Chapter 13
"Maybe I should go in there, see if everything's okay," Bosco said, standing upbruptly. It had been about 45 minutes since Kathy and Jordan came out of Jennifer's room. Kathy told Bosco what had happened and he noticed the confused look on Jordan's face.
After handing Jason over to Kathy, Bosco gathered Jordan up into his arms and walked to the end of the hallway with her - away from everyone else. Sitting on the ledge of the window, he balanced Jordan on his lap.
"You okay?" he asked her quietly. She only nodded, not speaking and looking at the floor.
"Jord?" he prodded again and saw a single tear escape from her eye just before the rest started to stream.
"Mommy's sad about Daddy," she managed to get out before she snuggled into Bosco's chest, feeling the warmth of his touch as his arms enveloped her.
"Oh, Jordan," Bosco said, holding her tighter. "It'll be okay. Mommy'll get better. I promise," he told her, hoping to himself that he wasn't telling her a lie. He held her for another few minutes as her crying subsided.
Now, he approached the door to Jennifer's room, determined to find out what was going on behind that door. Just as he reached for the handle, the door opened, pulling Bosco into the room.
Bosco recovered and started to enter the room as the doctor was coming out. The doctor prevented him from entering, putting a hand gently against his chest and coaxing him back out into the hallway. Just as the door closed, Bosco heard Jennifer's soft crying.
"Doc?" Bosco asked, looking back toward the door and fighting his urge to push past and into the room.
"Bosco. Give her some time. She's remembering things - slowly - but remembering them just the same. She's grieving for the husband she lost all over again," the doctor explained.
"Should she be alone? I mean, what if she starts remembering more?" he asked nervously.
"I'll go in with her," Kathy offered.
"That wouldn't hurt," the doctor agreed and saw the look on Bosco's face. "I'm afraid her memories of you haven't yet returned and it may hinder the process she's going through now."
Bosco ran a hand threw his hair and looked around, trying to process his feelings. He looked over at his sister-in-law and, giving a sigh, nodded. "Alright. You go in Kathy," he said, taking Jason from her.
"Why don't you take the kids down to get something to eat," Kathy suggested. "I'll be sure to call if anything happens," she said, referring to a memory breakthrough.
He watched Kathy go through the door and stood in the hallway for a moment with his children, collecting his thoughts. He looked up the hallway and saw Jennifer's doctor at the nurses' station, updating charts. He sat Jason down next to Jordan and walked the small distance toward the doctor, keeping an eye on the kids as he went.
"Doc?" he called out and waiting for the doctor to look over at him.
"I know this is very difficult for you, but I'm sure that we can get her past all this and back 'up to date'," the doctor advised him.
"Yeah, well, I understand it - somewhat, but the kids are pretty confused," Bosco conceded. "I was just wondering how she is - I mean despite this memory thing. Health-wise she's going to be okay, right?" he asked.
"Yes, I believe she'll make a full recovery medically. Of course, she may need some physical therapy to get her fine motor skills back, but I don't see that taking very long at all. She should be able to return to her duties here at the hospital in as little as a few months. In fact, I'd say that she could probably go home by tomorrow and just have therapy there, or come back here to the hospital," the doctor advised him.
"Home tomorrow? Wow, that's fast," Bosco said, not voicing his concerns about her coming home to their home without remembering him and Jason yet. Although, the thought that maybe being home would jog her memory came into his mind and he was hopeful.
"I think that this evening, Jennifer, you and I should meet and go over the fact that she is indeed remarried and has another child," the doctor stated. "She should be prepared for you being in the home when she returns. I won't disillusion you, Bosco. It WILL be difficult at first, but with time I see no medical reason for Jennifer not to make a full and complete recovery," the doctor assured him.
"Um, okay. So, I'll have Kathy take the kids home in a little bit and then we can all talk?" Bosco said, nervous about the upcoming meeting.
"I'll find you in a little while," the doctor told him before returning to what he was doing.
Bosco returned the kids and stood looking out the window for a moment. "Daddy?" Jordan asked quietly.
"Yeah, Bug," Bosco replied, shaking himself out of his thoughts and brightening his attitude for the kids.
"I think Jason's hungry," she said, looking at her brother who was trying to suck her finger.
"I think you're right," he replied. He picked up Jason and held a hand out for Jordan. They walked toward the cafeteria to get some dinner.
TBC...
"Maybe I should go in there, see if everything's okay," Bosco said, standing upbruptly. It had been about 45 minutes since Kathy and Jordan came out of Jennifer's room. Kathy told Bosco what had happened and he noticed the confused look on Jordan's face.
After handing Jason over to Kathy, Bosco gathered Jordan up into his arms and walked to the end of the hallway with her - away from everyone else. Sitting on the ledge of the window, he balanced Jordan on his lap.
"You okay?" he asked her quietly. She only nodded, not speaking and looking at the floor.
"Jord?" he prodded again and saw a single tear escape from her eye just before the rest started to stream.
"Mommy's sad about Daddy," she managed to get out before she snuggled into Bosco's chest, feeling the warmth of his touch as his arms enveloped her.
"Oh, Jordan," Bosco said, holding her tighter. "It'll be okay. Mommy'll get better. I promise," he told her, hoping to himself that he wasn't telling her a lie. He held her for another few minutes as her crying subsided.
Now, he approached the door to Jennifer's room, determined to find out what was going on behind that door. Just as he reached for the handle, the door opened, pulling Bosco into the room.
Bosco recovered and started to enter the room as the doctor was coming out. The doctor prevented him from entering, putting a hand gently against his chest and coaxing him back out into the hallway. Just as the door closed, Bosco heard Jennifer's soft crying.
"Doc?" Bosco asked, looking back toward the door and fighting his urge to push past and into the room.
"Bosco. Give her some time. She's remembering things - slowly - but remembering them just the same. She's grieving for the husband she lost all over again," the doctor explained.
"Should she be alone? I mean, what if she starts remembering more?" he asked nervously.
"I'll go in with her," Kathy offered.
"That wouldn't hurt," the doctor agreed and saw the look on Bosco's face. "I'm afraid her memories of you haven't yet returned and it may hinder the process she's going through now."
Bosco ran a hand threw his hair and looked around, trying to process his feelings. He looked over at his sister-in-law and, giving a sigh, nodded. "Alright. You go in Kathy," he said, taking Jason from her.
"Why don't you take the kids down to get something to eat," Kathy suggested. "I'll be sure to call if anything happens," she said, referring to a memory breakthrough.
He watched Kathy go through the door and stood in the hallway for a moment with his children, collecting his thoughts. He looked up the hallway and saw Jennifer's doctor at the nurses' station, updating charts. He sat Jason down next to Jordan and walked the small distance toward the doctor, keeping an eye on the kids as he went.
"Doc?" he called out and waiting for the doctor to look over at him.
"I know this is very difficult for you, but I'm sure that we can get her past all this and back 'up to date'," the doctor advised him.
"Yeah, well, I understand it - somewhat, but the kids are pretty confused," Bosco conceded. "I was just wondering how she is - I mean despite this memory thing. Health-wise she's going to be okay, right?" he asked.
"Yes, I believe she'll make a full recovery medically. Of course, she may need some physical therapy to get her fine motor skills back, but I don't see that taking very long at all. She should be able to return to her duties here at the hospital in as little as a few months. In fact, I'd say that she could probably go home by tomorrow and just have therapy there, or come back here to the hospital," the doctor advised him.
"Home tomorrow? Wow, that's fast," Bosco said, not voicing his concerns about her coming home to their home without remembering him and Jason yet. Although, the thought that maybe being home would jog her memory came into his mind and he was hopeful.
"I think that this evening, Jennifer, you and I should meet and go over the fact that she is indeed remarried and has another child," the doctor stated. "She should be prepared for you being in the home when she returns. I won't disillusion you, Bosco. It WILL be difficult at first, but with time I see no medical reason for Jennifer not to make a full and complete recovery," the doctor assured him.
"Um, okay. So, I'll have Kathy take the kids home in a little bit and then we can all talk?" Bosco said, nervous about the upcoming meeting.
"I'll find you in a little while," the doctor told him before returning to what he was doing.
Bosco returned the kids and stood looking out the window for a moment. "Daddy?" Jordan asked quietly.
"Yeah, Bug," Bosco replied, shaking himself out of his thoughts and brightening his attitude for the kids.
"I think Jason's hungry," she said, looking at her brother who was trying to suck her finger.
"I think you're right," he replied. He picked up Jason and held a hand out for Jordan. They walked toward the cafeteria to get some dinner.
TBC...
