Moments 3: Emily's Story

**Chapter 3**

Emily's POV

It's been two days. The club is sending up more clothes for me today, and all the Old Ladies are coming with enough food for everyone in the unit. Staff and family members! They've been doing this every day, and I honestly think they're doing this to keep everyone happy and not too mad that I'm here all the time. Which they don't have to. I've mentioned it to the girls, to my son-in-law, hell! Even to Prez! The man won't take 'no' for an answer! Every day they bring enough food to feed an army for at least two meals. Always breakfast, and always dinner.

The doctors told me if he doesn't wake up in the next six hours, by noon, they're going to put a nasogastric tube in his nose for him to get nutrients. I sign the paperwork. I think he just needs a little more time before he wakes up. He has to wake up. I have to give him every fighting chance.

He has a bunch of scans today. Checking brain function, after that is checking spinal function. Seeing if he responds to any kind of stimuli. After they left, I set to work gently washing his face, and brushing his teeth with mouthwash. I didn't want him to get stinky breath. It was all I could do for now. At least with this many tubes and wires everywhere. I couldn't wait until he woke up and we could get him home. I talked to him; I told him what was happening with our family. The girls came to see him. If you're reading this anywhere other than wattpad, it's stolen copyrighted work from EJKnight90. Go there to read for free. I didn't want the grandkids to see him like this. Not unless they were older and wanted to. I let the girls make the final decisions on that. My main focus was my husband.

I also told him about the weather, whatever memory popped into my head that day. I read him the books I was reading. And I prayed. Out loud. Hoping he could hear me. He could hear me with him. He would know I'm here and hopefully be comforted by that fact.

The NG tube went in at one in the afternoon. They hooked him up to tube feed that runs in small amounts consistently. Seeing that took me back to Alex.

His NG tube was going to be placed in about two hours. He'd been looking pale and sweaty for the last ten minutes, but I couldn't get anyone to come look at him. His nurse was in with another patient who took a turn, and everyone seemed busy. I grabbed the aide, asking that they let the nurse know Alex looked pale and sweaty. He peeked into the room and took off running for the nurse. I turned around as an alarm blared out in the room. It was so loud, that I was just staring at my husband. He had blood around his mouth, his eyes were closed. He looked dead!

Oh God!

All of a sudden, everything slowed down. It felt like everything was running in slow motion, like time was slowing down so I could see everything clearly. So, it could be burned into my brain forever. Just when it felt like the slowed-down time would consume me, I was pulled out of the room Over the hospital PA system I heard a voice say, "Code Blue, ICU Room 4. Code. Blue. ICU. Room. Four." And seemingly coming from nowhere, swarms of doctors and nurses and all kinds of people from other departments came flooding into his room. I watched as the crash cart was wheeled in, and drawers were pulled open. I watched as he was stabbed in the chest with what I heard was epinephrine as orders were being shouted across the bed and loudly. I looked on in horror as someone climbed on his bed to start CPR. I watched blood coming out of his mouth, every time they pushed on his chest as they did the chest compressions, wheeling his bed out of the room, a doctor doing CPR, and a team of people running with him. I was left standing there, in utter shock at what just happened.

What just happened to Alex?

One of the nurses with the group came back for his paper chart they still used, just in case, and she saw me. "Are you, his wife?" She asked, looking tenderly at me like I might break into a million pieces at any moment. I nodded. Not being able to form words. She reached her hand out, "Come with me." I went into his room, grabbed my coat and purse, following the nurse to the elevators.

Please don't let my husband die. We've only just begun. If only I had known.

Shaking the memory away, I took a deep breath in and out. Trying to keep myself calm, and remember this is not Alex. Jefferson is not Alex. He won't leave me. Simply thankful he'd been as stable as he had been the last two days. I was expecting something bad to happen. I could feel my guard go down a little bit. A really little bit. We made it past that hurdle.

We could do this. He could pull though.

 

"You can do this. Stay with me, please. Come back to me," I kissed his hand, "I miss you, Jefferson." I rubbed his hands, massaging them, having read it's good to keep his hands from getting stiff. I also asked for something if he's going to be like this longer to help prevent foot drop. I was reading and doing all I could to be proactive in Jefferson's recovery.

 

Anything to help him.

 

Ryder came to visit after his grandpa had the NG tube placed. He came in, and he sucked in a breath. Tears sprang to my first grandbaby's eyes. He was in his first year of college. He's a giant of a boy at 6'4", but he still let his grandma wrap him up in a hug. My little guy just cries into my shirt. He's taking this hard, much like I expected.

 

"H-H-How is G-G-Grandpa?" He sobbed out, trying to calm down enough to get his words out, still holding onto me. Like I was his life preserver, but I was holding onto him just as hard.

 

"He just got a tube in his nose to make sure they can feed him since he didn't wake up in time."

 

He chuckled, "He's gonna hate that. He's always said your cooking is the best." That made me smile, and laugh. I tried to keep the tears in, but it was no use. I was smiling and crying because I was happy that someone else was giving me their happy memories of my wonderful Jefferson, but those were sad times too because I was so scared I might never hear him say that again. I don't think I could bear that.

 

"He's doing okay. He's still got a long way to go, but he's looking more himself every day. I just want him to open those eyes so I can take him home." He squeezed me hard.

 

"I know. He's my only grandpa. I want him home too." He pulled away, and I let him. We stood in the small room, made smaller by all the machines, just watching the rise and fall of his chest. The results of his scans would be back soon.

 

Let's hope for good news. I need something good to hang on to.