his brother if it was what Charlie needed.
"Honestly, I think you both are." Alan said with false seriousness. He took his cue from his two exceptional son's – laughter no tears.
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The sound of laughter could be heard coming from the other side of the door.
"Are you really planning on going in there right now?" Isabella questioned the doctor.
"I'll be back. I'm going to go get another cup of coffee." Andrew Cosmos, the cardiologist, with the heart of stone, replied.
"I knew you were a good guy Dr. By-the-Book," Isabella whispered to Andrew, the doctor she worked alongside of for the last fifteen years.
"Yeah, well keep it to yourself," Andrew Cosmos whispered back. "I've got a cold-hearted rep to keep."
Isabella patted Andrew's back lightly and then made her way back to the nurses' station.