Chapter 29
"Tami, I would love to be here for you, but with the news that you need to give Sheena, do you really want me here?" AJ questioned softly.
"Let's just see how she reacts when she gets here, I really want you here with me, AJ," Tami sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Then I'll be here," he assured her.
"I'll call Reverend Samuel's and have him bring her here, instead of dropping her off at home," she said, getting up and heading for the pay phone in the hall.
"Tami, use my cell," AJ offered.
Taking his cell phone she placed the call and explained to the Reverend why this change in plan was necessary. She accepted his condolences and the promise of his prayers with grace and got off the phone as quickly as she could. Handing the phone back to AJ just as a doctor in sweaty scrubs came into the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kearney?" the doctor asked.
"No, this is Tami Kearney, I'm just a friend of the family, doctor," AJ told him.
Tami stood up with AJ at her side waiting for news of Andrew.
"We've repaired the breaks in his right leg and patched up the internal injuries, so he will keep that leg. The left was cut off just above the knee, whoever did the amputation did a good job of keeping the loss of blood down, so he should recover well. When he's ready, he will be fitted with a prosthetic. He's out of surgery now and will be brought to a room soon; I can let you in to see him now, for just a few minutes, Mrs. Kearney."
"Thank you, Doctor, and it was Mr. Chegwidden here that did the amputation."
"You have had any training in the medical field haven't you, Mr. Chegwidden?" asked the doctor.
"I served in the Navy as a SEAL, doctor, that's where all my training came from."
"You did a splendid job and are credit to our armed forces, Sir," replied the doctor, turning to leave.
Tami followed the doctor to Andrew's room and stood quietly by his bedside watching her son sleep. The bed on one side was empty and would remain so for the rest of his life. He looked so pale and like the little boy he once was. He would need her strength and determination and she would be there for him. Bending down to kiss him she turned and left the room.
Coming back into the waiting room she smiled at AJ. "He'll be alright, it will just take time."
"So you're feeling hopeful about his future now?"
"Yes, I am. I stood beside his bed and saw that he is still my son and I will be there to help him when he is ready."
"That's all anyone can ask of you, Tami. I know you'll be there for him and if you'll let me, I'd like to be there for you too."
"I'd like that very much, AJ. Something tells me I'll need all the support I can get." Andrew had been moved to a room directly across the hall from the nurses' station. When Sheena arrived she went up to the desk and started crying, "Where is my brother? Where is Andrew Kearney?"
Tami, hearing her daughter, left Andrew's room, and saw Sheena standing at the nurses' station with Reverend and Mrs. Samuels. "Sheena, darling he is over here," she said. "Darling, he was in a terrible accident and had to have his left leg removed."
"Oh, poor Andrew, will he live?" Sheena asked.
"Yes, darling, but we would have lost him if not for AJ. He saved Andrew's life."
"Coach Chegwidden saved Andrew's life, how?"
"He was bleeding to death and the water was rising where Andrew was laying, so AJ took off Andrew's leg. If he hadn't done that then Andrew would have bled to death," explained Tami.
"Coach Chegwidden cut off Andrew's leg? How awful, and you say he saved his life?"
"Yes, darling, he kept him from bleeding to death."
"That doesn't make any sense, mother. He cut it off on purpose, because we don't want him to date you."
Hearing this AJ came out of Andrew's room and said, "Sheena, no matter what the two of you feel about me, I would hope, that you'd know, I would never do something like that out of spite."
"You know it's the truth! You wanted to date mom and not me! This was your way of getting back at Andrew!"
To be continued…
