Chapter Three.
The ambulance arrived soon after the call -maybe five minutes- but it felt like eternity. Mum didn't wake in that time as we sat there watching, not able to help her. They took her away quickly and I went with her. Doyle stayed at home to wait for my four younger siblings for Dad wasn't meant to be home until Tuesday, it was now Sunday.
The ride in the ambulance was uneventful. The paramedics didn't do much, one took Mum's vital signs and the other who wasn't driving put a small, clear mask over Mum's mouth and nose, it was oxygen.
When we arrived at the hospital it was a rush of activity around Mum and I lost track of were they went with her. I gave up and collapsed onto one of those hard emergency chairs, waiting. It was hell. I got up quite a few times and asked about Mum but I was told that there was nothing to report as yet. I rung Doyle at home after half an hour and he said that Drusilla, Lindsey and the twins were home. I told him to stay there with them and ring Dad; I'll ring him if any thing changed.
I had been waiting for about three hours when a doctor came out to speak with me.
"Miss Giles?" The young man said placing a hand on my tense should. Did I mention I hate hospitals?
I looked up at him with dull eyes. All I felt like doing was sleeping. "Yes" I answered, "That's me."
"Your mother is in intensive care," He stated empathetically, "We have found that she has multiple tumours on her brain but currently she is stable."
"Is she awake?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Is your father around? We need the next of kin to sign for surgery."
"No, Dad's in New York for business," I paused, "Surgery?"
"We need to get rid of the tumours as soon as possible." He looked at me sadly, "or she may not survive."
This shocked me and I quickly sat back down. Mum die? I couldn't even think of life without her. Who would look after us? Who would look after me? "I need to ring my brother." I said, and then my dad, I added to myself. He nodded and I got up and walk unsteadily to the public pay phone on the wall.
"Doyle" I asked as someone picked up on the other end.
"Yeah Buffy." He said comforting me, "how's Mum? Is she better?" God! He sounded as worried as me!
"Mum's bad Doyle" I answered, my voice breaking and a reaching sob bursting thorough. Quickly gave him the details and he promised to ring Dad. We both agreed that here wasn't the place for the younger ones at the moment.
I hung up to phone and leaned against the wall. I felt unsteady and light head, not to mention the pain in my gut. I thought I was going to die, just like Mum might.
I steadied my breathing trying not to think about that. "Mum is going to be all right, Mum is going to be all right." I told myself over and over again. What were we going to do if she wasn't? So many questions to answer. So many answers that could not be found.
The doctor had left the waiting room as I headed to sit back down, not knowing what else to do. It was about nine o'clock. I wondered where Dad was- probably trying to get a flight back home. I wondered what Dru or Doyle had made for dinner, probably spaghetti. Then I just though about normal things (friends, boys, school) before heading of into a light slumber from stress and lack of sleep.
-I was in a long dark hall. Shadows crept past making leering faces at me. I started to walk. I knew where I was going. The room right at the end of the hall. My mother's room. I got there with surprising speed and Mum was lying in a bed in the dark room. A white sheet covered her face but I knew it was her. She was dead. I fell onto my knees beside her bed and cried for her back. The she sat up and looked at me mournfully but I wasn't my mother's kind, caring face. There was something different about it. She then talked to me:
"You didn't to me Buffy." She said, "you killed me"-
I woke instantly. My breathing was ragged and I was drenched in cold sweet. It had been a dream I told my self shakily. But it was real my mind argued with me.
"No" I whispered hoarsely, tear springing to my eyes and the reaching pain in my gut returned. I couldn't hold it any more. I got up quickly and ran for the ladies toilets. I reached it just in time and started vomiting all my body was worth into one of the bowls before leaning back against one of the walls and sobbing harshly. I had done the medical studies class at school and knew what having brain tumours meant. It meant a 4.5% chance of even surviving the first round of surgery, even less of surviving the second round or post treatment. Telling someone they had brain tumours basically meant sentencing them to death.
The next two days went as a blur to me. I went home from the hospital later that night (Doyle picked me up) and Dad arrived home the next morning. The littlest three- Lindsey, Dawn and Jesse- didn't really understand what was happening but Doyle, Dru and I knew all to well. Dad did his best to care for us on throughout Monday but the worry in the air was thick. Dru was the first to break down crying that day and I soon followed her. Doyle just didn't know what to do, he was like a zombie. We Were all on the edge waiting for news- Mum had gone into first round surgey today even though she hadn't woken last night. We got the news while all seven of us sat around the table eating dinner. Mum had survived the first round of the surgery and was stable!
What do you think?
Thanks to iluvglorfindel, James Lee, Fearless Lioness. And for Fearless Lioness some more BTVS characters will pop up soon (some Angle one too). BTW I haven't got anyone to go over the story for me so sorry if there are any mistakes in there.
The ambulance arrived soon after the call -maybe five minutes- but it felt like eternity. Mum didn't wake in that time as we sat there watching, not able to help her. They took her away quickly and I went with her. Doyle stayed at home to wait for my four younger siblings for Dad wasn't meant to be home until Tuesday, it was now Sunday.
The ride in the ambulance was uneventful. The paramedics didn't do much, one took Mum's vital signs and the other who wasn't driving put a small, clear mask over Mum's mouth and nose, it was oxygen.
When we arrived at the hospital it was a rush of activity around Mum and I lost track of were they went with her. I gave up and collapsed onto one of those hard emergency chairs, waiting. It was hell. I got up quite a few times and asked about Mum but I was told that there was nothing to report as yet. I rung Doyle at home after half an hour and he said that Drusilla, Lindsey and the twins were home. I told him to stay there with them and ring Dad; I'll ring him if any thing changed.
I had been waiting for about three hours when a doctor came out to speak with me.
"Miss Giles?" The young man said placing a hand on my tense should. Did I mention I hate hospitals?
I looked up at him with dull eyes. All I felt like doing was sleeping. "Yes" I answered, "That's me."
"Your mother is in intensive care," He stated empathetically, "We have found that she has multiple tumours on her brain but currently she is stable."
"Is she awake?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Is your father around? We need the next of kin to sign for surgery."
"No, Dad's in New York for business," I paused, "Surgery?"
"We need to get rid of the tumours as soon as possible." He looked at me sadly, "or she may not survive."
This shocked me and I quickly sat back down. Mum die? I couldn't even think of life without her. Who would look after us? Who would look after me? "I need to ring my brother." I said, and then my dad, I added to myself. He nodded and I got up and walk unsteadily to the public pay phone on the wall.
"Doyle" I asked as someone picked up on the other end.
"Yeah Buffy." He said comforting me, "how's Mum? Is she better?" God! He sounded as worried as me!
"Mum's bad Doyle" I answered, my voice breaking and a reaching sob bursting thorough. Quickly gave him the details and he promised to ring Dad. We both agreed that here wasn't the place for the younger ones at the moment.
I hung up to phone and leaned against the wall. I felt unsteady and light head, not to mention the pain in my gut. I thought I was going to die, just like Mum might.
I steadied my breathing trying not to think about that. "Mum is going to be all right, Mum is going to be all right." I told myself over and over again. What were we going to do if she wasn't? So many questions to answer. So many answers that could not be found.
The doctor had left the waiting room as I headed to sit back down, not knowing what else to do. It was about nine o'clock. I wondered where Dad was- probably trying to get a flight back home. I wondered what Dru or Doyle had made for dinner, probably spaghetti. Then I just though about normal things (friends, boys, school) before heading of into a light slumber from stress and lack of sleep.
-I was in a long dark hall. Shadows crept past making leering faces at me. I started to walk. I knew where I was going. The room right at the end of the hall. My mother's room. I got there with surprising speed and Mum was lying in a bed in the dark room. A white sheet covered her face but I knew it was her. She was dead. I fell onto my knees beside her bed and cried for her back. The she sat up and looked at me mournfully but I wasn't my mother's kind, caring face. There was something different about it. She then talked to me:
"You didn't to me Buffy." She said, "you killed me"-
I woke instantly. My breathing was ragged and I was drenched in cold sweet. It had been a dream I told my self shakily. But it was real my mind argued with me.
"No" I whispered hoarsely, tear springing to my eyes and the reaching pain in my gut returned. I couldn't hold it any more. I got up quickly and ran for the ladies toilets. I reached it just in time and started vomiting all my body was worth into one of the bowls before leaning back against one of the walls and sobbing harshly. I had done the medical studies class at school and knew what having brain tumours meant. It meant a 4.5% chance of even surviving the first round of surgery, even less of surviving the second round or post treatment. Telling someone they had brain tumours basically meant sentencing them to death.
The next two days went as a blur to me. I went home from the hospital later that night (Doyle picked me up) and Dad arrived home the next morning. The littlest three- Lindsey, Dawn and Jesse- didn't really understand what was happening but Doyle, Dru and I knew all to well. Dad did his best to care for us on throughout Monday but the worry in the air was thick. Dru was the first to break down crying that day and I soon followed her. Doyle just didn't know what to do, he was like a zombie. We Were all on the edge waiting for news- Mum had gone into first round surgey today even though she hadn't woken last night. We got the news while all seven of us sat around the table eating dinner. Mum had survived the first round of the surgery and was stable!
What do you think?
Thanks to iluvglorfindel, James Lee, Fearless Lioness. And for Fearless Lioness some more BTVS characters will pop up soon (some Angle one too). BTW I haven't got anyone to go over the story for me so sorry if there are any mistakes in there.