Go Baby Grow

Chapter 48 – Shock and Sweetness

Saturday, June 13th

"I'm starving," Ryder sighed as he sat down across from Owen. A chance to take a break from the ER didn't occur until 11pm. The two had quickly eaten dinner with the family before heading to the hospital, but Ryder's eighteen-year-old stomach seemed to forget that detail.

Owen chuckled, "It's only been five hours since dinner. You'd be heading to bed about now on most weeknights."

"But we've been busy running here and hurrying there. All that activity makes a guy hungry, Dad," Ryder pointed out.

With a bite of food in his mouth, Owen continued chewing and responded with as much of a smile as he could manage. In his many years as a physician, he was certainly aware of how activity and hunger levels were related. Ryder spoke to him as if Owen had no idea.

After swallowing his bite, Owen pressed the topic that had brought Ryder to the ER in the first place. He started slowly and planned to build from there. "What are your thoughts about what you've witnessed tonight?"

"Umm…" Ryder pondered. "It's been cool watching you run the traumas because I understand how it affects your parenting style. I'd never made that connection before."

Intrigued, but hoping to discuss the alcohol-related cases, Owen nodded and filed the observation away for a future discussion. "Anything else?" he asked his son.

"Watching the team swarm around a patient is fascinating. Everyone has their own job to do and knows the routine. The collaboration is awesome," Ryder shared. "Seeing some of the cases is pretty intense, too."

"What's intense about them? The blood? The fast pace?" Owen wondered aloud.

"No," Ryder shook his head as he took a sip of soda. "Thinking about what happened to cause the injuries."

"Hmm," Owen smirked slightly as he leaned back in his chair and rested an arm on the chair beside him. He kept eye contact with Ryder but said nothing.

"And that drunk lady that was pawing you. I'm sorry, Dad, but she was pretty damn entertaining," Ryder laughed.

"Until you remember the damage and injuries she caused," Owen shrugged with a straight face.

"Yeah," Ryder acknowledged softly as Owen's words sunk in. After a long pause, Ryder inquired, "Why would someone do that? Drive drunk? I mean, I know it happens all the time, but then you see this and it blows you away."

"A drink or two impairs common sense. When a person is high or drunk, they may find themselves doing something they'd never do sober. Hasn't that been your experience?" Owen instructed.

"I guess it has," Ryder admitted. "But I've never driven drunk. It's never been that extreme."

"Thank God," Owen sighed.

"When Mom had pill and drinking problems…" Ryder began to ask gingerly. "Did she ever…"

"Harm another person?" Owen completed Ryder's sentence.

"Yeah. Is that what made her decide to go to treatment?" Ryder wondered.

Owen inhaled slowly and looked away. He wanted to be intentional with his answer. "The details of the bad times are her stories to tell," Owen shared, "and there were some pretty dark experiences. But, no, she didn't ever plow her car into someone." Looking down at his lap, Owen pondered what else to say but decided there was no nuanced way to explain Ryan's death.

Able to tell that Owen was choosing his words deliberately, Ryder wasn't sure if Owen would disclose deeper portions of Amelia's past. "How did she end up in treatment?"

"She can tell you all about that," Owen stated in a matter-of-fact way.

Ryder changed his focus and queried, "What will happen to that lady? The one who was driving drunk?"

Raising his eyebrows and extending his joined lips slightly, Owen offered, "I'm not sure. The charges against her could vary depending upon the extent of the motorcyclist's injuries and overall condition. If she has a prior record, the consequences increase. Honestly, part of the outcome will depend upon the lawyer she can afford."

"Do you think she'll go to jail?" Ryder questioned.

"I really don't know, Ry," Owen admitted. "What I do know is that she'll encounter a pretty intense reality when she sobers up. She'll have to live the rest of her life knowing that she caused so much physical and long term damage. That's its own form of prison – living with the knowledge of what she did."

"Wow… I never thought about that," Ryder confessed as he attempted to imagine the burden of carrying those memories.

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Amelia woke up when she sensed she was being watched. The twins had fallen asleep during a movie and were snuggled together. Olivia and Amelia were dozing in the Living Room, and Lucas was uneasy about being the only person awake in the giant house. He sat on the edge of the coffee table and studied his mama, debating whether or not to wake her.

Sleepily, Amelia opened her eyes and smiled when she spotted Lucas. "Hi, Monkey," she offered.

"I'm the only one awake and that feels scary," Lucas informed her as if she'd dismissed her motherly responsibilities.

"I remember that same feeling when I was little," Amelia recalled. "Now there are two of us awake. And the dogs are kind of awake," she added as she gazed over at the snoring canines.

"Mom, they wouldn't be much help if bad guys broke in," Lucas informed her with a doubtful glance. "Especially if the bad guys gave them dog treats."

"True," Amelia giggled. "Should we wake up all these Sleeping Beauties and send them to bed or let them snooze where they landed?"

"Let's leave 'em down here," Luke decided without hesitation. "But can we go upstairs and sleep in your bed?"

"Sounds like a plan," Amelia agreed. "Let's make sure your sisters have blankets, though." She grabbed an afghan and spread it over Olivia, then led the way into the TV room. After pausing to take in the site of the snuggling sisters, Amelia tucked a blanket around the twins and set another blanket nearby.

As she and Lucas climbed the stairs, he asked, "How come Ryder gets to do a sleepover with Dad at the hospital?"

"Actually, he's there to learn a lesson," Amelia clarified. "Ryder made some unwise choices. Being at the hospital on a Saturday night will give him a chance to see what can happen when people make choices without thinking them through."

"Oh," Lucas replied without understanding Amelia's explanation. "What if he gets tired?"

"Dad might let him sleep in an on-call room or might tell him he needs to stay awake anyway," Amelia informed her youngest. The baby began moving and Amelia reached for Lucas' hand. She placed it on her baby bump and asked, "Do you feel the baby kicking?"

"Mmm Hmm," Lucas nodded as he added his second hand. "He's busy in there."

"He, huh? You're still sure it's a boy?" Amelia teased.

"Well, it is. That's my baby brother in there," Lucas shrugged. He walked to his bedroom and changed into PJs. Within a few minutes, he and Puppy Blankie jumped into bed and cuddled with Amelia.

"How's Puppy doing?" Amelia asked with a gentle smile. Unlike some parents who would tell a nine-year-old that he was too old for a lovey, Amelia was touched by all that Lucas and Puppy Blankie had been through together. Tattered and torn, Puppy was well loved.

"He's good. He wants to feel the baby kick," Lucas said as he set the blanket on Amelia. Lucas placed his ear nearby and disclosed, "Puppy knows that the baby is a boy, too."

"You can rest your head there if you want," Amelia invited. "You might get poked, but it's also kind of cozy."

"Can I listen to his heart with your stethoscope?" Lucas begged.

Amelia nodded, "If you go get it. It's in the closet hanging on a hook."

"I'll be careful with it, don't worry," Lucas shared as he anticipated Amelia's next words. He returned quickly and placed the ear pieces in his ears. As if he were a trained and experienced doctor, he held the end of the stethoscope and studied the sounds he heard as he moved it around.

"There's lots of gurgly noises," he reported.

"Do you want me to see if I can find the heartbeat?" Amelia offered. Lucas handed her the instrument and Amelia was able to locate the heartbeat. She held the end against her skin as she handed Lucas the other end. After putting it on his ears, he set his head on her belly. Lucas fell asleep as he rubbed the worn silky edge of Puppy Blankie and listened to the rhythmic heartbeat of his younger sibling.

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Owen and Ryder were finally able to head to an on-call room at 2:45am. The night had been full of alcohol-related injuries, including two deaths and multiple surgeries. After explaining that he slept in his scrubs to save time in case of a page, Owen confirmed that Ryder had everything he might need. Before finishing his response to his father, Ryder fell asleep. He was exhausted emotionally and physically. The events of the evening would provide inspiration for his dreams.

More keyed up than sleepy, Owen lay on his back and contemplated what the coming months would bring. Soon, we'll have a new baby at home and a grown baby across the nation attending the Academy. How much will Ryder's absence affect Mia? In six weeks, we'll only receive three phone calls. She'll be constantly wondering how and what he's doing. We'll go from daily contact with Ryder to no contact. I hope she'll be able to focus on the baby rather than wallow in her grief over Ryder.

Right after we return from Maryland, Ria will undergo surgery and begin her rehab. That will give us both another focus besides Ryder's absence. And just weeks later, the kids will start school. The daily routines will offer the solace of predictable schedules and the chaos of managing four kids' calendars simultaneously.

I wonder how Mia will do without another driver in the house? Maybe we should chat about bringing in some help. Would she be open to that idea or think I was crazy for mentioning it? Nobody will ever measure up to Lynne. I almost feel sorry for the person even though we haven't hired anyone yet.

As his thoughts wandered, Owen drifted off to sleep. His exhaustion prevailed over his cares and burdens. For a little over an hour, Owen's body and mind could rest.

The silence of the on-call room was shaken to attention a few minutes after 4am. Owen's pager sounded loudly, and Owen instinctively jumped up and began putting on his shoes.

"Ry, wake up," Owen called out.

"No," Ryder mumbled. "It's still dark out."

"Welcome to real life, Son. Up, let's go. A chopper is on its way with multiple victims of a multi-car accident. I need to get my ass up to the roof and you're coming with me," Owen insisted as he clapped his hands anxiously. "Lives are at stake here, Ryder. Let's go."

Ryder sat up slowly and began to slip a foot into one of his shoes. He blinked sleepily and yawned.

Leaning down, Owen grabbed Ryder's shoes and said, "Come on. You can put them on in the elevator." Owen walked toward the door and flipped on the lights. Dutifully but unhappily, Ryder followed. As he tried to keep up with Owen's speedy pace, Ryder ran his fingers through his hair and hoped it wasn't sticking up.

They hopped on the elevator and Owen gently threw the shoes to the floor. Ryder slipped them on and raised one knee at a time to tie them. Owen reminded him, "Same protocol as earlier."

"Right," Ryder acknowledged as he yawned again. When the two stepped out of the elevator, they were met by a number of other physicians and medical personnel.

Derek began sharing details with Owen and yelled over the noise of the rotors. The two doctors ran to the chopper and rapidly assessed the patients. Upon seeing the major skull injury of the first patient, Ryder awoke fully. The scene was bloody and surreal as Derek and his team sped by in the hopes of saving the patient's life.

Running on adrenaline, Ryder switched his focus to the second patient. Everyone surrounding the patient was screaming their reports and observations. Owen called Ryder over to help push the gurney to the elevator and Ryder noticed immediately that the patient was missing her leg. He stared at the site as he ran and pushed. Once in the elevator, Owen leaned over and mumbled, "She was driving and her leg was pinned between the gear shift and steering wheel. It was barely attached with the first responders arrived. By the time the elevator stops at the ER, the leg should be in the Trauma Room waiting for us. They sent it ahead so we could prepare it and try to reattach it."

"She looks so young," Ryder sputtered with shock. The girl's arm was badly damaged and her torso was covered with blood. She had a large gash on her cheek, a cut from the seatbelt along the bottom of her neck, and vacant eyes that occasionally fluttered open.

"Nineteen," Owen frowned. "On her way home from a party. She was less drunk than her boyfriend, so they decided she'd drive."