Chapter 9

Lee barely slept despite the medication the doctor prescribed for him. By the time the nurses changed shifts, he was already itching to get to William's room.

"Good morning, Mr. Stetson. How did you sleep?" the perky nurse asked him.

"I didn't. When can I go to my son's room?" Lee snapped.

The nurse lifted his chart and smiled at him. "Once Dr. Lore approves it. Let's start by checking your vitals this morning. Are you in any pain?"

"What do you mean, when he approves it? My arm is busted… of course I'm in pain," Lee grumbled.

"It says here you refused your meds late last night… you know, you really should keep up with them. It'll help keep that pain at bay." The nurse smiled at him again. Without missing a beat, she quickly added, "Or, if you are having a hard time swallowing pills, I can get an injection ready for you."

Lee blanched at the thought and even in his pain-riddled mind, he knew she was right. "No… I'll take a couple of pills if you've got 'em."

"Nurse Kelly was right," the nurse stated before she bounced out of the room, leaving Lee knitting his brow together as he tried to understand her comment. She returned a minute later, carrying a small paper cup.

"Thanks. Do you know when Dr. Lore is going to be in? I'd really like to see my son," Lee pleaded softly.

The nurse gave him a sympathetic look. "Well, Dr. Lore isn't a regular doctor on staff here at the hospital, so I don't really have his schedule." Lee's face fell, so she quickly added, "But I did overhear another one of the nurses mention he might be in early."

Lee lifted his chin and gave her a weak smile. "I appreciate that."

"How old's your boy?" she asked.

"He just turned five last week. He was so excited about his birthday party. My wife made him this great chocolate cake and his older brothers played every game in the house with him." Lee inhaled a shaky breath as tears filled his eyes.

"I'll tell you what… I can't bring you up there to see him, but I'll see if I can get an update on his condition for you. What's his name?"

"William. William Stetson. He's in the Pediatric ICU."

"Okay, Mr. Stetson, I'll see what I can find out. You try to get some rest. Do you need anything else before I step out?" The young nurse smiled warmly.

Lee lifted his chin and asked, "My wife? Has there been any update on her?"

"What's her name? I can check for you?" she offered.

"Amanda Stetson. She's in the cardiac care unit."

"I'll do my best. And as soon as Dr. Lore comes in, I'll be sure to send him your way." The nurse left the room, leaving Lee alone once more. He slumped against the pillows and closed his eyes.

Lee was startled when he heard Dr. Lore's voice in the room.

"Well, Mr. Stetson, it's nice to see you finally taking everyone's advice and rest," the doctor stated.

Lee blinked several times as he tried to orient himself. "I just closed my eyes," he insisted.

"About two hours ago, according to your nurse. She came in to update you, but she said you were sound asleep." Dr. Lore flipped Lee's medical chart open. "Guess you needed those pain meds more than you wanted to admit."

Lee shifted slightly, winced, and readjusted his arm, which was now propped on a pillow beside him. "I guess she did this too?"

"She must have. She's rather concerned about you." Dr. Lore continued to scan the notes written on Lee's file.

"I'm concerned about my family. Any updates?" Lee questioned.

Dr. Lore closed the file and nodded. "Your wife is showing improvement since the surgery. They were able to repair the laceration and her response has been impressive."

"She's always surprising everyone." Lee gave the doctor a weak grin. "How's my son?"

"I haven't been up there yet this morning. Would you like to join me?" Dr. Lore gestured toward the wheelchair pushed against the wall.

Lee's face perked up immediately. "You're not pulling my leg? Putting me through a test or anything?"

"No, Mr. Stetson, I'm not playing any type of game with you. I had a long talk with Mr. Melrose this morning and we both agreed it would be beneficial to both you and your son. Now, do you need help moving around at all?"

"I just need a few minutes and I'll be ready." Lee carefully pushed himself to a sitting position. He glanced around and spotted the sling on the bedside table. "Could you help with that?"

"Of course," Dr. Lore assured him. Together, they slipped the sling over Lee's head and maneuvered his arm into it without causing him any additional pain. "You shouldn't need this for more than a few weeks. Once that arm heals enough, we can drop the cast below your elbow and you'll have more movement."

Lee swung his legs off the bed and found his footing. "Thanks, Doc." He shuffled his way across the room and spent the next few minutes in the bathroom. He did his best to wash his face with a cloth and after rummaging around, he managed to find some mouthwash. He returned to the room and commented, "I can't do much else but at least it helps make me feel a little more human."

"Let's go check on William." Dr. Lore held the handles on the wheelchair while Lee situated himself. They nodded at the agent sitting outside the door and silently traversed the halls of the hospital until they reached William's room.

Inside, another doctor was reading an EEG printout beside the bed. "Dr. Anderson, I didn't expect to see you this morning," Dr. Lore greeted the woman.

"Well, I wasn't sure how long you were going to be with Mr. Stetson, so I thought I'd run a few tests," Dr. Anderson replied. She held up the strip and added, "He looks good. I'm encouraged by this."

"Looks good how?" Lee interjected.

Dr. Anderson gave Lee a smile and pointed to a spot on the printout, "Here… he's dreaming. That's a good sign. He has a lot of activity in his brain, which means we can begin ruling out a few things. I have a good feeling about him."

Lee studied the jagged lines before asking, "So you've seen things like this before and it's turned out okay?"

Dr. Anderson nodded. "Yes, Mr. Stetson. I can say it looks promising."

"Then how long before he's awake… conscious?" Lee pushed gently.

"That's the one question I can't answer. I can tell you I don't see a lot of damage in his brain but when will he wake up...only time will tell." Dr. Anderson leaned forward and placed her hand on Lee's shoulder. "Just don't give up on him."

Lee straightened his spine. "That's my son and I will never give up on him. And to be honest… he's more stubborn than my wife, so I don't see him giving up either." Lee glanced over at William's motionless body. "Can I sit with him for a while?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Stetson. I think it will be good for both of you," Dr. Lore encouraged. "As a matter of fact, I was going to head back and check on Mrs. Farnsworth, so why don't you stay here, and then I'll bring you up to see your wife. Would you like an update on Mrs. Farnsworth as well?"

Coldly, Lee replied, "No."

Dr. Lore lifted his eyes briefly before he lowered his head and stated, "Then I'll return in about an hour to bring you to see your wife." He left the room, leaving Lee and Dr. Anderson alone.

Lee rose to his feet and carefully rested his hip on the edge of William's bed. He studied his son's pale face, grimaced at the bruising around his eye, and fought back the anger that began to surge within him.

"Talk to him. I know it's not much, but he can hear you. I've read a few studies on how it helps comatose patients find their way back," Dr. Anderson suggested.

He took William's limp hand in his, leaned forward, and whispered, "Keep fighting, Champ. We need you."