2brown-eyes is the prereder!

NOW
JUNE 1993

No song so…

Tears in Heaven—Eric Clapton

Dr. Jenks walks briskly into the waiting room, an unreadable expression lining his features. His eyes stray to the empty chairs on the right before coming back to us. His face pinches, and my heart drops to my stomach.

Mom and I stand, hands clasped tightly together as we prepare for news about Charlie's procedure.

"Renee," he says, his eyes softening to match his voice. "I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you, but Charlie suffered another attack while on the table." My mom's gasp is loud in the quiet room as she brings her hand up to cover her mouth. "We did, however, finish the procedure, but we can't be sure he'll wake. He was without oxygen for some time. Of course, there are tests …"

The sound of his voice drones on, but I'm unable to understand anything beyond the deafening roar in my head. I was just talking to my dad a few hours ago. He was alert and happy, ready to get back out there and keep Forks safe.

"He'll be in the ICU shortly." I come back to awareness just in time to see Dr. Jenks offer her a pitying glance.

"Thank you, Doctor." Renee slumps to her chair, taking a few deep breaths. "Okay, he was out for a long time yesterday and he woke up. He'll be good as new after a few days of rest."

"Didn't you hear him," I yell, shoving my hand toward the doorway where the doctor exited. "He may not wake at all."

"Bella." Her voice is stern, a tool she rarely uses. "We will not think like that. Charlie will be fine."

"You don't know that!" I throw my hands in the air, pain and frustration warring inside me. "I get being positive, but we need to tread carefully, maybe even bring in someone for a second opinion."

"We could always ask Dr. Cullen," Mom says, standing as if I've just suggested the greatest idea ever.

I grab her shoulders. "He's not a heart specialist. I meant someone from Port Angeles or Seattle even."

"Bella." She sighs, annoyance lacing her voice. "Now you're just being negative. We need to be positive if we expect him to recover."

Tears burn my eyes, and I shake my head. "I want to be positive, but he's in the ICU. That's serious, Mom."

"I know, baby." She deflates, falling back into her chair. "I just don't want to think about the worst unless we have to."

I sigh, deciding to ease up and let Mom be Mom. She's always been a light-hearted, easy-going person, so I shouldn't expect anything different even in such a dire situation.

"Sorry I'm late." Rose breezes into the room, looking frazzled in her pale pink scrubs, before pausing when her eyes pass between us. "Oh no. What's wrong?"

"It's not good," I say, falling into the chair beside Renee. "He had an attack on the table."

"Shit." Rose is in the chair beside my mom in an instant, arm around her shoulders. "I tried to get up here earlier, but Dr. Gerandy made me insert a catheter in Granny Weber before I could take a break."

"It's okay, honey." Mom pats her arm before standing and straightening her blouse. "Charlie will be fine. I'm going to go see if he's in his room yet."

"What was that?" Rose mouths behind my mother's retreating back.

I shrug a shoulder, at a loss. "She's refusing to accept how serious things are."

"What exactly did Dr. Jenks say?"

I fill her in, and as I talk, her hopeful look wanes. "Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry. Did he expressly say he wouldn't wake?"

"No," I concede, taking a deep breath. "But it felt like he was giving his condolences."

"All you can do is take it day by day," she encourages without sounding too chipper. "I've seen stuff like this before, and even worse. Doctors can't always accurately predict how a patient is going to recover. What might take one patient six weeks has another back to normal in just two. And that applies to unexpected complications in surgery as well as perfectly routine ones."

"Thanks, Rose." I stand, appreciating her experience. She's only two years older than me, but she spent that time at PA Community College earning her LPN. She's been working at the hospital for almost six months now and did an internship before that. "Maybe Renee is taking this better than me all around."

"Come on." She tilts her head, smiling. "Let's go see if he's settled."

Rose leads me to the ICU hall that's situated on the second floor. After speaking with the nurse there, she motions for me to follow her down the short hallway.

My eyes burn as the seriousness of the situation comes rushing back like a freight train. My heart rate doubles as the open door just ahead beckons, and the sound of my mother's voice reaches my ears. I take the last few steps and freeze in the doorway.

My father is covered in medical apparatus; tubes run everywhere and wires are hooked to beeping machines. Renee has his hand and she's speaking to him as if they're in a conversation. He's pale and limp, and my heart races.

Dread wells inside me, even though I try to choke it back.

Tears burst forth, and I cover my mouth to quell the strangled gasp.

Renee's eyes jump to mine.

"I'm sorry." I shake my head. "I have to get out of here."

Another awesome poem by Rebadams7:

She took control
She didn't share
She sent it away
Pretended not to care
She took control
Thought she set it free
She cut her soul
In belief that
that must be
R

Not a bad place to stop for the week.

Other than stomping on your heart some more :(

See you Monday