Chapter 16

I was lying in bed in a deep sleep. It must have been three or four in the morning. I heard someone in the hallway. I slowed opened my eyes and turned on my lamp near my bed. I then heard the sound of my Dad groaning.

"Dad?"

I pulled back the covers and entered the hallway. Our kitchen light was on. I peered in and saw Dad leaning on the counter. He groaned softly to himself and trembled. His hands shook as he reached for our cookie jar.

"Dad." I said as I entered the kitchen. He looked at me and started to fall.

"Dad!"

I quickly grabbed him before he hit the floor. I got him into the living room and sat him down in his chair. His blood sugar was dangerously low.

"Hold on Dad...Hold on, I'll be right back!"

I entered the kitchen and took several cookies from the jar. I then poured him a glass of juice. When I returned Dad was trying to sleep.

"Hey!" I shouted waking him up. "Don't do that...don't do that. Here."

I gave him a piece of a cookie, and held his head to drink the juice.

"Thank you son..." He said breathlessly.

"No worries, now hold on again."

I left and got his medicine bag. I took out his pen from its pouch.

"Where Dad?"

"Just...just put it in my thigh...thats a good boy."

He started to drift again.

"Dad!"

I gave him his medicine and gave him another cookie.

"Eat your cookie, and drink your juice."

"You're the best son in the world I just wish I could be a better father."

"Mhmm you're a great father, dad. Drink your juice."

About 15 minutes later Dad's sugar was back to normal.

"Bry...you didn't have to do all that, but I'm glad you did."

"How could I not...you're my old man. We're in this together."

"Hey...I'm only 36...don't call me old...and we are aren't we? Sorry I woke you, you can go back to bed I'm fine now."

He stroked the top of my head and fell asleep in his recliner. I grabbed a blanket and slept on the couch near him. About an hour later I heard Dad groaning again.

"Dad..." I whispered in the darkness. He didn't answer me.

"Dad..." I said again. I pulled the blanket up off my shoulder and looked at him. He moaned and woke himself up.

"Bry...Bryan?"

I got up and turned the overhead light on. Our eyes adjusted for a split second.

"Bryan...listen at me okay...I...I'm in a lot of pain I...I think you're going to have to take me to the emergency room."

"Okay Dad!"

I quickly ran to my room and put on a pair of jeans and one of my button ups over my t-shirts. I didn't want to scare Mom but I had to wake her and tell her what was going on.

"Mom!" I shouted out and shook her.

"What?! What is it?!" She threw her covers back.

"It's Dad...He needs me to take him to the emergency room."

"What?!" She grabbed her robe.

She quickly ran down the hall and I followed behind her with my car keys in my hand.

"Charlie?! Charlie what's wrong?!"

She stroked Dad's arms.

"Ah...Bry why did you have to wake your mother?"

"Sorry Dad."

"Don't apologize! Char, what's the matter?"

"I'm hurting bad honey...my back, my stomach...all around here...I can hardly move it hurts so bad."

"Bry! Get your Daddy to the ER, I'll meet you up there. Get going!"

I helped Dad to the truck and drove him straight to the hospital. Apparently a lot of ill and injured people needed the ER as well. We were placed in a waiting room to await a bed opening. Dad sat in the chair next to me. He had his hands gripped tight to the armrests and his knees kept bobbing.

"Dad...you gonna be okay?"

I heard him humming to himself. Dad only does that if the pain is severe enough.

"Dad?"

"Oh I don't know son...I-"

He stopped mid-sentence and ran for one of the hospital's bathrooms close by. When he returned he was sweating but he had the shakes.

"Well I just threw up."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

He closed his eyes and began to hum again. He only threw up once while we sat there but he did get up and go back to the bathroom more than once. He said he had to urinate several times but was unable.

"Anything?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"No...it's just the urge to go but everytime I go I just stand there...and there's your mother."

I looked up and saw Mom running over to us.

"Oh Charlie, they haven't got you back there yet?!"

"No...not yet, where are the girls?"

"I left them with Jesse and Pat. I didn't want them to crowd or see you like this."

"Oh...okay..." Dad breathed and put his head in his hands.

"But I did call your Mom and Dad...they should be up here soon."

Mom sat in the chair on the otherside of Dad. Dad rubbed his fingers through his hair. Mom began stroking Dad's back. We were in the waiting room for an hour. My grandma Dana and grampa Ray showed up frantic with worry.

"What's going on Charlie boy?" His dad asked.

"Oh my baby boy and my baby grandson hello Bryan." His mom said and kissed my head.

"Hi Grandma."

She then turned her attention to my Dad.

"Charlie, what's wrong?"

"My back...my stomach...it all hurts Mom...and I...ah..."

Dad paused and fisted his hands.

"That urge is back Bry, but I really don't want to get up again."

"What urge Char?" Mom pondered.

"To go to the bathroom. It's happened multiple times." I explained.

"It's the kidney, reckon?" His Dad pointed out.

"Or his sugar. Charlie did you check it?"

"Bryan did. It was normal before we left the house...ah my back!"

"Charlie!"

"Maybe its another stone?" His mom brought up.

"Whatever it is, its making me feel nauseous and numb." Dad grunted.

After another hour in the waiting room Dad finally got help and was able to see a doctor. His kidney had an infection. He was running fever, and had a fast heart rate. He was given fluids and antibiotics to counter act the infection. And that was just Tuesday.

On Wednesday I went to school while Dad stayed overnight at the hospital for close monitoring. I was exhausted from being in that waiting room. It took forever for Dad to see an actual doctor. I accidentally fell asleep in history class.

"Mr. LeMay!" My teacher called. I swiftly sat up.

"Sorry Mrs. Turner!"

The class laughed.

"Please pay attention, this will be on Friday's quiz."

"Yes mam."

I almost fell asleep in P.E. the one class you need the most physical activity in. I loved P.E., and it was my final year to take it. We were out on the gym floor doing line drills. I actually fell asleep standing up.

"LeMay!"

I jolted awake.

"Come on son, get your butt on that half court line!"

"Sorry coach!"

At lunch I just put my head down on the table and slept there.

"Bry? Hey Bry!"

I snorted myself awake and looked at Harvey. He put his tray down as he sat. Lola sat down next to him with her lunchbox.

"You okay over there?"

"Yeah..." I yawned. "I'm sorry Harv it's just my Dad had to go to the hospital last night."

"What?!"

"Oh my gosh!" Lola exclaimed.

"He's fine. He'll be okay... He has a kidney infection...they said with rest and antibiotics he should be doing fine in three to four days. It's not like his transplant. He's fine alright."

"Yeah but what about you?" Harvey asked as Rosie sat next to me with her tray.

"What is it?" She asked Harvey and opened her milk.

"Bryan's exhausted after taking care of his Dad, his Dad got sick last night, and had to go to the hospital, but he'll be home soon. So Bry hasn't slept since-?"

"Three." I intervened.

"Bry, why don't you just ask Principal Don to send you home?" Rosie stroked my shoulder.

"Dad's fine. I'm fine. I'll sleep good tonight. Don't worry about it."

Harvey and Rosie exchanged glances. My next class was Spanish III. I then realized I didn't eat my lunch. My friends and Rosie left me alone to get a little rest during our lunch hour.

"As I said just like in Spanish II we will learn by literature, oral presentations and written exercises. Let us begin today's class with verbs and verb conjugation."

My Spanish teacher Senora Gonzalez began writing English to Spanish words on the board. My vision began to blur and my hand began to shake.

"These verbs are masculine and feminine..."

I reached in my pocket for a piece of my candy. Only I felt nothing but wrappers. This wasn't good. I opened my backpack and looked through it. Only I couldn't for very long because looking down made me feel dizzy. I started to raise my hand but felt too weak. My anxiety grew. I was going to pass out. I tapped my foot and bobbed my knees during class to keep me alert. I suffered for a good 55 mintues. When the bell rang I went straight to my locker to get my snacks. Harvey and Rosie met me halfway.

"How was Spanish? I heard Harvey ask.

"Didn't you have Spanish last year?" Rosie asked him.

"Not Spanish III."

As I opened my locker I fell forward hitting the door. My body was fighting against me.

"Whoa Bry!" Harvey exclaimed.

"Sweetheart..."

I was so scared of passing out that my adrenaline kept me awake. Until my legs gave way and I fainted backward.

"Bry!"

Harvey caught me and gently put me down on the floor. I spiraled into a seizure.

"Rosie stay with him! I'm gonna go get the nurse."

"Okay!"

When Harvey left me with Bryan, he was jolting and groaning furiously. I turned him over on his side and grabbed his hand.

"I'm here Bry...I'm here."

"Rose...Rrrrosie" He panted.

"Ssh...it's okay."

Bryan's mouth began to bleed as he bit into his check during his muscle contractions.

"Hey Rosie!"

I looked up. It was Stan.

"Stan!?"

"Out of the way!"

Shockingly he picked up Bryan and took off with him. I got up off my knees and followed.

"Stan wait!"

We bumped into the school nurse and Harvey.

"Here he is Mrs. Marks!" Stan yelled out.

Harvey and I were so confused. Stan placed Bryan on a pull out bed in the nurse's office. He was awake and no longer suffered from his seizure. The nurse opened a mini fridge and readied a syringe. She pulled up Bryan's shirt and dabbed his stomach with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol.

"I just wanted to help out my friend Mrs. Marks." Stan said with a smile.

"Thank you Stanley...let me tend to him and you'll see him after your class. Go on now."

"I want to stay with him!" I cried.

"Me too!" Harvey said after.

"I'm sorry children...but he needs to rest now go."

Bryan grunted and tensed up as she stuck him with the shot.

"Bryan, its Mrs. Marks can you hear me?"

He moaned softly.

"Where do you keep your emergency snacks?"

"There in my... my..."

"In his locker! I'll go get them!" Harvey took off as fast as he could.

"Very good. In the meantime, Bryan-"

She paused and took out a piece of candy from the jar on her desk, she lifted Bryan up and stuck it in his mouth.

"He'll be alright won't he?" I asked.

"Don't worry Miss Robey, he's in good hands. If I have to tell the cafeteria staff I'm using their honey to coat his throat I'll do it! Now get to class both of you."

I looked at Bryan. He closed his eyes tightly and wheezed. Harvey returned with a bag of candy and other snacks. We didn't want to but we left him.

When I came to my senses the school nurse was checking my sugar.

"And we are back to normal blood sugar now Mr. LeMay. You sure gave everyone quite the scare."

I sat up holding my head.

"Take it easy now."

"How did I get here?"

"Oh your three friends brought you."

"Three?"

"Yes...Harvey, Rosie, and Stan. In fact Stan carried you here."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, now take this."

I took a small box of cookies from her.

"Hey these are mine."

"Yes. They are. I also gave you some of your glucose candies, and some of your dried fruit you had. Now eat yourself a cookie."

"Are you really sure Stan brought me?"

"Yes! Eat! Don't make me force feed you."

I did as she requested. I couldn't believe what she was saying about Stan. He's up to something.

Thursday, Harvey and I met up with him to find out what.