Family Matters Chapter 14
I must have dozed off, because next thing I know. My Ma is shakin' me tryin' to wake up.
"Maurice." She whispers tryin' not to wake Mercedes up.
I look at her, my eyes blink as the adjust to the light. "Yea?"
"I have to go to work." She says as she leans down an' kisses Mercedes head. "Tell your sister, I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning."
"What time is it?" I ask.
"Almost 11pm, that's as long as Gina was able to stay." She tells me lookin' down at Mercedes. "If anything happens, call me."
I stand up and gently put my sisters hand to the side as I hug my mother. "I will Ma." I tell her as I follow her out of my sisters room. Much too my surprise both Faith and Mikey are there. Faith stands up when I walk out, Mikey he's a sleep in one of the chairs. Usin' his hand as a pillow. Faith gives me a small uneasy smile.
"She still sleeping?" She asks me.
I nod as I kiss my Ma goodbye and watch her walk out of the hospital. "Think ya could sit with her, in case she wakes up. I wanna grab some coffee. If she wakes up jus' tell her where I went an' that I'll be right back." I tell her walkin' away not waitin' for any response. I find myself in the men's restroom, lookin' at myself in the mirror. I close my eyes as I realize jus' how close I came to losin' her. That instead of standin' here in the restroom, while my partner an' best friend, sits with my sister. I could be home makin' arrangements to bury my sister. I was so close to losin' her, so close to my heart dyin' forever. I turn the sink on and let the cold water run out of the faucet for a little before splashin' some on to my face. I feel the coolness of the water drip down my chin before I open my eyes once again starin' at myself. "It's now or never Boscorelli." I say to myself, referring to the fact I haveta help my sister, cus' her comin' back to me. Is my second chance. My second chance to do things right this time.
I turn off the faucet and dry my face off, before headin' out of the restroom to a vending machine. I spend 75 cents on what has to be the single most, nastiness cup of coffee ever. I don' understand how something so watered down could taste like shit. I make my way back to my sisters room an' I'm greeted by her doctor.
"Officer." He says, lookin' through her charts.
"I'm Dr. Young, I treated you sister when they brought her in." He tells me.
I look towards her room as I extend my hand. I then look at him waitin' for whatever it is he has to say.
"Mercedes is very lucky to have pulled through, but....."
I knew there was a but, isn't there always a but.
"The worst isn't over yet. She's very sick, and if something isn't done fast, I don't think we will be so lucky next time. We need her to gain some weight, before her body starts eating away at her muscles for nourishment. It's not going to be easy for her. We would like her to gain at least one pound per day." The doctor sighs and looks at me, right away I know whatever he's 'bout to say isn't goin' to be good. "We'd like to try a feeding tube."
I stare right at the doctor. 'A feeding tube?' I repeat to myself. I close my eyes and nod. "Whatever it takes to get her better Doc."
"She's going to have to stay here for a while, we have a wonderful program for this type of thing. It's only a start, getting her to gain weight and keep it on, is just a start. She's going to need intense psychological counseling. Often girls like her...."
"Girls like her?" I ask, kinda annoyed by the fact of how he put.
"Girls in the same situation such as your sister. Anorexia can often be linked to a troubled childhood, or family problems."
As I hear this I close my eyes as the anger surges through my blood. Family problems, troubled childhood; yup thanks to my old man. I open my eyes. "This feeding tube, when will you....?" He cuts me off.
"We'd like to put it in tonight?" He says.
"How? I mean where do you put it. Down her throat or what." I ask him, biting back tears.
"It will be inserted through her nose. Another thing is the first two weeks, we'd like to keep the family away, so there isn't a distraction."
"NO!" I protest. "No way in hell are you keepin' me from her. You got me. I plan to be here for her everyday."
"Officer statistics show."
"I don' give a hoot what they show, you are not keepin' me from her. She needs me now more then ever." I say pointin' my index finger at him. He's go to be out of his mind if he thinks I'm jus' goin' to let her stay her alone, by herself for two weeks, when she needs me the most. "You can take all those numbers an' all them fact an' shove them up your ass doctor. You do whatever it takes to get her better, but theres no way in hell I'm leavin' her."
He sighs. "Very well officer, but I'll warn you now. It's not going to be pretty."
"It never is." I say to him as I brush past him headin' back to Mercedes room. She's still asleep when I walk in. I smile seein' her so peaceful. I look over at Faith. "They wanna - well they're goin' to put a feedin' tube in her nose." I say sadly, as I stand next to Faith an' watch her sleep. I fix her blanket so they cover her a little better. "They were goin' to prevent me from seein' her for two weeks, but I flatly refuse to let them do that. My sister needs me an' I ain't goin' to jus' step aside while some strangers try an' say they care 'bout her. I'll let the doctors do what they haveta do, to get her better, but they ain't goin' to be the ones to tell her they care." I hissed still mad from what took place out in the hall. "I'm goin' to be the one here tellin' her I love her everyday. Not some half wit doctor or nurse." I sigh. "How am I goin' to pay for all this. I know that should be the last thing I should be thinkin' 'bout. This is goin' to cost so much, all the therapy she's goin' to need. Faith I don' know how I'm goin' to do all this."
Faith reaches out an' gently touches my arm, I look at her hand for a few seconds before takin' her hand into mine, as I stare down at my sister. "I don't know Bosco, but I'm sure you'll figure something out, and I'm here to help. Just don't be afraid to ask."
My eyes wander over to Faith. I smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime, look I should go call Fred let him know, I'm going to be a little late." She tells me.
"If you want you can go home Faith, it's okay. I'm not goin' to be of much company anyways." I tell her as she stands up an' I sit down takin' Mercedes hand gently rubbin' the back of it with my index finger.
"No - I wanna stay Bos, at least for a little while longer." She says placing her hand on my shoulder.
I nod. "Okay." I say softly as I rest my head on the edge of Mercedes bed.
She removes her hand. "I'll be back in a few."
"Okay I'll see ya." I tell her as she leaves. I rub my sisters forehead. "I love ya brat." She stirs and slowly opens her eyes.
"Ma leave?" She asked.
"Yeah, she had to go to work, but she said she'd be here first thing tomorrow." I tell her pushin' her hair behind her ears. "Looks Mercedes, we gotta talk. Theres somethings ya gotta know, that are goin' ta happen. Ya ain't goin' to like 'em but ya gotta do it, if for anythin' do it for me."
She jus' looks at me, still to weak to even lift her head. "Okay."
I take a deep breath and bring her hand up so I can kiss it. I'm stallin' tryin' to figure out jus' how to tell my sister whats goin' to happen. "They - the doctors, wanna put a feedin' tube down ya nose."
She shakes her head. "Oh no - no Mo."
I squeeze her hand. "Mercedes ya gotta let 'em, ya gotta if ya don' I might not be able to see ya for a while. They were goin' to stop me from seein' ya for a few weeks, but I told they couldn't do that." I feel tears fall from my eyes an' Mercedes she reaches up with her little hand, an' wipes 'em away.
"Mo don't cry. Please, cus' you'll make me cry." She says a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"Mercedes ya gotta let them help you, I don' want ya to die. I came so close to losin' ya, I don' wanna have to go through that again. Please let them help you."
She lets a few more tears tube. "But why the tube, why that?"
"Cus' Mercedes, you're very sick, cus' if you don' do this you will die." I tell her tryin' to stop from cryin' but truth is I can't. I see jus' how much she hurts, jus' how bad she is. Jus' how much my old man screw her up.
"You'll come see me everyday?"
I nod. "Yeah everyday an' if I gotta work, we'll stop by on our shift. Faith an' I. Okay."
She blinks. "Okay, but ya better come everyday."
"I promise, scouts honor." I tell her doin' the whole scouts honor thin' with my fingers.
"Don't ya have to be in the scouts to do that whole thing?"
"Jus' get some sleep, okay. Ya need it. Love ya brat!"
"Yea, I love ya too butthead!" She says as she squeeze my hand, lettin' her eyes close.
"Ya have no idea jus' how much I love ya."
I must have dozed off, because next thing I know. My Ma is shakin' me tryin' to wake up.
"Maurice." She whispers tryin' not to wake Mercedes up.
I look at her, my eyes blink as the adjust to the light. "Yea?"
"I have to go to work." She says as she leans down an' kisses Mercedes head. "Tell your sister, I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning."
"What time is it?" I ask.
"Almost 11pm, that's as long as Gina was able to stay." She tells me lookin' down at Mercedes. "If anything happens, call me."
I stand up and gently put my sisters hand to the side as I hug my mother. "I will Ma." I tell her as I follow her out of my sisters room. Much too my surprise both Faith and Mikey are there. Faith stands up when I walk out, Mikey he's a sleep in one of the chairs. Usin' his hand as a pillow. Faith gives me a small uneasy smile.
"She still sleeping?" She asks me.
I nod as I kiss my Ma goodbye and watch her walk out of the hospital. "Think ya could sit with her, in case she wakes up. I wanna grab some coffee. If she wakes up jus' tell her where I went an' that I'll be right back." I tell her walkin' away not waitin' for any response. I find myself in the men's restroom, lookin' at myself in the mirror. I close my eyes as I realize jus' how close I came to losin' her. That instead of standin' here in the restroom, while my partner an' best friend, sits with my sister. I could be home makin' arrangements to bury my sister. I was so close to losin' her, so close to my heart dyin' forever. I turn the sink on and let the cold water run out of the faucet for a little before splashin' some on to my face. I feel the coolness of the water drip down my chin before I open my eyes once again starin' at myself. "It's now or never Boscorelli." I say to myself, referring to the fact I haveta help my sister, cus' her comin' back to me. Is my second chance. My second chance to do things right this time.
I turn off the faucet and dry my face off, before headin' out of the restroom to a vending machine. I spend 75 cents on what has to be the single most, nastiness cup of coffee ever. I don' understand how something so watered down could taste like shit. I make my way back to my sisters room an' I'm greeted by her doctor.
"Officer." He says, lookin' through her charts.
"I'm Dr. Young, I treated you sister when they brought her in." He tells me.
I look towards her room as I extend my hand. I then look at him waitin' for whatever it is he has to say.
"Mercedes is very lucky to have pulled through, but....."
I knew there was a but, isn't there always a but.
"The worst isn't over yet. She's very sick, and if something isn't done fast, I don't think we will be so lucky next time. We need her to gain some weight, before her body starts eating away at her muscles for nourishment. It's not going to be easy for her. We would like her to gain at least one pound per day." The doctor sighs and looks at me, right away I know whatever he's 'bout to say isn't goin' to be good. "We'd like to try a feeding tube."
I stare right at the doctor. 'A feeding tube?' I repeat to myself. I close my eyes and nod. "Whatever it takes to get her better Doc."
"She's going to have to stay here for a while, we have a wonderful program for this type of thing. It's only a start, getting her to gain weight and keep it on, is just a start. She's going to need intense psychological counseling. Often girls like her...."
"Girls like her?" I ask, kinda annoyed by the fact of how he put.
"Girls in the same situation such as your sister. Anorexia can often be linked to a troubled childhood, or family problems."
As I hear this I close my eyes as the anger surges through my blood. Family problems, troubled childhood; yup thanks to my old man. I open my eyes. "This feeding tube, when will you....?" He cuts me off.
"We'd like to put it in tonight?" He says.
"How? I mean where do you put it. Down her throat or what." I ask him, biting back tears.
"It will be inserted through her nose. Another thing is the first two weeks, we'd like to keep the family away, so there isn't a distraction."
"NO!" I protest. "No way in hell are you keepin' me from her. You got me. I plan to be here for her everyday."
"Officer statistics show."
"I don' give a hoot what they show, you are not keepin' me from her. She needs me now more then ever." I say pointin' my index finger at him. He's go to be out of his mind if he thinks I'm jus' goin' to let her stay her alone, by herself for two weeks, when she needs me the most. "You can take all those numbers an' all them fact an' shove them up your ass doctor. You do whatever it takes to get her better, but theres no way in hell I'm leavin' her."
He sighs. "Very well officer, but I'll warn you now. It's not going to be pretty."
"It never is." I say to him as I brush past him headin' back to Mercedes room. She's still asleep when I walk in. I smile seein' her so peaceful. I look over at Faith. "They wanna - well they're goin' to put a feedin' tube in her nose." I say sadly, as I stand next to Faith an' watch her sleep. I fix her blanket so they cover her a little better. "They were goin' to prevent me from seein' her for two weeks, but I flatly refuse to let them do that. My sister needs me an' I ain't goin' to jus' step aside while some strangers try an' say they care 'bout her. I'll let the doctors do what they haveta do, to get her better, but they ain't goin' to be the ones to tell her they care." I hissed still mad from what took place out in the hall. "I'm goin' to be the one here tellin' her I love her everyday. Not some half wit doctor or nurse." I sigh. "How am I goin' to pay for all this. I know that should be the last thing I should be thinkin' 'bout. This is goin' to cost so much, all the therapy she's goin' to need. Faith I don' know how I'm goin' to do all this."
Faith reaches out an' gently touches my arm, I look at her hand for a few seconds before takin' her hand into mine, as I stare down at my sister. "I don't know Bosco, but I'm sure you'll figure something out, and I'm here to help. Just don't be afraid to ask."
My eyes wander over to Faith. I smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime, look I should go call Fred let him know, I'm going to be a little late." She tells me.
"If you want you can go home Faith, it's okay. I'm not goin' to be of much company anyways." I tell her as she stands up an' I sit down takin' Mercedes hand gently rubbin' the back of it with my index finger.
"No - I wanna stay Bos, at least for a little while longer." She says placing her hand on my shoulder.
I nod. "Okay." I say softly as I rest my head on the edge of Mercedes bed.
She removes her hand. "I'll be back in a few."
"Okay I'll see ya." I tell her as she leaves. I rub my sisters forehead. "I love ya brat." She stirs and slowly opens her eyes.
"Ma leave?" She asked.
"Yeah, she had to go to work, but she said she'd be here first thing tomorrow." I tell her pushin' her hair behind her ears. "Looks Mercedes, we gotta talk. Theres somethings ya gotta know, that are goin' ta happen. Ya ain't goin' to like 'em but ya gotta do it, if for anythin' do it for me."
She jus' looks at me, still to weak to even lift her head. "Okay."
I take a deep breath and bring her hand up so I can kiss it. I'm stallin' tryin' to figure out jus' how to tell my sister whats goin' to happen. "They - the doctors, wanna put a feedin' tube down ya nose."
She shakes her head. "Oh no - no Mo."
I squeeze her hand. "Mercedes ya gotta let 'em, ya gotta if ya don' I might not be able to see ya for a while. They were goin' to stop me from seein' ya for a few weeks, but I told they couldn't do that." I feel tears fall from my eyes an' Mercedes she reaches up with her little hand, an' wipes 'em away.
"Mo don't cry. Please, cus' you'll make me cry." She says a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"Mercedes ya gotta let them help you, I don' want ya to die. I came so close to losin' ya, I don' wanna have to go through that again. Please let them help you."
She lets a few more tears tube. "But why the tube, why that?"
"Cus' Mercedes, you're very sick, cus' if you don' do this you will die." I tell her tryin' to stop from cryin' but truth is I can't. I see jus' how much she hurts, jus' how bad she is. Jus' how much my old man screw her up.
"You'll come see me everyday?"
I nod. "Yeah everyday an' if I gotta work, we'll stop by on our shift. Faith an' I. Okay."
She blinks. "Okay, but ya better come everyday."
"I promise, scouts honor." I tell her doin' the whole scouts honor thin' with my fingers.
"Don't ya have to be in the scouts to do that whole thing?"
"Jus' get some sleep, okay. Ya need it. Love ya brat!"
"Yea, I love ya too butthead!" She says as she squeeze my hand, lettin' her eyes close.
"Ya have no idea jus' how much I love ya."