The Mule

Chapter 34

The hospital called Gael about a half hour after they'd set out for Edmonton. Expecting the call, he'd put his phone in it's mount on the dash, so he could use it hands free. "This is Dr Michael Chang from University Hospital. I work in the Intensive Care Unit. We have your daughter, Marissa, up here now."

"How is she doing?" Gael asked. He had been speeding, but he let up on the gas a bit so that he could talk without losing control of the car.

"I always feel that honesty is best." Both Gael and Irene held their breath, anticipating the worst. "She is in bad shape. She's gone septic, do you know what that is?"

"Yes, we do. It's life threatening, isn't it?"

"It can be if not treated early, yes. Your daughter's lab work shows she's still in the first stage, but moving toward the second of three stages. We have her on multiple intravenous antibiotics and are hopeful that she will recover. She's also on IV fluids as she was dehydrated when she was brought in. She's obviously been beaten up - there are bruises all over her and there are broken bones in her hand and wrist. Did you know that she has had a nephrostomy?"

"Yes, she had that here. She's supposed to have the kidney removed as she has cancer but her insurance won't cover removal outside the USA. She was at our family farm in Canada when the blockage happened. They did this as the cheapest way to deal with it until she has her surgery."

"When is the surgery to happen?" the doctor asked.

"Next Friday."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until she recovers from this. She wouldn't be able to handle anesthesia right now. I can call her oncologist if you like and let him or her know. Now, you may know that attitude plays a key role in a patient's recovery. Marissa seems to have lost the will to live and that is not good."

"What makes you say she's lost the will to live?" Irene asked, then added "I'm her mother, Irene."

"The ER physician tells me that Marissa told her she didn't want treatment, that she wants to die." Both of her parents gasped. "Dr Chantu assessed that she wasn't competent as she was out of it a lot of the time, so she initiated life saving treatment as we are required to do by law. We're going to have someone from Psychiatry see her later and if he or she makes the same determination, her next of kin - that would be you - would have power of attorney over her care."

"Dr Chang", Gael said, "you have our permission to do whatever you need to do for her. We are on our way to the airport in Edmonton and we will be in Syracuse just before 9:00 your time tonight. Can we come to the hospital that late?"

"Absolutely. We don't have set visiting hours here. We find the patients do better if they can have loved ones visit at any time, including at night. Before I go, would you mind saying a few words to her? It might help give her a will to live."

"Oh, yes, we would like to do that!" Irene exclaimed. "She has been through a lot in the last few years, that probably has something to do with how she feels."

"I'm on my way to her room, I'll put it on speaker so both of you can talk to her."

"Hi baby", Gael said when Dr Chang set his phone down on the table beside Marissa's bed. "Can you hear me?"

Marissa stirred. "Daddy?" she said in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"Yes, honey, it's me. Your mother is here, too."

"Hi Marissa", Irene broke in. "We're on our way to the hospital to see you. We'll be there tonight."

"Rissa, you need to fight to live", Gael said. "We love you and we'd be devastated if you don't come home to us. Charlie misses you, too. He won't stop bellowing."