When they got to John’s ICU cubicle, he was asleep, and Sheila was getting ready to leave. “Want to walk back to the motel with us?” Michelle asked.
“Okay,” her mom replied, leaning over to kiss her husband’s forehead.
As they crossed the street and entered the motel lobby, Sheila told them all good night and headed to her room.
Ben had parked their truck in the extra parking lot behind the motel, and Steve accompanied him to retrieve their overnight bag while Michelle helped Kelly find their room.
Kelly took advantage of their brief time alone to ask Michelle a question. “Michelle,” she began, “do you have a good doctor in Sandy Cove?”
“You mean a general doctor or a female doctor?”
“OB/GYN. I think I might be pregnant.”
Michelle looked at her with surprise. “Really?”
“Really. It’s a secret for right now. Ben is the only one who knows. I’ve already had one miscarriage, so we aren’t talking about it much yet. This isn’t exactly the ideal time to have a baby, but...”
“There’s never a perfect time,” Michelle said, finishing Kelly’s thought.
“Exactly. Ever since the miscarriage last year, I’ve been really wanting to try again.”
“That’s how I’ve felt with everything happening with my dad. Going through this has really made me think about what’s important. We’d planned I’d finish my degree first and then think about a family, but now....”
“Now you’ve changed your mind.”
Michelle was amazed at how they were able to think alike and finish each other’s sentences. It reminded her of her friendship with Kristin.
“I’m sure glad you live in Sandy Cove, Michelle. It’ll be great to start out already having a friend in our new home.”
Michelle smiled. “I’m glad, too. I’ve just started making friends there myself.”
“So anyway, back to my question. Do you have a doctor you like?”
“Actually, I haven’t tried to find one yet. There are lots of doctors in Portland, but that’s quite a drive. I noticed there is a women’s clinic on Main Street at the north end of town. They mention something about infertility specialists on the sign.”
“I’ll check it out. Thanks,” Kelly added with a smile.
“Sure. Let me know if you find a doctor there you like.”
The guys walked into the open door. “Thanks for a great afternoon,” Ben said, shaking Steve’s hand, and then pulling him into a brotherly hug.
“Our pleasure,” Steve replied with a smile, taking Michelle by the hand.
“Well, I guess we’d better let you get some rest,” Michelle added.
They said their goodnights and made arrangements to share an early breakfast in the coffee shop the following morning before Ben and Kelly hit the road again on the last leg of their journey and Steve took off for the airport.
Once Michelle and Steve were back in their own room, Michelle eagerly popped the news about Kelly. “She just said she might be pregnant, so nothing’s definite yet. But I’ll bet you anything she is.”
“Guess they beat us to it,” Steve said jokingly.
“Maybe they haven’t,” Michelle quipped in return, a glint in her eye.
“What do you mean by that?” Steve asked, suddenly getting serious.
“I wasn’t going to tell you this yet, but I’m actually a week late.”
“You are?”
“It’s probably just from the stress of everything about my dad,” Michelle added.
“Did you tell Kelly about this?”
“No, I thought I should talk to you first.”
“Thanks.” Steve looked concerned. “So you’d be okay with this if you are pregnant?”
“Yeah, I would. Would you?” Michelle asked.
“I guess. I just thought we were going to talk more about it before we made that decision,” he added.
“I know. But it isn’t like I planned this or anything. If I haven’t started by Wednesday, I’ll do a home pregnancy test.”
“Wednesday. I won’t even be here on Wednesday,” Steve said as he fidgeted with his water bottle.
“I’ll call you right after I get the results,” she promised, touching his face with her hand and breathing a silent prayer. Dear God, please let it be so. Let this be the start of a new life within me.
CHAPTER NINE
It was Monday morning, and Michelle was dragging. Usually she and her grandfather had breakfast together. He would pray and read the Bible with her, answering any of her questions. She savored those times and could see how God was using this season in Bridgeport to draw her into the Bible while she had an able instructor by her side.
But last week Phil had come down with an upset stomach, and now Michelle woke up feeling lousy.
“Aren’t you meeting Grandpa at the coffee shop in half an hour?” her mother asked, when she noticed Michelle had rolled back over in bed.
“I’m feeling lousy,” she moaned, secretly wondering if this could be early morning sickness.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s my stomach and my head,” she said, not wanting to roll back over to face her mother. Every move brought a new wave of nausea.
“Sounds like you might have what Grandpa had,” Sheila observed. “I’ll call their room and tell him you won’t be meeting him this morning.”
“Thanks, Mom,” was all she could manage before forcing herself out of bed to make a run for the bathroom.
Sheila called her parents and explained Michelle’s condition. “What did she eat?” was the first thing out of Joan’s mouth.
“I don’t know,” Sheila replied impatiently, convinced her mother’s theories about food poisoning were for the birds.
“I’ll send your father over to your room with that medicine we got at the pharmacy. It seemed to really help him. Maybe it’ll work for Michelle.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Do you want me to stay with her while you go over to the hospital this morning?” Joan asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great. She’ll probably insist she’ll be fine by herself, but she’s in the bathroom right now, and she sounds horrible.”
“I’ll just grab a newspaper and a cup of coffee and come sit with her. Your dad can go with you to your meeting with Dr. Jeffries,” Joan added.
“Oh, I’m glad you mentioned that. I’ve got to finish writing down my questions before we go,” Sheila said, mostly to herself.
“We’ll be over there in about fifteen minutes.”
“You don’t have to rush, Mom. My appointment isn’t for another hour and a half.”
“I know, but maybe you’ll get a chance to eat a decent breakfast with your father before you go to the hospital. He needs to build his energy back up.”
“I’m fine, Mother,” Sheila could hear her father say in the background. She thought it was comical the way he called his wife “Mother” when she tried to parent him.
“You need to eat,” Joan bantered back. Then she turned her attention back to the phone and Sheila. “Make sure he eats something,” she instructed her daughter.
“Yes, Mom,” Sheila replied, glad her mother couldn’t see her shaking her head. Just then Michelle came out of the bathroom looking pale.
“I’ve gotta go,” Sheila said into the phone. “See you when you get here.”
After she hung up, she helped Michelle get settled back into bed. “Your grandma’s coming over to sit with you while I go to the hospital. I’ve got that meeting with Dr. Jeffries this morning, or I’d stay here with you myself.”
Michelle barely nodded her head.
“You just try to rest, honey. Grandpa’s bringing over the medicine he took the other day. It seemed to help him. You can try a little if you’re up to it.”
Another faint nod was the only response she got. Sheila got dressed and sat down at the table by the window. She wanted to finish her list of questions for the doctor.<
br />
Soon Phil arrived with the medicine. But Michelle was sleeping, and Sheila didn’t want to wake her. Joan followed Phil a moment later, newspaper and coffee in hand. She shooed them out the door with specific instructions to get a decent breakfast.
Phil just smiled at his wife, gave her a peck on the cheek, and offered his arm to his grown daughter, ushering her out of the quiet room and across the parking lot to the familiar coffee shop.
“Well, it looks like I have some encouraging news for you, Mrs. Ackerman,” Dr. Jeffries began.
Sheila and Phil scooted forward in their seats as they leaned toward the doctor’s desk.
“Your husband has stabilized quite nicely, and I think we can prepare him for a transfer from the ICU to the neurology wing on the third floor. We haven’t had any more episodes since the middle of last week,” he added, referring to the “Code Blue” that had required emergency intervention. “His intracranial pressure is stable, his vitals are strong, his neuro checks show his pupils to be equal and reactive, and he’s even able to respond to some verbal commands regarding opening and closing his eyes, squeezing the nurse’s hand, or nodding his head. These are all remarkable improvements that I, frankly, did not expect to see in this case.”
Phil closed his eyes for a brief moment, and Sheila could guess he was thanking God for the doctor’s words. He reached over and squeezed her hand, and she returned his smile then looked back at the doctor.
“He’s still not completely out of the woods, Mrs. Ackerman. But I’d say your husband has a decent chance of recovery. We won’t know the extent of the permanent damage for some time yet, but I’m optimistic he’ll continue to improve slowly over the next few weeks. I’m encouraged by the fact he is making eye contact and is able to respond to some of our ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions by moving his head up and down or side to side. This is a big step for someone with his injuries. It indicates he is not only hearing us, but processing the information and coming up with a fitting response.”
“But doctor,” Sheila cut in, “why does he sometimes just close his eyes instead of answering? It always scares me. Like he might slip back into a coma.”
“Your husband is likely having great difficulty managing all the stimulation around him. In brain injuries like this, light and sound sensitivity are greatly increased. He is also probably in a lot of pain. Severe headaches are common for years, maybe his whole life, after a trauma like this.”
Sheila looked at her list of questions. She was really excited about the news of John’s pending transfer out of the ICU, but she wanted to be sure he would be well taken care of on the neurology wing.
Dr. Jeffries answered all her questions as well as he could, qualifying many of his answers with the statement “It is difficult to predict many of the points of recovery in brain injury patients.” He reassured her that moving him from the ICU to neurology would not compromise John’s care.
“How long do you think it will be before he can be safely moved down to Orange County?” Sheila asked.
“I’d like to observe him for at least another couple of weeks. He’s still very weak, and that would be quite a trip for him to make. You’re probably looking at a minimum of two to three weeks to build up his strength and get him ready for rehab. That would be the best time to make the transfer to another facility.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Phil said, as their meeting was about to conclude. “We really appreciate all that you have done and are doing for John.”
“I’m just glad it has turned out this well so far,” Dr. Jeffries said as he stood. “John’s a lucky man.”
“He’s in God’s hand,” Phil stated in return.
By the time Sheila and her father got back to the motel, Michelle was sitting up in bed, gingerly sipping some soda Joan had brought for her. She looked a little better and even managed a weak smile as she asked her mom to tell her what the doctor had said.
Sheila explained about the good news of the imminent transfer to the neurology wing and the possibility of being transferred to Orange County. Michelle and Joan both looked relieved.
“That’s great news!” Joan exclaimed, a smile brightening her face.
Sheila beamed. Her heart was feeling so much lighter after the meeting with Dr. Jeffries. “Why don’t you two take a break and get a snack or some lunch,” she suggested to her parents. “I’ll stay here with Michelle.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Michelle said, forcing a weak smile. “There’s nothing you can do for me anyway. I just have to wait this thing out.”
“Are you sure, Mimi?”
“Positive.”
“Okay, then I guess I’ll go back over to the hospital and sit with your dad for a while.”
“Oh, and Mom,” Michelle began again, “that’s great news about Dad. Give him a kiss for me and tell him I miss him.”
“I will, baby. You try to get some rest,” Sheila added with love.
As soon as the room was empty, Michelle sank back down under the covers. She yearned for Steve’s arms to cradle her as she sought to get comfortable. When he had left the day before to go back home, it was as if a part of her went with him, leaving a huge void inside. She hadn’t noticed it as much the first time he left because she was so wrapped up in the crisis with her father. But this time she felt lonely and a little lost without him. Maybe after Dad gets settled into his new room, I’ll take a week and go back home. Especially if I’m pregnant, she thought to herself.
CHAPTER TEN
The next day was a better one for Michelle. Her stomach had calmed down quite a bit, reducing the likelihood it had been morning sickness, and she was starting to think about the plan for her father’s eventual move to a facility in Orange County. When that occurred, she’d be able to go back to Sandy Cove.
No one seemed to know the extent of the rehab possible for her father or the duration of his future stay in such a facility, but Michelle knew her mother would be able to manage once she was back in her own home and had Tim readily accessible in the neighborhood. Of course, Michelle would still plan to make frequent trips down to see her parents, but she would be spending most of her time back at home with Steve.
Funny how Sandy Cove had become home to her. When she left Orange County less than a year ago, she wondered if she’d ever feel settled in Oregon. Now she craved her house, her husband, and even her cat.
Although she felt quite a bit better than the day before, Michelle and her mom thought it was in her dad’s best interests for her to stay clear of him another day or two, just in case whatever had attacked her was contagious. Even Joan, who persisted in her food poisoning theory, supported their decision “just in case.”
While Phil and Joan accompanied Sheila over to the hospital, Michelle made her own escape from the motel, slipping out and taking a short walk down to the nearby pharmacy to purchase a home pregnancy kit. Her cycle had not started, so she still hoped she might be pregnant. She felt embarrassed and awkward as she placed the blue and white box on the moving belt of the checkout stand, but the boy at the register did not even blink as he rang up her total.
Back in her room, she quickly opened the package and read the directions. She would wait till morning to perform the test since it advised using a small amount of the first urine of the day as a sample. Tucking the test kit away, she eagerly looked forward to discovering the results. She and her grandfather were not yet back on schedule for their morning prayers and Bible readings, so she planned to sneak into the bathroom and take the test before her mother even woke up.
The rest of the day dragged for her. She spent most of it channel surfing and looking through the stack of magazines her grandmother had purchased for her the day before. Knowing that she was still in the process of decorating her house, Joan had spotted several magazines with articles on the subject of remodeling and interior design, and she thought they would give her granddaughter a diversion while she was stuck in the motel room.
Michelle carefully folded down
the corners of the pages that interested her, underlining some of the suggestions and circling pictures she wanted to show her mom to get her opinions. Later she opened her laptop and started a search for more community college courses but ended up on a website of baby names. She began a list of her favorites and was startled when a knock on the door announced the arrival of her grandmother bearing a light dinner of chicken noodle soup and crackers.
“This should help settle your tummy, dear,” Joan said with a smile as she set the tray on the table.
Michelle closed the laptop and walked over, giving her grandmother a hug. “Thanks, Grandma.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” Joan glanced over at the unmade bed and the magazines strewn across one side. “Do you want me to straighten up a little here while you eat?”
“No. You just sit down and relax. Tell me about Dad. How’s he doing?” she asked as she started sipping the soup and munching on a cracker.
“They finally transferred him to neurology around 3:45,” Joan began. “We were waiting for the doctor to come by and sign the papers most of the day, but he got caught in an emergency surgery. Your dad looks great, Michelle,” she added, patting her hand.
“So how does the neurology wing seem?” Michelle asked.
“I think it will be fine. The nurses are very nice. Guess who we saw there?”
“Who?”
“Sherrene. She’s substituting for one of the regular night nurses. Isn’t it wonderful how the Lord arranged that? She’s such a sweet little gal, and your father already knows her, so it will make his first night in a new room easier.”
“That’s great, Grandma. Mom must be relieved.”
“She was so glad to see him get out of the ICU. We all were.” Joan looked into her granddaughter’s eyes and smiled. “It’s a sign, Michelle. Your dad’s going to get well, I just know it.”
“I love you, Grandma,” Michelle replied with a hug. “You always look at things so positively.”
Through the Tears (Sandy Cove Series Book 2) Page 7