Now and Forever
Chapter 3
Katie had texted her that Mike was in town. Christine wasn't sure what to think, but she was immediately worried that he would take their daughters away. She might deserve that but she hoped he would at least keep them close. Katie got off work before she did and Christine was not shocked to find an unfamiliar truck in her driveway, where she normally parked.
She slipped in through the side door to avoid Mike immediately. It was inevitable that she would be dealing with him, but she might get an extra minute or two. She was putting groceries away when she heard his voice.
"Christine?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Christine answered as she turned to face him. He was older and looked much more tired.
"Why didn't you come through the front?" Mike asked.
"I…had groceries to put away." Christine said.
"Sure you did." Mike remarked. What shocked her was that he gave her a hug, albeit, an awkward hug but for a second, she enjoyed the strength in Mike's arms.
"How long are you here?" Christine asked.
"I don't know. Katie offered me your spare room. I figured I would stay here for a bit and then we would come up with a game plan." Mike answered.
"In that you will take the girls away?" Christine remarked.
"Not necessarily, but I will be an active part of their lives." Mike answered as he shuffled his feet. His hands were in his pockets and he seemed nervous.
"I figured." Christine remarked.
"Why did you not reach out? And I do know about the divorce. It didn't go through so we are technically married. I've also checked. You can't file divorce due to abandonment. It has to be seven years now." Mike asked.
"We are?" Christinas asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Was that why you didn't try to find me? Because you felt…guilt for what happened?" Mike asked.
"I suppose." Christine admitted.
"I can forgive you cheating. I can forgive you filing for divorce while I was away. What I'm having trouble with is that you never tried to find me, did you?" Mike asked.
"No." Christine answered sheepishly.
"And I am going to have to figure out a way to forgive that." Mike said before he walked back into the living room.
Christine fixed dinner and ate with her daughters and Mike, but stayed quiet throughout the meal. The girls were talkative and Mike was making all kinds of plans with them. She wasn't included in the plan-making. Mike had said that he wouldn't necessarily take them but she had to wonder if they wouldn't leave voluntarily.
She had failed as a wife and as a mother. She couldn't even manage to get divorced properly. The next day was Saturday, and she was off work, but instead of staying up with her family; she went into her bedroom. Katie and Hannah could get their father settled in the spare room.
She showered and looked down at the razor. After Lucas died, Christine had contemplated suicide but the girls being left alone stopped her. Now they had their father. They didn't need her. She took the razor and slit both wrists without much thought. The cuts were deep and she began bleeding heavily. Instead of trying to fight the blood loss, she put a towel over her bed and laid down. Her last thoughts before she passed out was that she would miss her daughters' weddings and holding their babies. She wouldn't help pick out a wedding dress and Mike's fashion sense was dreadful.
An hour later, Mike walked by the bedroom door, and smelled an unmistakable metallic smell. He tried the door and found that it was locked, but he kicked it down.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Hannah said.
"Stay in the hallway!" Mike told her as he rushed into the bedroom. Christine was laying on the bed, with blood all over. He found the culprit immediately.
"Dad?" Hannah said from the bedroom door.
"Call 9- 1-1. Tell them she sliced her wrists open and that she is breathing. Her pulse is very weak and they need to hurry." Mike said. He could see the shock on Hannah's face but fortunately Katie appeared and called 9-1-1. Mike put pressure on both of Christine's wrists and opened her airway.
"Why did she do it?" Hannah asked with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"She...must have felt unwanted." Mike remarked. Katie redirected Hannah and stepped into the bedroom.
"What do I need to do?" Katie asked as she handed him more towels.
"Open her airway. Tilt her chin like this?" Mike told her. He showed Katie what she needed to do and concentrated on Christine's wrists and her pulse.
"I told Hannah to show the paramedics and police in." Katie remarked.
"I wish she hadn't seen this. You too." Mike said.
"Is she going to be okay?" Katie asked.
"I don't know, sweetie." Mike answered. As he held pressure on Christine's wrists, he remembered back years before; right after Hannah was born.
"Sorry she wasn't a boy, Mike." Christine said as she nursed their new daughter.
"Next time, right?" Mike remarked.
"Yes, but I don't want to think about next time right now. She's only three hours old." Christine answered. He could tell she was angry and he didn't care. The entire plan had been one girl and one boy. Now, it might be two girls and a boy. Hopefully.
Mike's thoughts were interrupted by the police and paramedics coming in. The paramedics took over Christine's care and Mike changed shirts because he was going to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Hannah had school the next day and Katie had work. The girls decided to stay home as long as Mike was going.
The closest hospital was thirty minutes away and it felt like an eternity to Mike. By the time he got to the hospital, they were already working on Christine and he was escorted to the waiting room.
It felt like another eternity before a nurse called him into the hallway and led him back to an exam room. Christine was asleep on the bed with her wrists strapped down. A doctor approached Mike.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Allison Smith. I treated your wife." Dr. Smith explained.
"I'm Mike Slattery. How is she?" Mike asked.
"She's lost a lot of blood. Almost too much. We need to get her a blood donation but in a rural hospital, those are hard to come by. And, she will be on a 96-hour psych hold due to this being a suicide attempt. We were able to fix her wrists, but they were deep cuts. Might be nerve damage." Dr. Smith explained.
"I expected the psych hold and nerve damage. As for the blood donation; I am a universal donor. I will donate." Mike told her.
"Has she done this before? Or been depressed?" Dr. Smith asked.
"She's never attempted suicide as far as I know, and there were times she seemed more depressed. After our younger daughter was born. She seemed to just snap out of it though. Although, she and I had just reunited today after six years, and yes; I might have been the one that drove her to this." Mike admitted.
"Why do you say that?" Dr. Smith asked.
"Before the Red Flu, she and I were not in the greatest shape. She had cheated. I caught her. Was and still am willing to forgive that. She filed for divorce just before the Red Flu hit and it was never finalized. We are still legally married. I got back and told her that I wasn't sure I could forgive her keeping our daughters from me all these years. She must be afraid that I am going to take the girls." Mike explained.
"It would be a tall order to forgive her but you might have to." Dr. Smith commented. She sat him down in a chair and a nurse began prepping an area on his arm to begin the blood donation.
"Yeah." Mike agreed.
"I will relate all this to the psychiatrist. She will call once Christine starts making improvements. You can stay for a while, but not long." Dr. Smith said.
"Long enough to do the donation." Mike remarked.
"You can stay a few moments longer." Dr. Smith answered with a smile.
"Can…you tell the psychiatrist to tell her that we do love her and I have no plans on taking the girls from her?" Mike asked.
"Absolutely." Dr. Smith answered.
They completed the donation but before Mike left; he leaned over and gave Christine a kiss on the forehead. He not only had to forgive her for keeping their daughters away, but he had to find a way to forgive himself for undermining her throughout their marriage.