Post by CarpentersFan2003 on Feb 13, 2004 20:07:40 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty One
Spring 1988.
The telephone shattered the silence of the night in Karen and Nathan’s bedroom.
Nathan reached out from the warmth of the blankets and groped for it. When his hand brushed the receiver he picked up and pulled in back under the covers to his ear.
“ Hello.”
“ Nathan, it’s Agnes I need to speak to my daughter. Can you put her on for me?” said in a panicked voice.
“ Mom, Karen is still sleeping. What’s the matter?” Nathan snapped in to full wakefulness that the sound of his mother-in-law’s tone.
“ It’s Harold. He’s been taken to the hospital. He had a stroke. I’m in the ER at Downey General now. Richard’s on his way here. Karen really needs to be here too.” Agnes said in a commanding tone of voice.
“ We our way Agnes. Try and stay calm.” Nathan hung up the phone and then turned to nudge his wife. After a moment he heard Karen say in a raspy voice.
“ Nathan, I have a headache. Not now.”
Nathan couldn’t help the grin that came to his face.
Shaking Karen’s shoulder a little harder and calling her name louder Karen finally woke up.
“ Oh alright, but make it quick.”
Turning on the light on his night table Nathan looked at his wife.
“ Karen, I’m not looking for sex. Your mother just called. Your father was taken to the hospital about twenty minutes ago. He’s had a stroke. She’s requesting that you and I come up to the ER.”
At this Karen eye’s fluttered and then opened. She sat up and groaned. She had had back pain since she entered her sixth month of this pregnancy. She was now going into her eighth and her back had only gotten worse.
“ Of course, I need to be there. I need a few minutes to get dressed and then we can go. Did Mom say how Daddy was doing?”
Nathan shook his head and got out of bed and walked around to help Karen get to her feet.
“ If your father has just been taken in now then the doctor’s are still working on him.”
When Karen and Nathan arrived at the hospital they when to the triage desk and asked what bed Harold was in. The nurse behind the desk was very young she’d only been working full time for a year. When she looked up at Karen her face went slack her jaw hanging open.
“ My father where is he.” Karen snapped her fingers impatiently. The singer then brushed past her husband and the nurse mumbling “ I don’t have time for this.”
Nathan caught up to his wife as she was rounding a corner. Karen had stopped another nurse and was grilling her for information.
“ He’s right down this hall Ms. Carpenter, second door on the right.”
“ Thank you.” Karen said and was about to head off towards her father’s room when the nurse put out a gentle hand and stopped the singer, giving Nathan a chance to step up beside his wife. The nurse recongized Nathan and then said.
“ Doctor can I speak you to for a moment. I think you need to know a few things about the condition of your father-in-law. It would be best for your wife to wait for a moment in the hall.”
Hearing this Nathan knew the that situation was indeed grave. He pecked Karen’s cheek and then said.
“ I will not be a minute.” Looking at the nurse he nodded and then followed her into a small office and closed the door.
While she waited Karen leaned against the wall supporting her aching back. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. She was snapped back to reality when she heard Richard’s voice calling her name. When Karen opened her eyes her brother was rushing towards her.
“ Karen, thank God you’re here. Mom is beside herself. Dad is awake but he’s not responding to anyone,” It was then Richard noticed that his brother-in-law was no where to be seen. “ Where is Nathan?”
“ A nurse took him into that room there.” Karen nodded at the door. “ She said it was something to do with Daddy. Nathan will out in few minutes. I was told to wait here.”
“ Well I know where Dad is. Come on it will be good for him to see you.”
It was at this moment that the door opened and Nathan appeared. His face was white and he looked nervous. He walked the few steps to where his wife was standing with her brother.
Karen looked at Nathan and then asked in a tight voice.
“ How bad is it?”
Nathan looked at Karen and Richard and then said in a whisper.
“ It’s bad. Karen, we need to talk.” Looking at his brother-in-law Nathan said. “ You need to get your mother and then come to the conference room at the end of the hall.”
Sensing the urgency in Nathan’s voice Richard did as he was told.
*** *** ***
Karen and Nathan had to sit and wait for about ten minutes while Richard and Agnes joined them. Agnes had not wanted to leave her husband’s bedside and had to be pulled away by her son. When they join the other’s Nathan motioned for Richard to close the door and have a seat. Once all three where sitting on a couch with Agnes sandwiched between son and daughter he began to tell them what he’d learned.
“ Mom, form what the tests had shown the team of doctors working on Dad believe that the stroke he suffered from has paralyzed the right side his body.”
“ I could have told you that.” Agnes said in a miffed tone of voice. “ You took me away form Harold for this?” The older woman stood up. “ We ought to be with him.”
“ Agnes, sit down. I’m not finished.” Nathan said a little more harshly then he intended.
Agnes sat glaring daggers at her son-in-law.
“ I’m sorry about my tone of voice.” Nathan paused for a moment then said. “ The paralysis is not temporary, like it is in most cases. Harold suffered brain damage in the first moments of the stroke. He’s lucky to be alive at all.”
“ What… What are you saying to us?” Karen asked a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“ What I’m saying is this. Harold will remain like this for the rest of his life. He will not be able to speak nor will he be able to take care of himself, by that I mean eating and toilet functions. He’s going to need round the clock assistance. I’m so sorry.”
Agnes shook her head denying what she’d just been told.
“ It’s not true. I don’t believe it. Harold will come around. He’s never let anything beat him before.”
Nathan reached across the room so that he could take hold of his mother-in-law’s hand. He shook his head.
“ Agnes it will be easier for you in the long run to accept this now and not hold out false hope for a full recovery. It’s not going to happen. Harold has a one in a million chance of coming out of this.”
Karen and Richard both put their arms around their mother’s shoulders in support gently squeezing them.
Agnes shrugged them off her and stood up. She straightened her spine and then looked at her children.
“ You two know your father, and what he’s capable of. He will get better. He’s a strong man and he will beat this. You will see. Do not doubt him. You hear me? Do you?”
Karen and Richard both nodded then watched at their mother as she opened the door and left the room.
Nathan sat looking at his wife and brother-in-law in shock. He cleared his throat.
“ I hope you two realize that what I had said is not something that made up. Your father will not get any better then he is.”
“ We know…” Karen said, She was about say something more when she was interrupted by Agnes’ commanding tone form down the hall.
“ Karen… Richard… I need you in your father’s room.”
Nathan stood up and helped Karen to his feet and then put his arm around her waist in support. They walked slowly to down the hall and up to Harold’s room. Outside the door they where stopped by Agnes.
She allowed Karen and Richard to pass by her but then stepped into the door blocking Nathan.
“ You have done quite enough Doctor. I will have Richard drive Karen home. Good night.” Agnes then let the door swing closed.
For a long moment Nathan stood looking at the door. He couldn’t believe it. In one move Agnes had frozen him out of her life and that of her husband.
Spring 1988.
The telephone shattered the silence of the night in Karen and Nathan’s bedroom.
Nathan reached out from the warmth of the blankets and groped for it. When his hand brushed the receiver he picked up and pulled in back under the covers to his ear.
“ Hello.”
“ Nathan, it’s Agnes I need to speak to my daughter. Can you put her on for me?” said in a panicked voice.
“ Mom, Karen is still sleeping. What’s the matter?” Nathan snapped in to full wakefulness that the sound of his mother-in-law’s tone.
“ It’s Harold. He’s been taken to the hospital. He had a stroke. I’m in the ER at Downey General now. Richard’s on his way here. Karen really needs to be here too.” Agnes said in a commanding tone of voice.
“ We our way Agnes. Try and stay calm.” Nathan hung up the phone and then turned to nudge his wife. After a moment he heard Karen say in a raspy voice.
“ Nathan, I have a headache. Not now.”
Nathan couldn’t help the grin that came to his face.
Shaking Karen’s shoulder a little harder and calling her name louder Karen finally woke up.
“ Oh alright, but make it quick.”
Turning on the light on his night table Nathan looked at his wife.
“ Karen, I’m not looking for sex. Your mother just called. Your father was taken to the hospital about twenty minutes ago. He’s had a stroke. She’s requesting that you and I come up to the ER.”
At this Karen eye’s fluttered and then opened. She sat up and groaned. She had had back pain since she entered her sixth month of this pregnancy. She was now going into her eighth and her back had only gotten worse.
“ Of course, I need to be there. I need a few minutes to get dressed and then we can go. Did Mom say how Daddy was doing?”
Nathan shook his head and got out of bed and walked around to help Karen get to her feet.
“ If your father has just been taken in now then the doctor’s are still working on him.”
When Karen and Nathan arrived at the hospital they when to the triage desk and asked what bed Harold was in. The nurse behind the desk was very young she’d only been working full time for a year. When she looked up at Karen her face went slack her jaw hanging open.
“ My father where is he.” Karen snapped her fingers impatiently. The singer then brushed past her husband and the nurse mumbling “ I don’t have time for this.”
Nathan caught up to his wife as she was rounding a corner. Karen had stopped another nurse and was grilling her for information.
“ He’s right down this hall Ms. Carpenter, second door on the right.”
“ Thank you.” Karen said and was about to head off towards her father’s room when the nurse put out a gentle hand and stopped the singer, giving Nathan a chance to step up beside his wife. The nurse recongized Nathan and then said.
“ Doctor can I speak you to for a moment. I think you need to know a few things about the condition of your father-in-law. It would be best for your wife to wait for a moment in the hall.”
Hearing this Nathan knew the that situation was indeed grave. He pecked Karen’s cheek and then said.
“ I will not be a minute.” Looking at the nurse he nodded and then followed her into a small office and closed the door.
While she waited Karen leaned against the wall supporting her aching back. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. She was snapped back to reality when she heard Richard’s voice calling her name. When Karen opened her eyes her brother was rushing towards her.
“ Karen, thank God you’re here. Mom is beside herself. Dad is awake but he’s not responding to anyone,” It was then Richard noticed that his brother-in-law was no where to be seen. “ Where is Nathan?”
“ A nurse took him into that room there.” Karen nodded at the door. “ She said it was something to do with Daddy. Nathan will out in few minutes. I was told to wait here.”
“ Well I know where Dad is. Come on it will be good for him to see you.”
It was at this moment that the door opened and Nathan appeared. His face was white and he looked nervous. He walked the few steps to where his wife was standing with her brother.
Karen looked at Nathan and then asked in a tight voice.
“ How bad is it?”
Nathan looked at Karen and Richard and then said in a whisper.
“ It’s bad. Karen, we need to talk.” Looking at his brother-in-law Nathan said. “ You need to get your mother and then come to the conference room at the end of the hall.”
Sensing the urgency in Nathan’s voice Richard did as he was told.
*** *** ***
Karen and Nathan had to sit and wait for about ten minutes while Richard and Agnes joined them. Agnes had not wanted to leave her husband’s bedside and had to be pulled away by her son. When they join the other’s Nathan motioned for Richard to close the door and have a seat. Once all three where sitting on a couch with Agnes sandwiched between son and daughter he began to tell them what he’d learned.
“ Mom, form what the tests had shown the team of doctors working on Dad believe that the stroke he suffered from has paralyzed the right side his body.”
“ I could have told you that.” Agnes said in a miffed tone of voice. “ You took me away form Harold for this?” The older woman stood up. “ We ought to be with him.”
“ Agnes, sit down. I’m not finished.” Nathan said a little more harshly then he intended.
Agnes sat glaring daggers at her son-in-law.
“ I’m sorry about my tone of voice.” Nathan paused for a moment then said. “ The paralysis is not temporary, like it is in most cases. Harold suffered brain damage in the first moments of the stroke. He’s lucky to be alive at all.”
“ What… What are you saying to us?” Karen asked a sinking feeling in her stomach.
“ What I’m saying is this. Harold will remain like this for the rest of his life. He will not be able to speak nor will he be able to take care of himself, by that I mean eating and toilet functions. He’s going to need round the clock assistance. I’m so sorry.”
Agnes shook her head denying what she’d just been told.
“ It’s not true. I don’t believe it. Harold will come around. He’s never let anything beat him before.”
Nathan reached across the room so that he could take hold of his mother-in-law’s hand. He shook his head.
“ Agnes it will be easier for you in the long run to accept this now and not hold out false hope for a full recovery. It’s not going to happen. Harold has a one in a million chance of coming out of this.”
Karen and Richard both put their arms around their mother’s shoulders in support gently squeezing them.
Agnes shrugged them off her and stood up. She straightened her spine and then looked at her children.
“ You two know your father, and what he’s capable of. He will get better. He’s a strong man and he will beat this. You will see. Do not doubt him. You hear me? Do you?”
Karen and Richard both nodded then watched at their mother as she opened the door and left the room.
Nathan sat looking at his wife and brother-in-law in shock. He cleared his throat.
“ I hope you two realize that what I had said is not something that made up. Your father will not get any better then he is.”
“ We know…” Karen said, She was about say something more when she was interrupted by Agnes’ commanding tone form down the hall.
“ Karen… Richard… I need you in your father’s room.”
Nathan stood up and helped Karen to his feet and then put his arm around her waist in support. They walked slowly to down the hall and up to Harold’s room. Outside the door they where stopped by Agnes.
She allowed Karen and Richard to pass by her but then stepped into the door blocking Nathan.
“ You have done quite enough Doctor. I will have Richard drive Karen home. Good night.” Agnes then let the door swing closed.
For a long moment Nathan stood looking at the door. He couldn’t believe it. In one move Agnes had frozen him out of her life and that of her husband.
