Chapter 14
As Jeff watched Tootie on stage he felt something vibrating in his pocket. Jeff pulled out his pager and read the number. Jeff got out of his seat and headed for the lobby. A few minutes later Jeff came back into the auditorium and sat back down in his seat. He leaned over to talk to Mrs. Garrett who was sitting next to him.
"The babysitters paged me." Jeff whispered. "Blair is running a fever."
"You stay here." Mrs. Garrett whispered. "I'm going home tell Tootie I'm sorry."
"She'll understand." Jeff whispered. "It's not your fault."
"What's going on?" Jo whispered.
"Mrs. Garrett has to leave." Jeff whispered. "Blair's got a fever."
"Oh no." Jo whispered. "I'm going with her."
"I'll tell Tootie you had to leave." Jeff said.
"Thanks." Jo whispered. "I'll see ya later."
Mrs. Garrett and Jo left the theatre.
~*~
Mrs. Garrett and Jo were at the house in fifteen minutes.
"Hi, Megan." Mrs. Garrett said. "How is Blair?"
"She is running a fever." Megan said. "105."
"105!" Jo exclaimed. "We should take her to the emergency room."
"Your right." Mrs. Garrett said. "Can you go up and get her?"
"Sure." Jo said. "She's not heavy."
Jo went upstairs.
"I'm sorry about this." Mrs. Garrett said. "I'll pay you guys extra."
"Hey Mrs. G." Jo said. "I can't wake her up."
"Let's get her to the hospital as soon as possible." Mrs. Garrett said. "One of you will have to stay with the kids."
"I will." Megan said. "Amy can go home."
"Thanks Megan." Mrs. G said.
"No problem." Megan said.
~*~
Mrs. G and Jo arrived at the hospital with Blair. Blair was taken into the ER right away. After Mrs. G filled out some forms she went to the waiting room with Jo.
"You didn't have to come here with me." Mrs. G told Jo.
"Yes I did." Jo said. "Blair is my best friend, she is like a sister to me."
"She's like a daughter to me." Mrs. G said. "So are you, all you girls are."
"I don't think I've ever told you this before." Jo said. "But I've always thought of you as my second mother."
"Me too." Said Natalie entering the waiting room. "How is Blair?"
"Don't know yet." Jo said. "How was the play?" Jo asked changing the subject.
"It was great, Tootie was great, everything was great." Natalie said. "So what happened?"
"Blair has a high fever." Mrs. G said. "I also think she had a headache all day."
"That makes sense." Natalie said. "She was awfully crabby today."
"Yeah, I noticed." Jo said. "I hope nothing is seriously wrong with her."
"Did anyone call Tad?" Natalie asked. "No" Jo said. "He went to Chicago on business, the number is at home."
"OK" Natalie said. "I'll call the house and see if I can get it."
~*~
A few minutes later Natalie came back to the waiting room.
"I called Tad." Natalie said. "He's on his way home."
"Thank you Natalie." Mrs. G said. "How is everything at the house?"
"The guys are there now." Natalie said. "And Tootie's on her way here."
A few minutes later a doctor came into the waiting room.
"Warner." Said the doctor as everyone jumped out of his or her seats.
"Right here." Mrs. G said. "How is she?"
"Blair has a brain hematoma that we need to remove." The doctor said. "I need these forms filled out."
Mrs. Garrett filled out the forms and gave them to the doctor. A few minutes later Tootie arrived in the waiting room and was filled in on what was going on.
~*~
Two hours later Tad came into the waiting room.
"How is she?" Tad asked.
"She's having emergency brain surgery." Natalie said. "How did you get here so fast?"
"I took a plane." Tad said. "I'm sorry but I had too."
"It's OK." Jo said. "All that matters is that you're here."
"What happened?" Tad asked.
Mrs. G filled Tad in on all the details. Two hours later everyone was still waiting for news on Blair. The waiting room was very quiet until Tad broke the silence.
"You know this is Blair's 17th brain surgery."
"17th!" Tootie exclaimed. "You mean Blair survived 16 brain surgeries?" "That's right." Tad said. "And I hope she'll survive this one too."
As Jeff watched Tootie on stage he felt something vibrating in his pocket. Jeff pulled out his pager and read the number. Jeff got out of his seat and headed for the lobby. A few minutes later Jeff came back into the auditorium and sat back down in his seat. He leaned over to talk to Mrs. Garrett who was sitting next to him.
"The babysitters paged me." Jeff whispered. "Blair is running a fever."
"You stay here." Mrs. Garrett whispered. "I'm going home tell Tootie I'm sorry."
"She'll understand." Jeff whispered. "It's not your fault."
"What's going on?" Jo whispered.
"Mrs. Garrett has to leave." Jeff whispered. "Blair's got a fever."
"Oh no." Jo whispered. "I'm going with her."
"I'll tell Tootie you had to leave." Jeff said.
"Thanks." Jo whispered. "I'll see ya later."
Mrs. Garrett and Jo left the theatre.
~*~
Mrs. Garrett and Jo were at the house in fifteen minutes.
"Hi, Megan." Mrs. Garrett said. "How is Blair?"
"She is running a fever." Megan said. "105."
"105!" Jo exclaimed. "We should take her to the emergency room."
"Your right." Mrs. Garrett said. "Can you go up and get her?"
"Sure." Jo said. "She's not heavy."
Jo went upstairs.
"I'm sorry about this." Mrs. Garrett said. "I'll pay you guys extra."
"Hey Mrs. G." Jo said. "I can't wake her up."
"Let's get her to the hospital as soon as possible." Mrs. Garrett said. "One of you will have to stay with the kids."
"I will." Megan said. "Amy can go home."
"Thanks Megan." Mrs. G said.
"No problem." Megan said.
~*~
Mrs. G and Jo arrived at the hospital with Blair. Blair was taken into the ER right away. After Mrs. G filled out some forms she went to the waiting room with Jo.
"You didn't have to come here with me." Mrs. G told Jo.
"Yes I did." Jo said. "Blair is my best friend, she is like a sister to me."
"She's like a daughter to me." Mrs. G said. "So are you, all you girls are."
"I don't think I've ever told you this before." Jo said. "But I've always thought of you as my second mother."
"Me too." Said Natalie entering the waiting room. "How is Blair?"
"Don't know yet." Jo said. "How was the play?" Jo asked changing the subject.
"It was great, Tootie was great, everything was great." Natalie said. "So what happened?"
"Blair has a high fever." Mrs. G said. "I also think she had a headache all day."
"That makes sense." Natalie said. "She was awfully crabby today."
"Yeah, I noticed." Jo said. "I hope nothing is seriously wrong with her."
"Did anyone call Tad?" Natalie asked. "No" Jo said. "He went to Chicago on business, the number is at home."
"OK" Natalie said. "I'll call the house and see if I can get it."
~*~
A few minutes later Natalie came back to the waiting room.
"I called Tad." Natalie said. "He's on his way home."
"Thank you Natalie." Mrs. G said. "How is everything at the house?"
"The guys are there now." Natalie said. "And Tootie's on her way here."
A few minutes later a doctor came into the waiting room.
"Warner." Said the doctor as everyone jumped out of his or her seats.
"Right here." Mrs. G said. "How is she?"
"Blair has a brain hematoma that we need to remove." The doctor said. "I need these forms filled out."
Mrs. Garrett filled out the forms and gave them to the doctor. A few minutes later Tootie arrived in the waiting room and was filled in on what was going on.
~*~
Two hours later Tad came into the waiting room.
"How is she?" Tad asked.
"She's having emergency brain surgery." Natalie said. "How did you get here so fast?"
"I took a plane." Tad said. "I'm sorry but I had too."
"It's OK." Jo said. "All that matters is that you're here."
"What happened?" Tad asked.
Mrs. G filled Tad in on all the details. Two hours later everyone was still waiting for news on Blair. The waiting room was very quiet until Tad broke the silence.
"You know this is Blair's 17th brain surgery."
"17th!" Tootie exclaimed. "You mean Blair survived 16 brain surgeries?" "That's right." Tad said. "And I hope she'll survive this one too."