Finding Jaime

Chapter 65

"Pete?" Meagan's voice on the phone woke me up.  I looked at my bedside clock. Five am.

"What's the matter?" I said, sitting up and worrying immediately.

"I called Joe. He's on his way to the house. Can you come to the hospital? Jaime... needs you."

I was on high alert and had worried something would happen if I left.

"Meagan, what's wrong?"

"He's, he's been having some trouble tonight. He's, he's not good, Pete," she said, worry evident in her voice.

"Meagan, please. What's happening. What's wrong with Jaime?"

"I don't know. I don't know if it's a reaction to one of the medicines or the chemo or what, but, it's bad Pete."

"Okay. I'm getting dressed as we speak. Is he... how much trouble are we talking?"

"He's in a lot of pain. Nothing so far is helping. He's just screaming in pain."

I hung my head. I should have stayed at the hospital. I should have known something would happen. Meagan shouldn't have had to deal with this.

"Okay. I'm in the car the second Joe gets here. I'm on my way. Tell Jaime I'm on my way. Hang tight, Meag."

"Just hurry, Pete. I've never seen him like this," she was starting to cry.

A few minutes (hours?) later, a very tired but very alert Joe was at my door.

"Hi. I've got the kids. You go. Go, go," he rushed me out the door.

I got in my car and sped as fast as I dared to the hospital. I took the first parking spot I could find, not caring how much parking would cost, and ran up the stairs to Jaime's room. I could hear him screaming from down the hall. It was primal and he sounded like he was in so much pain. I ran down the hallway.

Meagan met me outside the room. She threw herself into my arms.

"The nurses are in with him now. They're trying to calm him down."

I ran into the room and saw my son thrashing in his bed and screaming.

"IT BURNS!!"  He was screaming.

"Jaime, Jaime!" I shouted, trying to get him to calm down a little. I noticed his wrists had been tied to the bed.

"Why is he restrained?" I asked one of the nurses.

"He's been scratching at his skin. We've had to put on a dressing on his chest. He nearly pulled out his port," Nora told me.

I looked at Jaime and saw large swaths of gauze taped to his chest, I'd thought he had a t-shirt on.

"Daaaad!" My son screamed. "Make it stop!! It's burning me!"

"Jaime, Jaime, look at me!" I took hold of Jaime's head and tried to force him to look at me. "Jaime. What burns? What's the matter?"

"My skin!  My skin is burning!  It's like I'm on fire!  Dad! Make it stop! Make it STOP!" He screamed.

"He doesn't have a fever," Nora said. "We've obviously checked."

"Can you get him something!?  Like, ice packs? Something?!" I cried.

"We can try the cooling blanket. We usually use it for people with high fevers. Maybe he'll get some relief from that?" Nora suggested to the other nurses. They nodded and Nora left the room quickly. She was back in moments with what looked like a huge gel ice pack. I watched as she plugged it in and covered Jaime with it.

"Okay, Jaime. That should help cool you down. Give it a minute though."

"It HURTS!" He screamed. "I'm on fire! My skin is on fire!"

I looked towards the door and saw Meagan standing outside, tears running down her face. I went out to her for a minute.

"It's okay, Meagan. I'm sorry this happened while you were here. It should have been me. I'm so sorry you had to deal with this."

"He's in so much pain, Pete. I hate that he's in so much pain," she cried into my shoulder. I held her close.

"I know. We knew it could get bad. I'm so sorry it happened on your watch."

I went back into Jaime's room. He was still in pain but the screaming had stopped.

"Dad!" He whined. "It hurts. Why does it hurt so much?"

"I don't know, Jaime. I don't know. But we'll get through it, okay? I'm here. Meagan's here. We'll help as best as we can, okay?"

Jaime was crying and I couldn't make it magically better for him.

"I'm going to give him something that'll hopefully help him sleep, okay? I'm going to give him some morphine," Nora said. I nodded.

"Jaime, Nora's going to give you some morphine for the pain, okay?"

"Just make it STOP!" He cried.

Nora returned with the morphine and injected it into Jaime's I.V. He was straining against the restraints, the pain still so strong. I stroked his head and was shocked when handfuls of hair came away. I wasn't surprised. We knew it was likely. It was just that he'd kept it for a while and now it was coming out in clumps.

"Shit," I said under my breath. Jaime didn't hear me. But Nora did. She looked over and grimaced.

"I'll shave his head if he's feeling better later," I whispered. "I'll talk to him about it."

Nora nodded.

Meagan came back into the room, having composed herself and hearing that Jaime was starting to settle.

I showed her my handful of Jaime's hair. She looked at me sadly.

"Can you stay with him for a little while? I'll be back in less than an hour."

Jaime was starting to fall into a fitful sleep. Meagan nodded, took Jaime's hand and sat beside him. I watched as she worried over my son, holding his hand and rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

I kissed her, kissed my son's head and left the room. I took a deep breath and texted Joe to tell him I wouldn't be coming home anytime soon and I wasn't sure when Meagan would be home. And explained what I was about to do. He responded in agreement. And told me not to worry. Uncle Joe had the kids.