SHIPS CompanionSHIP, FriendSHIP, RelationSHIP

by K'Anne Meinel

  They arrived in under 10 minutes at the ER and the experts there took over. The paramedics gave all the data they had collected, not leaving out anything including their opinions. She apparently had hit her head pretty hard. The neck brace had to stay on. Grace wasn’t allowed in the trauma room although she continually tried. Finally they threatened her with security. She didn’t care. She was finally recognized as a doctor in the hospital despite her shambles. She had Joan’s blood all over her. Her hair had come out of it’s neat clips and hung in tendrils over her face. Blood covered her clothes. She watched as they worked on her frantically. They lost her heartbeat and used the paddles, once, twice, three times before getting it back. They intibated her. They worried over the blood loss and the blow to her head. A surgeon came in to asses her for removal of the bullet in her arm. They rushed her to surgery. Grace followed along looking lost. One of the doctors tried to stop her to question her but she angrily brushed him off. Instead she asked one of the nurses to contact Craig.

  Dr. Anderson was called at home and informed that Joan Woods was brought to the emergency room near death from a bullet wound. Eating a late dinner with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren he frantically left to get to the hospital.

  Craig received the call as he helped Jane wash the kids for bed. Leaving her with the kids he raced to the hospital calling his brothers on the way.

  Adam left Gwen with Donny and raced away.

  Bryan answered after a long ringing of his cell phone. He was with Kim and they both went to the hospital.

  Jason was on call that evening and working late in his office when he heard. He went down to find a bloody Grace watching from the operating balcony as they worked on Joan. He convinced her to go to the waiting room. She was numb with worry. Craig found her there sitting looking at a cup of coffee that had been put in her hand. He had an incredible sense of deja vu. Except she was full of blood. She didn’t answer when he tried to talk to her. Adam walked in a few minutes later with the same results. Bryan and Kim walked in and asked what happened. All Jason could tell him is what he had been told that Joan had been shot and brought to the hospital. Grace sat there as though waiting for something. Lieutenant Gillespie walked in half an hour later but she didn’t respond even then. She just sat there waiting. Gillespie signaled to Craig that he wanted to talk to him and Adam and Brian followed them out of the room. Gillespie asked Craig if he were related to Grace? Craig explained that he was Joan’s son as were Adam and Bryan. Nodding Gillespie told them about what had occurred that evening. They were horrified having known only about the occasional car sighting and the harassing phone calls.

  Dr. Anderson came hurrying up. Recognizing Craig he greeted him and asked what was going on. Craig told him what he knew and Jason came out upon hearing Anderson’s voice. Dr. Anderson went into the waiting room and was surprised to see Grace sitting there covered in blood. Jason had been trying to get her to change into scrubs but she just didn’t answer. Dr. Anderson asked if she was okay, no answer. Startled he looked around with questions in his eyes but no one to answer them. They all sat there and waited, drinking bad cups of coffee. Graces coffee became cold in her hand. Finally the surgeon came out. Seven faces rose to him. Grace got up and the guys stood as well. Alarmed at all the blood drying on Grace he asked if she was okay. She nodded and silently waited.

  The surgeon addressed himself to Craig. He explained that his mother had lost a lot of blood, over half her blood had been replaced. He told how he’d removed the bullet. It hadn’t been in her arm but lodged in a rib. It had gone through her arm and barely missed an artery. The bullet in the rib had been difficult to remove. They’d gotten it out but what concerned him most was the blow to her head. It had cracked her skull and he was worried about the snapping back that her head had gotten. There was a swelling at the base of her skull from that. Nothing was broken but with her blood loss and other symptoms she was in grave condition. The hospital had done what they could but they were not hopeful that she would survive the night. Grace sat down abruptly with a sob.

  Craig went to her but Kim beat him to her side. She put her arms around Grace and held her as she sobbed, rocking her gently. Dr. Anderson looked on cluelessly. He had no idea why Grace was behaving this way not knowing that Grace was married to Joan but he assumed that she was somehow involved because of the state she was in and her bloody clothes. Craig asked the surgeon before he left if they could see their mother and he said in about an hour one of them could go in. He left the waiting room. Lieutenant Gillespie left soon afterwards. Dr. Anderson left to make some phone calls. The boys all sat down waiting again. Graces sobs subsided and she sat there numbly. Finally Jason convinced her to change her bloody clothes. After she left with Jason, Bryan came to sit next to Kim, holding her close. After about 45 minutes Grace returned. She’d showered and was dressed in scrubs wearing a hospital ID badge. The surgeon returned and said someone could go see Joan. Grace made a move as if to go with him but he told her that only family members could go in.

  She looked at him with devastated eyes. Clearly and distinctly she said “I AM family. Joan is MY wife.”

  He was startled but seeing the nods that the boys gave him he led her into the ICU Joan lay there hooked up to machines all beeping away with monitors attached about her. She looked so pale even against the white sheets. Grace stood there looking at her helplessly. The surgeon explained what was going on, her chances, possible recovery. Grace listened but did not respond. One of the ICU nurses came over for a signature and noticed Grace.

  “Grace, what are you doing here?”

  Grace looked up at her. The woman almost took a step back at the misery she could see in her beautiful brown eyes. The woman glanced between Grace and the patient lying there. She knew Grace, she put two and two together.

  “Is that Joan?”

  Grace nodded.

  “Oh my gawd Grace, I’m so sorry.”

  Grace nodded, acknowledging the sympathy. The surgeon was confused. Why was Grace in scrubs wearing an ID badge. How did the nurse know her? Tilting his head he indicated he wanted to talk to the nurse. They walked far enough away that Grace wouldn’t hear them. He asked his questions and was told that Joan was Grace’s wife. That Grace was now the chief of Psychiatry. A lot of his confusion was immediately cleared up. He watched Grace for a moment as she rubbed her arms watching Joan. She began to speak to Joan. He moved closer to listen as the nurse left the room. She told Joan what an idiot she had been to fight with Beth. Who was Beth he wondered? Now look at the state she was in. She better recover soon as they all were waiting for her to open her eyes. She went on for several minutes before she took a deep breath and said simply but with great feeling “I love you, Joan.” She leaned over through all the tubes and paraphernalia and gently kissed her on the lips. Turning she silently left the ICU.

  The guys, Kim, and Grace all sat in the waiting room. Three times Joan had coded. Three times they got her back. They all looked a bit shell shocked. Jason brought cups of coffee and donuts. At 9 the next morning Jane and Gwen walked in pushing their strollers and Jane had Jennifer by the hand. Aaron walked in by their side. Craig immediately stood up and told Jane she shouldn’t be there. Jane told them all that they needed to know what was going on, no one had called and they’d tried paging them but no one had responded. Both girls sat down and Craig filled them in on what they knew about Joan’s health. He refrained from telling what Lieutenant Gillespie had told them for Grace’s sake. Grace was sleeping with her arm rested on the edge of the couch. Kim had found a blanket somewhere and covered her.

  It was touch and go for a few days. The swelling of her brain was a concern. Her neck as well. Finally she seemed to get better. Some of the monitors were removed and she could leave ICU. She wasn’t conscious though and she still was intibated. She looked so helpless laying there. Her body showed the signs of the fight with bruises showing up on her face and arms and the deep scratches from Beth’s finger na
ils on her face as well as the punch to her jaw. Worst of all was the bandage on her forehead from the coffee table blow. It had required stitches of course but it was almost black in appearance. Against her pale skin it was horrible.

  After a few more days they talked about removing the intibation tube. They weren’t certain that she would breathe on her own. Grace asked that they remove it. Craig wasn’t so certain. They got into a horrible argument in the hall over it. Craig knew that Joan didn’t want to ever be hooked up to machines but he felt with a little time that she would overcome all this. Grace felt she’d recover faster if she did it on her own. Furthermore, she knew Joan would hate to have the tube if she was awake to object. Craig thought Grace was trying to ascertain her territory as Joan’s wife. In anger he finally pointed out that their marriage wasn’t legal in this state. The doctor’s who did know Grace sided with Craig anyway and followed his directives. Furious she walked away and went home. Getting out her marriage certificate and a few other papers she went back to the hospital and demanded to see Dr. Anderson.

  He was surprised to see his new Chief of Psychiatry. He knew she was a friend of Joan Woods but what she showed him really threw him. She explained that there was a problem in Joan Woods care. A difference of opinion in how it should be managed. She produced the marriage certificate which floored him. She also produced a power of attorney naming Grace as Joan’s protector in the event of incapacitation. The third paper was a DNR to be used under Grace’s discretion. Joan had arranged these after the poisoning in California, afraid that she’d end up on life support for the rest of her days. Grace had the same papers drawn up for herself naming Joan. Dr. Anderson had no choice but to listen to Grace, he certainly didn’t want to draw the courts into this. He went down and directed the doctors in charge of Joan’s care to obey Graces directive, he explained about the power of attorney. He left them to it and Grace requested the tube be removed.

  The doctor was removing it when Craig, Adam, and Bryan walked in the room. “What the HELL are you doing?” Craig yelled.

  The doctor continued to remove it and Craig lunged at him. A male nurse standing nearby grabbed him and held him back until the tube was removed. Grace held her breath as Joan took her time to take her first unassisted breath. Finally she did. One, two, they continued.

  “I told you NOT to remove that!” Craig shouted in the doctor’s face. The doctor told him he’d had no choice. He indicated Grace. Grace looked up calmly at Craig and informed him that she had power of attorney from Joan and that all future decisions regarding her health would be made through her. Furthermore, as Joan’s legally wedded wife he should have let her. She shouldn’t have had to pull out the power of attorney paperwork. He stood there defeated. Adam and Bryan pulled him from the room. How could Joan have done that. THEY were her son’s. Bryan tried to talk to him, to convince him that Grace would do what was best for their mother but he ranted and raved. Much to their surprise Adam finally told him he was being an ass and that his mother wouldn’t have made those decisions about her health without first considering it carefully. Furthermore, Grace was mom’s WIFE and was due the respect that that implied. Craig calmed down and sat in the waiting room. Hours later Grace came in for a cup of coffee. They asked her how Joan was, she told them no change. Craig apologized to her but they were both a bit cold to each other.

  Weeks passed and Joan continued on in the same fashion. No better, no worse. Her body healed. Grace made arrangements for a plastic surgeon to look at the forehead but he wouldn’t do anything until Joan woke up and consented to the surgery. Much to the doctor’s relief the swelling at the base of her neck had subsided. The wounds made by the bullet were healing. Joan however remained unconscious, in a coma.

  Craig was terrified that Grace would pull the plug. As the only thing that Joan was hooked up to was a feeding tube and a catheter to remove her wastes Grace felt no inclination to do so. She was insulted that the Craig hadn’t any confidence in her.

  Grace returned to her duties at the hospital. Her breaks and lunch were spent in Joan’s hospital room talking to her. No response though. Brain waves indicated she was alive but not much more. Grace worried that the longer Joan took to wake up the bigger possibility of brain damage or death. One night after walking D.O.G. Grace was sitting near the balcony doors looking out. It was getting dark and she could see her reflection in the window. She was thinking over Joan’s care. The hospital doctors were making noises about moving her to a long term health care facility. Grace knew Joan could come home and they could hire a full time nurse. She hadn’t thought it all through yet so had made no decisions. Glancing up at the painting GRACE she suddenly realized something. Looking at her reflection in the windows she looked again at GRACE and realized it was her profile on that painting. All these years of having it in their homes and she JUST realized it. What a dope. How could she not have known? All the love and work that had gone into it was apparent. She wondered why no one had ever said anything to her about it, they must have assumed she knew.

  Thinking of something else she ran upstairs, D.O.G. following at her heels. Going through the desk she found the notebook that Joan had been writing in. Page by page she read the documented proof of Beth’s terror campaign. She reached for the phone and called Lieutenant Gillespie. The case wasn’t going well. Beth was a virtual vegetable from the blows to her head and the prosecuting attorney wanted to charge Joan with attempted murder. All of Grace’s testimony and what the Lieutenant had gathered wasn’t squat to this prosecutor. The Lieutenant said he would meet her at the hospital tomorrow to pick up Joan’s journal. Remembering her own as well Grace offered it for evidence. When he came by she told him that he could obtain statements from her old boss Greg, and Dr. Anderson as well as Dr. Baird and Dr. Eaol regarding the incident from last year. With all this information he felt better about the case and proceeded to do as she asked. First he asked after Joan and Grace told her that nothing had improved.

  It had been more than two months. It was definitely spring outside. It was a warm spring too. Joan continued to make no change. The hospital insisted that she be moved. They needed the room they claimed. Dr. Anderson came and talked to Grace. Grace agreed to have Joan moved to her home and hire a staff of nurses to care for her. She went to tell Joan. She was sitting there talking with Joan when she thought she heard something. Looking up she saw Joan looking around the room.

  Rising she gave her a beautiful smile. “Hello, Joan.”

  Joan looked at her and said “hello” her eyes continued to look around the room. She examined each detail. She looked at the IV attached to her arm.

  Grace realized she must be confused and said “your in the hospital. Do you remember why?”

  Joan looked back at Graces voice and then shook her head. She waited expectantly for Grace to tell her an innocent look on her face.

  “You were shot. You lost a lot of blood and took a blow to the head. Do you remember anything?” Grace asked her gently.

  Again Joan shook her head then asked Grace “are you one of my doctor’s?”

  Grace froze. After all this time she hadn’t expected this. Thinking quickly she answered “No, not really. I’m actually your best friend.”

  Joan smiled up at her. “Oh, that’s nice. What’s your name?”

  “Grace” she answered.

  “What a lovely name. You said my name was...Joan?”

  “Yes that’s right.”

  Nodding Joan continued to look around the room. “How long have I been here?”

  “Over two months.”

  “Oh, can I leave soon?”

  “Well, once your doctor’s say you can go home.”

  “That’s good.” She bit her lip and then “Where’s home?”

  Not sure of how to answer that one Grace hedged a little and then “Here in Wausau.” She went on to describe the chalet hoping to jog Joan’s mind.

  Just then a nurse came in to check on her patient. She was reading the chart a
s Grace talked to Joan but she was used to it. Grace always talked to this patient whether she could hear her or not. She was startled though to hear Joan’s voice respond. She looked up to see that Joan was awake. Completely. She ran to get Joan’s doctors. The room quickly became full of doctors who asked questions of Joan. Joan didn’t know the answers and became a bit overwhelmed at all of them. Grace finally asked everyone to leave.

  Grace called the boys and told them Joan was awake. They each came to visit her. Craig brought Jane and the kids, Adam brought Gwen and Donny, Bryan brought Kim. She remembered none of them. She listened as she was introduced and was polite to all of them but she didn’t really believe them when she was told that they were her son’s, grandson’s, daughters-in-law, or granddaughters. Kim she gave a spark of recognition for a moment but it was lost.

  Joan’s doctor couldn’t tell them if the amnesia was permanent or not. He personally thought so given that she remembered nothing of these people and the trauma to her head. The mind though was a tricky thing. He agreed that she should go home, physically there was nothing wrong with her, she was healed. He also recommended that she see a psychiatrist. Grace couldn’t treat Joan so she asked Jason to. He agreed heartily feeling that Joan was his friend and he would be able to relate to her very well. They set up three sessions a week and Joan was cleared to go home.

  Grace arranged to take her home herself. The boys wanted to all be there but Grace refused saying she didn’t want to overwhelm Joan her first day home. Joan admired the Jaguar as they drove. She didn’t ask any questions and watched avidly as they drove down the road and to the chalet. She was impressed by the electric gate that swung open for the car. Grace parked in front of the chalet and got out. Joan got out too but slowly, her eyes taking in the place but recognizing nothing. Grace led the way into the house and Joan followed slowly. Mrs. Richardson was there and Grace introduced her to Joan. Joan was polite but had no clue who this woman was who apparently knew her. D.O.G. greeted her enthusiastically and she bent down and petted him until he calmed down while Grace told her his name. He hadn’t seen her in months and it took awhile until he was settled.