What We Never Knew We Needed

Chapter 48

"How is she?!" Don asked jumping up as the room began to spin. "How are Meryl and the..."

Brad gasped as he saw his son's eyes roll in the back of his head and his body hit the floor. "Don!"

"Has he been feeling badly?" Dr. Taylor asked as she knelt by her patient's husband.

Mike shook his head as he knelt down beside his surrogate son. "He told us he hadn't slept or eaten much; but we couldn't get him to eat without Meryl."

"He did sleep almost the whole time she was in surgery; it was at our insisting though." Brad said. "Is my son alright?"

Dr. Taylor nodded as she listened to Don's heart and checked his pulse. "He has a strong pulse and good breath sounds. It could just be low blood sugar as I'm sure he hasn't been eating meals regularly; but I would like to run some tests." She said getting on her hospital issued portable phone. "I need some nurses and a stretcher in the VIP Waiting Room on the Obstetrics Floor next to surgery ASAP."

"What about Meryl?" Brad asked in concern. "How are my daughter-in-law and grandchild?"

Dr. Taylor smiled. "Everything went very well. She is in recovery and will be moved back to her room soon; both her and the baby are doing great. We have already started her on antibiotics."

"The contractions?" Mike asked concerned. "She will be the first thing on his mind when he wakes up."

Brad nodded. "And he will be on hers."

"Contractions have stopped; now we just have to keep her down." Dr. Taylor said as nurses came in with a stretcher.

Brad sighed as he watched nurses lift his sturdy son up on the stretcher. "That is going to be impossible now."

"We're going with you." Mike said to the doctor and nurses.

Brad nodded. "I want Dr. Abbott to see to my son; now."

***

"Mr. Gummer." Dr. Abbott said greeting his patient's father. "It's good to see you again; I'm just sorry it's for this reason."

Brad nodded as he looked at his son still passed out. "Me too. This is a good friend who has always been a father to Don, Mike Brown."

"We've met' though it's been a long time ago. He helped put James away after Meryl's rape." Mike said as he shook Dr. Abbott's hand. "Thanks for checking on Don."

Dr. Abbott was looking at the chart. "I'm glad you called; both Don and Meryl are incredibly special to me, I just haven't had a chance to see her since she was admitted though I know she's in excellent hands with Dr. Taylor and we have been in close contact. Don's scans all came back clear. His labs are good." Dr. Abbott opened Don's eyes and looked. "Pupils look good. I think it is just a combination of lack of sleep, not eating and stress. He will need stitches on his head but I don't want to do that until he's awake; so we'll just keep this bandage that the nurses put on."

"What do we do to help him?" Brad asked.

Dr. Abbott sighed. "As hard as I know it is you just need to wait. I hear everything went well with Meryl's procedure which will do him lots of good. I know I don't need to tell you two, but he puts lots of pressure on himself where Meryl and the kids are concerned. He's probably felt out of control while trying to put up a good front for her and the kids. I have been worried about a chemical imbalance in the past, so has Meryl; but those levels are great. So, I really don't think this is a panic attack which I know will bring comfort to both him and Meryl. I really do think this is just stress and sheer exhaustion. I am going to start an IV; but his vitals are strong."