Wicked Times, chapter 23
Brook, Billie Joe, Adie, and Tre decided they'd go to the hospital to see how severe Alex's accident was. Mike got put in charge of taking care of the kids.
Once they got to the hospital Brook hurried through the big doors to the hospital entrance so he could find the front desk.
Brook stopped short. He was at the front desk. He looked up for the first time to see a nurse sitting behind the desk. The woman looked to be in her mid thirties. She was wearing an oversized nurse's T-shirt that was blue. Her name tag read "Nancy". Her hair was naturally curly and light brown. Her eyes were brown and they had no sense of feeling or sympathy in them.
Nancy, the nurse asked Brook, "Sir, may I help you?" Phones were ringing loudly and voices were scattered throughout the background. This made Nancy have to talk louder than what a normal person would.
Brook said, "Yes. Do you have an Alexis Cole in the hospital somewhere?" Brook hoped that that phone call he had gotten earlier was just part of his twisted nightmares.
Nancy searched through the computer next to her and finally said "Yes. Are you are one of her relatives?" Brook's heart sank at this. This was all real. Brook knew he wasn't dreaming, but he wouldn't fully believe this until he saw Alexis in a hospital bed.
Brook sighed wondering how many times he would get asked that question. He said, "Yes, fiancé."
The nurse smiled at Brook and said, "Right this way. Dr. Smith would like to talk to you about Alexis."
Brook mumbled, "Ok," under his breath.
He entered the Dr.'s small office. Dr. Smith was short and slender. Her long black hair ran down her back. She looked like she was in her forties. Her eyes were black, not dark brown, black. Her pupils were lost at sea with the rest of her eye. He was standing up. She grinned at me a little and said "Hello. I'm Melissa Smith. I'm Alexis' doctor." She held out her hand for me to shake. Her handshake was firm and business like.
She waved her hand toward a nice looking leather chair. She said, "Please sit."
I sat down. I asked, "Why is Alexis in the hospital? What happened to her? Will she be okay? "
Dr. Smith said, "I don't know all the details about how she got here. You'd have to check with the local police about that. She was in a car accident. She wasn't wearing a seat belt, at least what the medics said. We think she hit her head against the dashboard. She's very lucky. She could have flown right through the windshield. She's now in ICU, the intensive care unit. I'm sorry to say that she's in a coma. Some local doctors and I have talked about her case. We can't tell how severe the brain damage is. The good news is that, usually, most comas don't last longer than four weeks. As a general rule, if a patient in a coma survives the first seven to ten days following their wreak, accident, etc., then long-term survival can be expected. We, as doctors working on this case, were just talking about moving her to a different hospital. My professional opinion is, don't move her. She's just as well off with us as she is in another hospital. There really is no treatment that can help a person come out a coma. Its not like cancer and such. And this away you could see her more. If we ship her to another hospital it'll probably be out of state. But in the end its your final call."
Brook was in a state of shock. He felt like crying. He wanted to hold Alexis. He definitely wanted to see Alexis more (while she is in the hospital) and by what the doctor said this wouldn't affect the out come if she lives or not, so Brook said, "Ma'am, please don't move her."
Once they got to the hospital Brook hurried through the big doors to the hospital entrance so he could find the front desk.
Brook stopped short. He was at the front desk. He looked up for the first time to see a nurse sitting behind the desk. The woman looked to be in her mid thirties. She was wearing an oversized nurse's T-shirt that was blue. Her name tag read "Nancy". Her hair was naturally curly and light brown. Her eyes were brown and they had no sense of feeling or sympathy in them.
Nancy, the nurse asked Brook, "Sir, may I help you?" Phones were ringing loudly and voices were scattered throughout the background. This made Nancy have to talk louder than what a normal person would.
Brook said, "Yes. Do you have an Alexis Cole in the hospital somewhere?" Brook hoped that that phone call he had gotten earlier was just part of his twisted nightmares.
Nancy searched through the computer next to her and finally said "Yes. Are you are one of her relatives?" Brook's heart sank at this. This was all real. Brook knew he wasn't dreaming, but he wouldn't fully believe this until he saw Alexis in a hospital bed.
Brook sighed wondering how many times he would get asked that question. He said, "Yes, fiancé."
The nurse smiled at Brook and said, "Right this way. Dr. Smith would like to talk to you about Alexis."
Brook mumbled, "Ok," under his breath.
He entered the Dr.'s small office. Dr. Smith was short and slender. Her long black hair ran down her back. She looked like she was in her forties. Her eyes were black, not dark brown, black. Her pupils were lost at sea with the rest of her eye. He was standing up. She grinned at me a little and said "Hello. I'm Melissa Smith. I'm Alexis' doctor." She held out her hand for me to shake. Her handshake was firm and business like.
She waved her hand toward a nice looking leather chair. She said, "Please sit."
I sat down. I asked, "Why is Alexis in the hospital? What happened to her? Will she be okay? "
Dr. Smith said, "I don't know all the details about how she got here. You'd have to check with the local police about that. She was in a car accident. She wasn't wearing a seat belt, at least what the medics said. We think she hit her head against the dashboard. She's very lucky. She could have flown right through the windshield. She's now in ICU, the intensive care unit. I'm sorry to say that she's in a coma. Some local doctors and I have talked about her case. We can't tell how severe the brain damage is. The good news is that, usually, most comas don't last longer than four weeks. As a general rule, if a patient in a coma survives the first seven to ten days following their wreak, accident, etc., then long-term survival can be expected. We, as doctors working on this case, were just talking about moving her to a different hospital. My professional opinion is, don't move her. She's just as well off with us as she is in another hospital. There really is no treatment that can help a person come out a coma. Its not like cancer and such. And this away you could see her more. If we ship her to another hospital it'll probably be out of state. But in the end its your final call."
Brook was in a state of shock. He felt like crying. He wanted to hold Alexis. He definitely wanted to see Alexis more (while she is in the hospital) and by what the doctor said this wouldn't affect the out come if she lives or not, so Brook said, "Ma'am, please don't move her."
