Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4

by Claudia Hall Christian

  Thrilled, Tanesha nodded in such a way as to make a slight bow. John smiled at her. John’s name was called on the overhead speaker.

  “That’s my call,” John said. “Shall we walk back to the ED? Cas?”

  Cas stood behind John. Keeping Tanesha on his right, John walked her to the Emergency Department.

  “Don’t forget to speak to Trish,” John said.

  He and Cas continued to consult on a patient. As Cas passed her, she felt a well of heat that seemed to emanate from his body. She stopped to stare at his back. Before he turned the corner, he turned to look at her. Their eyes caught and he was gone. Tanesha shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Returning to her job as an orderly at the ED, Tanesha couldn’t help but wonder about Cas.

  And why Dr. John Drayson didn’t want her to have anything to do with him.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Thursday night — 10:35 P.M.

  “If you need anything…” Steve Roper said to Sandy.

  He pulled the covers up to her chin and checked her IV again.

  “I will call you,” Sandy said. “You put your number in my phone. I’ll just press the button.”

  “Don’t hesitate,” he said. “I’m only five minutes away and…”

  “Thanks Steve,” Sandy said. “You’ve been really great. I… Yeah, thanks.”

  “Aden’s waiting outside,” Steve said. “Should I let him in?”

  “I’d like to see him,” Sandy said.

  “Don’t overdo it,” Steve said. “You’re still very sick.”

  Sandy nodded. Steve adjusted her blankets one last time and left the room. She heard Aden show him out. She closed her eyes for a moment.

  Feeling movement on the bed, she opened her eyes to see Buster had joined her on the bed. He gave her an adoring look and scooted over. She rubbed his ears. There was a sound at the door. With tears streaming down her face, Noelle stood at the door. Sandy gestured and Noelle ran to the bed. Noelle got in on Aden’s side.

  “Hey!” Nash ran to the bed and scooted in the bed next to Noelle.

  Sandy caressed the children’s hair. She didn’t look up when she heard Charlie come into the room. Instead, she held up the covers and he slipped in next to her.

  “Oh my God!” Aden exclaimed. “What are you doing?”

  “But Dad!” Nash started at the same time Noelle said, “Daddy, I…” Charlie joined in with a “Listen…”

  For a moment, they were all talking at once. Buster barked. And they stopped talking to look at Sandy.

  “This is a little slice of heaven.” Sandy said. Holding Charlie’s hand, she touched Noelle and Nash’s heads.

  “They cannot sleep with you,” Aden said. “I cannot. It’s too dangerous. You’re too sick.”

  “Please Aden.” Sandy’s voice shook with exhaustion.

  “I can sleep on the floor,” Charlie said.

  Charlie jumped out of bed and lay down on the floor. Not to be outdone, Nash rolled out of bed to the floor by her feet. Noelle looked at Sandy and then at her father.

  “Noelle!” Nash said.

  “Oh all right,” Noelle said.

  She leaned over to kiss Sandy’s cheek then ran out of the room.

  “What are you doing?” Nash yelled after her.

  “Getting my covers,” Noelle yelled

  Charlie and Nash trotted after her. Aden adjusted Sandy’s comforter.

  “Please,” Sandy said.

  “No,” Aden said. “I won’t risk it.”

  Tears seeped from her eyes. She silently implored him to let the children stay.

  “You promised you wouldn’t do this. No faking,” he said. His voice was firm but kind. “We need you to get well. How can we get married next year if you’re not there?”

  She put her hand over his and nodded slightly. The children returned with their blankets and made makeshift beds on the floor.

  “Come on Buster,” Noelle said. The dog jumped from the bed. Noelle lifted her blanket and he tucked up against her. “Daddy, where will you sleep?”

  “I don’t know,” Aden said. “Looks like all the good spots are taken.”

  He took a comforter from the closet, grabbed his pillow from the bed, and set them on the empty floor next to the bed.

  “Can I bring you anything?” he asked Sandy.

  She shook her head. Aden was turning off the light when Cleo came into the room. Purring, the cat walked around Charlie’s head and hopped on the bed. She walked along Sandy’s side until she settled on the pillow next to Sandy’s shoulder.

  “Dad, you should move Cleo too,” Nash said.

  “They’ll be all right,” Aden said.

  Shutting off the light, the little family settled in for the night. Sandy watched the ceiling for a few minutes as she counted her blessings. These four people had put their needs, wants, and desires aside to do what was best for her. She’d never felt more loved. Closing her eyes, she fell sound asleep.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED and TWENTY-ONE

  Something’s terribly wrong

  Friday early morning — 3:05 A.M.

  “Sam!” Delphie sat up in bed. She reached over to shake him awake. “Sam.”

  “Wh…what?” He rolled over to look at the clock. “It’s only three. I don’t have to be up for…”

  “Sam,” Delphie said. “Something’s terribly wrong.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  Friday early morning — 3:05 A.M.

  In the midst of a deep sleep, Aden heard a baby cry. He started to wake up. Nearly awake, he remembered there were no babies in his life now. He was slipping back to sleep when he felt some pressure along his body. He reached out to touch Sandy’s cat, Cleo.

  Cleo bat at his hand with her razor sharp claws.

  He jerked his hand away and rolled onto his back. He was drifting back to deep sleep when he felt Cleo’s soft fur against his arm. He heard Cleo cry. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he realized he’d only heard Cleo cry was when she was talking to Sandy. He opened his eyes just in time to see Cleo’s paw come at his face.

  He jerked his face away. Her nails grazed his chin. Cleo cried again.

  He blinked.

  Cleo cried and raised her paw at him again.

  He jerked and sat up.

  Sandy moaned.

  Jumping to his feet, he flew to the bed. He touched her face. She was burning up. Her body was covered in sweat.

  “Sandy!” Aden tried to wake her.

  “What is it?” Noelle asked.

  Ever the light sleeper, Noelle stood wide awake at the side of the bed.

  “Go get MJ,” Aden said. “Go Noelle. Now.”

  Noelle jumped at the intensity in his voice. Afraid, she shook her head.

  “Go,” he said again. “Now!”

  She turned in place and ran out of the bedroom. Buster ran after her.

  “Charlie,” Aden said.

  “What?” Charlie asked from the floor.

  “I need ice,” Aden said. “As much as we have.”

  When Charlie didn’t move, Aden nudged him with his feet.

  “What?” Charlie asked.

  “Ice,” Aden said. “Sandy’s sick.”

  Charlie jumped up and ran out of the room.

  “Nash,” Aden shook his son’s shoulder.

  “Dad?” Nash asked.

  “Sandy’s sick,” Aden said. “Can you get some water? No, a wet towel?”

  Nash rolled into the bathroom.

  “Sandy, Sandy,” Aden shook her shoulder.

  Hearing movement, he saw Delphie run into the room.

  “What is it?” Aden asked.

  “The baby,” Delphie said. “She’s in labor.”

  “Oh my God, I’m going to lose them both.”

  “Not yet,” MJ said on his way into the room.

  He was wearing pajamas with a pajama clad Honey hanging on his neck. She had his medical kit slung around her neck. He set Honey and the kit on the bed. He picked up Sandy and carried her into t
he bathroom.

  “Fill the tub, Nash. Turn on only the cold water,” MJ said to Nash.

  Nash ran to the tub and turned the water on. MJ set Sandy in the tub.

  “Ice,” MJ yelled.

  Charlie appeared at his side with a plastic grocery bag full of ice.

  “We need more ice,” MJ said. “Charlie, run and get Jill. We need their ice and we need Jill. Sam, go wake up Valerie and Mike.”

  “Should I get them here?” Sam asked.

  “Get them here,” MJ said. “And…”

  “Get their ice,” Sam ran out of the room.

  “Nash,” MJ said. “Call her friends. We need everyone praying this morning.”

  Nash scrambled to grab Sandy’s iPhone.

  “Honey!” MJ called.

  “It’s ready,” she said. “Noelle has it.”

  Noelle ran in with a syringe. MJ injected it into Sandy’s IV line.

  “Antibiotics,” MJ said.

  “Oh my God,” Jill ran to Sandy. She put her hands around Sandy’s head.

  “Our ice,” Jacob gave MJ a white trash bag full of ice. MJ poured the ice into the bath. Jacob shifted a sleeping Katy to his other hip. “We have an ice maker so we’ll have more in about fifteen minutes. Should I go to Walgreens?”

  “Go,” MJ said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Charlie said.

  Jacob nodded to Charlie. He laid Katy on the bed next to Honey.

  “I’ve got her,” Honey said.

  “Thanks,” Jacob said. Jacob and Charlie ran out of the room.

  “Mama?” Jill called.

  Anjelika pressed into the crowded bathroom.

  “Oh my God,” Anjelika said.

  “Can you get her feet?” Jill asked. “Sandy’s fever is high. The toxins from the appendix are affecting the baby. She wants out.”

  Anjelika reached into the cold water and held Sandy’s ankles.

  “Mama?” Jill asked.

  “We won’t be able to stop the birth,” Anjelika said. “That baby either joins us or she dies.”

  “They’ll both die,” Jill said.

  Jacob and Charlie ran in with two full bags of ice. They poured them into the bath with Sandy.

  “Can you clear the room?” Anjelika asked.

  “Out,” Aden commanded.

  Familiar with his no-nonsense tone, Noelle and Nash retreated. Mike pushed past Aden into the bathroom. Sam stood at the door. MJ shook his head at Sam. MJ gave one last look at Sandy and left the room. When the door closed, Jill let go of Sandy’s head.

  “We can’t fix everything,” Jill said.

  “We don’t have the time,” Anjelika said.

  “What’s the issue?” Mike asked.

  “Fever? Baby? Or… Or… Sandy?” Jill hiccupped when she said her best friend’s name.

  Mike put a hand on Jill’s shoulder for comfort.

  “Mama, what gets all three?” Mike asked.

  “Fever,” Anjelika said. “We get the fever and get her to the hospital.”

  “Jill?”

  “I c-c-can’t decide… I…”

  “We work the fever first,” Mike said. “Jill, go with her in the Ambulance. I’ll deal with Aden.”

  Mike stuck his head out of the bathroom.

  “Call an ambulance,” Mike said. “We’ll be ready when they get here.”

  “Got it,” MJ said.

  They heard Aden argue with MJ through the door. MJ, Anjelika, and Jill looked at each other.

  “I’ll start,” Mike said.

  Mike took Sandy’s hands. Anjelika took her feet. Jill kissed Sandy’s forehead and put her hands around Sandy’s head. A few moments later, Steve came into the bathroom followed by their sister Candy. Steve put a hand on Anjelika’s shoulder and his other hand on Jill’s shoulder. Candy put a hand on her mother’s shoulder and another on Mike’s shoulder. Megan joined them a few minutes later. Megan put a hand on Mike’s shoulder and one on Jill’s shoulder. For five minutes, Sandy absorbed their entire focus.

  “They’re here,” a male voice said. There was a tap on the door.

  And they continued to focus on Sandy.

  “They’re on their way up,” the male voice said.

  Their focus stayed razor sharp on Sandy.

  “They’re on the second floor,” the male voice said.

  “Reverse order,” Mike said.

  Megan let go of Mike and Jill. Candy let go of Mike and Anjelika. Steve let go of Jill and Anjelika.

  “Jill!” Mike said.

  Megan took Jill’s hands off Sandy’s head. Anjelika let go of her feet and Mike let go of her hands. Mike opened the bathroom door. He, Megan and Candy went into the bedroom. Led by MJ, the paramedics got Sandy out of the bathtub and onto the stretcher. Mike physically restrained Aden to keep him from going with her. Jill ran behind the stretcher.

  An unhappy parade, they followed the stretcher out of the Castle and to the sidewalk. After Sandy was loaded, Jill hopped in. She’d already taken Sandy’s hand when the ambulance made a squealing journey turn out of the Castle driveway. They stood in stunned silence watching the Castle gate close.

  “Delphie?” Aden asked. “Can you take care of the kids? I have to get to the hospital.”

  “I’ll take care of the kids,” Delphie said.

  “We’ll take care of them, Aden,” Valerie said.

  “I’m sorry, Aden,” Sam said. “You can’t go.”

  He pointed to Aden’s ankle bracelet.

  “You’re supposed to get it off today,” Sam said. “They’ll never let you…”

  Aden collapsed to the ground. Delphie helped Valerie herd Noelle, Nash and Charlie into the house. Anjelika went with Megan and Candy to their cars. Aden didn’t look up.

  “Come on, man,” Mike said. “She still needs you to be strong.”

  “Who’s going to be there with her?” Aden asked.

  “Heather and Tanesha,” MJ said. “Jill.”

  “What if she has the baby?” Aden asked.

  “She’s having the baby today,” MJ said. “That’s a certainty. The question is whether either one of them will survive.”

  “Oh my God,” Aden said. “I…”

  “Come on,” Mike said. “Let’s get some cereal. Delphie’s going to want to have one of her ceremonies. We may as well eat while she sets up.”

  “I need to get Honey,” MJ said.

  “I’ll help,” Steve said to MJ.

  “We can take care of Katy, Jake,” MJ said. “Why don’t you…?”

  MJ nodded toward Aden. Jacob nodded.

  “Cereal will help,” Jacob said.

  Jacob helped Aden get up from the ground. He gave Aden a genuine man-hug and thumped him on the back. As they separated, Jacob gently touched the back of Aden’s neck as huge tears rolled down his face. They turned and followed Mike and Sam into the house.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Friday morning — 6:05 A.M

  Refusing to be dislodged, Jill had run behind Sandy’s stretcher through the hospital. The Emergency Room doctors gave Sandy a cursory examination and moved into action. They prepped Sandy on the way to a neonatal birthing center. A team of doctors and nurses waited for them. Jill pulled scrubs over her pajamas and joined Sandy in the room. Within minutes, Sandy’s little girl was born by cesarean section. Sandy was rushed into a surgical suite.

  Unwilling to leave her best friend’s tiny two and a half pound little girl alone, Jill stayed with the nurses and doctor caring for her. For the next hour, she stood to the side while the professionals worked to keep the baby warm and alive. She watched them inject her with a cocktail to mimic the nutrition from her umbilical cord and set up an IV. They struggled to get the moist air in the squirming baby's nose. The baby’s small mewing cries brought tears from Jill’s eyes.

  “She’s going to make it,” the nurse said. She set up the ventilator. “This kid is tough as hell.”

  The nurse let Jill hold the tiny bundle for a moment before setting her int
o an incubator. Jill followed the baby through the corridors and into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Jill stood outside the window staring at the child when Heather and Tanesha arrived.

  “Where’s Sandy?” Heather asked.

  “Surgery,” Jill said. “MJ knows one of the ER docs. He told him there’s another pocket of toxins and infection. They missed it in her original surgery because of the baby.”

  “And the baby?” Tanesha asked. “Did she…”

  Jill pointed through the window to the tiny child in the incubator near the back. The women stared at the baby.

  “She’s beautiful,” Heather said.

  “And so tiny,” Jill said.

  “Like Sandy,” Tanesha said. “How are her lungs?”

  “Not quite developed yet,” Jill said. “The nurse said she was tough as hell. I…”

  “Come on. No blubbering,” Heather said. “Let’s find out about Sandy.”

  “I’d like to go to the chapel,” Jill said.

  “I’ll find out about Sandy,” Tanesha said. “You guys find the chapel. We have some serious praying to do.”

  Jill nodded. Heather steered her to the information desk. Tanesha met them a few minutes later. She confirmed that Sandy was in surgery. They left word for the doctors to find them in the chapel. Together, the three girlfriends went to the chapel to pray for their beloved Sandy and her small addition to their family.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Friday morning — 6:05 A.M

  While the kids collected all the candles in the house, Delphie and Valerie set up the main Castle living room with comfortable pillows. Delphie created a makeshift altar with the candles and began calling the spirits, Gods and Goddesses to the room. By the time Honey, MJ and Katy came down, the Castle living room was a comfortable meditation area. Jacob lit a fire in the fireplace.

  “What about school?” Nash asked. “It’s my last day.”

  “You want to go?” Aden asked.

  Shaking his head, Nash’s pained eyes told more than he was willing to say.

  “Charlie has to get to rehab,” Aden said. “He missed yesterday and…”

  “I’ll take him in an hour or so,” MJ said. “You have to be there at nine, right?”

  “I don’t want to leave…” Charlie started.