The Brady Eight: Just Starting Out
A Welcome Aboard Sequel
Chapter 7
A/N—Continuation of the previous chapter.
Mike and Carol get ready for the audiologist appointment.
Mike: What time is your mom coming over?
Carol: She should be here about nine.
Carol walks into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Mike: Picks up the phone and begins dialing. I'm gonna go ahead and call Mr. Phillips. The phone rings. Mr. Phillips' office, please.
Mr. Phillips: Mr. Phillips here.
Mike: Mr. Phillips? It's Mike.
Mr. Phillips: What can I do for you?
Mike: I'm needing to take off this morning.
Mr. Phillips: Oh?
Mike: Exhales. We're having to take Carolyn to a specialist this morning.
Mr. Phillips: Concerned. Is it serious?
Mike: We don't know yet.
Mr. Phillips: Take whatever time you need. Just be with your family. Keep me posted.
Mike: Thanks. He hangs up.
Carol walks out of the bathroom.
Carol: What did Mr. Phillips say?
Mike: He said to take whatever time I need.
Carol: That's a relief. Embraces her husband. He's been so good to us.
Mike: He understands that family is important.
Nine O'clock.
Carol is sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, nursing the twins. The doorbell rings. Mike exits the den and answers the door.
Mike: Mom. Thanks for coming.
Martha: I'm glad to help. How's Carol?
Mike: This is really hard on her...on both of us, but we want to know what the audiologist has to say.
Martha: Well, you know Henry and I will be here for you.
Mike: Thank you.
Martha enters the house and greets her daughter.
Martha: Hey, sweetheart.
Carol: Thanks for coming. Her eyes are sad.
Martha: Of course! I'm glad I could come.
Ryan finishes up and detaches.
Carol: Mom, can you take him?
Martha: Come here, young man. Come see your Gramma. She puts the baby on her shoulder. You know everything will be all right. No matter what happens, you and Mike and your children will be all right.
Carol nods, holding back tears. One escapes her eye.
Martha: Oh sweetheart! I didn't mean to make you cry.
Carol: I just feel like this is all my fault.
Martha: It's not. You didn't do anything wrong. I saw how you took care of yourself when you were pregnant.
Carol: But shouldn't I have known I was carrying twins? How could I neglect my daughter like that?
Martha: Strokes her daughter's face. Carol Ann Brady. You were NEVER neglectful! This isn't your fault. Sometimes things happen.
Carol: That's what Mike says.
Martha: He's right.
Carolyn detaches and Carol places her on her shoulder. She snuggles close to her baby.
Carol: I know in my head, but it's hard convincing my heart.
At the Audiologist appointment
Carol, holding Carolyn, paces in the examination room.
Mike: Carol, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet.
Carol: Continues pacing. I just can't help it.
Mike: Pacing won't change anything.
Carol: I know, but it's something to do. I can't sit still right now.
The audiologist knocks on the door and enters. Carol ceases her pacing and sits by her husband.
Audiologist: Mr. and Mrs. Brady? I've read the notes the pediatrician sent over.
Mike: And?
Audiologist: I'd like to examine Carolyn and then perform a hearing test.
Carol nods and passes the baby to the doctor.
Audiologist: Begins examining the baby. Does she react to toys or pots or pans?
Carol: Sad. None of those. I've tried squeaking toys or tapping on pots outside her field of vision, and she doesn't react. Her twin does, but she doesn't.
Audiologist: Looks in the baby's ears. It's hard to say, but it looks like there's some sort of inner ear deformity. I want to get an X-ray and hearing test. He picks the baby up. Mrs. Brady, if you'd like, you can come with me while we get some X-rays and the hearing test.
Carol nods, receives her daughter and follows the doctor to the X-ray room. The doctor gets X-rays from multiple views and gets them processed. While the films develop, he sets up the hearing test. Carol places the baby in the bassinet, and the doctor puts earphones on the baby. After the exam, they return to the examination room. Mike is reading the newspaper.
Audiologist: I'll have the results of the tests in a few days. I'll have my nurse make an appointment for her so I can go over the reports with you.
Carol: What do you think?
Audiologist: She does have some inner ear deformity, which may be causing her some hearing loss, but we won't be able to tell the extent until we get the reports back.
He leaves and the nurse enters the room
Nurse: I can get you in Monday morning at nine o'clock. The reports should be in by then.
Mike: Thank you.
Carol cradles their daughter, while Mike leads her out of the office. Mike unlocks the car doors and then Carol straps Carolyn into her car seat. She falls into her husband's arms.
Carol: Oh Mike! Our baby's deaf! She cries in his embrace. What are we gonna do?
Mike: Until Monday, we'll keep doing what we've been doing—loving on her and the rest of the kids as best we can. We'll find out what we need to do then.
Carol: Mike, I...She chokes back a sob.
Mike: Looks her in the eye. I'm going to keep saying this until it sinks in, it's not your fault, Carol. This is something that just happened.
Carol: I'll try to remember that. She sniffs. Can you call my dad and your folks and have them meet mom at the house? I want to tell our parents and then we'll tell Alice and the kids tonight. And, we'll need to call Greg and have him over for supper. Please?
Mike: I will. They end their embrace and Mike goes back into the building and calls their parents. He returns to the car and gets in the driver's seat. They'll meet us there.
Carol: In the front passenger seat. Thanks.
Mike: We'd better get going. He kisses her on the cheek. I love you.
At the Brady house
Just as Mike and Carol pull into the driveway, Thomas and Agnes Brady and Henry Tyler pull up.
Mike: I'll greet our folks. Just get Carolyn and go into the living room.
Carol nods and wordlessly gets her daughter and goes inside the house. Mike meets his parents and father-in-law.
Mike: Mom, Dad, Dad.
Agnes: Hugs her son. We got here as soon as possible. You sounded worried over the phone. What did the doctor say?
Thomas: Agnes, let's go inside and let them settle in.
Meanwhile, in the living room.
Martha: Sees Carol walking in with Carolyn. I take it things didn't go well.
Carol: No. She blinks back tears.
The four walk inside and meet Carol, Martha and the twins in the living room. Carol's cradling Carolyn close, Ryan's asleep in his baby swing.Martha stands up and greets her husband and the Bradys. A look of shock and concern crosses her face.
Martha: Henry, what's going on? Mike, Carol?
Carol sits in the rocker with Carolyn, Henry and Martha on the couch, and Thomas and Agnes on the easy chairs. Mike stands by his wife.
Mike: Somber. We took Carolyn for an appointment with the audiologist.
Agnes: What is it, son?
Mike: Clasps his wife's hand; she gives it a squeeze. Ca...Carolyn's d...deaf. Tears of anguish roll down his cheeks.
Tears stream down Carol's face.
Agnes: Oh son!
Martha: What did the doctor say?
Mike: We won't know the extent of hearing loss, but the audiologist did say she's got an inner ear deformity, which may be the cause of her impairment.
Thomas and Henry appear crushed.
Thomas: Can they operate?
Mike: We'll find out Monday if there's something he can do.
Henry: Is there anything we can do?
Mike: Right now, no.
Martha: When will you tell the kids?
Mike: Tonight.
Agnes: If you want me to keep Ryan on Monday, I will.
Mike: Yes, thank you. Her appointment's at nine, so we'd need you here at eight.
Agnes: I will be.
They talk a few minutes and then prepare to leave. Martha and Agnes give Mike and Carol a hug and kiss the tops of the babies' heads. Henry and Thomas kiss Carol on the cheek, give Mike a light embrace, and also kiss the tops of the babies' heads. Mike walks the four out while Carol holds her daughter close and cries.
Carol: Sees Mike re-enter the living room. Oh, Mike!
Mike embraces his wife and daughter and weeps.
That evening
It's quiet around the dinner table. The older six try to converse, but they see that their parents are quiet. Carol feeds the twins cereal as they sit in highchairs next to her.
Greg: My band is playing at the student center this weekend.
Peter: Can we come?
Greg: Sure!
Marcia: I got the invitations addressed. Mom, can you check my list to make sure I didn't miss anyone?
Carol nods.
Cindy: Shelley and I got our team cheer for tryouts choreographed.
Marcia: Oh? How is it?
Cindy: It's really good. I can't wait to teach it during tryouts.
Peter: Bobby, still studying your spelling?
Bobby: Of course, troglodyte. T-R-O-G-L-O-D-Y-T-E.
Peter: Very funny.
Mike: Kids, after dinner, your mother and I want to have a meeting in the family room.
Jan: Grows concerned. Anything wrong?
Mike: We'll discuss it then. Go ahead and finish up your dinner.
The kids finish their meal, clear their plates, and then gather in the family room. Alice follows the kids. Mike and Carol join them. Mike holds Ryan and Carol holds Carolyn. Mike and Carol sit on the couch facing the sliding glass door. The older girls sit on the other couch, and the boys and Alice pull up chairs from the table.
Mike: As you know, your mother and I took Carolyn to a specialist this morning.
Peter: Is she okay?
Mike: She's deaf.
Marcia: Feels like she's been punched in the gut. What?!
Alice: Oh no!
Bobby: You mean she can't hear?
Carol: Sad. No, she can't.
Mike: We won't know the extent of her hearing loss until her follow-up appointment on Monday.
Jan's crying and can't speak. Greg and Peter sit, stunned.
Cindy: How can we talk to her and help her communicate? Do you want us to learn sign language?
Mike: We can talk about it more after we find out what the report says.
After the family meeting concludes, Greg leaves for his apartment. Hank is watching television and sees Greg's ashen face.
Hank: Whoa, man! What's up?
Greg: Just got back from my folks'.
Hank: Why do you look like your dog got run over?
Greg: Mom and dad took Carolyn to a specialist and they found out she's deaf.
Hank: Oh, man! How are your folks?
Greg: In shock. Mom thought something was wrong. Carolyn doesn't respond to squeak toys, or pots and pans, or even Ryan when he cries from colic.
Hank: You know she'll be okay.
Greg: Annoyed. What do you mean she'll be okay? She's deaf.
Hank: Holds his hands up in a defensive posture. What I mean is she's got a great family. You, your brothers and sisters and your folks are really great people. She may not be able to hear, but she'll be okay. You and your family will make sure she's okay.
Greg: Thanks. Think I needed that.
Hank: No problem.
The rest of the older Brady kids go to their bedrooms. Marcia writes in her journal. Peter and Bobby solemnly get ready for bed. Jan and Cindy talk.
Cindy: I can't believe it! She sighs and sits on her bed.
Jan: I thought something was wrong, but I didn't want to believe it. Tears roll down her cheeks.
Cindy: I know! She was quiet, but that's all I thought it was.
Jan: Imagine! Not being able to hear anything! Not birds, or mom's singing...
Cindy: Grins a little bit, trying to comfort herself. Or even one of dad's lectures.
Jan: Chuckles. Even that. She sighs. I can't imagine not being able to hear.
Cindy: Me either.
In the nursery, Mike and Carol get the twins ready for bed. Mike is dressing Ryan while Carol is in the rocker, nursing Carolyn.
Carol: I want to bring Carolyn back into our room.
Mike: Why?
Carol: Because she needs to be with us at night.
Mike: Changing his son's diaper. She'll be fine in here.
Carolyn finishes; Carol sits her on her lap and burps her.
Carol: Protesting. Mike.
Mike finishes changing and dressing Ryan. Then, with Ryan on his shoulder, he kneels in front of Carol.
Mike: We can't coddle her, Carol.
Carol: Defensive. I'm not.
Mike: If we treat her differently from Ryan, she'll never gain any independence.
Carol: But she is different.
Carolyn messes her diaper, so Carol gets up and changes and dresses her daughter.
Mike: Puts his hand on her shoulder. Besides her hearing, she's not any different. We can't baby her.
Carol: Mike.
Mike: Annoyed. Carol, no. We either bring both of them into our room, or we let them sleep here in their cribs.
Tears well in Carol's eyes and threaten to escape.
Mike: Look, I get it. I want to take both of them, wrap them up and protect them from everything bad, but we can't do that. We have to let them grow up.
Carol: They're four months old. She sighs. Right now, I'd feel more secure having her beside me. How 'bout we bring them into our room for tonight, or until we find out more from the audiologist?
Mike: Sighs in resignation. Tonight and Monday night, and that's all. We don't want to mess up their routines.
Carol: All right.
Carol finishes dressing their daughter and they carry their twins to the master bedroom. They kiss their youngest son and daughter good night and place them in their cradles at the foot of Mike and Carol's bed. Then, they crawl into bed.
Carol: Kisses her husband on the lips. Thank you, Mike.
Mike: You're welcome. I love you.
Carol: I love you too.
Mike plants a gentle kiss on her lips, then sleep quickly overtakes them.
-End of Chapter 7-
A/N—Next chapter is part 3.