by Kristy Love
“The accident was bad, I just want you both to be prepared for what you’re walking into,” she said, her voice hushed as though she was trying to hide the fact that she was talking to me.
“How bad?” I asked, my eyes cutting to David.
“Who are you talking to?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“Will’s aunt.”
Before I could say anything else, he grabbed the phone from me. “Is everything okay?” He nodded and climbed out of the car, his long strides difficult to keep up with as we made our way into the hospital. He talked into my phone in hushed tones, though I gave up trying to piece things together. It’d been a long day—and night—and I was sick of the mystery. I wanted to know what was going on so I could try to help.
David ended the phone call and slipped my phone into his pocket. He never once slowed down.
When we were in the elevator and rising to the eighth floor, I decided to break the silence between us. “David, what’s going on?” He refused to answer. His eyes were trained on the floor and his body was rigid. “What am I walking into? Is Mia okay? What about Gia? The baby? Brock?”
“I don’t know anything.” He slammed his palm into the wall. “I don’t know a fucking thing.” The frustration rolled off him. His knuckles were white as he gripped the bar behind him.
I wasn’t sure how to handle this side of David. The knots in my stomach twisted tighter and I felt as though I was about to throw up. I took a deep, shaky breath to center myself.
The elevator doors opened. The corridor was unfamiliar yet familiar in the way that all hospitals seem similar. Bright lights illuminated nondescript walls. The tile floor reflected the lighting, and boring artwork painted in pastels hung on the walls. Room numbers hung next to closed doors. Various sounds filled the halls: crying, monitors beeping, and moans of pain. The scent of antiseptic and something so distinctly hospital filled my nose and caused my stomach to roll.
I hadn’t eaten all day and we spent the previous night in the airport waiting for our flight. David didn’t want to leave because they may have been able to seat us on an earlier flight. So, acid was churned in my stomach and the thought of food was disgusting. Things were too uncertain. I couldn’t understand why David acted so cold, why he wouldn’t say anything to me.
I wanted David to turn toward me instead of away. I already felt him pushing me away, and I was powerless because I had no idea what was going on. Normally, I’d call him out on his shit, but I had a feeling this wasn’t the time. Whatever was happening was too serious.
“Good, you’re here,” Liv said as we approached the nurses’ station. “She’s in surgery.”
“Fuck.” David rubbed his hand over his hair. “What happened?”
Liv’s face softened into an expression of sadness and regret. “Have a seat in room eight-one-three. I’ll send a doctor in.”
David turned and headed toward the room.
“Why won’t they tell us anything?” I asked. Nerves chewed my insides apart.
“I don’t know, but it’s starting to piss me off.”
I sat in a chair in the room while David paced. He stared out the window, then walked around the area where the hospital bed should be. It made me uneasy that Mia was still in surgery. And no one spoke about Gia. Or Brock. All of this was too much. David was fraying in front of me. He was struggling and I was powerless to do anything.
“David Garrett?” A man in blue scrubs walked in. He had a chart in his hand and he looked exhausted. The scrubs were wrinkled, as though he’d been in them a long time.
David stopped pacing. “That’s me.”
“I’m Dr. Ravine.” He extended his hand. “I’ve just finished your sister’s surgery.”
“What happened to my sister?” David clearly had enough of being in the dark. I stood next to him to offer support any way I could.
“She was in an automobile accident. It’s currently under investigation and some of the details are still unclear, but I’ll tell you what I know.” The doctor gestured for us to take a seat, and my heart raced that it was bad enough that we needed to sit. I grabbed David’s hand. The doctor opened the chart in front of him, and his eyes skimmed the paper. “You’re listed as her emergency contact, David.” The doctor’s eyes cut to me. “Is it okay for me to speak about this in front of her?”
David grabbed my hand, the first time he’d really touched or acknowledged me. My heart squeezed. “Roxie’s my girlfriend. You can talk in front of her.”
He nodded. “Mia’s husband was driving and slammed into a tree. It’s unclear whether he was drinking, though the first responders smelled alcohol on him. He’s been checked out by the doctors and released from the hospital. Other than some bumps and bruises, he came out unscathed.” David’s hand tightened on mine. “The combination of the speed, the impact, and the seatbelt locking caused the seatbelt to cut into Mia’s abdomen. She was bleeding when she arrived and it took some time to get her stable enough for surgery. Luckily, the surgery was successful and we were able to stop the bleeding and save her life.”
David’s hand loosened slightly, though it still gripped me tightly, as though I kept him from falling apart. “Thank God.”
Dr. Ravine cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, the baby didn’t make it.”
Silence. It stretched on as sadness and grief filled the empty spaces in the room. David’s hand trembled slightly.
“The baby was gone by the time we made it to surgery. We had to remove your sister’s uterus. The damage was extensive and there was nothing else we could do.” He cleared his throat. “She’s in recovery. She’ll be out soon.”
“She doesn’t know what happened?”
The doctor shook his head. “No, not yet. She wasn’t conscious when she came in, so we’ll have to tell her once she wakes up.”
David rubbed a hand down his face. The color had left his cheeks and our travel clearly weighed on him. “What about Gia?” David’s voice shook.
The doctor’s face transformed from a look of professionalism, where he was delivering unfortunate facts to family members to a look of grief. I fought back tears. What else could he possibly say? The longer he paused, the more my heart sank, and the acid in my stomach churned.
“You’ll have to speak to her doctor for information on her condition.”
David’s hand tightened around mine painfully. “Where?
“She’s in the children’s wing.”
David stood. Since his hand was still wrapped firmly around mine, I stood with him. “Which floor?”
“Five.”
David didn’t wait for anything else. He left the room and headed right for the nurse’s station. Liv saw us approach and met us.
David held out a business card. “I’m going to check on my niece. Here’s my cell phone number. Please call me when Mia is out of recovery.” He let go of my hand and blood flooded my fingers, causing pins and needles to shoot through them. “Please. Day or night, if you need anything for Mia, don’t hesitate.”
“Of course. I’ll keep you updated.”
David nodded and walked away toward the elevators. “Thank you, Liv. We really appreciate it,” I said.
“Any time.” She turned back to her work and I rushed to David’s side. The ride down to the fifth floor was quiet. The tension rolling off David was intimidating. As soon as the doors opened, David took off down the hallway in search of Gia’s room. When we finally found it, he walked through the doorway ahead of me and took a sharp intake of breath. He blocked my view of Gia lying on the bed, though I heard the monitors beep and a ventilator whir. My heart sank.
I stopped next to David and tears flooded my eyes. Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw on the bed. David’s body stiffened and his hands curled into fists. I felt as though I couldn’t breathe, as though a tight band was around my chest, restricting my airflow.
Beautiful, sweet little Gia, normally so full of life and happiness, was hooked up to a multitude of tube
s and wires. Her chest rose and fell in sync with the ventilator’s rhythm. She looked as though she was engulfed in the bed. Her forehead had a bruise and a giant goose egg on it. She had a scrape down her left cheek. She looked pale and lifeless.
It was scary to think how quickly life changed, and how easily it could all be over.
David sank into the chair next to Gia’s bed. He took her hand in his, though it was hard to do because of the IV hookup. He leaned forward and brushed a finger over her cheek. “Hey, baby girl. It’s Uncle David. I’m here now. You’re going to be okay.” No response from Gia. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you.” He rested his forehead against the bed next to Gia’s hand. His shoulders shook with silent tears. I rubbed my hand over his back as tears slid down my face.
Seeing Gia in this bed was killing me; I couldn’t imagine how it felt for David. I’d never felt so useless in my entire life. There was not a single thing I could do to help him feel better. There was nothing I could say.
“Are you family members?” a nurse asked when she entered the room.
“I’m her uncle,” David stood. I moved to his side.
“I’m Mary, the nurse in charge of Gia’s care right now.” She smiled and David shook her hand.
David’s gaze fell on Gia before returning to Mary. “I wasn’t prepared to find her this way.” When his voice broke, a piece of my heart did, too.
“I’m sure it’s a shock. Let me get the doctor and he’ll fill you in.” She smiled and left the room, only to come back a few minutes later with an older man.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Winchester. I’m Mia’s doctor.”
“David Garrett, I’m her uncle.”
The doctor requested permission to speak in front of me, which David provided, then Dr. Winchester motioned for us to sit. “Gia sustained a head injury during the accident. Her brain is swelling. She wasn’t conscious upon arrival at the hospital and she hasn’t regained consciousness.”
The little bit of color left in David’s cheeks drained and he looked as though he was about to be ill. “Will the swelling cause any damage? If she wakes up . . .” He paused and seemed to collect himself before continuing. “When she wakes up, will she have any brain damage?”
“Right now, it’s hard to tell. The injuries are new. We have her on oxygen to try and reduce the swelling, and the IV fluids should help. We’ll keep monitoring her for any changes.”
David nodded as he gazed at Gia. I couldn’t quite process the information the doctor gave us. I had no idea how in the world he was.
“If you need anything else from me, please let me know. We’ll keep you updated as her condition progresses.”
David shook the doctor’s hand before he left. “Thank you.”
We sat with Gia for over an hour. David alternated between talking to her and staring out the window. He held her hand the entire time we were in the room with her. Finally, his phone rang. It was Liv telling him that Mia was out of recovery.
“Would you mind staying with Gia while I go and see Mia? I can’t stand the thought of her being alone right now,” David said. His voice was hoarse.
“Of course. Go take care of Mia.”
He stood and pulled me into a hug, and kissed the top of my head. “Thank you.” He left me in Gia’s room. I sunk down into the chair David had vacated and I picked up Gia’s fragile hand. Seeing her like this was a sucker punch to the stomach. She was so small and so innocent. Her lying in this bed while Brock was out living as though he hadn’t just destroyed all these lives was more than unfair. It was devastating.
“It’s okay, Gia. We’re all here for you. We want you to get better and wake up, okay? Your mommy and Uncle David love you so much. Don’t you give up.” Tears fell once again.
Only time would tell how this would affect us all.
David
MIA LAY ON her back, her gaze locked on the ceiling when I entered her room. Her eyes seemed unseeing and her eyelids blinked slowly. I was sweating as I considered how our conversation would go. How much did she already know?
“Mia,” I said. She blinked a few long, slow times before turning her face toward me. Her eyes glistened, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the drugs or emotion. My stomach churned. My own emotions were too big to handle; I wasn’t sure how to deal with hers. I sat down next to her, rested my elbows on my knees, and leaned forward. She just looked at me. Her face was relaxed and her eyes seemed to be slightly unfocused.
“I’m tired,” she said finally, after long moments.
“Get some rest.”
She kept watching me, her eyelids seeming heavier. Her eyes stayed closed for longer and longer until at last I thought she’d fallen asleep. Her eyelids popped open. “Everything has changed, David.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she gazed at me.
“I know. We’ll get through it, yeah?”
“I’m tired.” Her eyes fell closed again and her breathing evened out. I ran a hand down my face, unsure what to think or say or do. The coming weeks and months would be hard. Gia being unconscious was hard. The way she looked in the bed caused my heart to ache and my stomach to sink.
I sat with Mia for a while, my face buried in my hands. A throat clearing startled me from my thoughts.
“Hello,” Dr. Ravine said as he walked in the room. He nodded in acknowledgement. Mia’s eyes opened. They were clearer than they had been earlier as the drugs wore off. “I’m Dr. Ravine, Mia. I was your surgeon today.”
“Hi,” she said, her voice small.
“I’d like to talk to you about what happened today.”
She nodded. My stomach dropped and my heart twisted painfully.
He proceeded to tell Mia what happened, that she lost the baby and her uterus. Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly. It was a lot for her to process. Before long, large tears trailed down her face as the gravity of the situation appeared to sink in.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said, his face serious. I wondered how doctors could deliver bad news all the time. “After some recovery time, you’ll be back to normal.”
“Just without the ability to have more children.” Mia’s harsh tone surprised me.
She was upset enough over everything. I didn’t want to mention Gia’s condition yet. She needed time to process the way her life had changed. After a few questions from Mia, the doctor left us. Mia cried quietly as I tried to comfort her.
Everything was fractured.
THE NEXT FEW days were hectic. I hardly left the hospital and I bounced between Gia and Mia’s rooms. Mia hadn’t been lucid enough to really talk about what was happening. The doctors had her on pain medicine to help aid her recovery. When she was awake, she didn’t really want to talk. She lay in the bed and stared off into space.
Spending time in Gia’s room was different. Sadness clung to the walls as she made no improvement. The doctors had hope, but it was all up to Gia. It was hard to imagine a two-year-old able to fight her way through this. Since I was the only person there to talk care and treatment for Gia, the doctors sat me down and told me what they knew.
It killed my hope, though they had it.
“She had massive brain trauma. There is brain swelling. It’s not clear what the long term effects will be. We need to monitor her and see what happens if she wakes up.”
“If? There’s a chance she might not wake up?” I shot to my feet and paced. The gravity of what was happening smacked me in the face.
“There’s always a chance. Nothing is certain. The chances are good. She’s young and strong. Other than her brain injury, she’s healthy. She could make a full recovery, or she could be permanently brain damaged, or she could never wake up. It could go any way.”
I returned to my seat and stared at the doctor, at a loss for words or thought or idea what in the hell to do with that information. She may never wake up? My vibrant, strong, intelligent niece may have permanent brain damage? It was too much, especially when Mia’s condition was ta
ken into account.
My hope slipped through my fingers like sand.
“Is there anything we can do to help her chances?” I wrung my hands.
“No. She’s going to do what she’s going to do. Just be here for her.” The doctor talked to me for a few more minutes before he needed to return to the rest of his patients.
Life moved on. I only hoped Gia’s life continued on outside of these hospital walls.
I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I showered and came right back to the hospital. I was too afraid of missing Gia waking up. I was too worried about Mia to stay away. I spent as much time as I could in their rooms and I was running ragged.
I blamed myself for the accident. If I’d gone up to New York for only one day as I’d planned, I would have been home to help. Mia and Gia wouldn’t have climbed into that car with Brock. I could have been there if Mia needed me. Brock wouldn’t have had the chance to fuck everything up.
He was out there somewhere, walking around, free. He was driving drunk and he was slapped on the wrist. He had to pay a fine and his license was suspended.
That was it. My sister lost her baby, the potential to have more babies, and she lay in a hospital bed in pain. My niece was unconscious and may never wake up again.
And Brock was out there, living life. He hadn’t been in once to see them. He hadn’t even called. By the time I got to the hospital, he’d been discharged.
That fucking arsehole walked away.
If I ever saw him again, I’d probably kill him, so it was better that he stayed away. I didn’t need to go to jail over him. He wasn’t worth it.
“David,” Roxie came in. She was carrying a pizza box and a bottle of Coke. “I brought lunch.” She smiled, though she seemed uneasy.
“Thanks.” I pulled over the tray that Gia wasn’t using and lowered it. Roxie set the pizza on it and opened the box.
“I got pepperoni and mushroom.”
Of course, she got my favorite toppings. Roxie had been in whenever she could, even though she still had to go to work. When she was here, we usually split duties. One of us would sit with Mia while the other sat with Gia. That way they weren’t alone.