CHAPTER TEN
" Dad!" Megan shouted from the kitchen, " Something's wrong with Mom!"
Raphael rushed into the kitchen and knelt down by Renee and immediately checked her pulse-it was still there but very weak.
" Call an ambulance," he ordered her and without hesitation Megan reached the phone and dialled 911. A few minutes later she replaced the receiver, " It'll be here in one minute," she reported, " the lady told us not to move her."
Raph nodded and gently stroked his wife's cheek. She looked white and for the first time Raph noticed how thin Renee had gotten. The clothes she was wearing were practically falling off her.
The ambulance arrived and two paramedics with a stretcher ran in and gently loaded the unconscious woman onto it.
" How long has she been like this?" one of them asked them abruptly.
Megan wringed her hands, " We've been gone for twenty minutes when we found her."
" Come with us, there's no time to lose," the medic said and they clambered into the ambulance while they tended to Renee.
" Is Mom going to be all right?" Megan whispered to her father.
" I don't know," Raph admitted.
" It's all my fault! I should have stayed with her," Megan moaned.
" It would have happened if we both stayed home," Raph predicted, " her doctor did say blackouts were common."
" But he also said the pills he gave her would help control them," Megan's forehead creased with worry, " You don't think she skipped taking a pill today do you?"
" We'll ask her when she wakes up." Raph assured her as the ambulance drove to the hospital.
* * *
Renee was treated in the hospital and woke soon after. She opened her eyes and found herself in hospital with her husband and daughter sitting by her bed.
" What happened?" she asked groggily.
" You blacked out," Megan told her.
" Blacked out?" Renee repeated. She tried to remember what happened, but her mind was a complete blank.
" Megs and I went for a walk and when we come back, we found you on the kitchen floor. " Raph reminded her, " what happened honey?"
" I don't recall," Renee said.
" The doctor said you have a mild concussion from when you hit your head…he said your memory should return." Megan assured her.
" You gave us quite the scare for awhile there," Raph told Renee and took her hand in his.
" I'm sorry…I didn't mean to." Renee apologised smiling weakly, " I feel so tired,"
" Mom, there's something we have to ask you," Megan paused, " Did you skip taking a pill today? The blackout shouldn't have happened if you had taken that pill."
" No, I didn't take it." Renee confessed.
" Mom, why?" Megan blurted out, " It's telling us you actually want to die! Don't you love Dad and me?"
" Of course I do, I really thought I was going to be all right today," Renee protested, " I felt fine."
Raph looked annoyed, " You're risking your health not taking the pills Renee,"
Renee didn't answer, " I'm very tired," she murmured, " I love you both but right now I need to rest."
" We'll come by tomorrow," Raph kissed her on the forehead followed by Megan.
" Bye Mom," she said and they left the hospital room.
" You're quiet, what's wrong?" Raph asked as they caught a taxi home, since the car was still at home.
" Nothing,"
" It's not nothing…you're upset with your mother aren't you?"
" Why did she stop taking the pills? She still has two months to live and not taking the pills decreases any chance she has of living." Megan pointed out. Raph didn't have anything to say to that because Megan was right.
* * *
Renee stared out of the hospital window. Her memory had returned and she cold remember what happened to herself-she'd been walking from the living room and into the kitchen when she had felt terribly dizzy and the pain in her head was so intense she felt as though her head was going to explode.
Then the room went dark.
She had not taken the pill today and will not be taking anymore pills from now on.
Her daughter was right-she wanted to die. She didn't want to live the next two months in intense pain, it was no way to live.
She was willing to die, at any cost.
" Dad!" Megan shouted from the kitchen, " Something's wrong with Mom!"
Raphael rushed into the kitchen and knelt down by Renee and immediately checked her pulse-it was still there but very weak.
" Call an ambulance," he ordered her and without hesitation Megan reached the phone and dialled 911. A few minutes later she replaced the receiver, " It'll be here in one minute," she reported, " the lady told us not to move her."
Raph nodded and gently stroked his wife's cheek. She looked white and for the first time Raph noticed how thin Renee had gotten. The clothes she was wearing were practically falling off her.
The ambulance arrived and two paramedics with a stretcher ran in and gently loaded the unconscious woman onto it.
" How long has she been like this?" one of them asked them abruptly.
Megan wringed her hands, " We've been gone for twenty minutes when we found her."
" Come with us, there's no time to lose," the medic said and they clambered into the ambulance while they tended to Renee.
" Is Mom going to be all right?" Megan whispered to her father.
" I don't know," Raph admitted.
" It's all my fault! I should have stayed with her," Megan moaned.
" It would have happened if we both stayed home," Raph predicted, " her doctor did say blackouts were common."
" But he also said the pills he gave her would help control them," Megan's forehead creased with worry, " You don't think she skipped taking a pill today do you?"
" We'll ask her when she wakes up." Raph assured her as the ambulance drove to the hospital.
* * *
Renee was treated in the hospital and woke soon after. She opened her eyes and found herself in hospital with her husband and daughter sitting by her bed.
" What happened?" she asked groggily.
" You blacked out," Megan told her.
" Blacked out?" Renee repeated. She tried to remember what happened, but her mind was a complete blank.
" Megs and I went for a walk and when we come back, we found you on the kitchen floor. " Raph reminded her, " what happened honey?"
" I don't recall," Renee said.
" The doctor said you have a mild concussion from when you hit your head…he said your memory should return." Megan assured her.
" You gave us quite the scare for awhile there," Raph told Renee and took her hand in his.
" I'm sorry…I didn't mean to." Renee apologised smiling weakly, " I feel so tired,"
" Mom, there's something we have to ask you," Megan paused, " Did you skip taking a pill today? The blackout shouldn't have happened if you had taken that pill."
" No, I didn't take it." Renee confessed.
" Mom, why?" Megan blurted out, " It's telling us you actually want to die! Don't you love Dad and me?"
" Of course I do, I really thought I was going to be all right today," Renee protested, " I felt fine."
Raph looked annoyed, " You're risking your health not taking the pills Renee,"
Renee didn't answer, " I'm very tired," she murmured, " I love you both but right now I need to rest."
" We'll come by tomorrow," Raph kissed her on the forehead followed by Megan.
" Bye Mom," she said and they left the hospital room.
" You're quiet, what's wrong?" Raph asked as they caught a taxi home, since the car was still at home.
" Nothing,"
" It's not nothing…you're upset with your mother aren't you?"
" Why did she stop taking the pills? She still has two months to live and not taking the pills decreases any chance she has of living." Megan pointed out. Raph didn't have anything to say to that because Megan was right.
* * *
Renee stared out of the hospital window. Her memory had returned and she cold remember what happened to herself-she'd been walking from the living room and into the kitchen when she had felt terribly dizzy and the pain in her head was so intense she felt as though her head was going to explode.
Then the room went dark.
She had not taken the pill today and will not be taking anymore pills from now on.
Her daughter was right-she wanted to die. She didn't want to live the next two months in intense pain, it was no way to live.
She was willing to die, at any cost.