The end of yearning

Chapter 12

The waiting room is covered in complete silence and we all exchange glances. All the eyes are patiently yet desperately held on the front door for the doctor. I can see scars of pain and dry tears on everyone's face, except mine, because my heart is still bleeding inside. This pain is like a hell for my soul that I don't want to experience. My emotions are taking on and my insides are tight. I want to cry out to him, "I love you, please come back."

I wait, wide eyed, lonely in a crowd, heart pounding rapidly, hoping for some kindness. Time crawls so slowly.

Suddenly the door opens, and we all glance up expectantly, my stomach intertwined. Is this it?

A young doctor in bright blue scrubs enters. He looks exhausted and harrowed. All the blood disappears from my head as I stumble to my feet.

"Charles Brown," Mr. Brown whispers as my mom stands beside me, holding my hand assuring me again and again that all will be good.

"You're one of his relatives?" the doctor asks. His bright blue eyes almost match his scrubs, and under any other circumstances I would have found him attractive.

"I'm his father, Vincent Brown."

"Mr. Brown-"

"I'm Doctor Gerard. Your son is stable, but in a critical condition."

What does that mean? My knees buckle beneath me, and only my mom's supporting arm prevents me from falling to the floor.

"He suffered severe internal injuries," Dr. Gerard says, "principally to his diaphragm, but we've managed to repair them. Unfortunately, he suffered low blood pressure during the operation because of blood loss. We managed to get him going again, but this remains a concern. However, our gravest concern is that he suffered severe contusions to the head, and the MRI shows that he has swelling in his brain. We've induced a coma to keep him quiet and still while we monitor the brain swelling."

Brain damage? No.

"It's standard procedure in these cases. For now, we just have to wait and see."

"And what's the prognosis?" Mr. Brown asks coolly.

"Mr.Brown , it's difficult to say at the moment. It's possible he could make a complete recovery, but that's in God's hands now."

"How long will he be in a coma?"

"That depends on how his brain responds. Usually seventy-two to ninety-six hours."

Oh, so long! "Can I see him?" I whisper.

"Yes, you should be able to see him in about half an hour. He's been taken to the ICU on the sixth floor."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Dr. Gerard nods, turns and leaves us.

"Oh my God!" I whisper to mom. And the tears start to roll down my face once more.

"Sit down," dad orders gently.

"Dad, I think you and mom should go. You need to rest. We won't know anything for a while," Alex murmurs to Mr. Brown who gazes blankly at his son. "We can come back this evening, after you've rested. That's okay, isn't it, Care?" Alex turns, imploring me.

"Of course."

Standing, I hug Mr. And Mrs. Brown in quick succession.

"Stay strong, Care. You are already aware of the fact that you are his strength. I don't have a need to enlighten you about that," Mrs. Brown whispers in my ear. "He's a fit and healthy man. The odds are in his favor."

"I hope so." I hug her hard. Then releasing her I shrug off the jacket and hand it to Mr. Brown, "Care, the best decision that my son has ever taken is to marry you. Don't worry, he will soon recover for us, for you. And keep this, you are still cold."