Chapter 7—Solace
1
Callen picked up his little boy, and hugged him. "Thanks, buddy!" Then he handed him to Kira, along with forty dollars for the pizza. "You good?"
"Yah, we're good," Anya said.
Their father kissed them all, and then left.
2
"What're we going to do?" Anya asked tremulously.
Kira took a deep breath before she said anything. "We are going to behave, just like we told Papa we would."
"Okay, but I'm scared, Kira," Anya said.
Kira put her arm around her. "Anya, if it helps, I am terrified, too. I don't want anything bad to happen to Mama, and if we screw up, it'll make her feel worse. And then Papa won't be able to trust us, and that matters more than anything else right now."
"But Uncle Sam," put in Raisa.
"Raisa, he can't come right now. Papa told us that already," Kira replied. "Please don't make this harder than it already is." She laid her head back and closed her eyes. "I hope I can do this."
Anya hugged her, and so did Nikolai.
Kira patted their heads, and Nikolai reached up and patted her head. She laughed.
"Kira, I don't want to do my homework," Anya said.
"I don't either, so don't worry about it, okay, guys?"
"Oh, yay!" Anya chirped.
Kira took the remote and turned on the TV. She poked at it until she found the On Demand channel, and then pored through all of the children's movies until the kids shrieked, "That one!"
The kids all snuggled into each other, and Kira made sure that the afghan covered them completely. When the movie ended, she ordered the pizza for them, and Nikolai paid the man, who gave the change to Kira. Then he went on his way.
3
Callen parked as close as he could near the Emergency entrance. He made his way to the Trauma Center, and stopped at the Nurse's Station.
"Mr. Callen!" the receptionist said, surprised. "She is in Trauma 3."
"Thanks!" he babbled. Then he hurried down to Trauma 3.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" the nurses cried. "Hang on, Mr. Callen. We'll let you see her in a moment."
"Is she bad?"
"No, but I'm sure she's more banged up than you'd like," said the lead nurse. "Please go sit down, and we'll come for you shortly."
Callen found his way to the waiting room, and sat in a chair in the corner. He stretched out, leaning his head back, and then closed his eyes. He waited as patiently as he could, worrying about Anna all the while.
4
In the third trauma room, a medical team was working on Anna. She was unconscious, and had taken the brunt of the crash. Her head had slammed into the door before the car was crushed around her. Upon a cursory examination, the team could see that she was bruised along the left side of her face, and shoulder. Her left arm was lying at an odd angle, and she was bleeding from a wound in that arm. They removed her bloody clothing, and saw that she was also bleeding from a wound in her left side that had been caused by the broken metal of the impact.
They worked at lightning speed to clean her wounds and sterilize the sites. They stapled her side as quickly and as thoroughly as they could. Then they covered it with several layers of ABD pads, and then wrapped her in Curlex which was followed by an Ace bandage just to keep the gauze in place. Her arm was an easier fix, although it was still bloody. They cleaned it again, and quickly sewed it together with surgical thread. They covered it with an ABD pad, and then wrapped Curlex around her arm. They took off the cervical collar and were very glad that she wasn't bleeding from the head.
Anna began to thrash and moan, and then she vomited all over herself. The nurses did their best to turn her onto her side so that she wouldn't choke. They kept her near the edge of the bed, putting a bin on the floor under her.
The team removed her clothing, and then washed her with an antimicrobial soap called Hibiclens. They dressed her in a gown, but didn't get her turned onto her side fast enough, and she vomited all over herself again.
The nurses carefully removed the gown from her, and then washed her with the antimicrobial soap again. They dressed her in a clean gown, and then helped her to sit up. One nurse supported her until she was sure that Anna wouldn't tip over.
"Miss, do you know where you are?" a nurse asked.
Anna shook her head. "My face hurts."
"Yes," replied the older nurse. "You were in a bad car crash, and you have a concussion. It's why you are vomiting."
"Concussion?"
The nurse nodded. "You hit your head hard, and when concussions are bad, the victims can vomit."
"Where's my husband?"
"He's already here, honey. We have to get you settled first."
"Settled?"
"Yes. You'll be here for a few days. You have some serious injuries."
"Oh, no-o-o-o-o-o!" she shrieked. "No-o-o-o-o-o!
"Oh, boy," muttered the older nurse.
5
In his daydreaming, Callen thought he heard Anna scream. Then he heard her again, and he realized that he wasn't dreaming. From the strength of her screaming, he knew that she would be all right, even if she was hospitalized for a few days. He got up and walked over to a nearby nurse.
"Can I go see her, please?"
"They have to take her for a CT scan," she replied.
"Why?"
"She banged her head."
"I see," he answered. "I still want to see her, please."
"I don't know—"
The attending doctor intervened. "It's okay, nurse. I know this family a little too well," he said, "so let him see her. It'll be better if you do."
"Whatever you say," the girl replied. "Follow me, please."
"Thanks, doc," Callen said, shaking the doctor's hand. He followed the girl to Anna's bedside.
6
He couldn't resist smiling at her. "Hey, baby," he greeted her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, but close to her hairline.
Anna put her hand up, and drew him close. "Moya lyubov'," she whispered.
He dared to steal a kiss from her, and she smiled happily.
"My head hurts," she said.
Callen held her hand. "I know, baby. They need to x-ray you," he explained.
"I want to go home," she whined.
"Anna, no. Not right now," Callen said, feeling sick at having to tell her 'no.' He kissed her again. "In a few days. I'll be right here." He kissed her one more time. He watched the staff as they took her toward the elevator bank.
7
"That was really good pizza," Raisa said. "Can we have more?"
Kira shook her head. "Not right now. We need to save some for Papa for when he gets home."
"Papa come soon?" Nikolai asked.
"I hope so," Kira said. "Guys, let's just get ready for bed, and then sit and watch more movies, okay?"
"Okay," Anya agreed. She bounded up the stairs, followed closely by Nikolai and Kira.
"Let's go, Raisa!" Kira commanded.
"I don't want to," Raisa contradicted. "You're not the boss of me."
Kira made a face. She knew Raisa would try some misbehavior, and she wasn't disappointed. "Raisa, that's too bad. We'll all be right back, so stay here on the couch." And she followed her brother and sister up the stairs.
Raisa sat smugly on the couch. She took the remote, and played with it for several minutes, and stopped short when she encountered an adult situation. She watched in fascination as Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins played around in The Blue Lagoon.
8
"I don't want pull-ups!" Nikolai complained as Kira helped him put them on.
"Nikolai, I can't help it. It's the rule," Kira told him. "If you'd stop wetting your bed, you wouldn't have to wear them."
"Oh, okay," he grumbled as she helped him with his pajama pants. "Do I gots to go to bed now?"
"No. Not at all. Just brush your teeth," Kira added. She followed him into the bathroom, and helped him squeeze some toothpaste onto his brush.
"Oh, goody!"
She met Anya in the hallway. "Will you stay with him so I can get changed, please?"
"Sure," Anya said, putting toothpaste on her own brush. "Okay, Nikolai?"
"Yes, sir!" Nikolai replied, saluting them.
Both girls laughed, and Kira went to get changed.
9
Anna watched the technicians with an eagle eye, although she didn't say anything. She was glad when they were finished.
"How much longer?"
"For what?"
"To stay here."
"We can't answer that. Only the doctors can." She nodded, and the orderly wheeled Anna back to the ER.
10
Callen returned to the waiting room, and then poked his phone. He wanted to check in on his children.
"Kira?"
"Papa!" Kira squeaked. "Is Mama okay?"
"Well, in a way, yes. She is noisy, which is a good thing, but she is banged up some. Kira, baby, she'll be here for a few days."
Her face crumpled.
Anya grabbed her arm. "What's wrong?"
"Let me talk to her," Callen said. "Are you okay, Anya?"
"I'm okay, Papa. I'm just scared about Mama," she answered.
"I know you are, baby, but she's okay. Banged up, but okay."
"Can't she come home?"
"Not yet, baby. Put Raisa on."
Anya handed the phone to Raisa. "Papa wants to talk to you."
"Hello?"
"Raisa, this is Papa. Did you enjoy the pizza?"
"Yes, Papa. I want more."
"Raisa, not tonight—"
"I talk! I talk!" Nikolai said, snatching the phone from her. "Papa! Papa! Kira gotted pizza!"
"She did?"
"Yes, Papa. Her did. Papa, Mama?"
"She's okay, Nikolai. The doctor says she has to sleep over in the hospital for a little while," Callen said, hoping his son would understand.
"Her come home?"
"Not yet, baby," Callen said, wishing that he could hug his son. "Let me talk to Kira again."
Nikolai handed the phone to his biggest sister. "Yes, Papa?"
"Is everything okay?"
"We're okay, Papa," she answered. "Everything is normal. We're watching TV for now."
"Raisa is acting up?"
Kira smirked. "Yes, Papa. Papa, I said it's okay that nobody does their homework tonight."
"That's fine, baby. I'll be home soon, okay?"
"Okay, but when?" Kira was very worried about her mom.
Callen smirked. "Soon, baby. They have to settle Mama in a room, and I'll be home after they do that. Okay, baby?"
"Yes, Papa," she replied tremulously. "Papa, will you hug Mama for us, please?"
"Yes, baby, I will," he agreed. "I'm going to visit Mama now, and then I'll be home."
"Okay, Papa." Kira switched off her phone. "He said he'd be home soon."
"Good!" said Anya.
11
Callen got up and ambled over to the Nurses' Station. "Has Anna Kolcheck been put in a room yet?" he asked.
The receptionist looked through her sheaf of papers. "I don't see her listed here."
"Excuse me," Callen said stiffly. "She is a new admission from this afternoon."
The girl put down her packet of papers, and picked up another one. She rifled through it, and finally found Anna's name.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "Ms. Kolcheck is in Room 215."
"Thank you!"
Callen found the elevator bank, and rode up to the second floor. Following the arrows, he was able to find Room 215 quickly. He was dismayed to see that she was in a double room, but he managed. He watched her for a moment before entering the room. He greeted the other woman, and then drew the curtain around Anna's bed.
She smiled up at him, and held her arms out.
He leaned over, and let her clutch him as best she could for a moment before he disengaged himself. Then he kissed her.
"You okay, baby?" He pulled the clunky chair close to her bed and sat down.
"A little," she said with her eyes twinkling. "My head and face hurt."
"So I see," he quipped, getting up to kiss her bruises. He softly smoothed the hair away from her face. "I mean really. Are you okay, Anna?"
"Callen, I hurt all over. They sewed and stapled me back together, and I have a concussion. Otherwise, I am fine."
"Oh, damn," he sympathized. "I'm sorry, baby."
"I'm okay. I'm full of pain-killers, so I'm okay for now. Want to see my staples?"
"Say what?" he gasped, shocked.
She flipped the sheets off, and then pulled on her gown. At last it came untucked from underneath her, and she folded it over her chest. Even though she wasn't supposed to, she wiggled her fingers into the bandages on her side, and lowered them slightly.
"Anna! Should you be doing that?" Callen asked, horrified.
"Probably not," she answered, "but it's bothering me."
"I get it, but shouldn't you call for the nurse?"
"Yes, but I want you to see it first," she argued.
"Oh, good grief!" he treacted. In spite of himself, Callen leaned very close to her side, and peered at her wound. "Whoa!" The four-inch line of staples grossed him out more than he had expected. He sat down with his head in his hands. "Damn, Anna! You really are stapled together!"
"Yep!" She waggled her arm at him. "This one is sewed."
"Oh, boy," he moaned with a grin. "What else have they done?"
She grinned. "Nothing. I have a massive headache. Otherwise, I'm okay."
"That's good to know," he said. "How bad is your concussion?"
"Not too awful. I was unconscious for a bit, and I vomited a lot, but it isn't that bad. Like yours was, I think."
"Okay. I get it. Um…Anna. What about your car?"
"It's totaled, I think. A guy jumped a light, and clipped me just right. I spun out, hitting my head hard. Then I crashed into a utility pole."
"Then how did you get the wound on your side?"
"It hit just right. They had to cut me out of the car."
"Cut? Like in Jaws of Life cut?" He was horrified.
"Yep!"
"My poor baby!" he moaned, laying his head on her breast. "I'm so sorry—"
She smoothed his hair. "Callen, I'll be okay. You didn't cause this, so there's no need for you to apologize. It's just something that happened."
"I know, baby. I wish I could make it all go away," he added, snuggling into her.
Anna scritched his head. "I know you do, moya lyubov'," she said gently. "I'll be okay, Callen." She attempted to lift his head, so he sat up. Cupping his face between her hands, she kissed him softly. "I love you so much." She kissed him again, and then shook her head. "We need to stop before we have a probem."
Callen smirked at her. "Would that be so bad?"
"Grisha Callen! Stop it!" Anna laughed at him, and kissed him one more time. "We need to stop, my love. Otherwise, I might need you to stay overnight."
He rubbed his face on her gown. "I know," he said, using her words. "I love you, Anna Kolcheck!" With that, he stood up and kissed her one more time. Then he took his leave.
Anna adjusted her bed so that she was lying flat. She wanted him to stay longer, but she also knew that he had to go home to their children. She wiggled around until she was comfortable, and then closed her eyes. She slept.