Their Next Chapter

Chapter 51

"I'll ask again!" Don yelled at no one in particular. "What in the FUCK did you do to my wife?"

Meryl's nurse walked up. "Mr. Gummer, my name is Mandy and I am your wife's nurse."

"Why in the HELL is she in a fucking catatonic sate?" Don yelled furiously. "She was FINE when I left here a little less than an hour ago. A little upset but we just lost a baby for God sakes!"

The nurse tried to put her hand on Don's arm but he moved away. "She was inconsolable so we gave her safe sedation."

"You more than fucking sedated her!" Don yelled as Dr. Abbott walked up. "She is catatonic! She's tied down. Who in the HELL gave you the authority to sedate her? To tie her down? I gave instructions for me to be called if ANYTHING changed and if she was moved. It took me over 15 minutes to find my own wife and now this?"

Dr. Abbott continued to stand back observing for a moment when another nurse came up. "She did want to call you."

"And WHY didn't she?" Don sighed.

The main nurse shrugged. "I didn't think it was necessary; I moved her phone out of her reach."

"You are getting NOWHERE NEAR MY WIFE! IF MY WIFE WANTS TO CALL ME NO ONE IS GOING TO TELL HER NO!" Don said getting in the nurses faces. "Is that fucking understood?"

Dr. Abbott decided to intervene at this point and pulled Don away. "Don? What is going on?"

"Hal!" Don broke down. "They fucking drugged her; she's tied down to the fucking bed. I was gone for less than an hour to take Birdie home and I came back and she's fucking tied down and staring blankly ahead. She's not talking. Her eyes aren't moving. She didn't even flinch or move when I touched and kissed her. They wouldn't let her call me. I didn't sign off on that."

Dr. Abbott was livid as he looked at the nurses. "You two are to be NOWHERE NEAR Mrs. Gummer. I want her chart with what you gave her...NOW. Last time I checked a patient couldn't receive a medication without the doctor signing off on it; which I did NOT do. Don, I'll be right in. Go be with Meryl."

"If ANYONE comes near my wife I am taking this fucking hospital for all it's worth." Don boomed. "That's a promise."

***

"Baby, I'm here." Don said running back into Meryl's hospital room as she was still staring blankly ahead. "We're getting rid of these fucking straps." Don choked as he took the straps off her seeing how her wrists and ankles were already bruising and were bloody. He put the straps to the side so he could show Dr. Abbott how bloody they were. Don kissed all over her face and noticed she didn't move at all. "I'm so sorry, Darl, NO ONE is going to hurt you again. I don't know exactly what the fuck happened but they are going to pay. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE treats you like this. It's going to be okay, baby, it has to be. I love you so much, sweetheart; I'm going to make it okay. I'm not leaving, I'm just going to wet a cloth so I can clean you up." Don said as he ran to get a cloth and wet it then he ran back to her, carefully washing her ankles and then wrists. "This is fucking inexcusable. I am so sorry they wouldn't let you call me, sweetheart, that won't happen again. Soon as I get you cleaned up then I'm taking you home. I don't care what I have to do; but I'm taking you home where you're safe."

Dr. Abbott walked back in at that moment. "Don?"

"I want their license." Don said cooly. "NOW."

Dr. Abbott sighed. "Don."

"Don't." Don shook his head. "Look at all the blood on those damn straps! Look at the blood on this washcloth. THEY did this to her. We just lost a baby; of course she was upset. We found out we had twins and that she miscarried one all in a matter of minutes! She has EVERY right and reason to be upset. The nurses should have helped her through it and not fucking sedate her. She's a rape survivor, Hal; you know how she's easily traumatized even after all these years. They fucking took her back there. She wanted to call me and they wouldn't let her! I'm taking her home."