Ch. 7 – Hospital Visitors
When they got to Vanzilla, Lynn Sr. and Albert loaded the bags and climbed into the front seat. As they drove away, they looked out the window and waved to the girls one last time. A few minutes later Albert turned to his son-in-law and said "Hey Lynn?"
"Yes?"
"I was wondering. Why did you bring two bags? Are you staying in the city tonight?" Lynn Sr. nodded.
"Yes, I am," he replied. "Nothing gets by you does it?"
"Nope," Albert said and they both laughed. When they stopped Lynn Sr. said "Now that I think about it I need to talk to Rita about that too."
Albert raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You're not going to stay in that motel Rita is?"
"I'm not sure. Like I said, choosing that motel was last-minute. I don't know if it would be best to stay there or somewhere else. I wanted to talk to Rita about it when we pick her up."
Albert nodded. "I understand," he replied. Then another question came to him. "I take it you two are planning to switch places every so often?"
"That we are," Lynn Sr. replied. "As I just said, I'm staying this time. I'm actually going to stay for a few days."
"That makes sense," said Albert. "There's really no point for you and Rita to do this every day."
"No, there isn't," Lynn Sr. replied as he shook his head. The two fell silent for a moment then Lynn Sr. remembered something his father-in-law said back at the house.
"Albert?"
"Yeah?"
"I just remembered. Back at the house did you say Rita called you last night?"
Albert's face fell and looked out the windshield sadly. "Yes, she did." Lynn Sr. looked back to the road as he also frowned. Neither said anything momentarily until Lynn Sr. asked "Do you want to talk about it?"
Albert hesitated before saying "Not really, but I will. She called me late last night after you dropped her off at the motel. I told her that yesterday when I went to the rec room I saw everyone around the TV. When I asked one of the nurses what was going on he told me there had been a shooting. When I saw on the TV it was at the mall, I went to back to my room to call the house. I called several times but nobody answered." Lynn Sr. felt bad about that, especially since the downstairs phone wasn't connected to an answering machine. 'We really need to get one for that phone,' he thought to himself.
"… and that's when she told me she was at the motel," Albert continued. He paused as he grew downcast. "That was when I realized something was really wrong. When Rita told me it was Lincoln, I was so shocked that I didn't believe what she said at first. Or maybe I didn't want to believe it. But then she started telling me everything she knew from the police and the hospital. That was when I realized she was telling the truth." Albert paused to catch his breath, letting out a sniffle as he did. "I was relieved when Rita told me Lincoln's still alive, but I got concerned when she said he's in a coma. She promised me to keep me posted, but last night I decided to come to the house just in case something happened. Myrtle and I were coming up the sidewalk when Lori came out to see us. When she told us you were about to go pick up Rita, I decided to ask if I could join you. I knew I was going to see her at some point but I thought, why wait?" Lynn Sr. just nodded empathetically. "Anyway," Albert added, "thanks again for letting me come with you Lynn. I really appreciate it."
"That's all right, Al," Lynn Sr. replied. "And I'm sure Rita would appreciate you being here." Albert nodded in agreement. The rest of the drive was quiet and uneventful. Neither Lynn Sr. nor Albert said it, but they were both thinking about Lincoln. Eventually, they pulled into the parking lot of the motel. Albert offered to help Lynn Sr. with the baggage which Lynn Sr. accepted. After grabbing the bags, the two made their way to the room where Rita had been staying. When they arrived Lynn Sr. knocked on the door.
"Lynn!" Rita said when she saw her husband and hugged him.
"Hey honey," Lynn Sr. replied as he hugged her back. After sharing a kiss, Lynn Sr. pointed behind him. "And look who I brought."
"DAD!" she exclaimed in surprise. She immediately embraced her father, who was happy to see her too. "What are you doing here?!" she asked.
"Myrtle and I came to the house. I wanted to be there in case something happened. But then Lori told me Lynn was about to come here and, well…" When Albert trailed off Rita couldn't help but smile and hug her father again.
"I'm so glad you're here dad!"
"Me too sweetheart, me too."
The three went into the room where Lynn Sr. gave Rita her bag. After checking everything she asked for was there, she decided to change her clothes before they left for the hospital (since she had been wearing the same outfit from yesterday). Neither Lynn Sr. nor Albert minded one bit.
It didn't take long for Rita to rejoin her father and husband and the three immediately made their way to Vanzilla. The hospital wasn't actually far from the motel, but the trip was slow thanks to the remains of the city's morning traffic. Nobody in Vanzilla minded, however. The three took the extra time to talk, although the topics of conversation were very limited so not much was said.
This chatter, of course, came to an end when the hospital came into view. The three adults remained silent as they parked the van in the lot and walked into the hospital itself. After signing the visitor register, they slowly made their way to the Recovery Ward. Just like in the ICU, Lincoln's room had a window which allowed anyone to see inside; and when they got to that window, Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. stopped.
The mood became somber and for a long moment nobody said anything. Eventually, Albert walked up to the window. Rita and Lynn Sr. could only stand back and watch him sadly. They stayed silent as the old man looked inside. As for Albert, he was hesitant to look at first; but when he did, all that came over him was emptiness. He saw his grandson lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on his face and several wires sticking out from under his hospital gown. These wires were connected to nearby medical equipment, the most noticeable of which was a heart monitor displaying Lincoln's EKG.
Rita and Lynn Sr. watched as Albert slowly brought up one hand and gently pressed it against the window as he continued looking. From their position, they could see Albert's reflection in the glass and saw tears forming in his eyes. After exchanging a look with her husband, Rita walked up to her father and stood beside him. Albert wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer as she placed a hand over his. For what felt like an eternity, the two looked through the window until Rita finally decided to say something.
"Dad? Are you all right?" she asked. Albert let out a sniffle as he wiped his eyes and said "Yeah, I'm all right" as he gave a slight nod. Rita knew he really wasn't due to the slight cracking in his voice, but she decided not to say anything about it.
"Rita?" "Yes?" "Could you and Lynn give me a moment? I… I just want some time with him." Albert just kept looking through the window as Rita nodded. She placed a hand on her father's shoulder and said "Take all the time you need dad. We'll be out here if you need us."
"Thanks sweetheart," Albert replied as he smiled sadly. Slowly, he opened the door and walked into the room. After he closed the door he looked around. There were a few chairs against the wall, so he grabbed one and pulled it closer to the bed before sitting down. He just sat there staring at Lincoln in silence; or it would have been silent if not for the constant beeping from the heart monitor. Although since it was beeping it meant Lincoln was still alive so that was a good thing. Eventually, Albert leaned closer to his grandson and started speaking.
"Hey there Lincoln, it's me, Pop-Pop. Can you hear me?" He fell silent as he gathered his thoughts. A moment later, he released a sigh and spoke again. "I still can't believe this is happening. I mean, after all these years I never considered anything like this happening; let alone happening to someone in my family, especially you." Albert let out a sniffle and took a moment to wipe his eyes again before he continued.
"Lincoln, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I mean, you're just a kid for Pete's sake; and this isn't something a kid should…" Albert suddenly stopped and looked away from Lincoln as a half-forgotten memory came to him. It replayed in his mind momentarily until he shook his head to make it go away. Then he turned back to his grandson. "I mean, this isn't something anybody should ever go through." Rephrasing that last sentence only half-worked, more tears came to Albert's eyes.
"Lincoln, I don't know if you can hear me. But if you can, I want you to know that I love you. We all do; me, Gran-Gran, your parents, your sisters, all of us. You mean more to us than anything in this world." Albert paused and took a shaky breath as another memory came to him. "I just remembered that time you and I spent the day together. Right after I moved into the retirement home, remember? We had so much fun." He chuckled as he remembered.
Then he let out a sigh and said "I said it before but, it was because of you I managed to get my self-confidence back. You showed me I'm still as fit as ever despite my age; and I can't thank you enough for that." Albert had to stop to wipe the tears from his face. When he managed to regain his composure, he turned back to Lincoln. "But maybe this will be a start. Lincoln, I also want you to know that you can beat this, I know you can. Hang in there, kiddo." Albert paused once again before saying, "You are strong Lincoln, just like me." Albert then sat back in his chair as he took in his own words and the memories he had with his grandson. Then, in a rare moment for Albert, he put his face in his hands and cried. He cried real tears for his grandson.
When Albert went into the room to see Lincoln, all Rita and Lynn Sr. could do was watch as the old man spoke to his grandson. Things went from sad to depressing when they saw him break down. Rita didn't take it well since she rarely saw her father cry, even when she was growing up. Lynn Sr., being a sensitive person himself, sympathized with his father-in-law and knew deep down that this was good for him. Eventually, after what seemed like ages, Rita went in and joined her father. Lynn Sr. watched as she shared a hug with Albert before pulling up a chair and sitting next to him, both keeping their gaze on Lincoln.
In the meantime, Lynn Sr. decided to get coffee for the three of them at the hospital's cafeteria. He didn't really have the appetite to have breakfast, and he correctly assumed his wife and father-in-law were the same. Besides, hospital food did have a reputation for not being particularly appealing. The next few hours were quiet and uneventful after Lynn Sr. returned with the coffee. Other than the heart monitor, the only thing breaking the silence was the occasional visit from a nurse who would check on Lincoln. The nurse, visited enough times that Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. started expecting her. So when they heard the door open again, the trio looked up expecting her.
"Hi nur-… Dr. Goldman," Rita said when she saw who it really was.
"Hello again Mrs. Loud," the surgeon replied as he entered. Dr. Goldman then greeted Lynn Sr. and introduced himself to Albert. "So, Sharon told me it's just the three of you here today?" he asked. When they said yes, the doctor nodded as he pulled up a chair. "All right. I'm actually glad you're here. There are a few things I need to discuss with you."
The others stared. "What kind of things?" they asked. "Well," Dr. Goldman replied, "it's about what Lincoln could be facing during his recovery." Rita, Lynn Sr. and Albert exchanged a look before Rita asked "Could be facing?" Dr. Goldman grimaced and said "That's what I want to talk to you about. But before I do I need to ask, are any of you familiar with recovery process for gunshot wounds?" There was a pause before Albert said "I am." Everyone looked to the old man. "You are sir?" asked Dr. Goldman. Albert nodded. "I served in the navy, doc. I know what it's like when someone gets shot." Dr. Goldman nodded understandingly and said "I see." He turned to Rita and Lynn Sr. and said "I take it you two don't?" The two thought for a moment, but when they shook their heads, Dr. Goldman sighed and explained.
"Well, it goes without saying that getting shot is not a pleasant experience; and as someone who has seen many gunshot victims over the years I've learned many things from patients who survived. Probably the most prominent thing I've learned from these people is that nearly all of them say the recovery process is worse than getting shot. The physical damage from gunshot wounds can take months to heal, and consequently survivors would be in constant pain for long periods of time. But for many survivors, the worst part of getting shot is psychological trauma such as P.T.S.D., which can go away with the help of counselors, but that really depends on the individual."
Rita and Lynn Sr. listened to Dr. Goldman intently, becoming more troubled for their son as he went. When he finished, they remained silent as they looked over to Albert, who had a sad, all-knowing look on his face. When he nodded at them despairingly, the reality of what Lincoln could be facing hit Rita and Lynn Sr. hard. Lynn Sr. could only lean forward in his chair and rest his head in his hands as he took in everything. Rita, meanwhile, looked back to Dr. Goldman despondently and asked "Why didn't you tell us this yesterday?"
"I didn't want to say anything in front of your daughters, Mrs. Loud," Dr. Goldman said. "You see, some of us here have heard of your family before. I have a friend who works at the hospital in Royal Woods. She told me stories about the times your family has visited them and how…" Dr. Goldman paused to find the right word. "Lively, they can be. I don't mean any offence Mrs. Loud, but I had to be tactful yesterday because I didn't want them to cause a scene; especially since we had other patients from the shooting." Rita looked away from the doctor momentarily as she nodded understandingly. "I see," she said, with a hint of shame in her voice. There was a pause before she asked, "So, what does this mean for Lincoln?" This made Lynn Sr. and Albert look up to face the doctor again.
"Well," said Dr. Goldman, "as I just said, the physical healing from gunshot wounds is a painful process. Because of this, it's actually all the better Lincoln is in a coma so his body can heal itself without him feeling pain. But as I said yesterday, the damage Lincoln sustained was much less than we initially thought, so it's possible the majority of the healing will happen while he's comatose. How much pain he will feel after he wakes up? That's hard to say. Nonetheless, it's still possible he will need to undergo physical rehabilitation, especially considering he was shot in the shoulder and leg. And as far as psychological treatment goes, that's also hard to say. Children tend to be much more resilient when it comes to coping with a traumatic experience compared to adults, so Lincoln may or may not need such treatment. However, I strongly suggest he receives a psychological evaluation while he's still in hospice. But that is his decision to make."
There was another pause before Lynn Sr. spoke up. "Doctor, I know you said yesterday you weren't sure when Lincoln would wake up. But I need to ask, how likely is it that he will wake up soon?" Dr. Goldman thought for a moment and then said "Well, there are a variety of factors concerning how long a coma lasts. I can't tell you how soon, but considering what I've just told you and the observations we've made since yesterday, I'd say it's likely he would wake up sooner rather than later." A sense of relief washed over everyone when they heard that statement. The nagging question of "what if?" was still there. But the possibility of Lincoln waking up soon was becoming more likely.
"So what now doctor?" Albert asked. Dr. Goldman looked to him and said "Well, we will continue to monitor Lincoln's condition for the time being. Like I said, all we can do now is wait." He got up and went to the door. But before he left, he turned back to the others. "But perhaps the best thing I can tell you now is don't give up hope." This little tidbit was enough to make Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. feel just a bit better. They gave Dr. Goldman a small smile and said "Goodbye" and "Thank you" as he left the room.
It was now the three adults with Lincoln once again. An awkward silence filled the room, which was only broken by the rhythmic beeping from the heart monitor. Eventually, Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. slowly engaged in conversation. The overall feeling was a cautious optimism. While there was still concern for Lincoln's condition, it was now more apparent that his chances of survival were likely. But as they talked, the three came to another important topic of discussion: revealing this new information to others. Granted, they had already told others that Lincoln had been shot during the massacre and was in the hospital. But that was only the extent of how much they disclosed to anybody else, and the people they did tell were only a select few. They realized that more people will eventually find out about Lincoln and will start asking questions.
They had been discussing this topic for a few minutes when they heard the door open again. Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. look to see that the nurse had returned. This time, she was accompanied by another nurse who was pulling an IV drip stand. They explain they have to give Lincoln an IV drip every so often to keep him hydrated, along with the other treatments. With that, the three decide to step out of the room to give the nurses space to work.
"Oof," Albert groaned as he stepped into the hall. "I can't remember the last time I sat in one place for so long. My knees are stiff." Lynn Sr. chuckled. "That makes two of us," he replied. Rita let out a small laugh of her own before saying "Why don't we take a walk? Give us a chance to stretch our legs."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," said Albert.
"All righty then," said Lynn Sr. "Uh, but where to?" he asked.
"Rita thought for a moment and then said "How about just to the lobby? It's not that far from here and we can stay a while before coming back. That should give the nurses plenty of time." The men agreed and the trio started making their way to the lobby. As they walked, they resumed their earlier conversation. During which Lynn Sr. mentioned Lori told him some of the girls had told their friends about Lincoln last night. They realized that since that happened, word of what happened to Lincoln would spread quickly. The rumor mill tends to go into overdrive when kids are involved. When they arrived at the lobby, they decided to sit on one of the benches. There were only a few other people and none took notice of the three adults come in and sit down.
"All right, so that's the plan," Rita said. "If anybody asks us about Lincoln, we'll just tell the truth. He was at the mall and he had been shot. We don't have to say more." Albert and Lynn Sr. agreed. Just then, Albert thought of something.
"Actually, there's still one thing," he said. Rita and Lynn Sr. looked to him with questioning looks. When they ask what, Albert said "Everything that Dr. Goldman said. How are we going to tell the girls?" Rita and Lynn Sr. exchanged a look.
"That's a good question," Lynn Sr. said. "It is," Rita said as she nodded. She looked to her father and said "But I think it will be just like what I just said. We'll just tell the girls the truth; and think it would be best if we told the older girls first." She sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "And I just hope we get to tell the girls before anybody else." The men had to concur with Rita. It was going to be hard to tell other people what happened to Lincoln, so it made sense to tell the girls first. Even more so telling Lincoln's older sisters first since they would be more understanding of the situation.
Unfortunately, this was not to be the case. As they were talking, a group of people came through the hospital entrance. If anyone had seen them, it would have been obvious they were visitors and they were clearly looking for someone they knew. As they walked through the lobby, they spotted Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. on the bench. However, their backs were turned to the door, so the members in this second group couldn't tell if it was who they were looking for at first. As they approached the bench, one of the members of this group, a woman, moved closer and spoke to them.
"Rita?" Rita's eyes widened when she heard her name, as did her father and husband. The voice sounded familiar. Turning in the direction where the voice came from, Rita looked up and gasped in surprise when she saw who it was. "Maria?!"
Mrs. Santiago nodded as she held out her arms. Rita stood and went over to her friend, immediately accepting the offering hug. After sharing a quick embrace, Rita broke off and said "I can't believe you're here! I mean, what, how?!"
"We saw what happened yesterday. But when they told us you were here we had to come," Maria replied. "We?" Rita asked. When Maria motioned behind her, Rita looked and, again to her surprise, she saw Arturo standing a few feet away, with Ronnie Anne by his side. Immediately, Rita went over and greeted the two. Albert and Lynn Sr. got up from their seats and did the same. When they finished greeting each other, Rita realized what Maria had said.
"Wait, Maria. What do you mean by 'when they told you we were here?' Were you at the house?" Maria nodded. "We were," she replied. Rita gave Maria a puzzled look and asked "When?"
"It's a long story," Maria said biting her lip as she, and Arturo, began telling Albert, Rita and Lynn Sr. the events leading to their meeting just a moment ago.
A/N: And this is where we break. Hey guys, sorry to end this on a cliffhanger but as I said last time I had so much written that I had to make it two chapters. Now for what's next, let me say a few things. Some of you have already guessed it, but the story is going to be focusing on the family for a while. It will also include Lincoln's friends, the girls' friends and other secondary characters. In the time it took me to write and upload this chapter it's safe to say it's going to be a long way to go. But don't worry; I still have the basic outline planned out. It's just all the little details are going to be a pain, which is why I'll say again I'm still open to beta readers. In the meantime I hope you liked these chapters. See you next time!