A Simple Misunderstanding (Corbin's Bend)

by Kathryn R. Blake

  Seeing her eyes finally open, he smiled at her. “Hi, beautiful.”

  She frowned and opened her mouth, but all that came out was a croaked, “Whaa?”

  “Water?” he asked, pleased when she nodded. “Good. Don’t try to speak, yet. They intubated you during the surgery, and I suspect your throat is raw right now.”

  Told she could have water if she requested it, he fetched the glass and bent the straw, then rolled in close to her. They had her bed already propped up in a near sitting position, so he didn’t need to move her. “Sip slowly, sweetie. You can drink as much as you want, and I’ll fetch it any time you ask, but only a little at a time until we’re sure your system can handle it. All right?”

  She gave a nod and released the straw, so he put the glass down nearby. All she had to do was point and he would give her more. He wrapped his fingers around her bandaged wrist, pleased she didn’t pull away. Her pulse was a bit fast, which considering how sluggish it had been earlier, he took as a good sign. He ran his hand along the length of her arm.

  She glanced down at the hospital gown she wore. “Clothes?”

  “Gone. Your skirt was ruined, and they cut off your turtleneck rather than attempt to pull the sweater over your head. You don’t remember?”

  She shook her head as her hand moved over the covers right below the ribs on her left side, undoubtedly aware now of the bandage and drain they’d inserted. He gently clasped her fingers.

  “You had surgery. Your spleen developed a tear, which meant they had to remove the damaged portion. Are you in any pain at the moment?”

  Her eyes grew thoughtful as she considered his question, then she shook her head again. “Not now.” Her voice sounded so low and hoarse he barely recognized it.

  “They can give you something if you’re uncomfortable.” Her eyes drooped. “Go on back to sleep, honey. I’ll stay with you until they kick me out.” She frowned and opened her mouth to object, but he placed a quieting finger against her lips.

  “Don’t worry, Elly. Just sleep for now.”

  And without further discussion, she obeyed him.

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, Jerry’s cell phone vibrated. He checked the display, then stepped out into the hall away from the nurse’s desk so he could talk to Brent privately. He suspected he already knew what his friend was going to say.

  “How’s she doing?” Brent asked, his voice kind, but guarded.

  “They’ve got her in the ICU right now, and she’ll most likely be here tomorrow, too. She woke briefly and even drank a little water. She recognized me without problem, though her throat’s raw, so she’s having trouble talking. Despite her injuries, I think she’ll come through okay. Right now we’re in a wait and see period.”

  “She’s lucky to have you nearby.” Brent paused for a moment before he added, “I called Arthur.”

  “And thank you for ruining my evening.”

  “I had to, Jerry. Legally, he’s her husband. He would have found her missing when he came home anyway, and I’d be the first person he’d seek out.”

  “Got it.”

  “He called the hospital.”

  “And?”

  “And they wouldn’t put him through. Any idea why?”

  “No clue. Did they give a reason?”

  “He said he got the impression someone was spreading malicious rumors about him.”

  “Really? That’s choice.”

  “Jerry…. What did you tell them?”

  “Only the truth, Brent. Only the truth.”

  “I understand how you feel, kid, but you can’t deny her husband his right to visit her.”

  “I’m not. The hospital is. Besides, they don’t want a slew of visitors bombarding her while she’s in the ICU. They don’t even want me here, but I’m stubborn enough they’ve reluctantly made room for me. However, I doubt I’ll be allowed to spend the night.”

  “Any chance she’ll be out of intensive care tomorrow?”

  “Doubtful. Depends on how she does tonight, I guess.”

  “What about other family? I checked, but she hasn’t listed anyone outside of Arthur who we should contact in case of an emergency.”

  “She hasn’t mentioned any; however, she’s not talking much, yet. I’ll ask when I think she’s up to a conversation.”

  “All right. I’ll do what I can on my end to smooth things over with her husband and talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.” Jerry disconnected the call.

  The nurses politely asked him to leave during their next shift change. So, Jerry made the hour drive home. After speaking briefly with the young, dedicated vet student who’d remained behind to watch over the clinic’s borders in his absence, Jerry thanked and dismissed the young man telling him to get some rest.

  Alone, Jerry stepped in the back to check on Muffin and his two other patients, an elderly Bichon Frise that had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament hopping down from her owner’s couch, and a feral, malnourished cat, which a concerned Bethany Angel had brought into the clinic earlier that morning. Though the tom appeared underfed and scrawny, he had all his claws and knew how to use them. All three animals were on IVs, but seemed to be doing well for the moment.

  He went through his evening check, which included setting up baby monitors that would alert him to any problems. He sometimes slept in back with the animals, if one was in critical condition, but such measures didn’t appear necessary tonight. So, he turned the lights to low and left the inside door from his house into the clinic open in case he needed to get back in a hurry.

  His vet duties done for the time being, he greeted Jack, who did his version of the Labrador happy dance when Jerry opened the bedroom door. “Yeah, I know, you only had Sally and Jenny to fawn over you all day. Sorry, bud, but you’re not getting any sympathy from me tonight.”

  After Jerry let Jack out and fed him, he took a shower and tried to eat something. The food tasted bland and unappetizing. He considered himself a capable cook, but his nerves remained too jangled, so he suspected nothing would taste good.

  He doubted he could sleep; however, the hospital staff requested he not return until after 7 AM, which would make it easier for the night staff to change Elly’s dressings without having to climb over him. Their adult ICU units were meant to hold patients and nurses. Not visitors. It was 10 PM now, so he threw away the food he couldn’t eat, cleaned up his dishes and went back to the clinic one last time to check on the animals. They were all sleeping peacefully.

  With nothing left to do for the moment, he returned to his house, watched a little TV, let Jack out for his final romp, and climbed into bed only to toss and turn through the night.

  * * * *

  Jerry stood at Elly’s bedside at 7 AM the next morning. Seeing she was still asleep, he walked over to the nurses’ station and asked if she’d had a good night. A nurse, wearing a nametag with Karen etched in bold letters, started giving him the platitudes hospital staff tended to offer worried family members until he informed her that besides being Elly’s brother, he was a doctor, not bothering to add his degree happened to be in veterinary medicine.

  Karen, Jerry discovered, was also the nurse who’d been assigned to Elly. After she’d checked her records, she admitted Elly had been a bit restless last evening until they gave her some pain medication at 10 PM. She’d slept comfortably after that. “Her blood pressure and oxygen levels are normal. Her hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBCs are still on the low side, but considering—”

  “How low?”

  Karen checked her screen again and read off the numbers to him. All of them registered below normal, but none was critical, so he let out a breath of relief.

  “Her wound is draining well, though her abdomen is still swollen. She said she fell. Do you know what happened?”

  “I don’t have the details, yet. I was hoping she might have told one of you.”

  She shook her head. “No. She keeps saying the accident was her fault, but she
repeatedly asks if we’ve heard anything about Muffin. Is that her daughter?”

  “Not in a literal sense. Muffin is her poodle.”

  “Ahh.” Karen nodded and made a note.

  “When she’s more awake, I’ll let her know Muffin’s condition.”

  “Was the dog hurt, too?”

  “Unfortunately. Whatever happened, both of them were injured. Thanks for answering my questions.”

  Jerry started to walk back to Elly’s bedside when Karen asked, “Are you Jerry Douglas?” He stopped and turned. “Yes, I am. Why?”

  “She asked about you, too. I think she’ll be relieved you’re back.”

  He nodded. “Do you have a notation in your records regarding Arthur Benson?”

  “Her husband?”

  “Only in a legal sense.”

  She smiled. “We’ve been told it would be in our patient’s best interests not to let him visit her quite yet. Is he responsible?”

  “Between you and me, yes he is, even if it was an accident, which I don’t think it was.”

  “I understand,” Karen replied. “We’ll do our best, Dr. Douglas. Thank you.”

  “Thank you,” he echoed back, and he meant it sincerely.

  As Jerry reclaimed his chair, he noted Elly’s coloring did appear better, which pleased him. The bandage across the front of her head stood out in stark contrast against her hair and the slight blush staining her cheeks. The rest of her was covered in sheets and blankets, though her wrists had fresh wrappings. Whoever viewed those marks might well have understood their significance, and he’d lay odds Karen had been the one to change Elly’s bandages.

  When Elly opened her eyes, she smiled at him. “Hi.”

  “Hi yourself. How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. A little groggy still. How’s Muffin?”

  “Better than you. She sustained a few broken ribs, too, but none of them required surgery. All the same, I’ve got her on an IV, firmly wrapped and sedated so she’ll rest more easily.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry about collapsing in your office yesterday.”

  “I’d like to talk some more about that, if you’re willing.”

  When her face instantly wrinkled with dismay, he knew it was too soon. They’d need to have the conversation before she left the hospital, but grilling her while she lay in intensive care was hardly necessary. He patted her hand. “Forget I said anything. We’ll talk when you’re better.”

  She toyed with her covers. “I’m not sure I’ll want to discuss it then, either.”

  “We’ll see. Is there someone we should call for you, like your mother or father?”

  “No. I don’t want them here.”

  “Okay.” Something in her tone told him she had good reasons why she’d rather not have her parents visit, but he’d need to uncover those later, too. “How about siblings? Do you have any brothers or sisters we might contact for you?”

  “I’ve got a sister, but she’s married with kids. Besides, she already hates Arthur, so seeing me like this would destroy her.”

  “I believe she’d be more upset to learn you didn’t call her when you needed her, Elly.”

  “No. I don’t want her here, either. Besides, I’ll probably get out of the hospital tomorrow.”

  “Sweetie, you need to get out of the ICU first. I think you’re going to be a guest of Denver Memorial for the next few days at least.” When her eyes started to mist over, he quickly changed the subject. “In the meantime, why don’t I tell you about the stray cat Bethany Angel brought in yesterday morning and how one of our student vet interns ended up wearing the hissing animal as a sharp-clawed hat?”

  * * * *

  Jerry returned home around 9 PM, to find his answering machine blinking. Figuring the person would have called his cell if the message had been urgent; he took care of Jack’s needs first before he checked out his borders in the clinic. Muffin was awake and wagging her tail, so he opened her cage to give her head a pat and check her bindings.

  “Good girl. Jenny did an excellent job of wrapping you up tight, didn’t she?” Muffin licked his hand in agreement. “Yes, you’re doing much better. I’d say we could remove your IV and give you some soft food to try. What do you think?”

  Muffin gave a tiny bark and Jerry laughed.

  “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” He stopped the drip and carefully unwound the bandage holding in her IV. “I’ll bet you’d like a drink of water, too, wouldn’t you?” Another lick, but she held perfectly still while he withdrew the tiny catheter.

  After putting pressure on the site for a second, he removed the gauze and checked for bleeding. Looked good. “There you go, little one. Let me get this out of your way, then I’ll want to change your pad, since you’ve been a good girl and peed. After that, we’ll look into getting you some water and a snack. Once you’ve eaten, I’ll try putting you down to see if you want to do some other good girl business in our exclusive inside turf stop.” Muffin’s little tail beat a rapid tattoo against her cage. “Yeah, you like that idea, don’t you?”

  Muffin lapped up the water he gave her and gobbled down the two ounces of moist food he offered. When she was done, she looked at him expectantly.

  “No more food for now. Okay, come here, little one, and let’s go for a quick stroll.” He lifted her out of the cage with care in order not to disturb her sore ribs, then set her down in the inside park they had for convalescing dogs. She gave the area a couple of sniffs and promptly did her business.

  No visible blood in the stool, but he’d check a sample chemically to make sure. When she sat down and gazed up at him with her big brown eyes, he grinned down at her.

  “I’m tempted to bring you back into the house with me, but I’m afraid Jack might give a playful nudge and hurt you, so I think it’s best we leave you here for the night.” He knew he was imagining the disappointment he saw in the animal’s expression, but he’d swear she could understand every word he said. Or at least enough of them.

  Chuckling, he picked her up and put her back in her cage, giving her fluffy ears a gentle rub. “Your mommy is going to be pleased to hear you’re so much better. She’s been terribly worried about you.” The poodle gave his nose a lick that time, so after one final pat on the head, he closed the cage door. “Sleep well, little one, and I’ll check on you in the morning.”

  After running a quick test for hidden blood in Muffin’s stool sample, which came out negative, he washed his hands, then looked in on his two other guests. Assured they were both fine, he turned the lights to low, flipped on the baby monitors and left the area. However, he still left his door into the clinic open, just in case.

  Animals all taken care of, he put some leftovers in the microwave and checked his answering machine for the message.

  “Douglas, this is Arthur Benson. I hear you took my wife to the hospital yesterday and went back to visit today. For some unknown reason the administrators think seeing me could upset her.”

  No shit, Jerry thought, tempted to erase the message, but continued to listen.

  “I was hoping you might put in a good word for me. I’m worried, and I’d like to check on her. Give me a call when you get this message. Thanks.”

  Arthur repeated his home number, which Jerry already knew by heart, and the message ended. Jerry stared at his machine as if it had grown legs and teeth, then turned on his heel and strode back to eat his dinner.

  He’d just sat down at his small kitchen table when the phone rang. Tempted to let the answering machine pick up, he hesitated, then tossed his napkin next to his fork and went over to grab the wireless receiver he kept in the kitchen. The Benson home number. Still debating if the action was wise, Jerry pressed the talk button.

  “This is Dr. Douglas.”

  “Douglas. Good. I’m glad I caught you. Did you get my earlier message?”

  “I’m having dinner, Benson; it’s been a long day. How may I help you?”

  “Ahh. Now I understand. You suspect I
deliberately beat my wife, don’t you?”

  “No. I don’t suspect it at all.”

  Benson remained silent for a moment. “Did you say something to the hospital staff?”

  “I’ve said many things to the staff, was there something in particular you wanted to know?”

  “Did you tell them I abuse her?”

  “Not directly. No.”

  “Then why won’t they let me speak to her? Why are they refusing to let me see her?”

  “Why did you leave your wife to bleed to death on Friday?”

  “I didn’t realize she was hurt when I left.”

  “No? So what? Did you think her writhing and groaning on the floor was merely a ruse to gain more of your loving attention?”

  “Is that what she told you?” he inquired, his voice cool and brittle.

  “She didn’t have to, Benson. Her injuries spoke for themselves.”

  “You’re interfering, Douglas. I have a legal right to be with my wife, to talk to her.”

  “And you have an inalienable right to go to hell, too. I don’t need to say which path I’d help you on.”

  “I’ll sue you for defamation of character.”

  “You’d have to prove I defamed you first, and I sincerely doubt you’d seek that sort of publicity. The news coverage alone would be very messy.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “Ahh, I believe I know you better than you realize. I have to go, but would you like to know why I think you’re a Grade A bastard?”

  “Since you are clearly salivating to tell me, please do.”

  “Because you’re only concerned about your image. We’ve spoken for five minutes and not once did you ask me how your wife was doing. Good night.” Believing he handled himself admirably well, Jerry hung up.

  Chapter Eight

  The next day Elly’s surgeon upgraded her condition from intensive care to a regular room, so they wheeled her up in a wheelchair around 4 PM. Prior to her move, she’d been taken downstairs in her bed for another CT scan of her brain and abdomen. She’d been required to drink several ounces of contrast fluid, which meant they had to remove her catheter, since they needed a full bladder for the test. Jerry stepped out of the area to give her some privacy while the catheter was removed, but returned and sat with her while she swallowed down the large container of liquid and waited for the nurse and technician to come get her. They didn’t put a new catheter in, so once she got back to the ICU, the first thing she did was tell the nurse she needed to pee. Then she blushed because she’d said “pee” in front of him.