Anchor *scomiche*

Chapter 1 - News

I do not write long chapters. I figure I don't like reading long ones myself, so they will be shorter... which means more chapters :) 

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"I'm sorry, Mrs. Grassi. Mr. Grassi."

Mitch stared blankly at the doctor in front of him. His brain just wasn't computing what was being said to him. "You're sorry? You're sorry." Sorry. You say sorry when you step on someone's toe or hit someone else's grocery cart on accident. Who says sorry when they're being given earth shattering news?

"We ran all the tests for brain function. We give 24 to 48 hours to see if there is any recovery. Unfortunately, your father has had no improvement in brain activity. All routine labs have not improved, and he is at 100 percent oxygen on the ventilator. What I am saying is that he would not breathe if the vent were turned off, it is doing all the work for him. We turned off his sedation last night and there has been no change in mental status. He is maxed out on all blood pressure medication we have him on. We have determined he will make no meaningful recovery."

Mitch's mom sat by his dad's bedside crying in earnest. The nurse with a nametag of Scott was standing close to his mother with what looked to be stress and sympathy on his face. His heart was pounding, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Was this real life? He had just talked to his dad on Sunday. Tuesday is when he collapsed. His insides felt like they were going to combust, and his eyes darted around the room, not landing on anything concrete. There was nothing about this situation that felt he could land someplace safe.

His mom had called him and told him to come home urgently as his dad had suffered a cardiac arrest. He was able to be revived after 20 minutes of resuscitative efforts but had been without oxygen for too long. Doctors and specialists who had reviewed his case had all come to the same obvious conclusion. His father was dying. Mitch closed his eyes and took some shaky breaths. The urge to scream was overwhelming. He knew that he needed to be the strong one right now. His mom needed him to be calm and rational, even when he felt his world was falling apart.

"Thank you, doctor," Mitch said, extending his hand. The doctor shook it and she nodded before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Dad is dying. He's dying. Death. He may be having an out of body experience but there was no way that tidal wave could crash right now.

He walked over to his mom and put his hand on her back, making soft circles. Tubes and wires were going in and out of his dad and all he wanted to do was run away. The feelings of grief and anxiety were almost too intense to bear, and he felt a tear run down his cheek. He wiped at it and took some deep breaths. He was so drained. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat down after pulling it up near his mom.

The nurse, Scott, worked on changing out medications and adjusting the settings on the medication pumps. He was quiet, letting Mitch and his mom feel like they were the only ones in the room. The heart monitor began to ding as his dad's rate slowed just a little, which Scott silenced immediately.

"Mom. I don't know what to say." I don't know what to say. "What can I do for you?" I don't know what to do for her. His mom only reached over and took his hand, not able to articulate anything. Seeing her cry made him want to start bawling but the shock in his brain was still too fresh.

Mitch spoke quietly, keeping with the atmosphere of the room. "I just don't understand how this happened. I just talked to him, mom. I had JUST talked to him. We did what we always do." He stared at his father's face blankly while he recalled the conversation.

"Mitchy, when are you getting your LA butt home for a visit? Your old man misses you; it's been too long. Almost beginning to think you've forgotten about us."