Chapter 14

Brian's brought back to his room

Brian is wheeled back to his room He needs to be moved from the stretcher to the bed. Matt tells them he will help move him. The Nurse moved the drainage set up and IV near the head of his bed. She holds his head stabile to get ready to move him. The stretcher is put next to the bed and the bed is raised to the height of the stretcher the stretcher is locked on place. They pull the bed away from the wall so the nurse will be able to get behind it. Matt climbs on the bed and grabs the sheet Brian is on another nurse get on the other side of him and the orderly is at his tells him,

"Moving you might cause you a bit of pain but we will do this as gently as we can. Are you ready Brian?"

"Yeah go ahead" he replies

Matt says to the staff ok on 3 we will slide him over keep his head as steady as possible and don't pull on the drain, oh and you might want to take the Foley and Urine collection bag and put it on the sheet as we move him.

"Poor Brian, he turned beet red he hadn't realized he had one of those. Matt saw his reaction. "Sorry Brian, Ok get ready on 1…2...3… "

And they gently slid him to the bed." You ok Brian" Matt asks

"I am ok can I feel funny though I need my head raised up I can't lay flat like this"

"Ok we were just about to put you up. Hey I have to go out of the room for a bit but I won't be long I promise"

He leaves him and the nurses finish getting Brian settled Matt goes down the hall to the family conference lounge.

Matt walked in the room and saw that his Dad was sitting on the end of one of the couches; mom had her head in his lap and had fallen asleep. Both Nicole and Bridget were on the other couches and had dozed off too. When Eric saw him he said" Matt …. How is he?"

With that question everyone else woke up.

Matt responded, "Better than I would have thought, he is a bit freaked out by everything and still in pain but medication is helping to manage it. I have to warn you he really looks worse than he is. So don't let it scare you when you see him. He is actually really concerned about that!" Matt explained more. "The left side of his head and face are very swollen. He has a bandage over where they had to open his skull there is a drain coming out of his head to a collection device for the excess fluid. Oh and another thing, because the surgery was more extensive then they 1st thought, they had to completely shave his head to do the surgery, I am telling you all this, so it won't be such a shock when you see him. You may also notice hanging on the bottom of the bed a urine bag."

"Oh My poor Brian" Bridget said "Matt is he really ok"

"Well so far he seems to be but the neurologist may not know for a while if there is any permanent brain damage. But right now his responses and everything are normal so that's a good sign. Do you want to see him? He wasn't sure if he wanted visitors but he ok with it being just you four. He was relieved when I told him I sent everyone else home"

"Oh yes we want to see him" Annie said

They walked down the hall to Brian's room the curtain was pulled so Matt told them to wait outside for a few minutes so they stepped into the hallway Matt closed the door. Matt walked around the other side of the curtain Brian was just having his vitals taken by the nurse but seemed very bothered by something. Matt told him who was waiting to see him.

When the nurse was leaving she was going to pull the curtain back he told her not to and to please make sure she closed the door. When she was out of the room Matt knowing something was up asked him "Ok Brian what's wrong if it that you are worried about them seeing you I told them what to expect"

"It's not that" Brian said. Then he got a really weird look on his face. "I am so embarrassed"

"What is it Brian, Matt waited, when Brian still didn't say anything he could tell something was really upsetting him. Matt put his hand on Brian's good shoulder and then hugged him lightly. "It's ok" he said "tell me"

Brian looked away and said, "I haven't needed help with this stuff since I was little. First the urine thing attached to me and now this."

Then it finally dawned on Matt what he was talking about. "Do you have to move your Bowels"

Brian got red in the face "Yeah I do, All that Mexican food I ate"

"Ok You will have to use a bed pan because you can't get up" Matt told him "I will help you.

He looked in the side table, there was one in there. He went to the bathroom area got a basin filled it with warm water TP and all the necessary supplies and grabbed some gloves put them on the bedside table the Foley was on the right side so he didn't have to move it. He went on to Brian's right side he made sure that there was enough slack in the head drainage tube so it wouldn't pull when he turned Brian. He moved his covers and lifted his Johnnie

"I am sorry I have to expose you but it can't be helped."

He put the bed pan close enough for him to be able to maneuver it once he moved Brian. "Ok Brian I am going to roll you slowly on your side I don't want you to help let me do the work all you have to do is keep you head steady"

He rolled him over and place the bedpan under him and rolled him back on it "I am going to put your head up a little more to put you in a better position to go. If it bothers you tell me and I will lower it" he covered him with a towel.

I will step around the other side of the curtain to give you a little privacy "Matt poked his head out the door "it will be just a few more minutes."

He didn't say why he didn't want Brian to be anymore embarrassed than he already was. "How are you doing Brian" He asked

"I am done Ok"

Matt walked to the right side of the bed. He put gloves on and repeated rolling him over "Poor Brian he must have really been uncomfortable" Matt thought to himself as he removed the bed pan

He washed him up and put a clean pull pad under him and got him comfortable.

"Ok let me get rid of this stuff"

Which he proceeded to do and clean up in the bathroom and put the bedpan back. When Matt came back he pulled the curtain back

Brian said to Matt without looking at him "I am so embarrassed that you had to do that but thank you."

Matt went over to him an made him look at him "Its ok, first of all I am a doctor so it doesn't bother me but more importantly you are my brother and I love you besides after what you did yesterday there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. My sons are ok because of you."

Brian seemed to be less embarrassed now.

"So do you want me to let them in?" Matt asked

"So who is out there again? Brian asked.

Matt answered "Mom, Dad, Bridget and Nicole"

"Ok let them in,... Hey Matt, I am kind of hungry will they let me eat?"

"When I let them in I will go to the nurse's station and see what your dietary restrictions are and what if anything you are allowed to eat."

Matt went to the door to tell them they could come in.

His dad asked. "What took so long?"

"Don't ask or you will embarrass him Ok. Then he whispered to his dad, "Let's just say I had to help him with some personal bodily functions and leave it at that." Then he said in a normal voice," I am going to check on some things at the nurses' station I will be right back."

Everyone else went into the room they tried not to let Brian see the shock on their faces when they saw him. Even though Matt had done his best to describe Brian's condition, it didn't even come close to preparing them. Bridget went and sat right next to him on the right side of the bed and kissed him and stroked the top of the right side of his head.

"We have all been so worried. How are you feeling honey?" She asked him.

His mother Annie and Nicole both kissed his forehead

"I have been better but I guess I look a lot worse than I feel. The medication they gave me is keeping me comfortable"

They sat with him and talked with him for a bit trying to reassure him he would be ok.

Matt came in with a food tray "sorry to tell you it is clear liquids for now Brian but at least it is something,"

He sat the head of the bed up more and set the tray up. "I did sneak in cream for the coffee though I noticed you don't drink it black like me."

"Thanks Matt" he replied he was thankful he was right handed because he couldn't move his left side at all it was immobilized still.

"Hey when you guys call everyone "Brian started to say "warn them how I look, also I don't think I am up for any more visitors at least for the next few hours maybe later In the afternoon or tonight but you all are about all I can handle, for the moment."

"Ok I will let them know "Eric told him.

Matt told Eric "he looks like he is struggling he wants to sleep, but we can't let him just yet. Dad when you call home stress no visitors for a while he isn't up to it, but we should stay to try to keep him awake"

They stayed with him for a while Brian wanted to sleep so badly and his head was really hurting again but as Matt said he wasn't supposed to sleep for at least another 6 hours or so.

Brian had a horrible thought reality just hit him, "he said out loud "I was supposed to look after my apartment building and then go for that job interview at KC gaming today." He started to panic like before in the recovery room.

Matt tried to reassure him and also told him to calm down and said "Don't worry about that now we'll take care of everything for you as far as that goes and everything else too, your bills or whatever. You concentrate on getting better."

Everyone assured him that everything would be taken care of while he was in there. Eric went to call home to fill let everyone know how Brian was and the fact that they needed to hold off on coming to the hospital for a while because Brian wasn't really up to it, and Nicole proceeded to call Deena's to do the same.

Dave and Deena's

Geneva and Larissa (2 of Dave and Deena's girls) woke up and went into their parent's bed room. They tried to wake Dave, He didn't want to get up then they tried to wake up Deena she got up and looked at the clock it was 8:30 the girls were late for school.

She was surprised to see Dave in the bed but given the circumstances she didn't complain she shook Dave hard. "Dave get up we have to get the girls to school and you have to go to work plus we need to call the hospital to check on Brian"

They moved quickly got dressed themselves and the girls dressed and then also got Carrie up (she is their 3rd girl who is a year old) They went downstairs to find all of their friend sprawled out sleeping all over the place. No one had wanted to go home last night they were all hoping to hear some news about Brian,

"Hey wake up!" Dave said in a loud voice. "It's almost 9 am; if you are not going to work you all at
least should be calling you employers." Dave picked up his cell and called his boss Natasha Drew.

She answered "Hi Natasha its Dave Greco, listen sorry I didn't call sooner we overslept. We were at the hospital until after 2 am." He explained why.

Natasha told him "Don't worry about it, take the day take care of your friend, I hope he is ok."

He hung the phone and saw that Deena was almost out the door she then said to Dave, "I will be right back I just need to take the girls to school and get Carrie to daycare I will be right back after that while I am gone see if you can get a hold of Nicole to see what's going on with Brian"

Just as Deena had left the phone rang. "Hello" said Dave.

"Hi Dave its Nicole I am calling with an update on Brian"

She let him know what was going on with him and that he was still in rough shape. "Dave tell everyone he isn't up for visitors right now so if you could relay to everyone to wait until maybe tonight but to check with me first before they visit." "Ok Nicole will do." He got off the phone and told everyone what she had said about Brian's condition

The Camden's House

Mary and Carlos were the first to get up. Even though they all got in so late their internal body clock was still on east coast time. It was almost 9.

"Crap Sam and David needed to get to school and they are not even up yet." Carlos said to Mary

"I don't think mom and dad will care if they miss a day we got in to late let them sleep, but I will check to see it Ruthie needs to go to class and Simon need to get to work or something"

Carlos went to wake up Simon. He found that he was already up and on the phone to his employer to tell him he had a family emergency and wouldn't be in.

When he got off the phone he saw Carlos, and said, "Is anyone else up?"

"Only Mary, and well our kids too,"

Mary went to the garage apartment to check on Ruthie. She climbed the stairs and went into Ruthie's apartment. She was up and was sitting in the chair crying. She really hadn't slept all night.

Mary walked over to her and hugged her, "I am so worried about Brian; What if he isn't ok I mean he was having brain surgery? Oh has someone called the house is that why you are up here?"

"No Ruthie we haven't heard anything yet I was just coming up to check on you."

"We have to call mom or dad they must know something by now." Ruthie said.

"Well come over to the house with me and we will try to call them," Mary told her, "Oh and take it you are not going to class today."

They both left the apartment and went back to the Main house. Carlos, Simon and by this time all of the kids not just their 3 were up in the kitchen. Carlos and Simon were making breakfast, when Mary and Ruthie came in.

"Any news yet?" Ruthie asked

"No we were just about to call." Simon said.

He went over to the phone. Just then it rang Simon answered the phone,

it was Eric. "Hi Simon "he said,

"Hey dad, how is Brian?"

He told him "Sorry took me until now to call, Brian took longer in recovery than they thought he would, he was brought to his room only a half hour or so ago. He is better than expected but still in rough shape, he is awake and talking to us coherently so Matt said that is a good sign, Brian says he is still in pain but at least the medication is helping with that at least a little bit."

"So when can we come see him?" Simon asked,

"Well "Eric said Brian asked me to let everyone know that he isn't up for seeing any one right now and he wants people to hold off for until later maybe tonight, and from the looks of him I think that is best he is exhausted but they don't want him to sleep so he is struggling a bit so Matt also feels it is best to limit visitors right now,"

"Ok Dad" Simon replied "and I will let everyone know what you told me." He hung up the phone and proceeded to tell everyone what his dad told him.