June 08, 2020, 7 o'clock in the morning. Six days after their positive test results came out Jared woke up from his quarter feeling so weak and he was having a bad headache. He got fever and he was coughing too. When the person from the adjacent room heard him he immediately called the attention of the one in-charge of the facility. They initially gave him some medicine to bring his fever down and ease his coughing. They still have to wait for the attending doctor to give them the advice or the instructions to transfer him to the hospital.
The person staying in the room next to his curiously asked when the two nurses both wearing PPE's came out from Jared's room, "Hey ma'am, what do you think? is he showing the symptoms already?"
One of the nurses replied, "probably sir but we still have to wait for the attending doctor for instructions. She is still in the Department of Health office attending a conference. She will be here soon. We already gave him some medicine we will check with him again later when the doctor arrives.
The other nurse also instructed the person, "For the time being sir, please stay inside your own room and please help us remind the others also not to keep roaming around the area. Thanks."
The two nurses went back to their station. After a while another nurse also wearing a PPE came to Jared's room to check again his body temperature. He went out and went back to their station and told the other nurses who earlier visited Jared.
"His fever is lowering down from 38.9 C now it is only 37.8 C." The nurse told the others on duty.
"Let's check again later before we give him another tablet." The other nurse replied.
"I already called the doctor she said she'll be back at around 2pm. I told her about the patient in room 205 and she said to have the ambulance ready as well as his transfer documents" The other nurse informing this team.
At around 3:45 pm the ambulance carrying Jared arrived in the hospital. He was rushed to the ICU because while inside the ambulance Jared was already experiencing hard breathing. He was also complaining about how terrible his headache was and pains all other his body. In the ICU room. The attending doctor came to check his condition.
"Hi, my name is Bernard i will be your attending doctor. You are Jared right? I understand you came from Ormoc City. You arrived Manila last June 02 and you are supposed to go back to Canada anytime possible. You already got plane ticket but schedule is still open. Correct?" Bernard reiterating to him his travel details.
"Yes doc, you are right. How long do you think will I stay here doc?" Jared asked in a rough voice while coughing.
"I don't know yet Jared but let's just hope that you are strong enough to resist the virus. Don't worry too much we have so many recoveries so far. You'll just be fine. I need you to be strong." Bernard replied with words of encouragement.
"Thanks a lot doc." Jared responded.
"Also, Jared I need you to do something for me okay? We need you to call your family and inform them about your situation here right now okay? We need to contact them also from time to time in case there is something to decide upon so we need their contact numbers as well okay?" Bernard added and left the ICU room.
Jared was left alone inside his ICU room. There was a deepening silence and after a while tears came flowing down his eyes. He knew his condition was really serious. He didn't know how to tell his family. He didn't know how to even start. When he left his son Jacob he was thinking about his future. He was thinking about the medication Jacob deserves to prolong his life. Jacob is ill and he can't afford losing his only son after he lost his wife almost four years ago. He can't help but blame himself for not listening to his father. He got his phone and tried to call them but he just can't do it. He thought that leaving Jacob three years ago to work abroad was the hardest decision he had ever done so far but he realized that at that point in time he has the possibility to be leaving Jacob one's again and this time it can be for good. When he thought about that he burst in tears like a little child. The more that calling his family became so hard to do at that time.
June 16, 2020. Eight days after he got admitted to the hospital the nurses on duty rushed to Jared's ICU room at 11 pm cause he was having a breathing problem he was chilling cause of high fever and vomiting as well. The doctor advised that he had to undergo intubation as soon as possible to help him breath with a ventilator. They need family consent so they have to inform his family in Ormoc City about it. The medical team attending the patients were only following the necessary protocol on how to treat COVID-19 positive cases admitted with symptoms. Nobody else can get near the patients except those medical experts assigned to do the tasks.
June 28, 2020. It was 10:00 in morning, Jared just woke up from a deep sleep when his doctor accompanied by a nurse entered in his hospital room in the ICU. They were both wearing personal protective equipment and its really hard to recognize who they were with the same suits they wear.
"Hey Jared it's me Bernard your attending doctor so how are you this morning are you feeling better than yesterday?" the doctor greeted him with a happy and vibrant voice.
Although Jared recognized who he was he couldn't answer him verbally because of the tube connected to his throat. He felt a little bit weak and dizzy as well so he just nodded a little as a sign of response.
"Good. That's good to know. Am gonna check with you again later okay?" The doctor replied and gave some instructions to his nurse and after a while they both left the room.
The nurse looked back noticing that Jared trying to raise his right arm forcibly called back the doctor, "Ah Doc Bernard, I think he wanted to say something."
"Okay, please give him a white board and a marker." the doctor instructed the nurse.
When Jared got them he wrote. "Can you please take a video of me using my phone?"
"Yeah, sure Jared we will. Come on take his phone." the doctor responded back.
The nurse started taking the video while Jared erased the first writings and wrote again then showed it to the camera. It says, "Ma, Pa. Sorry, I'm leaving Jacob to you for good. So sorry." Then after a few seconds he died from a sudden heart attack. He dropped the white board in his chest with his hands erasing some portions of the writings and the only letters left that can be read was "LEAVING JACOB."
YOU ARE READING
LEAVING JACOB
Storie breviThis is a story about a single father who worked abroad in order to provide a brighter future for his only son. Leaving his son with his old retired parents while he works in Canada. After being away for around 3 years he went home for the first tim...
