A Day at the Races

Universal Friend

There was an incessant beeping in the background as Mary began to stir slightly. She had been given a sedative to relax her and it was wearing off. “Uuuhhh…where…” she breathed in deeply and began to push herself up.

 “Mary! Mary! No!” Freddie reached over to her shoulders and pushed back down into bed softly.

 “Nnnn….wha…huh?” she protested a bit, putting the back of her hand on her forehead. “I’ve been sleepin’.” She mumbled hoarsely.

 “Sssshhhh…stay quiet now.” Freddie insisted with genuine concern over his face as he left one hand on Mary’s shoulder and pushed the hair from her face with the other.  “Relax, here…lie down. Don’t move. You want some water?” Freddie continued to pet her head.

 “I…how…” Mary laid back into the pillows, feeling a searing pain tear up her middle. “I don’t remember anythin’ after the sedative except bright lights and…there was a surgeon or somethin’. Fred what happened?” Mary asked, still trying to piece together her surroundings. The continuous beep was the only sound to be heard. Freddie was quiet as he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the pale green tiled floor. He looked back up to Mary and took her hand in his. The look on Freddie’s face was a combination of shock and confusion. He had absolutely no idea how to explain this to her because not even he completely understood it. He opened his mouth slightly but no words escaped him.

 “Mmm…Mar…Mary you…” it was at this most convenient time the doctor knocked on the doorframe and entered the hospital patient room.

 “Well, hello there. How are you feeling? Your color looks much better.” He gave Mary a smile. She looked at him with her own confusion still plastered all over her place.

 “Will someone please tell me what happened to me!? It’s so fuzzy to me! I remember bein’ at the races, standin’ up and then I don’t remember anythin’ until hearing all these people around me gaspin’ and pointin’ and I was tryin’ to walk to a car. There were…there all these important looking people everywhere. I think I screamed a couple times and I kept hearing ‘she’s losin’ blood, she’s losin’ blood’. I remember bein’ taken into this hospital in a wheelchair and rushed straight into the emergency room where they gave me a sedative. After the sedative I don’t remember much of anythin’….’cept bright lights, and someone who looked like a surgeon.” Mary recalled to the doctor as much as she could. The sound of high heels hitting the tile could be heard coming down the hallway outside the door.

 “You remember some, of course I can’t vouch for what happened before you got here.” The doctor turned toward the door. “Ah, but she can.”

 “You’re awake. Oh, you’re awake. Mary.” I went over to her bedside and put a hand on her head. I’m sure I looked quite fetching in my hospital gown that I had put on over my red dress.

 “Lydia! Lyd, why are you here!? Tell me what’s goin’ on please! Please tell me what’s happening!” Mary was about to cry from her fear of not knowing.

 “You mean…you don’t know yet? Fuck! These two haven’t told you!? You had a miscarriage, Mary. You lost a lot of blood. You passed out three times on the way to this hospital and each time it was harder to get you to wake back up. It was fuckin’ terrifyin’ to watch you go in and out. You were whiter than snow and this one here nearly lost all his it. We had to stuff a horse blanket underneath you because of all the blood.” I told her very seriously. It was, after all, a very serious situation. Mary could have died from all that blood she lost. There was deathly silence in the room. I could tell Freddie was trying everything in his power to keep it together and so I moved over near him, sliding my hand down his back.