Author: Catgurl83
Title: Shocking News
Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be.
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Rating: G
Author's notes: There is one line in this chapter that is copied from my West Wing story Changes Abound. I don't usually recycle lines but I just couldn't find anything else that fit as well.
Thanks to Kimberly for beta reading this for me.
Catie: No, I'm not a doctor. All of my information comes either from research or from personal experience.
*************
Simon turned so that Matt could tie the back of the paper gown that he had just slipped on. That done, he turned back around and accepted the mask that a nurse held out. Finally, he slipped a pair of gloves on.
"You ready?" Matt asked kindly. He knew how hard this was for Simon.
Simon took a deep breath. Was he ready? Not completely, but would he ever be completely ready to do this? Probably not. "I'm ready," he said. His voice had come out muffled and barely sounded like him, he thought in surprise. It was very disconcerting. How did doctors get used to that? Maybe they didn't.
The nurse gave him an encouraging smile before heading back to the nurses' station. Matt pulled the door open for his brother and stepped out of the way. With another deep breath, Simon stepped through the door. As he heard the door close with a soft click, his eyes swept over the dim room.
Ruthie was in a private room, which was smaller than the rooms with two or more beds. There was a door on the wall opposite him that led to a small bathroom. Next to the door was a tiny alcove filled with supplies.
Simon was struck by how plain the room was. The walls were stark white. The floor tiles were polished and disinfected until they shone. There was one window on the wall directly across from the door. The blinds on the window were drawn, blocking out sunlight.
The room's furniture consisted of a plain white dresser opposite the bed, the sliding table that would fit up over the bed so Ruthie could eat, a chair, and the bed itself.
A few pieces of hospital equipment stood near the bed. Some were on, filling the room with a soft but steady beep or buzz. Others were off, pushed to the side incase they were needed.
A stack of cards lay on the dresser waiting for Ruthie to read them once she awoke and was coherent. Besides the cards, the room was completely plain without any personality. Friends and church members had sent plants and flowers but they weren't allowed in Ruthie's room so the live plants had been taken home to await Ruthie's return. The cut flowers had been taken to the geriatrics ward.
Finally, Simon allowed his eyes to settle on the reason for his visit. Ruthie's still form lay on the hospital bed under the dull sheets. Her skin had faded; it was nearly transparent and blended in with the white sheets of the bed. She seemed so incredibly gaunt. She hadn't been nearly that thin the last time that he'd seen her.
His eyes settled on her face. Her hair was completely gone now; the lack of color making were face seem even more ashen than it actually was. Her eyes were closed, the lashes resting against her upper cheekbones. Her cheeks seemed sunken in.
Swallowing hard, he took a hesitant step closer to the bed. Not allowing himself to stop, he took another step and then another.
Taking hold of the chair, he pulled it closer to the bed. The wooden chair rubbed across the floor as he pulled it causing a sound within the otherwise silent room that made him flinch. He sat down on the very edge of the chair, leaning toward the bed.
"Hey Ruthie," he said, his voice so choked with emotion that he could barely hear himself. "I bet that you wondered if I was ever going to come. I. I'm sorry. I should have come sooner but. I just couldn't. it's just so. I hate seeing you like this." He finally ended on a sigh.
"I was so afraid that we weren't going to find a match for you. I thought that if I didn't come to see you it would hurt less if you didn't make it. Then once we found out that Charlie was a match, the doctors and Matt kept stressing that it wasn't a 'for sure' thing. You could still die." He ran his hand through his hair. "I kept wondering why it had to be you that was so sick. I still wonder that. Why can't this disease choose better? Why can't it just strike people who deserve it? People who are in prison, already on death row?"
"We are all still so worried about you Ruthie. Is seems like you've been unconscious for a long time. The doctors, Matt, and Sarah say that it is normal but still. I wish you'd wake up." He waited for nearly a minute, half expecting her eyes to pop open at his words. That didn't happen.
"I was at the church today. Reverend Hampton said to tell you that everyone is praying for you. A lot of those people have stopped by, others have sent cards."
"Peter has been here as much as his mother will allow. He is so scared and worried."
"Mary's boyfriend is coming tomorrow. We are finally going to get to meet him. I'll tell you all about him since he won't be able to meet you until his next trip out. Matt says that he is cool. This guy is the only one of Mary's many boyfriends that Matt has ever really liked so he must be a pretty good guy."
Out of things to say, Simon reluctantly stood. He knew that he wasn't supposed to stay for very long. "Bye Ruthie. Love you."
"Simon."
At the raspy sound that couldn't really be classified as a word, Simon turned back around. Ruthie's eyes were open, just barely and a tiny, half smile played at her lips. He took a couple of quick steps and was back beside the bed. "Hey," he replied.
"Everyone?"
Simon struggled to figure out what she had asked. "Mom and Dad are at home. They were here all night so we all thought that they needed to go home to rest for a few hours. Kevin is at work. Sarah took the baby to her parent's house. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth took the boys out for awhile. Lucy had to do something at the school. Matt and Mary are both in the waiting room."
"Charlie okay?"
"Charlie's fine," he assured her.
"Good," she expelled the word on a long breath. "Tired."
"Rest. I'll come back later."
Ruthie's eyes drifted shut. "Love you."
"I love you too."
*************
Author's notes: Next chapter more of Ruthie and you will finally meet Mary's boyfriend.
Title: Shocking News
Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be.
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Rating: G
Author's notes: There is one line in this chapter that is copied from my West Wing story Changes Abound. I don't usually recycle lines but I just couldn't find anything else that fit as well.
Thanks to Kimberly for beta reading this for me.
Catie: No, I'm not a doctor. All of my information comes either from research or from personal experience.
*************
Simon turned so that Matt could tie the back of the paper gown that he had just slipped on. That done, he turned back around and accepted the mask that a nurse held out. Finally, he slipped a pair of gloves on.
"You ready?" Matt asked kindly. He knew how hard this was for Simon.
Simon took a deep breath. Was he ready? Not completely, but would he ever be completely ready to do this? Probably not. "I'm ready," he said. His voice had come out muffled and barely sounded like him, he thought in surprise. It was very disconcerting. How did doctors get used to that? Maybe they didn't.
The nurse gave him an encouraging smile before heading back to the nurses' station. Matt pulled the door open for his brother and stepped out of the way. With another deep breath, Simon stepped through the door. As he heard the door close with a soft click, his eyes swept over the dim room.
Ruthie was in a private room, which was smaller than the rooms with two or more beds. There was a door on the wall opposite him that led to a small bathroom. Next to the door was a tiny alcove filled with supplies.
Simon was struck by how plain the room was. The walls were stark white. The floor tiles were polished and disinfected until they shone. There was one window on the wall directly across from the door. The blinds on the window were drawn, blocking out sunlight.
The room's furniture consisted of a plain white dresser opposite the bed, the sliding table that would fit up over the bed so Ruthie could eat, a chair, and the bed itself.
A few pieces of hospital equipment stood near the bed. Some were on, filling the room with a soft but steady beep or buzz. Others were off, pushed to the side incase they were needed.
A stack of cards lay on the dresser waiting for Ruthie to read them once she awoke and was coherent. Besides the cards, the room was completely plain without any personality. Friends and church members had sent plants and flowers but they weren't allowed in Ruthie's room so the live plants had been taken home to await Ruthie's return. The cut flowers had been taken to the geriatrics ward.
Finally, Simon allowed his eyes to settle on the reason for his visit. Ruthie's still form lay on the hospital bed under the dull sheets. Her skin had faded; it was nearly transparent and blended in with the white sheets of the bed. She seemed so incredibly gaunt. She hadn't been nearly that thin the last time that he'd seen her.
His eyes settled on her face. Her hair was completely gone now; the lack of color making were face seem even more ashen than it actually was. Her eyes were closed, the lashes resting against her upper cheekbones. Her cheeks seemed sunken in.
Swallowing hard, he took a hesitant step closer to the bed. Not allowing himself to stop, he took another step and then another.
Taking hold of the chair, he pulled it closer to the bed. The wooden chair rubbed across the floor as he pulled it causing a sound within the otherwise silent room that made him flinch. He sat down on the very edge of the chair, leaning toward the bed.
"Hey Ruthie," he said, his voice so choked with emotion that he could barely hear himself. "I bet that you wondered if I was ever going to come. I. I'm sorry. I should have come sooner but. I just couldn't. it's just so. I hate seeing you like this." He finally ended on a sigh.
"I was so afraid that we weren't going to find a match for you. I thought that if I didn't come to see you it would hurt less if you didn't make it. Then once we found out that Charlie was a match, the doctors and Matt kept stressing that it wasn't a 'for sure' thing. You could still die." He ran his hand through his hair. "I kept wondering why it had to be you that was so sick. I still wonder that. Why can't this disease choose better? Why can't it just strike people who deserve it? People who are in prison, already on death row?"
"We are all still so worried about you Ruthie. Is seems like you've been unconscious for a long time. The doctors, Matt, and Sarah say that it is normal but still. I wish you'd wake up." He waited for nearly a minute, half expecting her eyes to pop open at his words. That didn't happen.
"I was at the church today. Reverend Hampton said to tell you that everyone is praying for you. A lot of those people have stopped by, others have sent cards."
"Peter has been here as much as his mother will allow. He is so scared and worried."
"Mary's boyfriend is coming tomorrow. We are finally going to get to meet him. I'll tell you all about him since he won't be able to meet you until his next trip out. Matt says that he is cool. This guy is the only one of Mary's many boyfriends that Matt has ever really liked so he must be a pretty good guy."
Out of things to say, Simon reluctantly stood. He knew that he wasn't supposed to stay for very long. "Bye Ruthie. Love you."
"Simon."
At the raspy sound that couldn't really be classified as a word, Simon turned back around. Ruthie's eyes were open, just barely and a tiny, half smile played at her lips. He took a couple of quick steps and was back beside the bed. "Hey," he replied.
"Everyone?"
Simon struggled to figure out what she had asked. "Mom and Dad are at home. They were here all night so we all thought that they needed to go home to rest for a few hours. Kevin is at work. Sarah took the baby to her parent's house. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth took the boys out for awhile. Lucy had to do something at the school. Matt and Mary are both in the waiting room."
"Charlie okay?"
"Charlie's fine," he assured her.
"Good," she expelled the word on a long breath. "Tired."
"Rest. I'll come back later."
Ruthie's eyes drifted shut. "Love you."
"I love you too."
*************
Author's notes: Next chapter more of Ruthie and you will finally meet Mary's boyfriend.
