Chapter 25
Sportacus sat there in shock. His mind refused to accept the fact that the Mayor was dead.
"But how is that possible?" He asked.
"Given his age and the damage done to his trachea, they were never able to get him breathing again. By the time they found him, his brain had been oxygen deprived for far too long. Even if by some miracle he'd survived, he would have been in a vegetative state for the rest of his life." Susan explained.
"No one in Town Hall was able to help him before the paramedics arrived?" The hero couldn't believe that out of the group no one knew First Aid or CPR.
"No one had enough medical knowledge or equipment to do so. They would have had to have a large syringe and stabbed it into his lungs. A tracheotomy would not have worked in Milford's case as it was too damaged. Had they missed the lungs, they could have punctured his heart or any number of organs. Not to mention that they'd have to miss the ribs too. There was also internal bleeding they would have had to contend with." The nurse pointed out the medical minefield and the horrible reality sunk in.
"Did someone tell Stephanie?" Sportacus wanted to know.
"Not yet. She's still in surgery. Bessie is our next stop." Robbie spoke up.
"Go tell her. I'll try to figure out a way to tell Stephanie." The hospital gown-wearing hero heaved a sigh. Robbie and Susan only nodded and quickly as they could, left the room.
"We'd better be on our way as well." Trixie's mom ushered everyone out into the hallway leaving Sportacus alone with his thoughts.
Hours later, Susan entered the room again, this time alone. She saw the hero staring up at the ceiling and knew that he still hadn't figured a way to explain the news to the Mayor's beloved niece.
"Stephanie is out of surgery." The nurse spoke up.
"How is she?" He asked looking down from the ceiling and over to her.
"Well the doctors were able to remove the bullet and the shrapnel. Both legs are in casts, her ribs have been wrapped, and she's going to have a large scar on her torso but other than that it seems her healing abilities are working just fine." Susan said with a slight smile.
"She wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for those abilities. What Pixel's suit told me…" the words rang in his ears but he ignored them, now knowing she would pull through.
"I spoke with the anesthesiologist and she should be coming around soon. I've been authorized to give you a ride." Her smile grew as she whipped out a wheelchair from the nearby closet.
"Thanks." Sportacus only smiled slightly, still wondering how Stephanie would take the death of her beloved Uncle. Another nurse entered the room and helped Susan get him into the wheelchair. From there, the nurses escorted him down the hallway to where Stephanie's room was. Susan parked the wheelchair next to the bed and then quickly ducked from the room. She went in search of Robbie knowing, despite his concussion, he'd be looking for something sweet at the moment. She found him near the vending machine in the cafeteria and she quickly sat him down.
"Pixel called before I visited Sportacus. He said currently that Chief Dooright is running things in town and that they've managed to keep the Mayor's death under wraps for now. He fears that their silence won't last much longer. Dooright is holding a press conference in a half an hour." Susan explained.
"Let's hope that Sportacus tells Stephanie what happened before that comes on." The ex-con shook his head slightly before he regretted the move and pressed his fingers to his forehead.
To Be Continued…