Chapter 11
Two hours later a very exhausted Dr. Miller appeared in the waiting room.
He walked up to the President, who was sitting surrounded by those who loved him. Zoey and Ellie were napping on the two sofas while Liz and Leo sat on each side of Jed, giving him unspoken support and strength.
As Jed saw him walk up, he jerked out of his chair, anxiously wanting some news, any news.
"Sir, your wife made it through surgery. We removed a clot on the left side of her brain, which was terribly swollen. We have restarted the steroids that should decrease the swelling of her brain over time. As I said earlier, we'll purposely keep her in a coma state over the next few days so her brain will have a chance to heal. After that, we'll decrease the meds until they are completely gone. Then and only then will we know what kind of damage has been done."
"Damage? Brain damage?" Jed could only whisper the horrible words. Words that hadn't lost their horror since the first they had been spoken a few hours earlier.
"Yes sir. The clot may have damaged the brain by cutting off the flow of oxygenated blood to the tissue. We may see some damage. Each person is different. There could be none or extensive. There's just no way of telling until she comes out of her coma."
Jed sat down, dejected over the lack of a definitive answer. Finally he spoke. "Abbey won't have any. She won't I tell you. She has a brilliant mind. I won't believe she'll have any damage."
Leo and the girls exchanged looks, hearing their father and friend's denial in his words.
Ellie sat down next to Jed. "Dad,' she said softly. "We may have to make some decisions. Mom may..."
"Abbey will be OKAY! SHE"LL BE JUST FINE!" Jed dropped his face into his hands, still trying to deal with what the doctor said. "She'll be just fine."
"Of course she will." Leo sighed. He dreaded every moment ahead, whatever the outcome. But one thing for sure. Whatever the outcome, Jed would not be alone. His family, his total family would be there every step of the way.
Two days later, the neurologist withdrew the medication, but Abbey's coma remained. The only change was that now she could breathe on her own and the ventilator had been discontinued.
"I thought she would wake up now," Jed stated hopefully.
"Sir, we hoped so too. But, as I told you earlier, the brain heals on its own schedule."
"Well do something. There has to be something you can do."
The doctors looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, sir. Now it's up to your wife. She lives or dies according to her desire. We've done all we can medically do."
Jed reached out for Abbey's hand and squeezed it tightly. "No. Just not her. I'll give her my strength. Together we'll fight this. Together we'll win."