Chapter Ten

Waiting and Wanting

As Alex walks down the long hallway, she sees Patrick and Eileen Casey pacing. The boys are sitting on a couch watching their grandparents walk back and forth. Alex says, "Hey guys."

Chris and Tommy look up at her. "Alex." They both walk up to her and she extends her arms to hug them.

"Hello, Mister and Misses Casey." The older couple looks to her and smiles. Alex puts her hands in her pocket and takes out a dollar bill and some change. "Chris would you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"See that soda machine over there." She points down the hall. "Would you please get me a soda?" She turns to Patrick and Eileen. "Would you care for something?"

Both offer their thanks but refuse.

"Alex." Tommy asks. "Can I get something?"

She takes out another dollar. "Sure, Chris would you like anything?"

"No thanks not now."

The boys start to walk down the hallway.

Alex sits down on the couch and Patrick sits down next to her. "Alex, if I put you in an awkward situation, I am so sorry. They kept bugging me to call you."

Alex smiles at the older man, "Patrick, if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here."

He looks over at his grandsons. "They're crazy about you."

"Good because I'm crazy about them."

Eileen sits on the other side; "You've made him very happy."

"He's changed the way I look at life. He's made me very happy."

Alex sits back on the couch. "There's no in-law in this anymore is there?"

"You are very observant."

Alex gives Patrick a sweet smile. "Well it's not that hard to see how close you all are." Patrick pats her hand and smiles.

"Patrick, what happened?"

"All we know about the accident is that a man ran a stop sign and hit him. He has been here for nearly two and a half hours. From the initial examination, they concluded that he has a ruptured spleen and both of his lungs collapsed. He is now in surgery. Oh and he has six broken ribs, strange thing is that no other bones are broken.

Chris and Tommy return and Tommy hands Alex her soda. "Thank you, hey guys want to go for a walk."

The boys look at each other and nod their heads. Tommy takes a hold of her hand. Chris follows but puts his hands in his pockets. "Tommy, go on ahead and push the elevator button." He runs ahead and pushes the button.

They ride the elevator in silence. Across the street from the hospital is a park. Tommy walks over to the jungle gym while Chris sits down on a bench. Alex walks over to him. "Boo." He looks up at her and smiles. "Now that's better I thought maybe you forgot how to smile."

"My Mom died in this hospital. It was over two years ago. Now I can't stop thinking about everything that happened back then."

He stands up and puts his hands in his pockets. Alex smiles at the site.

Jesus, you look just like your Dad.

"I'll bet they won't let me see him either."

"What do you mean?"

"When my Mom was here they didn't want me to see her."

"What did your Dad say?"

"At first he agreed with them. I remember one night I asked him if I could see her and he yelled at me, he never yelled at me like that before and I got scared. But after a few minutes he apologized."

He looks to see where his brother went. "Tommy! Give me some of your soda." His brother walks over to him and hands it to him. "Thanks." Tommy starts to walk back to where he was. "Keep it."

"Did you get to see her?"

"Yes, Dad changed his mind and then the arguing started. I saw her the day before she died. I was scared but I had to see her." He wipes his eyes. "Her face was all covered up with bandages."

"I'm so sorry Chris." She puts her arms him and he moves closer.

"When my Mom was here I heard my grandparents and my aunt talking about something. I still don't know what it was that they meant but I bet you do."

"Why would you think that?"

He just looks at her. "What did they say Chris?"

"They said they hoped that he wouldn't do the things that he used to do. What did they mean by that?"

"I can't talk to you about that. You had better ask your grandparents or your Dad."

"They won't tell me and I can't ask my Dad now can I?" He looks down at the ground. "I knew you wouldn't tell me."

"I'm sorry Chris but it's not my place."

"Why did you come to the house that afternoon? Can you tell me that?"

"We were looking for someone that your Dad knew a long time ago and we wanted to ask him if he'd seen him."

"You mean the guy that came over that night."

"Yes that's right. He was scared and he went to your Dad for help."

"Why would my Dad know a criminal?"

Alex looks away. What an inquisitive kid.

"I know. I know I have to ask my Dad. Forget it. Can we go back now?"

"Chris I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

The surgery is a success.

When the trio returns to the hospital, Patrick and Eileen Casey are speaking with the doctor. They do not notice that they have returned until the doctor leaves. The boys sit down on the couch. Patrick turns toward his grandsons. "He's going to be fine."

Chris looks at his grandfather and then his grandmother. "That's the same thing you said when Mom was in here." He sits up straight. He suddenly seems older then his eleven years. "Tell me the truth. I'm not a baby."

Patrick exhales and then he kneels down in front of him. "Your Dad's not able to breathe on his own. He is on a machine that helps him to breathe; it's called a respirator. And the doctors had hoped that he would have woken up by now."

Tommy says not meaning to be funny. "Well he always says that he doesn't get enough sleep." The adults smile.

Chris stands up quickly and pushes his little brother back on the couch. "Shut up you stupid ass."

Speaking to her grandson, Eileen says. "Christopher. Don't speak to your brother like that."

Looking her straight in the eye, "I can speak to him anyway I want."

She is just about to answer him when her husband grabs her arm. "Let it go." He whispers to his wife.

Later That Afternoon

The doctors have not given the ok for him to have visitors and the waiting is getting tiresome. During the afternoon, Alex was able to obtain the police report of the accident. She shakes her head as she reads.

Patrick notices the paper in her hand. "What is that?"

"The police report of the accident."

He sits down next to her. "How did you get that?"

She gives him a look. "Oh yeah that's right, sorry."

She smiles. "It's ok. I called into my squad and I had a copy of the accident report faxed here."

"What does it say?"

"A Mister Richard Bellows was driving his car and talking on his cell phone, he ran a stop sign and his car hit Bobby's back wheel. Bobby flew off the bike and hit the side of Misses Hannah Longs car; he then fell backwards onto the ground."

"The side of the car?"

"Yes, where the hood and the side of the car meet. Mister Bellows was arrested for reckless driving."

"Good." Patrick says. "I'm glad."

Alex folds up the paper and slips it in her pocket. "Patrick, Eileen I would like to tell you about the conversation that Chris and I had earlier this afternoon."

"Sure." Eileen Says. Patrick just nods his head.

"He is hoping that when Bobby is allowed visitors that he can see him, he told me that when his Mom was here that you didn't want him to see her."

"We didn't think he should she her that way. Her face was covered in bandages." He pauses and shakes his head, remembering the sight of his daughter. "But Bobby did allow them to see her and it turned out to be the day before she died."

Patrick grabs his wife's hand and squeezes it lightly.

"I know he told me. I realize I don't have any right to voice my opinion about this but I think he needs to see him, I'll take him in."

They agree.

An Hour Later

"Oh, no."

"Patrick what is the matter?" says Eileen.

"Frances I have to call Frances."

"Who's Frances?" Alex asks.

"Bobby's mom, she should be here. Someone will have to get her."

"Hi. Mom, Dad."

"Allison." The older couple stands and they embrace their daughter. Patrick turns toward Alex. "Allison, this is Alex Eames, Alex this is our daughter Allison Marino." The women shake hands.

"It's nice to meet you Alex, Bobby's told me a lot about you."

"It nice to meet you Allison."

Patrick tells his daughter about what has occurred the previous few hours. Allison volunteers to pick up Frances and bring her to the hospital.

"Well I'd better make the call. Excuse me." Patrick makes the phone call as he walks down the hallway.

"Carmel Ridge Center, how may I direct your call?"

"Frances Goren, please."

"One moment please."

"Hello."

"Frances, its Patrick Casey."

"Hello, Patrick how are you?"

"I'm alright, but I have some bad news. Bobby was involved in a motor cycle accident this afternoon and he is in the hospital." He pauses. "He is hurt badly."

"Oh God, what, I can't drive there. What can I do?"

She starts talking gibberish. "Frances, Frances please calm down. Do you remember my daughter Allison?"

No answer, "Frances," he says sternly.

"Yes, yes I'm here."

"Do you remember my daughter Allison?"

"Yes I do."

"If you want she will drive up there tonight to bring you here, unless you want to wait until tomorrow."

"No please tonight."

"Alright she is leaving now. See you soon, Frances, goodbye."

"Goodbye Patrick and thank you."

That Evening

Doctor Marcus Taylor walks over to the Casey's, "Mister and Misses Casey you may go in now. He is not conscious but his vital signs are now stable."

Patrick and Eileen enter the room first. Five to ten minutes later, they return, Eileen is crying and Patrick is having trouble fighting back the tears. "I changed my mind Alex, Chris I don't think you should see him just yet."

"Grandpa, please." He looks up at his grandfather with tears in his eyes. Patrick hugs his grandson. "You're right you're not a baby anymore."

Alex and Chris start walking toward the room. "Can I go in too?"

Patrick puts his hands on his Tommy's shoulder. Then he bends down. "Tommy this is not a game, your Dad is very, very sick."

"I know Grandpa."

Patrick just nods his head. Alex takes a hold of Tommy's hand as Chris opens the door. She can't help but gasp.

For once in your life Alex, you should have minded your own business.

He is lying flat on the bed. His face is unmarked but she can she the bandages around his chest. A tube is in his throat and the respirator is keeping time. Tommy asks. "What is all that noise?"

She touches his shoulder gently and points. "See that machine over there."

"Yeah."

"That's a respirator it helps your Dad to breathe. This one is monitoring his heart and this one, checks his blood pressure."

Alex stays with Tommy while Chris walks closer to the bed. "It doesn't even look like him."

Tommy pulls on her hand and he walks closer to the bed. "It's him."

Alex looks at Chris and he just shakes his head. They have to laugh and it feels good. Unfortunately, Bobby does not wake up during the visit from his sons.

The Next Day

Patrick and Eileen have taken the boys and Frances back to the house to get some dinner and sleep. They invited her but she declined. She sits in a chair next to his bed. She takes a hold of his hand.

"I read once that people in comas can actually hear what's going on around them. So if that's true." She moves his hand up and down. "Hold my hand Bobby."

She exhales and then she can feel his hand move as he lightly squeezes hers. She looks up and he slowly opens his eyes. Panic hits as he notices all the tubes coming out of his body and he tries to move. Alex stands and touches his face. "It's ok Bobby, Bobby, take it easy."

He sees her and blinks trying to focus on her face. She can see a little sparkle in his eye. He is not able to smile due to the tube in his throat. He looks past her and she follows his eyes. "Pat and Eileen took the boys home for some sleep. Your Mom is with them. The only one who's gotten any sleep for the past two days is you."

The sparkle is getting brighter.

His doctor and a nurse have since entered the room. "Could you please give us a minute with him?" Bobby grabs her hand tighter not wanting her to go. She pats his arm. "I'll be right outside that door." She smiles at him and he lets go.

She sits down and notices Patrick, Eileen, Frances and the boys coming toward her. She gets up quickly, smiling. "He's awake. The doctor is in with him now."

"Oh thank God." Frances says.

Eileen grabs a hold of Frances' hand. Then they each start to hug one another. One by one, they let go, when they hear a strange noise coming from behind them.

Looking down the hall, they notice two people running toward them with a crash cart. Everyone's heart sinks. They do not speak. They stand perfectly still watching them push the cart into his room.

TBC