A/N : So, we get to meet Gunnar's family, in Iceland. The phone numbers are made up numbers obviously. The Translations came from Google translate. The words that Gunnar's Father says about America, is not what the authors think about America.
Chapter 24—Calling Gunnar's Family
November 7th, 1999
12:05 am
Adam's POV
We sat and waited for about 10 minutes when Dr. Green finally appeared.
"Hello I am Dr. Green, I operated on Gunnar," Dr. Green said.
"How is he?" I asked.
"Gunnar is out of surgery, but I am afraid that the worst is not over with yet. His appendix ruptured upon us opening him up and his infection went everywhere. Which is why it took so long we had to make a bigger incision instead of laparoscopically. His fever spiked a couple of times and we had to perform CPR on him once. He is in the ICU," Dr. Green said.
"Oh no," Bella said.
"Is he going to be, okay?" I asked.
"Oh yeah he will be fine, we are going to keep him there until probably Monday or Tuesday, depending on when he comes out of the anesthetics and then move him to a regular room," Dr. Green said.
"Can we see him?" I asked.
"I'm afraid that it's too late, tonight. Visiting hours start at 9 am tomorrow morning," Dr. Green said.
"But, but, but," I said.
"Come on Adam," Dad said.
"Don't you worry he will be just fine, and you can see him tomorrow," Dr. Green said.
"Thank you, Dr. Green. Thank her Adam," Mom said.
"Yeah right," I said.
"ADAM!" Mom yelled.
"Michele, it's okay. Adam let's go home, we can stop at the dorm's along the way so you can grab Gunnar's address book and call his parents tomorrow morning. We will be up here as soon as we can after visiting hours start," Dad said.
"Have a goodnight," Dr. Green said.
"Yeah right," I said.
Dad and Ollie had to drag me down to dad's car. Bella came with us, and we went back to Eden Hall Academy.
"Hey how's Gunnar?" Charlie asked upon seeing Dad and I enter the dorm building.
"He had appendicitis, had to have surgery and is in the ICU, right now," I said melancholy.
"Is he going to be, okay?" Charlie asked.
"Charlie now is not the time to ask that," Dad said.
"Okay Boys, it's time to go to bed lights out was 30 minutes ago. I only allowed you to stay up to find out what happened to Gunnar, let's go," said Mr. Roberts.
"Yes sir," Guy said. All of the guys were waiting up for me. Apparently, Mr. Roberts was at the game and saw what had happened.
"Let's go guys," Charlie said. With that all of the male ducks left the room.
"Adam, are you staying tonight?" Mr. Roberts asked when they were gone, and dad and I were about to climb the steps to go to my room.
"No, I just came to get an address book," I said.
"Make it quick, Goodnight," Mr. Roberts said.
We went to Mine and Gunnar's room, and I dug into his desk to find an address book. Which I found almost immediately.
8:05 am Minneapolis time, 2:05 pm Reykjavík time.
Adam's POV
I had been searching in Gunnar's address book for his parents phone number, but I didn't have any luck under Stahl at all. There were no other Stahl's in the book. I thought it was really weird.
"Any luck?" Dad asked.
"No and with Gunnar not being awake, he can't tell me. Do you have any idea of who I can call?" I asked.
"Well, I would have to peruse the book," dad said.
" Have at it, good luck," I said passing the book to him.
Dad spent about 15 minutes looking through the book, before he said, " Here is Wolf Stansson's phone number."
"What?" I asked.
It read Coach Wolf Stansson And it gave an address in Reykjavík. "Maybe he would have an idea of Gunnar's parents' names," Dad said.
"No way, I am not talking to him. He's too intimidating," I said.
"Gunnar is going to be disappointed if you say that you called his parents and then find out later that you lied," Dad said.
I let that one sink in a minute before I said, "I will call it, you talk to him."
"Fine, fine" dad said.
"How do I place an overseas phone call?" I asked.
Just then a phone book came flying at me, "Jesus Ollie what the hell?" I asked.
"Right, there is your answer, Genius, in that book you will find out how to make an international phone call," Ollie said.
I looked for the information needed and there in the blue pages before the government listings was the instructions on how to make an international phone call. I looked under Iceland and found out it was going to be $ .53 a minute.
"Dad this is crazy," I said.
"What is son?" Dad asked.
"To make a phone call to Iceland is 53 cents a minute," I said.
"It's okay, Adam, we will figure it out," Dad said.
"Okay here goes nothing," I said.
"Good," Dad said.
"011-354-5-596-8765.' Then there were two rings nearly simultaneously, 'It's ringing," I said and handed Dad the phone, which Dad put on speaker phone.
The phone on Coach Stansson's end picked up, " Halló? (Hello)" came a voice that sounded like Coach Stansson.
"Wolf? This is Gordon Bombay, the head coach of team USA from the Junior Goodwill Games," Dad said.
"Já, halló Gordon. Hvernig hefurðu það?" Wolf said.
Dad looked at me, he knew that Gunnar had been teaching me some Icelandic. "It's yes, Hello to you. How are you?" I said.
"Oh, sorry about that my son, Adam is translating for me," I said.
"Áttu son? Hvað er í gangi?" Wolf said.
"He said you have a son. What son?" I said.
"I adopted Adam and Bella Banks," Dad said.
"Ó ég skil," Wolf said.
"Oh, I see," I said.
"Would it be better if I speak in English?" Wolf said.
"Yes, so much," Dad said.
"So, what can I help you with?" Wolf asked.
"Well, I am not sure if you heard about Gunnar coming to the United States as a Foreign Exchange Student?" Dad said.
"Yes, I have. I have spoken with his mother many times. I want him to come home to Ísland. I would like to train him in Hockey. Something about how he is happier there, like that's true," Wolf said and then he started to laugh.
"Don't get mad, Adam," Dad said to me.
"I am not," I said.
"Well Gunnar is in perfectly good hands here, he has the best coach here and he is doing really well. There is talk of a full ride scholarship to University of Minnesota next fall," Dad said.
"HE CAN'T BE HAPPY THERE," Wolf yelled.
"Oh, I think that he is. Anyway, um Adam and I are trying to get a hold of his parents," Dad said winking at me.
"I see and why are you doing that, when he should be doing that himself?" Wolf said.
"Well, there is some business that needs to be attended to," Dad said.
"I see. And this school he is going to, could not provide you with information on how to get through to his parents?" Wolf asked.
"Not today because it's Sunday. We have an address book, but there is no last name of Stahl other than himself in the book. Adam and I would be appreciative if you could share some light on the subject," Dad said.
"Did you look under Stahl Friedrichsson?" Wolf asked.
"Friedrichsson?" Dad asked.
"Yes Friedrichsson, F-r-i-e-d-r-i-c-h-s-s-o-n, Friedrichsson. That is Gunnar's father's name," Wolf said.
"Friedrichsson, Friedrichsson," I said as I flipped the book to the F section, there it was 2 entries for Friedrichsson, Stahl and Friedrichsson, Júlíus. "Bingo," I said and then I pointed to the two entries for Dad to look at.
"Is there anything else you need?" Wolf asked.
"No, thank you Wolf you have no idea how much it's appreciated," Dad said.
"Good. DON'T EVER CALL HERE AGAIN!" Wolf yelled and hung up the phone.
"Yikes, that was scary," I said.
"I know, but at least we have a phone number for Gunnar's parents. This next phone call should go a lot smoother then Wolf's phone call was," Dad said.
"I hope so. Who do you suppose this Julius is?" I asked.
"Hmm, I don't know maybe an uncle?" Dad asked.
"Maybe," I said.
I hesitated to pick up the phone and call them.
"Adam it's going to be okay," Dad said.
"Yeah," I said.
I picked up the phone and began to dial Gunnar's parents 011-354-5-619-7660 then I heard it ring twice and then twice again and again. It kept ringing a few more times, I was about to give up when I heard, "Halló Friedrichsson búseta (Hello Friedrichsson residence)," from a female voice.
"Halló? (Hello?)" said the female voice again.
" Já, ég er að leita að Stahl Friedrichsson. Er hann þar? (Yes, I am looking for a Stahl Friedrichsson. Is he there?)", I asked.
"Já, má ég segja hver hringir? (Yes, may I say who is calling? )" the female voice said.
"Uh, do you speak english?" I asked.
"Nei. Bíddu (No. Hang on)," said the female voice.
I waited a minute or two and then I heard, "Halló þetta er Astrid Stahlsdóttir (Hello this is Astrid Stahlsdaughter)," Gunnar's sister Astrid said.
""Halló ég, heiti Adam Bombay. Úh, ég hringi frá Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bandaríkjunum. Úff, ég er að hringja í Gunnar. Talar þú ensku? (Hello uh, my name is Adam Bombay. Uh, I am calling from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America. Uh, I am calling about Gunnar. Do you speak english?)" I asked.
"Yes, hello Adam Gunnar has told me a lot about you," Astrid said.
I exhaled then I heard, "Hvað er athugavert við son minn? (What's wrong with my son)" Out of the first female voice, I knew then it was Gunnar's mother I was talking to.
"Móðir, vertu þegjandi, ég er að reyna að komast að því. (Mother, please be quiet I am trying to find out.)' Astrid said to her mother and then turned to me, 'What's wrong with Gunnar?"
"It's okay Adam," Dad said.
"Um, I am not sure how to tell you this, I'm trying to get a hold of a Stahl Friedrichsson is he there?" I asked.
"Just a minute Adam,' Astrid said. 'Faðir, komdu fljótt í símann (Father, come to the phone quickly)"
A minute went by and then I heard, "ÞETTA ER STAHL FRIEDRICHSSON, HVERNIG GET ÉG HJÁLPAÐ ÞÉR? (THIS IS STAHL FRIEDRICHSSON, HOW CAN I HELP YOU?)" from Gunnar's father.
"Halló ég, heiti Adam Bombay. Úh, ég hringi frá Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bandaríkjunum. Úff, ég er að hringja í Gunnar. Ég er kærastinn hans. Talar þú ensku? (Hello uh, my name is Adam Bombay. Uh, I am calling from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America. Uh, I am calling about Gunnar. I am his boyfriend. Do you speak english?)" I asked.
"YES, HELLO ADAM, HOW CAN I HELP YOU? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU ARE HIS BOYFRIEND, GUNNAR DOESN'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND, HE LIKES GIRLS," Gunnar's father said.
"I am sorry my Íslensku is not very good, it was a slip of the tongue," I said and then I flashed a worried look to dad.
"It's okay," Dad whispered.
"GOOD. WHAT'S WRONG WITH GUNNAR?" Gunnar's father said.
"Um, Gunnar had an appendectomy last night and he wanted me to call you and tell you," I said.
"I SEE AND HOW IS HE?" Gunnar's father said.
"He's in the Intensive Care Unit at Children's Minnesota, in Minneapolis. It's not looking good, Gunnar wanted me to call you before surgery, but I was unable to do so. I am sorry," I said.
"IS THIS A PRANK? BECAUSE I SWEAR TO GOD, IF MY SON IS TRYING TO GET ATTENTION I WILL END HIS LIFE," Gunnar's father said.
I gulped hard before I said, "No this is not a prank."
"I SEE, I WILL BE ON THE NEXT PLANE OUT," Gunnar's father said and then he hung up on me.
"You did good Adam. That was very brave of you," Dad said.
"I hope so, he doesn't seem very happy," I said.
"He is probably scared for Gunnar, I don't know what I would do if I had received a phone call from someone in a foreign land and said that my son was in an intensive care unit at a hospital," Dad said.
An hour after I had gotten off the phone with Gunnar's family, I was beside Gunnar's hospital bed at the hospital, holding his hand.
"Hey Gunnar, it's Adam. I called your parents, just like you ask me to. Please come back to us, I love you. If you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand?" I asked.
It took a few minutes before I felt Gunnar's hand tighten around my hand. I knew then my boyfriend was there, it was just a matter of being patient for him to wake up.
Gunnar started to wake up that afternoon, but he was still pretty out of it yet. He would fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
November 8th, 1999
4:15 pm
Adam's POV
Charlie, Bella and I went up to the hospital after school today, to see Gunnar. I had been with the team for the 5 am practice this morning. I had to skate the 300 suicides while the team was practicing their shots. It was a hard practice, but we were all glad it was over at 7:30. We had just enough time to grab something for breakfast and eat it on the way to class.
"Let me see if he's awake first," I said as we got to Gunnar's room.
"Okay," Bella and Charlie said together.
I knocked on the door and then pushed open the door to find Gunnar wide awake in his bed laughing at the tv.
"I know nothing! NOTHING!" said a character on the tv show he was watching. Gunnar was laughing again.
"Hello Gunnar," I said.
"Oh Adam, I'm sorry, I didn't hear vou," Gunnar said.
"I see that, what are you watching?" I asked.
"It's a show called Hogan's Heroes, Vou ever seen it?" Gunnar asked.
"No," I said slowly.
"I've been vhatching it all afternoon, it is funny." Gunnar said.
"Oh, I see," I said.
"Vell its vither vhat or daytime soaps! Vuk!" Gunnar said.
"Uh huh," I said.
"It's about this American pilot and his friends in Vorld Var 2 they are at a concentration camp. And the leader Colonel Shultz is a vumbling idiot," Gunnar said.
"You mean a bumbling idiot," I said.
"Vah that's it. Vhat are vou doing here, shouldn't vou be at study table now?" Gunnar asked.
"It got canceled because we had a 5 am practice this morning," I said.
"Vou look exhausted," Gunnar said.
"I know, Charlie and Bella are here. They wanted to see you. If you can tear yourself away from Colonel Shultz," I said.
"Vah I can do that," Gunnar said as he grabbed the remote and turned the tv off.
"Guys come on in," I said to Charlie and Bella.
"Hey Gunnar, how are you feeling?" Charlie asked.
"Vetter," Gunnar said.
"You look better, they're going to have you out of the pop stand anytime soon?" Bella asked.
"Vell, I don't know, the doctor said that I might be here until Friday," Gunnar said.
"In the ICU until Friday, which seems like a waste of money," Charlie scoffed.
"No not in the ICU vut at the hospital. And then probably a veek at home, no skating for a couple of veeks," Gunnar said.
"So, when are you going to get out of the ICU?" Bella asked.
"The vast nurse vhat vas vere told me either tonight or tomorrow morning," Gunnar said.
"Oh," Bella said.
"I guess it depends on vhen vhey have a bed open up," Gunnar said.
"Oh. We collected your books and homework, so you can stay caught up in your classes," Bella said.
"Oh, great just vhat I didn't vant," Gunnar said.
"Sorry Gunnar I think that your marathon of Hogan's Heroes is canceled for tomorrow afternoon," I said smiling.
"Veah vell. I vill find a vay," Gunnar said.
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