The forms did not take Joey long to fill out, insurance, allergies, medical
history. She returned them to the nurse's station around 4:30am, almost
two hours after she arrived.
As soon as Joey sat back down in a seat, a nurse came up to her with the words she was waiting to heart all night; "you can go in and see him now." She said.
Joey got up and followed the nurse to Pacey's room. She walked in slowly, and looked in.
He was sleeping peacefully. She could see his chest heavily rising and falling with each breath. He had an IV in his arm and he had an oxygen tube in his nose. A heart monitor was beeping with every heartbeat and Joey could see the monitor recording his pulse. His head was bandaged and there were cuts and stitches on his face, and his left arm was wrapped in an Ace bandage.
Joey walked over to his bedside as tears welled up in her soft eyes. She kneeled by him and took his hand in hers. At that moment she prayed that he would be all right. She kissed his hand and gently rubbed it with her thumb.
Pacey felt something warm on his hand and slowly opened his eyes. He saw that it was Joey and their eyes met and she managed a small smile. "Hey Joey, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He spoke in a staggered whisper. Joey quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Jo, don't cry." "Pacey, I was so worried about you." She sobbed. "Joey, honey, It's okay I'm right here and I'm going to be all right." He brought his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. "Come here, lay down with me."
Joey stood and took out a tissue to wipe her eyes as she slowly climbed into the bed with him. Pacey put his arm around her and kissed her hair. "It's all right sweetheart, I'm here now," He whispered gently, "and I'm not going anywhere."
***
After staying with Pacey, for some time, Joey called Bessie and Dawson to inform them about what happened. They immediately rushed up to the hospital to see him. Pacey's family came for a brief time to see him as well.
Overall, Pacey showed signs of improvement in days. Joey never left his side. The talked about little things and past memories of the old times they had together. Most of the time, Pacey would just zone out and fall asleep in the middle of a story. Joey was concerned about this; she could see in his eyes when he looked at her that he was still in an intense amount of pain.
After spending the day at the hospital, the friends left to go home. Joey stayed with Pacey for a little bit longer. "So, you have to go in for your leg surgery tomorrow." Joey said. "Yeah, what time is that?" Pacey asked. "It's at eight o'clock, don't worry, I'll be here so you don't get scared." She smiled at him.
He laughed but soon stopped as a surge of pain radiated through his body. "Oh, are you okay?" Joey lightly touched his shoulder. He closed his eyes. "Yeah, it still hurts though." "Did they give you pain medicine?" Joey asked. "Yeah they did about an hour ago, I'm just waiting for it to kick in."
"Do you want me to stay a little longer, because I can." "No, Joey, it's alright, it's ten o'clock, you should go home and get some sleep." Pacey said. "Are you sure?" she asked. He took her hand, "yes I'm sure, I'll be fine." Joey leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I love you." She whispered. "I love you too." Pacey said. If you want me, just call home and I'll come right down." "I know." He said. She gave him one last kiss before she left.
"Goodbye, see you tomorrow." She said. "Bye honey." Pacey said.
***
Joey returned to the lonely apartment around eleven. An eerie silence echoed through their apartment. Without Pacey there, their house looked dull. He was the life of the place, always cooking something that smelled delicious, watching baseball games on TV, or even when he fell asleep in his chair he lit up the room.
Joey ambled over to the chair he loved so much and collapsed into it. She reclined back and smelled the intoxicating odor of cologne on the fabric. Joey inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Within minutes she fell sound asleep.
***
Around 6:00am, the ringing phone, again, interrupted her sleep. Joey quickly got up and walked over to answer it. "Hello?" "Hello, Mrs. Witter this is Dr, Epstein at Beth Israel." Joey took a deep breath as her stomach plummeted. "I-is everything alright?" she asked nervously.
"Mrs. Witter, about an hour ago, Pacey started worsening." "We were concerned of possible swelling of the brain and the amount of oxygen that was reaching the brain." Joey chocked back tears as she listened to the heartbreaking words. "Mrs. Witter, as of a half an hour ago, your husband has slipped into a coma."
"Oh god." Joey had no control over her tears now. She had just been given the words that would change her life.
As soon as Joey sat back down in a seat, a nurse came up to her with the words she was waiting to heart all night; "you can go in and see him now." She said.
Joey got up and followed the nurse to Pacey's room. She walked in slowly, and looked in.
He was sleeping peacefully. She could see his chest heavily rising and falling with each breath. He had an IV in his arm and he had an oxygen tube in his nose. A heart monitor was beeping with every heartbeat and Joey could see the monitor recording his pulse. His head was bandaged and there were cuts and stitches on his face, and his left arm was wrapped in an Ace bandage.
Joey walked over to his bedside as tears welled up in her soft eyes. She kneeled by him and took his hand in hers. At that moment she prayed that he would be all right. She kissed his hand and gently rubbed it with her thumb.
Pacey felt something warm on his hand and slowly opened his eyes. He saw that it was Joey and their eyes met and she managed a small smile. "Hey Joey, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He spoke in a staggered whisper. Joey quickly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Jo, don't cry." "Pacey, I was so worried about you." She sobbed. "Joey, honey, It's okay I'm right here and I'm going to be all right." He brought his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. "Come here, lay down with me."
Joey stood and took out a tissue to wipe her eyes as she slowly climbed into the bed with him. Pacey put his arm around her and kissed her hair. "It's all right sweetheart, I'm here now," He whispered gently, "and I'm not going anywhere."
***
After staying with Pacey, for some time, Joey called Bessie and Dawson to inform them about what happened. They immediately rushed up to the hospital to see him. Pacey's family came for a brief time to see him as well.
Overall, Pacey showed signs of improvement in days. Joey never left his side. The talked about little things and past memories of the old times they had together. Most of the time, Pacey would just zone out and fall asleep in the middle of a story. Joey was concerned about this; she could see in his eyes when he looked at her that he was still in an intense amount of pain.
After spending the day at the hospital, the friends left to go home. Joey stayed with Pacey for a little bit longer. "So, you have to go in for your leg surgery tomorrow." Joey said. "Yeah, what time is that?" Pacey asked. "It's at eight o'clock, don't worry, I'll be here so you don't get scared." She smiled at him.
He laughed but soon stopped as a surge of pain radiated through his body. "Oh, are you okay?" Joey lightly touched his shoulder. He closed his eyes. "Yeah, it still hurts though." "Did they give you pain medicine?" Joey asked. "Yeah they did about an hour ago, I'm just waiting for it to kick in."
"Do you want me to stay a little longer, because I can." "No, Joey, it's alright, it's ten o'clock, you should go home and get some sleep." Pacey said. "Are you sure?" she asked. He took her hand, "yes I'm sure, I'll be fine." Joey leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I love you." She whispered. "I love you too." Pacey said. If you want me, just call home and I'll come right down." "I know." He said. She gave him one last kiss before she left.
"Goodbye, see you tomorrow." She said. "Bye honey." Pacey said.
***
Joey returned to the lonely apartment around eleven. An eerie silence echoed through their apartment. Without Pacey there, their house looked dull. He was the life of the place, always cooking something that smelled delicious, watching baseball games on TV, or even when he fell asleep in his chair he lit up the room.
Joey ambled over to the chair he loved so much and collapsed into it. She reclined back and smelled the intoxicating odor of cologne on the fabric. Joey inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Within minutes she fell sound asleep.
***
Around 6:00am, the ringing phone, again, interrupted her sleep. Joey quickly got up and walked over to answer it. "Hello?" "Hello, Mrs. Witter this is Dr, Epstein at Beth Israel." Joey took a deep breath as her stomach plummeted. "I-is everything alright?" she asked nervously.
"Mrs. Witter, about an hour ago, Pacey started worsening." "We were concerned of possible swelling of the brain and the amount of oxygen that was reaching the brain." Joey chocked back tears as she listened to the heartbreaking words. "Mrs. Witter, as of a half an hour ago, your husband has slipped into a coma."
"Oh god." Joey had no control over her tears now. She had just been given the words that would change her life.