Chapter 4
"You don't understand," Richard quavered. "I can't leave her…"
"Alright, you can ride with her to the hospital…"
Richard nodded and inhaled the
musty air, tainted with the mingled scent of blood and terror. They quickly loaded Caroline onto the
ambulance. There are so many tubes. Caroline's face was distorted by the
blood that adhered to the tufts of hair hanging from her forehead. No moans,
not anything. Is she alive?
" Is she…" Richard felt his stomach somersault " going to live?"
"Well, as a result of the puncture wound, her body lapsed into a coma. We won't be certain of her condition until we reach the hospital."
Once again, bile rose in his
throat. He tumbled over, trying to contract his muscles to keep it down. It was
as if someone had ripped out his rib cage with their bare hands in one swift
movement. Don't' panic. She'll be all right. You need to believe that,
Richard. Otherwise, you'll make yourself crazy.
Julia emerged from the shadows. Her gaze held understanding. She peered into Richard's eyes, and for once, recognized the emptiness. No special insight was necessary to capture the despair within his expression, or the alarm that Caroline, his Caroline, might not live.
"Reechard.." she pulled him to her, and embraced him, like a lover going to war. She clung to him as if he were a life raft, as if she would never see him again. "Go on, Reechard. Go… and be with your Caroline. She needs you right now, more than anyone else. Go…you be with her." She placed a palm to his cheek, and began to cry unabashedly. "It's okay, Reechard, I know." Before he could respond, she abandoned him to the shadows, once again.
My Caroline. My Caroline. These soft words offered
solace. Richard stared at Julia, his jaw
plummeting, but he temporarily dismissed his shock, and crammed himself into
the ambulance. A small stool supported his weight as they hurried to the
hospital. Richard smoothed Caroline's hair back, allowing his fingers to graze
her cheeks and forehead. He brought his lips to her forehead, and rested his
cheek against it.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
It
was 1:45 am when they reached the Emergency Room. The following moments
progressed in a whirlwind of activity. Paperwork, howling children, injury and
illness permeated his senses.
"Excuse
me, can you please fill these out? We need the young lady's insurance
information."
Richard
fished Caroline's wallet out of her purse and sprinted to the receptionist.
"Here
you are," he hurled it into her hands, and returned to Caroline's side.
"Excuse
me," her nasal voice resonating over the cries " I need you to fill these out."
"Ugh,
okay." He angrily snatched the clipboard from her hand. After 15 minutes, he
was finished. He ran to the place were Caroline was, but she was no longer
there. He approached the nearest physician, fighting the urge to lash out at
him, and politely asked of Caroline's whereabouts.
"Who
are you?" He asked with a skeptical eye.
"I'm
Richard," he stammered. "Richard Karinsky."
"So,
what do I care, buddy? Who are you to her?"
"I'm..uh….well…I'm in love with her. I'm her..FIANCE." Please believe me.
"She's
been taken to the ICU. Normally, only the patient's family is permitted inside,
but since you are her fiancé….well, I guess I can make an exception."
"Thank
you! Thank you! Thank you!" Richard bellowed to the occupants of the waiting
room. He embraced the doctor, and raced to the elevator.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Intensive Care Unit, Nurse's station
Richard
bounded into the hall with no intentions of stopping.
"Exxcuuuussseee
me young man." Uh oh. "Where do you
think you're going?"
The
voice rose from a towering pile of paperwork. Two large hands slammed onto the
desk with defiance. Her beady eyes challenged him.
"Excuse
me..I'm sorry, but I'm looking for Caroline Duffy. She was just brought up from
the Emergency Room."
"Hmmmm…..Ms.
Duffy, huh." She scanned the contents of her desktop, and from the jumbled
documents, retrieved a single sheet. "Ms. Duffy in currently undergoing
surgery. No visitors until the procedure is finished."
"And
how long is that?" Richard matched her defiance, though inwardly melting with
the desire to see Caroline.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
4:45
am, the ICU waiting room
It was the feeble cries of a newborn the jostled him from his troubled dreams. Images of Caroline danced in his mind. At home, at Remo's, dancing at the award's banquet and then, covered in her own blood. Why didn't I run after her? She was so upset. He slumped with shame and held his head in his palms.
A nurse, the same one who had berated him earlier, entered the room.
"Mr. Karinsky. You can see your fiancé now." Fiance. It's amazing how one simple word can trigger an onslaught of emotions. Richard swallowed back tears.
"Alright. What room?"
"207…. listen Mr. Karinsky." The older women touched his shoulder, her warm gaze, filling him with comfort. "It'll be alright. I see how you love this woman. I wish I had a man like you for myself. But that would be considered illegal in some states, eh?"
Richard chuckled despite the tears cascading down his face. "Thank you." He whispered. "Thank you."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Richard approached her room cautiously, fearful of what lie behind the door. It mangled his insides to see her so helpless. Reluctantly, he put his hand on the pallid wood, resting his head against it. He entered the room and a gasp escaped his lips. So many tubes. He could not tell where the technical equipment ended and Caroline began. Interwoven through her hair and hospital garment were tubes of various colors, each serving a different purpose. Two IV's penetrated her skin. Richard saw a bright orange chair, and quickly pulled it to Caroline's side. She looks like she's going to break. Delicately, he smoothed the soft tufts of hair back, laid his head near her shoulder, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.