Chapter Twenty-Nine
Boston, Massachusetts
"Okay, Georg," the surgical nurse, an older women, about fifty-five, said as she started to prep him for the procedure. "I'm going to just start a second IV. It will be a little pinch, this is for emergencies, if we need to give you any type of emergency medicine."
Georg nodded and looked at Max. He was smiling, even in this tough situation. "Max, you look like the cat that ate the canary, what is going on? You think I left you money in the will or something, because trust me, I didn't."
"First of all, Georg," Max replied. "You did, I know you did because you told me, but no, that is not why I'm happy. I'm happy you are getting this test and we will know what's going on with you."
The nurse smiled, "We'll be in for you in a couple minutes. Try to relax," the nurse told Georg.
Georg nodded, "Thank you." Georg turned his attention to Max. "Here it goes. You remember what i said now, about Maria. Keep her informed but don't upset her."
"Georg, I want to live I'm not going to do anything to upset Maria," Max assured him. "I promise you, but now I need you to promise me something."
Georg looked at Max and raised his eyebrows in anticipation. "I need you to promise me that you'll come out of that OR and that you will do whatever the doctors tell you to do to get well because I need you to be my best man."
"Best man?" Georg didn't know what he expected Max to ask, but it wasn't that. "I don't understand."
Max sighed. "When you had the heart attack and I watched Maria sitting by your bed, holding your hand, and none of us knew if you were going to make it, if the attack was serious, I thought about my own life, I thought about what was missing in my life and I called up Brianna and asked asked her to dinner."
"Brianna Cullen? Widow Cullen? Max, she's got to be 15 years younger than you are? You haven't even talked to her in a couple of years!" Georg was astonished.
"I know," Max replied. "But I never really got over her. She is beautiful, she's bright, sensitive. We went to dinner and it was like old times for the two of us. We have seen each other every day since and before I left to come here with you I asked for her hand and she accepted. We want to be married as soon as we complete the precana and i want you, the best and oldest friend I've know, to stand up with me."
Georg was speechless, then his face broke into a smile. "If you love her Max, you won't regret this. My marriage to Agathe was delightful, it was, and Maria, I don't think my soul is complete without her. Even now that I asked her to stay home, my body aches for her."
Max nodded, "I know. Now I know. Will you do it? Stand up for us?"
Georg nodded, "As soon as I can, it's a date."
The two men made small talk until the orderly came for Georg. "Mr.von Trapp, it's time. Dr. Roberts is ready for you."
Georg nodded. "Let's do this. See you soon, Max."
Max nodded, "See you soon."
The orderly started to push Georg toward the OR. "Ready, Georg?" Curtis asked. He was dressed in scrubs. "I'm gonna be in there with you observing okay? You nervous?"
"No," Georg replied. "I'm ready to get on with my life. I know it's going to be okay."
Curtis hoped he was right.
Stowe, Vermont
"How many times was that?" Louisa asked Julia as Maria headed to the bathroom to be sick for the eighth time that morning.
"That's 8," Julia replied. "She is nervous about Papa. I can't believe that he didn't let her go with him."
"I can," Louisa replied. "Father has always been like this. I remember when Mother was pregnant with Lida, if he could walk behind her with a net he would have. Same thing with you and Cathy. He is so protective."
"I know," Julia sighed. "But this...This is not fair to Mama. She is so upset not being there with Papa. What if this isn't like Curtis says? What if Papa will have to be in a wheelchair or bed forever?"
Louisa sighed, "Then we all have to step up and help him and Mother around here and with the new baby. We have to pray that Curtis is right and it is just time and medicine that will help."
Maria reappeared and sank into a nearby chair. Julia rushed to get her a cup of water while Louiss fussed at her. "Mother, you are making yourself sick with worry now, Uncle Max said Father was in good spirits when he went for the procedure. I'm sure he's gonna be just fine."
Maria nodded, "I am concerned about your father, but that's not what's making me sick. I always had hard morning sickness, but this seems worse than other times. I think this baby is a boy. That would explain it, I think?"
"Why?" Julia asked. "Because boys are trouble?"
Maria shook her head, "No, love, because the hormones are different with boys. The midwife who delivered Lida said that back in Austria. I would really enjoy a son after three daughters. You father wants another boy so badly, he wants a boy that looks like him this time."
Louisa smiled, "Three of us in a row look like our first mother, she was very fair. I see Father with my boys and he loves to be with them and play with them. He comes alive. I'm worried that you will have a rough time, but I think this will keep Father young."
"If his heart allows," Maria sighed. "No matter. We talked before he left, he promised me he will obey whatever he is told. I promised him I wouldn't fuss. I'm already breaking that promise though."
"We will be here with you," Julia replied. "I will stay home and help Papa so you can take care of the baby or..."
"Don't worry, honey," Maria soothed. "No matter what happens, we will all survive. We will make it as a family. We will."
Julia sighed and went to seek a hug. Maria held her tight and kissed her temple. "I'm going to try to rest a little, then I'll eat some and see what happens. I'm okay, really. It will all be okay."
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
"C-A-T. Cat," Lida spelled with the three little German orphans Andrew had placed in her special care. The oldest one was angry and would yell and shout swears almost all day long. The littlest one only wanted to be held and cuddled. The middle one was smart, like Brigitta, and wanted to know everything right now. As if she had something to prove, she wanted to learn to read and write English so she could "go home."
Lida's heart broke for the three of them, their parents didn't die, they left. She couldn't think of how that felt in her heart.
When the lesson concluded it was time for lunch. Lida didn't want to eat, she was so sad for them.
"You can't get this involved," Andrew said as he handed Lida a bowl of fruit and cheese. "Help them, yes, but I can already see that you are feeling too much, Miss von Trapp."
"And how would you suggest that I not feel for them, Mr. Manning?" Lida asked. "That little toddler only wants to be held on my lap, the oldest one calls me things in German that my Papa never even said and he was a sailor for the love of God! I know what that kind of anger feels like! It hurts, it really hurts, and that young man has hurt enough! Olga is my only ally."
"You really have to be careful with her," Andrew replied. "Just be careful. You are new here and it can be overwhelming. Make sure you take care of yourself, too. Not much good to anyone if you don't. If you need me, my door is always open. Don't hesitate."
Andrew disappeared. What did he expect of her? How was she supposed to take care of these precious children and help them if she didn't feel for them? Was this how her parents had felt trying to reach her? No, they couldn't, they were so much more experienced than she.
Lida nibbled at the lunch Andrew gave her and watches as baby Elena toddled over to her. Lida wanted to scoop her up and protect her from the world, but wasn it not her job to try and help all of the children here to find their own ground, like she was finding hers? "Come on, Sweetie," Lids steered Elena back to the tables. "You need to finish your milk."
Andrew watched Lida from the doorway to the cafeteria. He never met anyone else like her. She had spunk, strength, brains, the biggest heart, and yet she seemed so lost and unsure of herself. Perhaps that's why she was here, to find her own truth, to find her own way. He wasn't sure, all he was sure of was that he wanted to help her anyway he could and that scared him.
Coming from such an aristocratic family with endless social and charitable obligations, Andrew never wanted to continue that life. His childhood was all for show, no music, no laughing, no joy. He was born to carry on the name and that was the only reason. It was also the reason he never let a woman mean anything to him.
Andrew bit his lip and sighed. Lida von Trapp with her big blue eyes and curly blonde tresses might just be his undoing. He hoped not, there was far too much at stake.
Boston, MA
As Maria predicted, Georg had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia. He tossed and fussed, dreaming of things he hadn't thought of in years. Max was right beside him offering as much guidance as he could to bring Georg up to the surface.
After about a half hour, Max was rewarded with his friend's tired blue eyes looking up at him. Max offered Georg some water then a little suckle of lemon to offset the post sedative nausea before he spoke. "You did great."
"What did they see?" Georg asked. "Tell me it isn't what we feared, Max. Please."
Max broke into a wide smile. "It's not. It's not. Curtis was right. He was right. He will explain it to you later when you are more awake. He is talking with Maria now. You are going to be fine, you have to follow doctors' orders, but you are going to be fine."
Stowe, Vermont
"Oh, I'm so relieved!" Maria exclaimed. "So tell me now what he has to do?"
"First and foremost, rest and change his diet, more lean meat and fish, more fruits, grains, and vegetables, less oil and grease and avoiding stress would be good, but this is Georg so I won't hold my breath," Curtis laughed. "Then light exercise. He needs to strengthen the muscles in his legs, he lost some muscle function during the heart attack, that's why he's complaining her feels like he is walking through mud."
Maria sighed, "Will that improve? He can walk, I've seen him walking, but he does complain it is hard."
"Exercise will help, time too, but he might not be as fast or have as much stamina, only time will tell but that is life altering, not life threatening," Curtis replied. "He will need to continue the blood pressure medicine, and we are going to start him other medications, the first one is digitalis, it will help regulate the irregular beats that caused the heart attack. The second is new, it's been around about 6 years, it's called Coumadin. It's a blood thinner. That will help his blood to flow more freely through some of the blockages and keep the arrhythmia from forming new clots. He will have to be monitored and make sure his counts stay steady,daily at first then weekly and monthly after. The most important thing Maria is for Georg to take his medicine exactly like he is supposed to take it."
"Oh, he will," Maria said firmly and with that tone in her voice Curtis had no doubt about that.
A/N: Lots happening in this one. Max getting married, who would have thought, huh? Georg going to be okay and Maria well, she's having a good go of morning sickness but she will be okay I'm thinking, lol.
Home stretch time for sure now but lots more to come. I hope that you enjoyed this. I had a harder time writing it than most other chapters and I don't feel it is the most exciting of my updates but let me know what you think. I know you are out there, drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking.
