The Spirit of Giving: A Caskett Christmas Story
Chapter 3 - Family
Jim Beckett was being helped by his favorite nurse, one Maureen O'Rourke. Maureen had become attached to Jim as a patient. Maybe because she had lost her father when she was only 10 years old and Jim reminded her so much of him. Jim was here for alcoholism and chronic depression. He had been that way since the tragic murder of his wife, Johanna. He had only one daughter and a son-in-law as his remaining family.
Still, Jim Beckett did not lack for love and support from his remaining family. They were regular visitors and Maureen had got to know them quite well. It was a wonder to Maureen how the young couple, just starting out in life, managed to keep Jim Beckett at her facility. It was expensive and even a couple in better financial circumstances would have been burdened with the costs. Still, the couple had been able to keep Jim at the facility.
Secretly, Maureen envied the Castles. Kate had a loving father and husband, with those men in her life being her strength. Rick was handsome and a true prince of a man. One could just see the love Rick had for his wife. It was there in his face, his whole being, and in his every action towards her. It showed in the way he behaved in her company. Maureen was not so lucky, she had just gotten out of a failed relationship with her boyfriend of five years. So, Kate was for Maureen an example of what life could be with the right men in your life.
"Good morning Maureen", she heard as the couple entered Jim's room.
"Is it Sunday already? Must be, the Castles are here for their weekly visit', she jokes.
Jim just then exits his ensuite having done his morning clean up routine."
"Katie and Rick", he says when he sees them.
"How are you today dad?", asks Kate.
"Getting better, and how are the two of you?"
"We're just fine Jim and glad to see you up and about so well", says Rick.
Jim is not always in such a pleasant mood when they visited. The days when Jim went into his depressions were the worst. The thing with depression was it was a day and night thing, one day happy and content, another day dark and disturbing. So the couple were happy to see Jim Beckett in such a happy disposition.
"I tell you what Jim, get in that wheelchair and I will take you out to the garden area", says Rick.
"Is Katie joining us?"
"She will but wants to talk to your nurse for a while".
"Well okay then Rick, I can do with some fresh air".
When the two are gone, Kate turns to Maureen, "So how has my father been this week, he seems happy today".
"Yes, thank God! He has been like that most of the week and he has been quite active in the weekly support group meetings."
"Thank you, Maureen, I am sure part of that is because of you. My Dad simply adores you. You treat him so well."
"Well, you know me Kate. I'm a sucker for a father figure."
They both laugh at Maureen's comment.
"Kate, mind if I ask a personal question, and you can choose not to answer if it is too personal."
"Sure, what's the question?"
"How can you and Rick afford this facility. You're both young and working your way thru college. I ask because there are organizations that can help you if you need it."
"Thanks for telling me this, but at this time, we can cope. I have rental property that funds for dad's medical needs, so for now we are fine and doing relatively well."
"Well, if ever, just ask and I can connect you to people who may help."
"Thank you, Maureen, you are always there looking out for dad. It is what makes you such a great nurse, now let me join my dad before he thinks something is up."
"Sure, go be with that awesome dad of yours and your oh so ruggedly handsome husband."
Kate leaves to be with her two favorite men in the world.
As Kate leaves, the phone in Jim's room rings, Maureen answers.
"Jim Beckett's room, Nurse O'Rouke speaking".
"Maureen, Dr. Burke here."
"Yes Doctor, Jim just left with his daughter and son-in-law for a garden break."
"That's fine, can you have the Castle's come and see me after they are done with their visit."
"Sure thing Doctor, no problem", Maureen hangs up the phone and wonders what is up. She hopes it is not a set-back.
Dr. Carter Blake was both a medical doctor and psychiatrist and with those credentials was an ideal doctor for Jim Beckett. Dr. Blake understood both the medical and psychological needs of his patient. Jim Beckett was one patient Dr. Blake took special interest in as he knew the man's background as a lawyer and saw the love in his family for him. Jim Beckett had been at the top of his game before his wife's murder and then came crashing down hard. He had spiraled into alcoholism and depression leaving behind a young daughter and son-in-law to deal with this situation. His alcoholism also lead to complications with his kidney and liver, which is common for alcohol abuse.
Dr. Burke had at times provide some free counselling and advice to the young couple who he held in great esteem for dealing with their current situation. Unfortunately, now he had to brief them on their father's medical condition, one that had become life threatening. He would have to be the bearer of bad news here, and he himself found it difficult to shed his emotional reaction from his professional diagnosis and duty. This news would be yet another problem heaped on the young couple. Carter Burke was anxious about the meeting he was to have with the two.
Conference With Dr. Burke
"Thanks for coming Kate and Rick", Dr, Burke greets them when they enter his office, "I needed to discuss with the two of you the situation with Jim's kidneys. His alcohol abuse started him down a wrong path with his kidneys. He had already damaged his kidneys with his past drinking but had managed to abate some of that damage when he got sober. Unfortunately, it has slowly progressed to a critical state. His sobriety just slowed the deterioration of his kidneys."
Kate and Rick are visibly shaken by the doctor's disclosure.
"What can be done about it?", asks Kate.
"If we merely left him alone, years from now he may need a transplant."
"How many years from now?", Rick queries.
"Hard to say, but if he continues to follow his current path of sobriety, maybe 2 to 6 years. Hard to predict so I give you a wide spread."
"What treatments are there?", Kate asks directly to Dr. Burke.
"There are several, but the most promising is a new treatment with new drugs. Could stop the kidney damage all together. But being new, the drugs are costly."
"Can my father's medical insurance cover for it?"
"It does, but there is the matter of the co-payment, 10% of costs."
"What are we talking about for costs."
Dr. Burke hands them as estimate, but what they see is only the bottom line, it is a number followed by three zeros.
"If the co-pay is not paid would this delay his treatment? We may need time to raise this amount", Kate says.
"No, the treatment can start on your approval, and the payment would be due in full upon being billed, usually 30 to 45 days later, so you have time. If you approve today, I can get the wheels turning on this."
"What if we cannot come up with the full amount when due?"
"I might be able to ask the hospital for a time payment, that might make it easier for the two of you. But this would be an exception for you, usually full payment is due. The hospital is normally hesitant to change a procedure for one patient, it may set a precedent for others."
"Let us see what we can do, but certainly I can approve for my father this new treatment."
"I know as a young couple; this will place a financial burden on you. I wanted to give sufficient time to work on this, but there is a time constraint."
"What are the time constraints here?", both ask almost in unison.
"The sooner the better, the longer we wait on starting the new treatment, the more his deterioration, but we need not rush into the decision. You can take a day or two consider."
"No, I will approve treatment today. We thank you doctor, but let the two of us come up with an action plan and we will get back to you in the time on the co-payment", responds Rick.
Kate signs the forms approving the treatment, then they head home. They are quiet as they head back to the brownstone, each in thought, contemplating the matter with Jim Beckett's medical condition. When they get to the studio, they make dinner and break open a wine bottle that Rick had stashed. Rick had cooked pasta and salad, with garlic bread. It is a leisurely dinner and they enjoy it together as they always do.
"Depending on the time payments, it could significantly impact our monthly budget Kate", Rick says after dinner and as they sit on their sofa bed, not yet set up for sleeping.
"Then it is a matter of whether we take the financial pain up front or spread it out over time?"
"We might be able to get a loan for the amount and get a better deal spread over time", responds Rick to Kate's remark.
"What could we use as collateral? The house? I hesitate to do that, the house is our biggest and only asset. I would like to leave it with no liabilities against its equity. Maybe a signature loan but I do not know if signature loans go as high as we need. I will have to talk to the credit union on this?"
Kate and Rick were members of the NYU Student Credit Union. It was set up to help students with their educational expenses, but there was no requirement for such. They could take out a loan and use it for copayment for Jim's treatment.
"Let's talk to the loan people at our Credit Union and see what we can work out", Rick suggests.
"There is another option. We could tap the Insurance money from mom's death that we put in savings as an emergency fund."
"This certainly is an emergency, but we would lose that security and might not be able to rebuild it in the future. At least with the loan we would still have it in place should a worst emergency arise", Rick states, always the cautious one when it came to their money.
"Let's sleep on it and decide later. We still have time and dad's treatment is already approved."
They pull out the sofa bed for sleep but instead of immediate sleep, they spend time with some stress relieving sex. It is what they needed, and it filled their need. The love making exhausted them enough that they fell into a quick relief sleep right afterwards. It was a troubled sleep for both.