Chapter 5
I woke up a few hours later and saw AJ and Howie sitting in the
chairs next to me. I saw Dr. Martinez walk up to me.
“Hello, Dr. Martinez. Are you here to update us on Nick?” I asked.
“No, I’m here to tell you about Mr. Richardson,” Dr. Martinez
said.
“Is he OK?” I asked.
“Mr. Richardson is still unconscious. He has two broken ribs, he also a punctured
lung which we will have to take him into surgery for when he gets stronger and
wakes up, and he’s on a respirator,” Dr. Martinez said as I felt tears stinging
the back of my eyes.
“Do you know when he’ll
wake up?” I asked.
“We don’t know. It’s hard
to say,” Dr. Martinez said as I nodded.
“Would you like to see him?”
I nodded as I stood up and walked with Dr. Martinez to Kevin’s
hospital room. I walked in his room. I
pulled up a chair and took Kevin’s hand in mine as I sat down. I listened to
the beat of the respirator. I put my head down on the rail and heard footsteps.
“Hello, I have an update on
Mr. Carter,” Dr. Martinez said as I picked up my head and looked at him.
“W…what’s wrong with him?” I asked as the doctor looked at me.
“Mr. Carter’s heart went out on him because he doesn’t have enough
blood in his body if we don’t two pints of blood in him within two hours, and I
advise you to call his family now, in case we don’t find a donor,” Dr. Martinez
said as I tried to open my mouth to speak.
“I’ll do it,” someone said, as I looked to the doorway and saw AJ
standing there.
“Are you sure you want to do this, sir? There’s a high risk of
heart failure,” Dr. Martinez said.
“AJ, don’t do it,” I said, as AJ shook his head.
“No, I’m going to go through with it. It’s my turn to be there for Nicky,” AJ said
as Dr. Martinez nodded.
“Please come with me. We have no time to lose,” Dr. Martinez said,
as he and AJ disappeared from the doorway.
I put my head back down on the rail and watched Kevin’s chest rise
and fall. When I looked up I saw a pair
of green eyes looking back into mine.
“Oh my God, Kev!!” I said as I hugged him carefully trying not to
hit the IV’s hooked up to him. He pointed towards the respirator in his mouth.
“Do you want me to get the doctor to take the respirator out of
your mouth?” I asked as Kevin nodded weakly.
“OK, I’ll be right back,” I said as I walked out of the room and
saw Dr. Martinez walk out of Nick’s room.
“He’s awake,” I said as I
walked up to him.
“That’s good to hear. Does
he want me to take out the respirator?”
“Yeah,” I said as I followed him back into Kevin’s room.
“Hello, Mr. Richardson.
I’m your doctor along with Nick’s.
I want you to blow when I get to three,” he said, as Kevin nodded weakly
in agreement.
“1…2…3” Dr Martinez said as the tube came out of Kevin’s mouth,
and I heard him gag.
“You OK, Kev?” I asked as he tried to regain his breath.
A few minutes later, he responded.
“Yeah, how’s Nick doing?” he asked, as I looked down at the ground.
“His heart stopped because he didn’t have enough blood in him, and
AJ’s donating some of his to Nick,” I said as I saw tears in Kevin’s eyes.
“Where’s Howie?”
“He’s still sleeping in the lobby I’m going to wake him up in a
little while,” I said as Kevin nodded, and I saw his eyelids close, but quickly
open.
“It’s all my fault this is happening to us,” Kevin said as he
yawned.
“No it isn’t, Kev. It’s all
our faults. Kev, we should have been
there for him,” I said as Kevin’s eyes closed and opened quickly once again.
“Kev, go to sleep. You need
your rest,” I said as I saw Kevin’s eyes fall and heard the sound of his light
breathing.
“Night, Kev,” I said as I walked out into the lobby to tell Howie
the news.
***
