Oh, That Russian Accent

Chapter 35

After quite a few bathroom and snack breaks, Dimitri and I have finally arrived at the hospital. He parks the car and together, we walk inside. I'm trembling and my emotions are all over the place. The reality has started to hit me again, that there's actually a possibility that he won't make it. I take a deep breath and squeeze Dimitri's hand, that I'm currently holding.

"Your Dad will be just fine, Ruby," he tells me.

"You don't know that for sure. What if he won't? What will happen then?" I ask him harshly, before saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that, I'm just worried."

"I know. Now, come on. Let us find his room."

We walk up to the reception where a tired-looking lady is sitting. She must have been here all night.

"Hi, my Dad had a heart attack some hours ago and he was admitted. Can I please visit him?" I rush out to the lady.

"Last name, please?" She asks me in a monotone voice.

"Oh, of course, it's Dermin."

The lady looks him up on the computer and tells us the room number. I grab Dimitri's hand and pull him along with me. I don't think I can do this alone.

"Are you sure you want me with you?" He asks me unsurely.

"Dimitri, I don't think I can do this without you," I tell him honestly.

"All right then. Let us go," he says and walks into the room, me following right behind him.

When I walk inside the room, the first thing I notice is some nurses swarming around the hospital bed. I can't see my Dad for them, so I walk even further inside the room, pulling Dimitri with me.

And there he lays - My Dad. A small tear escapes as I search his body for any physical wounds, even though I know there aren't any. He's pale and his body looks lifeless. It's a horrible sight.

I walk over to the chair beside the bed and sit down. Dimitri's talking to me, but I can't make out what he's saying. Everything's a blur and I can't focus. I'm in shock. I know nobody can live forever, but I at least thought my Dad would have many years ahead of him before anything would go wrong. I can't believe this.

Finally, Dimitri's hand on my shoulder snaps me out of the trance and back to reality.

"Are you okay, Ruby?" He asks me, clearly concerned.

I nod at him and stand up. I snuggle into Dimitri's side, as I turn to the nurses.

"Is he going to be okay?" I ask them.

"We ran a few tests this morning, but the results won't be back before another hour or two. Right now, he's in a medical produced coma. He won't have any chance of making the brain damage worse when he's in a coma, if he has it, of course, and that's why we put him in it. Now, if you have any questions, please come to me," she tells us with a sweet, understanding voice.

I look up at Dimitri, tears in my eyes. "Do you have any questions?"

"Well... is there anything we can do?" He asks the nurse, pulling me tighter into him. God, I've missed him.

"Umm, since we won't know anything for another couple of hours, he will stay the way he is. That also means, that if you want to get him some clothes or anything, I would recommend you to do it now. At least, now we know that something won't happen with him," she tells us.

"Alright, thank you," Dimitri tells her.

After the nurses have gone away and we're alone in the room, I say, "I think, it's a good idea for us to get him some clothes. And maybe a book or something he can read when he wakes up."

Dimitri looks at me with a heartbreaking look.

"Ruby... you have to be prepared for it, if he cannot read, alright. The Doctors do not know anything yet and neither do we."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," I tell him, tears starting to appear again.

"Do not apologize. You are right, we need to be optimistic, but also remember to be realistic, alright?" He says and I nod as an answer. "Now, let us go home and find some clothes and a book for your father," Dimitri says, trying to cheer me up a bit, as he pulls me out to the parking lot.