GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 17
Dr. Lowrey wasn't in the hallway two seconds before he was surrounded by Keith's family and friends. Motioning them back over to the chairs, he pulled one up, facing them.
"Keith is finally out of surgery. We had some minor complications, but we're past the danger point concerning his blood pressure. However," he raised a hand. "There's another thing we have to overcome. He's developed an infection and right now he is one miserable young man. He's just coming out from under the anesthetic and he's in some pain. We're taking care of that with some morphine and fighting off the infection with an antibiotic."
Shirley was worried all over again. "What if it doesn't clear up?"
"Then, I'm afraid we're looking at a whole new ball game. We will have to re-operate, but I'm putting my money on the ampicillin. It's strong, Keith's strong, and you will have to be, too." He smiled as brightly as he could, having spent the last five hours in surgery. "Now, all that said and done, you may all go up and see him, but only two at a time. Don't want to overwhelm him." He glanced at his watch. "He should be back in his bed right about now."
"Thank you, Doctor," Shirley and the others stood with him.
He squeezed her shoulder gently and moved off as she, Reuben, Laurie and Carly looked at one another.
"Well?" Reuben shrugged. "Let's go."
"I think Carly and Laurie should go in first."
Carly looked almost terrified. "Oh, Mrs. Partridge, I couldn't. You're his mother. You should…"
Shirley put her arm around her as they walked toward the elevator. "He's been asking and asking about you. I think it's time you saw one another face to face again."
Carly turned to Laurie, almost apprehensively. "I don't know…if I can! I mean, after what happened…"
Laurie nodded. "You both need closure, Carly. He will see that you're all right, and you will see..."
"What I did to him," Carly said softly, stepping into the elevator with them. The doors slid together, and she was oh-so-close to diving back through them as they did.
Through the glass panel, Laurie saw Keith in the bed on his left side, sleeping, she assumed. She reached behind her for Carly's hand, but all she got was air. She turned to find the girl pressed back up against the wall in the hallway, shaking her head. There was a look of pure terror in her eyes.
"Come on!" Laurie waved.
"No…I can't…I don't feel very well…I think I need to throw up." Carly whispered.
Laurie put her hand on her hip. "No, you don't. You're just fine. Now, come ON!" She reached over, taking Carly's wrist and pulling her forward.
They got to the door before Carly stopped again, shaking Laurie off. "I can't do this, Laurie. You're his sister; you go in. Tell him I love him, okay? I'll just wait out here."
Laurie shook her head. "No. He's not going to bite, for Pete's sake! Look, he's sleeping, anyway."
Bravely, Carly moved to the window. Peering in, she stared at the motionless figure there in the bed. The sheet was just up to his waistline, and he was bare above that, except for the white bandage that covered his middle like a cummerbund. He looked so peaceful. He also wouldn't even be there if it hadn't been for her. She looked over at Laurie, who was watching her brother sleep, too, probably wondering if he was going to be all right. What had she done?! Carly felt sick and she turned away.
"Let's go in," Laurie motioned her toward the door.
"I can't." Carly shook her head.
"Yes, you can. You have to." Laurie frowned at her, now.
Carly sagged. "I know. But why disturb him? He looks so peaceful."
Without another word, Laurie grabbed Carly's arm and yanked open the door, pulling her into the room.
It smelled so sterile inside. The odor of the anesthetic drifted into her nostrils and didn't do her stomach much good. She stood by the bed, staring at him.
He was indeed sleeping, and pale, very pale. She saw the I.V. tube in the top of his left hand and she followed it with her eyes up to the bottle on the stand on the left side of the bed.
Laurie had pulled two chairs up to the bedside and took Carly by the shoulders, sitting her in one of them.
"We'll just sit here for a while; and maybe he'll wake up."
"I'm supposed to go back to the hotel in an hour," Carly whispered.
"Reuben said he'd call your folks." Laurie told her. She reached over, smoothing the side of Keith's head and moving the hair away from his face.
"Are you trying to wake him up?" Carly asked, terrified.
Laurie smiled gently. "No, I just wanted to see his face. He looks so pale," she murmured. "He's warm. He must be running a temperature."
'Infections tend to do that,' Carly thought. Her stomach was doing flip-flops, now, and she looked longingly at the bathroom door.
Keith moaned softly from the bed and Carly anxiously sat forward in her chair. He was waking up! That bathroom was looking better and better…
Laurie leaned closer to him, her fingers wriggling through his hair. "Keith?"
"Shhh!" Carly was panicking. "Let him sleep!"
Laurie ignored her and continued to pet his head. "Come on, honey, wake up…"
In agony, now, Carly got to her feet. There was no way she was going to be here when he opened those beautiful brown eyes. She edged toward the bathroom, stopping only when she heard Laurie speak again.
"Hi, sweetie. How you feel?"
Carly forced herself to look. He was awake and blinking at Laurie, unaware, she hoped, of her own presence. She waited for his response.
"Tired." His voice was barely above a whisper and Carly found herself drifting toward the bed, just trying to hear.
"I brought you a surprise," Laurie smiled, glancing her way.
Her eyes wide, Carly shook her head. She put her hand over her mouth, pointing to the bathroom door.
"Yeah? What?" He asked, trying to be more alert.
Laurie stood up, pulling Carly into Keith's line of vision. She froze, gaping down at him.
Then, he smiled. "Carly," he said, awkwardly reaching up to her.
She sank down into Laurie's chair, taking his hand with the I.V. in it ever-so-gently.
"Hi, Keith." It was all she could get out before the tears started.
"Are you okay? I've been worried about you," he said softly, his face serious.
Worried about HER? He was lying in a hospital bed, thanks to her, fighting for his life, having just come from surgery and possibly facing another one, and he was worried about HER?
"I'm fine. Oh, Keith, I'm so sorry…"
"I know."
She stared at him, still clutching his hand.
"I guess you'll be going home, soon."
She nodded. "Tomorrow night." She didn't want to tell him about the psychiatrist. Knowing him, it would just add to his worry.
"Laurie," he said, tiredly moving his other hand.
She stepped up. "What?"
"Could you give us a minute, here? I want to talk to Carly alone."
"Sure." Laurie smiled, her hand on Carly's shoulder, then she left, the door sweeping closed behind her.
Keith had Carly's hand between both of his, now, his eyes boring into her. At first, she thought he was angry, and she wanted to bolt, but something told her to just stay put.
"Carly, I know what you did was an accident, and I forgive you. But if I hadn't gotten in the way, you would have hurt yourself worse than what you did. I don't ever want to hear about you doing such a crazy thing ever again, okay? You can call me; day or night, and we'll talk. Just don't ever, ever do something like that to yourself again. Please!"
She nodded, putting her hand on both of his. "I promise, Keith."
He smiled gently, showing a dimple. "Good. I'll check up on you; I have my ways." The smile slowly faded, replaced by a sad expression. "I'm gonna miss you, Carly."
"I'll miss you, too, Keith." She whispered it. It hurt to even think about it.
"I love you…I know I never said it, and I should have, because it's true. It probably would have saved us both a lot of trouble." He was getting tired, again; she could see it on his face.
She reached over, her fingers sweeping under his chin. "I love you, too," she swallowed. She just had to savor this moment.
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, then he pulled her forward for an awkward hug among the tubes and wires.
Oh, how she wanted to just hold him forever!
As she let him go, all too soon, he winced, his hand on the bandage.
"Are you all right?" She said worriedly.
"Yeah…I just found out the hard way I can't reach up so high." He smiled. "Will you come see me before you go?"
"Of course."
"You'd better." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm just so tired."
She stroked his head. "It's okay…go back to sleep…goodnight, sweet Partridge," she whispered.
She waited until he was out again, then she stood up, slipping quietly out of the room.
continued...
CHAPTER 17
Dr. Lowrey wasn't in the hallway two seconds before he was surrounded by Keith's family and friends. Motioning them back over to the chairs, he pulled one up, facing them.
"Keith is finally out of surgery. We had some minor complications, but we're past the danger point concerning his blood pressure. However," he raised a hand. "There's another thing we have to overcome. He's developed an infection and right now he is one miserable young man. He's just coming out from under the anesthetic and he's in some pain. We're taking care of that with some morphine and fighting off the infection with an antibiotic."
Shirley was worried all over again. "What if it doesn't clear up?"
"Then, I'm afraid we're looking at a whole new ball game. We will have to re-operate, but I'm putting my money on the ampicillin. It's strong, Keith's strong, and you will have to be, too." He smiled as brightly as he could, having spent the last five hours in surgery. "Now, all that said and done, you may all go up and see him, but only two at a time. Don't want to overwhelm him." He glanced at his watch. "He should be back in his bed right about now."
"Thank you, Doctor," Shirley and the others stood with him.
He squeezed her shoulder gently and moved off as she, Reuben, Laurie and Carly looked at one another.
"Well?" Reuben shrugged. "Let's go."
"I think Carly and Laurie should go in first."
Carly looked almost terrified. "Oh, Mrs. Partridge, I couldn't. You're his mother. You should…"
Shirley put her arm around her as they walked toward the elevator. "He's been asking and asking about you. I think it's time you saw one another face to face again."
Carly turned to Laurie, almost apprehensively. "I don't know…if I can! I mean, after what happened…"
Laurie nodded. "You both need closure, Carly. He will see that you're all right, and you will see..."
"What I did to him," Carly said softly, stepping into the elevator with them. The doors slid together, and she was oh-so-close to diving back through them as they did.
Through the glass panel, Laurie saw Keith in the bed on his left side, sleeping, she assumed. She reached behind her for Carly's hand, but all she got was air. She turned to find the girl pressed back up against the wall in the hallway, shaking her head. There was a look of pure terror in her eyes.
"Come on!" Laurie waved.
"No…I can't…I don't feel very well…I think I need to throw up." Carly whispered.
Laurie put her hand on her hip. "No, you don't. You're just fine. Now, come ON!" She reached over, taking Carly's wrist and pulling her forward.
They got to the door before Carly stopped again, shaking Laurie off. "I can't do this, Laurie. You're his sister; you go in. Tell him I love him, okay? I'll just wait out here."
Laurie shook her head. "No. He's not going to bite, for Pete's sake! Look, he's sleeping, anyway."
Bravely, Carly moved to the window. Peering in, she stared at the motionless figure there in the bed. The sheet was just up to his waistline, and he was bare above that, except for the white bandage that covered his middle like a cummerbund. He looked so peaceful. He also wouldn't even be there if it hadn't been for her. She looked over at Laurie, who was watching her brother sleep, too, probably wondering if he was going to be all right. What had she done?! Carly felt sick and she turned away.
"Let's go in," Laurie motioned her toward the door.
"I can't." Carly shook her head.
"Yes, you can. You have to." Laurie frowned at her, now.
Carly sagged. "I know. But why disturb him? He looks so peaceful."
Without another word, Laurie grabbed Carly's arm and yanked open the door, pulling her into the room.
It smelled so sterile inside. The odor of the anesthetic drifted into her nostrils and didn't do her stomach much good. She stood by the bed, staring at him.
He was indeed sleeping, and pale, very pale. She saw the I.V. tube in the top of his left hand and she followed it with her eyes up to the bottle on the stand on the left side of the bed.
Laurie had pulled two chairs up to the bedside and took Carly by the shoulders, sitting her in one of them.
"We'll just sit here for a while; and maybe he'll wake up."
"I'm supposed to go back to the hotel in an hour," Carly whispered.
"Reuben said he'd call your folks." Laurie told her. She reached over, smoothing the side of Keith's head and moving the hair away from his face.
"Are you trying to wake him up?" Carly asked, terrified.
Laurie smiled gently. "No, I just wanted to see his face. He looks so pale," she murmured. "He's warm. He must be running a temperature."
'Infections tend to do that,' Carly thought. Her stomach was doing flip-flops, now, and she looked longingly at the bathroom door.
Keith moaned softly from the bed and Carly anxiously sat forward in her chair. He was waking up! That bathroom was looking better and better…
Laurie leaned closer to him, her fingers wriggling through his hair. "Keith?"
"Shhh!" Carly was panicking. "Let him sleep!"
Laurie ignored her and continued to pet his head. "Come on, honey, wake up…"
In agony, now, Carly got to her feet. There was no way she was going to be here when he opened those beautiful brown eyes. She edged toward the bathroom, stopping only when she heard Laurie speak again.
"Hi, sweetie. How you feel?"
Carly forced herself to look. He was awake and blinking at Laurie, unaware, she hoped, of her own presence. She waited for his response.
"Tired." His voice was barely above a whisper and Carly found herself drifting toward the bed, just trying to hear.
"I brought you a surprise," Laurie smiled, glancing her way.
Her eyes wide, Carly shook her head. She put her hand over her mouth, pointing to the bathroom door.
"Yeah? What?" He asked, trying to be more alert.
Laurie stood up, pulling Carly into Keith's line of vision. She froze, gaping down at him.
Then, he smiled. "Carly," he said, awkwardly reaching up to her.
She sank down into Laurie's chair, taking his hand with the I.V. in it ever-so-gently.
"Hi, Keith." It was all she could get out before the tears started.
"Are you okay? I've been worried about you," he said softly, his face serious.
Worried about HER? He was lying in a hospital bed, thanks to her, fighting for his life, having just come from surgery and possibly facing another one, and he was worried about HER?
"I'm fine. Oh, Keith, I'm so sorry…"
"I know."
She stared at him, still clutching his hand.
"I guess you'll be going home, soon."
She nodded. "Tomorrow night." She didn't want to tell him about the psychiatrist. Knowing him, it would just add to his worry.
"Laurie," he said, tiredly moving his other hand.
She stepped up. "What?"
"Could you give us a minute, here? I want to talk to Carly alone."
"Sure." Laurie smiled, her hand on Carly's shoulder, then she left, the door sweeping closed behind her.
Keith had Carly's hand between both of his, now, his eyes boring into her. At first, she thought he was angry, and she wanted to bolt, but something told her to just stay put.
"Carly, I know what you did was an accident, and I forgive you. But if I hadn't gotten in the way, you would have hurt yourself worse than what you did. I don't ever want to hear about you doing such a crazy thing ever again, okay? You can call me; day or night, and we'll talk. Just don't ever, ever do something like that to yourself again. Please!"
She nodded, putting her hand on both of his. "I promise, Keith."
He smiled gently, showing a dimple. "Good. I'll check up on you; I have my ways." The smile slowly faded, replaced by a sad expression. "I'm gonna miss you, Carly."
"I'll miss you, too, Keith." She whispered it. It hurt to even think about it.
"I love you…I know I never said it, and I should have, because it's true. It probably would have saved us both a lot of trouble." He was getting tired, again; she could see it on his face.
She reached over, her fingers sweeping under his chin. "I love you, too," she swallowed. She just had to savor this moment.
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, then he pulled her forward for an awkward hug among the tubes and wires.
Oh, how she wanted to just hold him forever!
As she let him go, all too soon, he winced, his hand on the bandage.
"Are you all right?" She said worriedly.
"Yeah…I just found out the hard way I can't reach up so high." He smiled. "Will you come see me before you go?"
"Of course."
"You'd better." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm just so tired."
She stroked his head. "It's okay…go back to sleep…goodnight, sweet Partridge," she whispered.
She waited until he was out again, then she stood up, slipping quietly out of the room.
continued...