Part 5 - Mary Ann and the Boys

After driving for about almost 16 hours, Bella and Michael pulled up to the hospital that Mary Ann had been transferred due to their expertise in stroke patients. After getting out of their cars, two voices called out in the evening light (as it was almost evening when arriving in Utah.) and turning to the entrance of the hospital, there was their boys, Mason and James. Bella almost dropped to her knees of seeing them there, but Michael's hand onto her arm held her up, as their two boys almost crashed into their open arms, and now was crying. Bella held Mason their youngest, while James was in his father's arms. Bella and Michael shared a look between themselves, then they both pulled the boys away for few, and asked;

"Where is she, James/Mason?" Both helped them inside of the hospital, and there in the front desk, Michael said after the girl there asked of what they were there for. Both wearing masks like the boys did, for what was going on in this crazy world of corona virus. Michael answered her and said

"I am here for my mother, Mary Ann Godfrey, she was admitted after being flown here from South Dakota, after having stroke."

"Ah right, your two sons told us that you were coming, Mr Spears. She is on 5th floor, in room 531. Welcome to go up to her room. Her doctors would join you very soon, for an update and so forth on her condition."

Bella nodded, as she re-took Michael's hand in hers, then the boys walked infront of themselves, and led them to a elevator, and after getting in and pushed for 5th floor which said it was for Neurologic Floor. After the floor was up, and the doors opened, another nurse at front desk, asked them the same question, and they were lead to Mary Ann's room, and that the doctor would come soon and talk to them.

The boys sat on the couch of the room, while Bella and Michael both took their mother/mother-in-law's two hands in their own, and held her, as Mary seems to be out of it still, and not responding yet, but Bella holding her left hand could feel the weakness from it, as the grip back wasn't that strong as it used to be.

After about what felt like an hour or so, there was a gentle, but firm knock on the door, and Michael said

"Yes Come in." And in came a doctor and his nurse in full gear to protect themselves and patients aswell visitors from getting covid-19.

"You must be her son then, Michael was it?" Michael nodded, as he said

"Yes, I am one of her sons, that came rushing after getting the call from my only sister about her getting here after getting a stroke. And this who came with me, is my wife, Isabella."

The doctor and the nurse nodded their heads, and said their hellos to Bella then also to the boys again. Bella said

"What happened, I mean she was having some headaches of some concern before we two left for my father's hometown to see him in first time in years now."

"What happened, for what the others aswell your sons here told us at arrival, that they had all eaten their foods for dinner, then Mary went to the kitchen to clean up, and wanted to do it alone, when all the sudden they all heard a short scream then a thud, and when Matthew, your older brother ran in to see what happened for the scream made them think otherwise, next thing they all knew, was that Eddie called 911 for an ambulance, for that what Matthew yelled at them to do, for he found her in small pool of blood and was rather out of it, and couldnt talk or move her left side that well, and he knew then that she must have a stroke due to the symtoms she showed right there and then."

Making the two nodded, as the boys occupied themselves with their ipads, and the doctor continued, said

"And when the ambulance came, they took her to a helicopter due to the fact that she had suffered a stroke was clearly to their own faces to see it on her. So they airlifted her here, and we began straight away with tests and x-rays, scans of her brain and so forth. We found an rather big area that was bleeding in the brain and that it seems to be on right side, so it fits that her left side is the weaker side right now. We decided to sedate her in an induced coma state, so the brain and body could get to rest for abit, while we use medicines to try stop the bleeding on the brain that caused her stroke. So now it is a waiting game to see if she wakes up again and how the damage is, for like speech, movements and memory wise."

Bella and Michael nodded their heads, as Bella said

"My grandfather on my father's side had a stroke years before he died, so I know how they can be like in the beginning after the stroke has gone down and start to heal as best it can be as the parts of the bleed usually dies or is altered state."

"That is very correct of your assessment, but every cases can be different. But due to her age being just 63, she is very young to even get one this bad it was for her. But we all are hopeful that she would get maybe not 100% but near to it again."

Michael nodded his head, then the doctor did his check up again on Mary, then left them alone for now, and Bella texted Michael's siblings on the update and what room they were in and that they were welcomed to come in as soon they were here in Utah, and that they had gotten special permission to be that many in the room too. And they texted back thanks, then her phone rang and she looked on it, and saw it was her dad, so she excused herself to answer out of the room for now.

"Hi Dad."

"Bells, what happened, how is she doing?" Bella sighed, said in tearful voice

"It is bad, dad. It is just like grandpa Geoff." He sighed sadly as he said

"Hey listen, whatever happens, you have me ok, it is just to call me whenever babygirl. And also give my love to your brothers-in-law and sisters-in-laws from me. Also keep that hope and love up for her, she will need it. You all will, babygirl. Call me when you have another update, OK?"

"I will, daddy. And daddy?"
"Yea?"
"Thank you for being you, and being supportive."

"Oh babygirl I only want you to be happy and Michael seems to do so, so I am happy. And I am glad it is him too in your life. You look so much happier and so much you again."

"Thanks, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too. Sue tells her love too." Bella smiled then they said goodbyes, and hunged up, and she came back into the room and Michael said softly with tears in his eyes;

"Who was that, baby?" Bella smiled softly as she took her hand over his and Mary's joined ones, and said

"That was dad, he told us to be strong, hopefully and just love on her and each other. He also is happy for us two." At that he smiled wider, as she bent over and gave him a soft kiss, and the boys who had not heard that, but saw the kiss just grinned at the sight. Used to their PDA's which was that bad either.

Bella then went over to the boys, and she sat down middle of the two, and she held them for a while in her arms, their hands onto her protuding belly, which made her smile softly as she kissed both of their heads softly and just held them to herself. She knew it had been trauma for them to see Mary like this and come with her, but oh so strong to follow her to here too. It was very brave of them to do so despite their young ages and such.

All they could do was to wait on Mary to wake up and the rest of the family coming to the hospital. Bella soon fell asleep on the couch, while the boys covered her up with a blanket, and went over to their dad, who said

"Hey why aren't you two sleeping too?"

"We c-can't daddy. It scared us so much." At that he just took them both onto his lap and held them as they cried softly into his chest, and he rocked them gently back and forth, as he said

"It is ok now, boys, I and mama are both here and we are not going anywhere. It is safe now." And the boys started to nod off in his lap, so he corrected himself, so he could both hold onto his mother's hand and also have them in his arms too sleeping. Soon he too fell asleep like that. Neither noticing the nurses coming and going to check on Mary.