Chapter 4: Finding Him
Dr. Andy Brown had just finished tending to his 9:30am patient appointment. Mrs. Baxter had arthristis problems again. It wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. But boy did Mrs. Baxter like to talk. By 10:30am, he was back in his office sipping black coffee and after spending an hour reviewing other patient's medical files, he decided to check his email. He was never really fond of the concept of emailing. He was more of a phone person.
Scratching his beard, Andy clicked on his Microsoft Outlook inbox. He got about 12 new emails - most of which were from his colleagues in New York. They liked to "keep in touch." Andy hardly ever replied to email. He would pick up that phone and let his fingers do the dialing. He read off the senders' addresses, when he came across one from EverwoodSux@hotmail.com. He had to laugh at the email address his son adopted. That boy never ceases to amaze him.
His stomach turned into a chunk of ice as he read the dreadful email from Ephram. Every sentence made his heart hammer against his chest. Oh my God. Where could he be? Where is he? Andy panicked. Waitaminute, he said something about a tub..Oh my God, he's at HOME!!
Andy sprang from his chair and ran out the office. He almost ran into nurse Edna, who was walking towards his direction with an armful of papers. She whirled around managing to steady herself and cried, "Hey, where's the fire?" as Andy headed for the door. Dr. Brown was too preoccupied with his cell phone to give a smart reply. He dialed for home. The phone rang about 20 times. No answer. Then he called Nina, his cute neighbor. Oh please be home Nina. Please., Andy thought. She picked up on the 4th ring.
"Hello?" Nina said.
"Nina? Thank God you're home!!" He said breathlessly.
"Andy? Is that you? Where are you?"
"I'm driving home. Listen, I need you to do something for me."
"OK.uh.wha."
"Can you get into my house?" Andy cut her off.
"What's going on?"
"It's Ephram. I think he's in trouble. Got an email from him this morning. It was a suicide note, Nina." Andy gulped.
"What?!" Nina was dumbfounded.
"He said the tub would catch it all. He's in the bathroom. I'm about 4 or 5 blocks away. Can you check the house?"
"Oh, I don't have your house key. But I'll pound on the door. Maybe he'll hear me." Nina replied as she grabbed her cell phone from her purse. Andy wished he kept a spare key under the welcome mat like every resident of Everwood but living in New York too long had robbed him of trust.
"Thanks Nina. I'll be there soon."
Nina took the shortcut thru the lawn and jogged up the porch steps. She rang the doorbell consecutive times. No answer. No movement. She rapped on the door. Still no answer. She repeatedly called out Ephram's name and put her ear against the door to listen for any possible sounds. Nothing. Maybe he's not here, she thought. Maybe this was just a big misunderstanding. She prayed for Ephram's safety and continued pounding on the door.
A dark green Ford Taurus skidded into the driveway and out came Dr. Brown at lightning speed. He nervously unlocked the door to his house. They called frantically for Ephram. Andy bolted up the stairs skipping two steps at a time with Nina shortly behind. They approached the bathroom. The door was almost closed. Barely a crack.
Andy pushed the bathroom door open and found Ephram unconscious on the floor with a thick pool of blood under each wrist. The next few seconds were the longest moments of Andy's life. Trembling with fear, he felt Ephram's neck for a pulse. Nina, with her convulsing hands clapped over her mouth and tears welling in her eyes, looked at Andy for the answer. "There's a pulse, he's still alive." Andy announced. "We got to get him to the hospital quick." He and Nina grabbed towels off the towel rack and wrapped Ephram's wrists tightly to stop the bleeding. Ephram stirred and let out a soft moan.
"Ephram...son, wake up. Please wake up." Andy begged. His heart broke when he saw his son's colorless tear-stained face. Ephram's eyes opened slowly. Andy choked back tears. He had to be in control. He had to save his son's life. "You're gonna be OK." Andy tried to sound reassuring.
"Dad." Ephram whimpered. "Leave me alone...my fault she.she's."
"NO! Ephram! Listen to me. It's NOT your fault. It's NOT!!!" Andy yelled. He clutched Ephram by the shoulders and shook him gently seeing that Ephram looked like he was going to faint again. "Stay awake, son." Andy hurried with the towels. Ephram felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He closed his eyes. The darkness was so comforting and inviting. He couldn't fight it and was slipping away. Drifting in and out of consciousness, the last thing he remembered feeling was his father picking him up in his arms.
** end of chapter 4 **
Dr. Andy Brown had just finished tending to his 9:30am patient appointment. Mrs. Baxter had arthristis problems again. It wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. But boy did Mrs. Baxter like to talk. By 10:30am, he was back in his office sipping black coffee and after spending an hour reviewing other patient's medical files, he decided to check his email. He was never really fond of the concept of emailing. He was more of a phone person.
Scratching his beard, Andy clicked on his Microsoft Outlook inbox. He got about 12 new emails - most of which were from his colleagues in New York. They liked to "keep in touch." Andy hardly ever replied to email. He would pick up that phone and let his fingers do the dialing. He read off the senders' addresses, when he came across one from EverwoodSux@hotmail.com. He had to laugh at the email address his son adopted. That boy never ceases to amaze him.
His stomach turned into a chunk of ice as he read the dreadful email from Ephram. Every sentence made his heart hammer against his chest. Oh my God. Where could he be? Where is he? Andy panicked. Waitaminute, he said something about a tub..Oh my God, he's at HOME!!
Andy sprang from his chair and ran out the office. He almost ran into nurse Edna, who was walking towards his direction with an armful of papers. She whirled around managing to steady herself and cried, "Hey, where's the fire?" as Andy headed for the door. Dr. Brown was too preoccupied with his cell phone to give a smart reply. He dialed for home. The phone rang about 20 times. No answer. Then he called Nina, his cute neighbor. Oh please be home Nina. Please., Andy thought. She picked up on the 4th ring.
"Hello?" Nina said.
"Nina? Thank God you're home!!" He said breathlessly.
"Andy? Is that you? Where are you?"
"I'm driving home. Listen, I need you to do something for me."
"OK.uh.wha."
"Can you get into my house?" Andy cut her off.
"What's going on?"
"It's Ephram. I think he's in trouble. Got an email from him this morning. It was a suicide note, Nina." Andy gulped.
"What?!" Nina was dumbfounded.
"He said the tub would catch it all. He's in the bathroom. I'm about 4 or 5 blocks away. Can you check the house?"
"Oh, I don't have your house key. But I'll pound on the door. Maybe he'll hear me." Nina replied as she grabbed her cell phone from her purse. Andy wished he kept a spare key under the welcome mat like every resident of Everwood but living in New York too long had robbed him of trust.
"Thanks Nina. I'll be there soon."
Nina took the shortcut thru the lawn and jogged up the porch steps. She rang the doorbell consecutive times. No answer. No movement. She rapped on the door. Still no answer. She repeatedly called out Ephram's name and put her ear against the door to listen for any possible sounds. Nothing. Maybe he's not here, she thought. Maybe this was just a big misunderstanding. She prayed for Ephram's safety and continued pounding on the door.
A dark green Ford Taurus skidded into the driveway and out came Dr. Brown at lightning speed. He nervously unlocked the door to his house. They called frantically for Ephram. Andy bolted up the stairs skipping two steps at a time with Nina shortly behind. They approached the bathroom. The door was almost closed. Barely a crack.
Andy pushed the bathroom door open and found Ephram unconscious on the floor with a thick pool of blood under each wrist. The next few seconds were the longest moments of Andy's life. Trembling with fear, he felt Ephram's neck for a pulse. Nina, with her convulsing hands clapped over her mouth and tears welling in her eyes, looked at Andy for the answer. "There's a pulse, he's still alive." Andy announced. "We got to get him to the hospital quick." He and Nina grabbed towels off the towel rack and wrapped Ephram's wrists tightly to stop the bleeding. Ephram stirred and let out a soft moan.
"Ephram...son, wake up. Please wake up." Andy begged. His heart broke when he saw his son's colorless tear-stained face. Ephram's eyes opened slowly. Andy choked back tears. He had to be in control. He had to save his son's life. "You're gonna be OK." Andy tried to sound reassuring.
"Dad." Ephram whimpered. "Leave me alone...my fault she.she's."
"NO! Ephram! Listen to me. It's NOT your fault. It's NOT!!!" Andy yelled. He clutched Ephram by the shoulders and shook him gently seeing that Ephram looked like he was going to faint again. "Stay awake, son." Andy hurried with the towels. Ephram felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He closed his eyes. The darkness was so comforting and inviting. He couldn't fight it and was slipping away. Drifting in and out of consciousness, the last thing he remembered feeling was his father picking him up in his arms.
** end of chapter 4 **
