By Scribe
**Note: So far, this story has been written in the
first person perspective (from Tommy’s point of view). For obvious reasons, this chapter has been
written in the third person.
“911
Emergency Response. What’s your emergency?” said the impersonal
and business-like voice on the phone.
“I NEED AN AMBUALNCE FOR MY
DAD HE’S REALLY SICK!” Josh virtually screamed into the phone.
“Ok son, calm down I’m going
to dispatch an ambulance. I show you
calling from 621 Browns Line, is that correct?”
“YES, PLEASE HURRY, HE’S NOT
DOING SO WELL!” Josh hollered.
“Son, what’s your name?” The operator asked trying to clam the boy
down.
“Joshua Michael Chambers,”
Josh said. He didn’t realize it but he
was subconsciously reverting to his full, formal name.
“Joshua, I need you to calm
down and be a brave boy for me. What’s
wrong with your dad?”
Josh wondered how the
operator could be so calm at a time like this.
Tommy looked like he was dying and this woman sounded like she was taking
a pizza order. Never the less, he got
himself under control. “We were watching
a movie when suddenly he got a really bad headache. He gets migraines all the time, but never so
suddenly. He tried to stand up but he
got dizzy and he was unsteady on his feet.
He threw up all over the place and then a couple of seconds later he
passed out.”
“Ok Joshua, an ambulance is
on the way. They’re coming with the
lights and sirens going so they should be there very soon. Is it just you and your dad at home right
now?”
“Yes, my mom’s out with some
friends.”
“That’s ok Joshua, you’re
doing fine. How old is your dad?”
“He’s almost 20, he’s a
university student. He isn’t my real
father; he’s my dad, though.”
“I understand, Joshua.”
Suddenly Tommy made retching
sounds and vomited again. The vomit
blocked his throat and he began to make gagging and choking sounds.
“HE JUST PUKED AGAIN AND HE
CAN’T BREATH. HE’S CHOKING!” Josh yelled
at the operator.
“Joshua, I need you to listen
to me very carefully and do exactly what I tell you. Do you understand me?”
“YES! I UNDERSTAND YOU, TELL ME WHAT TO DO.” Josh
said urgently as he heard Tommy struggling for breath behind him.
“You need to roll him over
onto his side and you need to clear his throat.
To clear his throat, you need to stick a couple of fingers in his mouth
and sweep out any vomit that’s blocking it.
Can you do that?”
“Yes, I’ll do it. Hold on,” Josh said as he ran to Tommy’s side
and set down the phone.
Josh quickly and tenderly
rolled Tommy onto his side. His lips
were turning blue and his face was pale.
He quickly inserted the index and middle fingers of his right hand right
into Tommy’s mouth and back into his throat and tried to brush out the vomit
that was choking him to death. It looked
about as clear as it was going to get but he still wasn’t breathing.
“I DID IT BUT HE’S STILL NOT
BREATHING,” Josh yelled urgently.
“Joshua, I need to know if he
has a pulse. Do you know how to do
that?”
Josh didn’t respond. He dropped the phone and gently placed his
finders on Tommy’s neck. He could feel a
very rapid pulse.
“Yes, he has a pulse but it’s
very fast. Should I try mouth-to-mouth?”
Josh asked in a surprisingly calm voice.
“Yes, if you know how. DO NOT hang up on me, though.”
Josh set the phone down and
knelt beside Tommy. He rolled him onto
his back and performed a proper jaw thrust just as he’d been shown by Tommy
himself. He leaned down and ignoring the
traces of vomit around Tommy’s mouth, he made a seal with his own mouth, gently
pinched his dad’s nose and began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
After 7 or 8 breaths, Tommy
coughed and began to breathe on his own.
Josh was relieved but he knew his beloved Tommy wasn’t out of the woods
yet. He could hear the sirens in the
distance as he picked the phone back up.
“I did it and he’s breathing
again,”
“Well done, Joshua.” The operator responded with a relieved voice.
“I can hear the sirens,” Josh
told the operator.
“Is the front door unlocked?”
“I don’t know,” Josh said in
a stricken tone.
“Joshua, I want you to leave
your dad for a moment and go and unlock the door.”
“What if he stops breathing
again?” Josh cried.
“The ambulance is almost
there, son. The quicker they can get to
him, the better.”
Josh raced up the stairs,
keeping the cordless phone with him and unlocked the door. Just as he did so, the ambulance screeched to
a halt outside.
“They’re here!” he told the
operator.
“Ok Joshua, you did well
son. You did everything you could, leave
it to the pros now.”
“Thanks,” Josh said distantly
and hung up.
“He’s downstairs! Please hurry,” Josh told the paramedics as
they raced through the door carrying a stretcher between them.
Josh followed them down to
Tommy’s apartment and stood helplessly in the corner as they went to work. He was virtually trembling as they tore
Tommy’s shirt off, attached all sorts of electrodes to him and flashed lights
in his eyes.
One of the paramedics, a
large man with short cropped dark hair and a moustache approached Josh. “What’s your name?”
“Josh. Please help Tommy, he’s my dad and I love
him,” he pleaded.
“We will Josh, can you tell
me what happened?”
Josh related the story as
completely as he could. The big
paramedic listened intently and when Josh was finished he grabbed his radio and
reported their findings. Josh didn’t
understand much of what he said, but he heard the phrase “possible burst
aneurysm.” He didn’t know what that was,
but he was pretty sure it was a really bad thing to have.
“Alright Josh, Tommy may be
very seriously ill. We need to get him
to the hospital right away,” the paramedic told him. “Is there anyone you can call? Your mother or someone?”
“She’s out with friends. I’ll find Tommy’s phone book and see if I can
call his mother or brothers,” Josh said.
“I’m going with him the hospital.”
“We can’t do that son, we”
“I’M GOING. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO OR
NOT SUPPOSED TO DO!” Josh yelled cutting him off.
“Josh, if we take you in the
ambulance you might be in the way and that might prevent us from treating
Tommy. You have to let him go.”
“I’ll take him.” A voice said
from the stairwell.
Josh turned around as a
police officer entered the apartment.
“You’re taking him to Queensway?” The officer asked
“Yeah, we need to get him
there NOW. He’s showing possible signs
of a burst cerebral aneurysm,” the paramedic whispered hoping that Josh didn’t
hear him.
“Let’s get a move-on. I’ll provide an escort. It’s quiet out there tonight and we’ll do a
code-3 red light run.”
“Josh, you can ride with this
officer,” the paramedic told him.
Josh looked gratefully at the
cop as the paramedics hefted the stretcher carrying Tommy up the stairs. The cop was a big man with gray hair and a
serious looking face. He looked rough to
Josh, but he also looked kind.
“I’m Constable Higgins. From what I heard from the dispatcher, you
did an amazing job here tonight. You
just might have saved your dad’s life,” the policeman said in a kindly tone.
Josh smiled faintly as he
grabbed Tommy’s wallet and address book and then followed the officer up the
stairs. He made a quick stop to throw on
a pair of shoes and grab a coat and then he ran out the door and into the
police cruiser.
The paramedics signaled that
they were ready to leave and Constable Higgins hit the lights and sirens and
took off like a shot. At any other time
Josh would have been delighted to be riding in the front seat of a police car
with the lights and sirens blaring, but tonight, all he could think of was
Tommy. The person he loved most in the
world was, for all he knew, dying in the ambulance behind them and he was
helpless to do anything about it. He
couldn’t even be there to hold his hand.
His tears started.
Constable Higgins gunned the
engine and ran interference for the ambulance at every intersection. Boxing Day traffic had long ago abated and
the streets were largely empty. The
drive to
Constable Higgins brought the
police car to a screeching halt at the Emergency entrance and the ambulance was
right behind. Josh bolted from the car
as soon as it stopped. He ran back to
the ambulance in time to see a team of orderlies and nurses race from the
hospital and join the 2 paramedics as they unloaded Tommy and rushed him into
the Emergency ward.
Josh followed them in but
wasn’t allowed beyond the waiting room.
He sat in a chair with his head in his hands and cried. He had never felt so scared before in his
young life. He was totally oblivious to
everything that was going on around him.
All he could think of was Tommy.
His heart broke at the very thought of losing him. As his despair threatened to overwhelm him, a
large and friendly hand came to rest on his shoulder. It was Constable Higgins.
“Josh,” he said evenly. “He’s in good hands now. Thanks to you, he has a fighting chance.”
Josh looked up at the burly
cop through tear-streaked eyes, “I’m so scared.
I don’t know what I’d do without Tommy.”
The large cop knelt down and
placed his arm tenderly around Josh’s shoulders. “Josh, I’m not a doctor, but I know that the
doctors who work here are among the best.
They’re doing everything they can to help your dad. You have to have faith in them. I’m sure your dad loves you as much as you
love him. He’ll be fighting like hell
right now to get well.”
Joshed looked up and studied
the man’s eyes. He could see that the
officer was genuinely concerned. “Do you
have any quarters?” he asked. “I have to
try to reach my mom and I have to call Tommy’s mom and brothers.”
Constable Darren Higgins was
amazed. Here was a boy of about 12 who
not only helped to save his dad’s life, but he also had the wherewithal to
start trying to contact the necessary people.
“I sure do,” he said reaching into his pocket and producing a large
handful of change. “Take it all, you can
use the rest to grab yourself a Coke or something. It’s probably going to be a long night for
you.”
“Thanks,” Josh said
gratefully. “Can you do something else
for me?” He asked hopefully.
“Name it.”
“My mom is over at the
Frigate and Firkin bar with some friends and I don’t know the number. Could you go there and tell her what happened
and send her here?”
“Of course Josh, I know where
that is. Are you sure she’s there?”
“Yeah, that’s the same place
she always goes to.”
“You got it, kiddo.”
Constable Higgins said as he ruffled Josh’s hair and stood up. Josh hated it when anyone but Tommy ruffled
his hair, but he would make an exception for this man.
As Constable Higgins left the
emergency room, Josh found a payphone and began making calls to Tommy’s
family. He contacted Dianne first. He tried as best he could to explain what had
happened without upsetting Tommy’s mom.
“Oh my God,” was all she
could say. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there as quick as I can. Jimmy and Anne just left for a vacation this
morning and I have the twins. I’ll have
to get someone to watch them and I’ll call Andrew. He should be able to get us there shortly.”
“Alright, please hurry, I’m
here alone and I’m scared.”
“Stay calm, Josh and we’ll be
there soon.”
With his mission
accomplished, Josh sat back down. He
tried to read a magazine but he couldn’t focus.
He went and used some of the change that Officer Higgins had given him
to buy a can of Coke. He took a few sips
but he could hardly taste it. The one
and only thing that mattered right now was Tommy.
The boy finally gave up on
the Coke and gave up on trying to sit down. He stood up and began pacing the length of
the waiting room. Since it was Boxing
Day, the ER was relatively quite. The
usual crowds of sick and injured were home recovering from Christmas. The few poor souls waiting patiently to have
their injuries tended to or to learn the fate of their loved ones were a subdued
bunch.
Josh was lost in his thoughts
as he virtually wore a path in the carpet.
As he passed the reception desk, one of the nurses who had helped to
move Tommy from the ambulance to the hospital came out and spoke to the receptionist. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the
receptionist point to him.
“Josh?” The nurse asked.
“Y-yeah, that’s me. How’s Tommy?”
Josh stammered, his heart pounding in his chest.
“We don’t know yet, but his
is stable and he is awake and talking to us.
He asked for you,” The nurse, whose nametag read ‘Jane Mitchell, RN’ replied kindly.
“Can I see him?” Josh asked
hopefully.
“Not just yet. We’re taking him to radiology. The doctor wants a CT scan done right away.”
“What’s a CT scan?” Josh
asked. The concern was evident in his
voice.
“It’s nothing to worry about,
Josh. It’s just a big machine which
takes pictures of the inside of his head.
It’ll help the doctor figure out what’s causing the pain.”
“Can I see him after?”
“That’s up to the doctor,
Josh. Are you here alone?”
“Yeah. Tommy’s mom
and brother are on their way and the policeman that brought me in has gone to
find my mother.”
“That’s good. You just sit tight, Josh and try not to
worry. Tommy’s in good hands. Doctor Andrews is our head of neurology and
she’s one of the finest surgeons on the country.”
“Surgeon? You’re going
to cut him open?” Josh asked fearfully.
“We don’t know yet, son,”
Nurse Mitchell replied wishing she hadn’t mentioned that a surgeon was looking
after Tommy.
“Here, you might need this,”
Josh said as he handed her Tommy’s wallet and phone book. “His healthcard’s in his wallet and his
doctor’s phone number is in the book.”
“Thanks Josh. We will need that stuff. Did you think to grab that stuff on your
own?”
Josh blushed slightly. “Yeah, I figured it was important.”
“You’re right, it is
important. You’re a smart little
guy. No wonder Tommy cares so much about
you. He asked me to tell you that he
loves you and not to worry.”
Josh smiled. “Thanks.
Tell him I love him too.”
Nurse Mitchell patted Josh on
the shoulder and then returned to the treatment area. Josh watched her go and caught a brief
glimpse of Tommy as his bed was wheeled down the corridor.
Josh felt a little
better. If Tommy was awake, that had to
be a good sign. He was just resuming his
pacing when he saw a man and women enter the waiting room and head for the
desk. The woman had graying blonde hair
and looked to be in her 50s. Josh
recognized the man right away. He had
seen him around camp and he looked just like Tommy would if he were a few years
older and had a moustache. He ran to
them.
“Andy!” he shouted as he
wrapped his arms around the man. Andy
wasn’t Tommy, but he would do for time being.
He began to sob against Andy’s chest.
“Josh. Long time no see, partner.” Andy said with a
slight smile. Had he not been so worried
about his brother, he’d have been a lot happier to see Josh.
“I’m Dianne, Tom’s mother,”
the woman said as she offered Josh her hand.
Josh ignored her hand and hugged her.
She smiled and returned his embrace.
“Have you heard anything?”
she asked.
Dianne and Andrew sat down
and listened intently as Josh told them what had happened and what the nurse
had just told him moments before. Just
as he finished the story, Susan walked into the room.
“Mom!” he said as he ran to
her.
“Josh, I’m so proud of you,”
Susan said as she held her son. “Officer
Higgins told me what happened and he told me what you did. You’re such a smart and brave boy.”
Josh held onto his mother for
a moment before making introductions.
Everyone spent the next hour sitting quietly while Josh resumed his
pacing. He looked like an expectant
father marking the time before the birth of his first child. Far from a giddy new father, Josh was a
scared little boy. All he could think
about was the possibility of losing Tommy.
Losing the only man who had ever treated him with
kindness. Losing
the person that he loved most in the entire world.
At about
“I’m his mother,” Dianne
answered. “How is he?” She asked in a stressed voice.
“I’m Doctor Andrews; I’m the
neurologist treating Tom. Could you
please come with me so that we can talk in private?”
Josh’s heart resumed the
jack-hammer pounding in his chest as the four of them stood up and followed Dr.
Andrews through the door. They turned
into a small conference room just inside the treatment area and the doctor
directed them all to sit down.
“Before I begin, I want to
assure you that, at least for the moment, Tom is stable and while he is
conscious, he is in a considerable amount of pain.” Dr Andrews paused before continuing. “When Tom was brought in, my initial fear was
that he was suffering from a burst cerebral aneurysm. I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you just
how serious that condition is. We ran a
series of tests including a CT scan of his head. Fortunately, we have been able to rule out
the possibility of an aneurysm.”
Everyone present let out a
collective sign of relief as they waited for the doctor to continue.
“Having
said that, he is far from being out of the woods. The CT scan
revealed an old head injury. At some
point, probably within the past 2 years, Tom has suffered a depressed skull
fracture. It would have been caused by a
blow to the back of the head.”
“He was in the militia and
was in a serious accident involving an armoured vehicle just about 2 years
ago. His leg was smashed up badly, but
nobody noticed any head injuries,” Andrew said.
“The timing sounds about
right. My bet would be that the injury
was received in that accident. That type
of skull fracture can sometimes present relatively few symptoms. If the doctors involved weren’t thorough
enough in their examination they could have easily missed it especially if
other more visible injuries were present.
I’d have some serious questions for the doctors involved,” the doctor
replied. “After consulting with the
radiologist, I ordered a myelogram. The
results of the CT scan and the myelogram have revealed what I believe to be the
source of Tom’s problems.”
Everyone was on the edge of
their seats waiting for the verdict.
“The fracture caused a small
tear in the tissue surrounding Tom’s brain.
This tear caused a slow but persistent leak of cerebral spinal fluid
which has been putting pressure on his brain.
As he recovered from his other injuries and became more active, the
pressure was increased further. It was
only a matter of time before this happened.
This pressure explains the increased frequency and severity of his
migraine headaches.”
Josh felt as if he had been
kicked in the gut. He didn’t fully
understand everything the doctor had said, but he knew she was saying that Tom
had a brain injury. He knew that brain
injuries were serious; they had covered that in school when they talked about
the necessity of wearing bike helmets.
He felt light headed as he looked around the room and saw that everyone
else was as pale and sick looking as he felt.
Until that moment, aside from
the doctor, only Josh had any idea as to how serious this was. Only Josh had seen how much pain Tommy was in
and how pale he looked as he lay there.
His fears began to build again.
“What do we do now? Can you fix it?” Dianne asked in a shaky voice.
“Yes. We can fix it and we need to fix it right
away. He needs immediate surgery to
correct both the skull fracture and the meningial tear.” The doctor paused and looked around the room
before proceeding. “I don’t want to
sugar coat this for you. All surgery is
serious and brain surgery is more serious than most. This operation is absolutely necessary but it
does carry some risk to the patient.”
“What kind of risk?” Josh asked in a small, terrified voice.
“Well, brain surgery can
entail risks which can include post-operative seizures and in the case of
complications, hemorrhaging or even paralysis are possible. It’s even possible, however unlikely, that
fatal complications could arise. I don’t
want to scare you, but I don’t want to give anyone the illusion that there are
no risks to this procedure. I can tell
you that I have performed similar procedures many times before and that I have
rarely encountered serous complications.
There is no such thing as routine brain surgery, however, this procedure
is a lot less complex than most. I also
need to remind you that without this procedure, Tom’s condition will continue
to get worse and he will eventually die from it.”
Josh had tears in his eyes
and so did just about everyone else.
“I have spoken to Tom and he
understands the risks. He has authorized
me to perform the procedure. He’s a
young man. He’s strong and he’s in good
physical condition. I don’t anticipate
any problems with this procedure and I am fully confident that he will be able
to resume a normal life afterwards.”
“Can we see him before he
goes into surgery?” Andrew asked.
“Yes, you may but only for a
few minutes. I suggest that you go in
one or two at a time. Stay positive to
keep his spirits up. I have to go and
get ready to operate. I’ll send someone
in to take you to Tom. You can stay with
him until it’s time to take him upstairs.”
Everyone stood up and shook
hands with Dr. Andrews and she left the room.
A moment later, Nurse Mitchell returned and led Dianne and Andrew in to
see Tommy. Josh sat quietly next to
Susan as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. He leaned forward onto the table, rested his
head on his folded arms and cried softly.
“Josh,” Dianne said softly as
she came back into the room after a few short minutes. “Tommy wants to see you now.”
“You go ahead honey,” Susan
said kissing Josh on the cheek. “You
need to be alone with him for a few minutes.”
“Thanks mom,” Josh mumbled as
he stood up on rubbery legs and followed Nurse Mitchell down the hall.
“He’s in there,” the nurse
said as she directed Josh to a room on the right side of the corridor.
Josh took a deep breath and
entered the room. The room was brightly
lit and full of machines. Tommy lay on a
bed close to the window. Josh approached
the bed and fought back the urge to start bawling as he saw how small and frail
Tommy appeared amongst all the equipment, wires and tubes. Some of his colour had come back, but he was
still pale.
Josh could hardly believe
that this was the same Tommy who had once carried him off a mountain. The same man who had nearly beaten his uncle
to a pulp for attacking him. The same guy who had spent the day hiking around
“Hi son,” Tommy said is a
weak voice. “I hear I owe you a big
thank-you. They tell me that you saved
my life. I also owe you an apology. I should have listened to you and gone to the
doctor sooner.”
“No Tommy, you don’t owe me
anything and you have nothing to be sorry for.
I did what I did because I love you.
I want you to get better, I need you, Tommy,” Josh rasped out as his tears
started in earnest.
“I know kiddo, I love you and
I need you too. The doctor says she can
fix me up and I’ll be good as new,” Tommy said with wan smile.
Josh squeezed his hand
tighter. “She said there are risks. She said you could die.”
“Joshy, life is full of
risks. If I don’t have the operation, I
will die,” Tommy said soothingly. “You
know me, buddy. You know I’m a
fighter. I’ve always been and always
will be a fighter. I’m not giving up
tonight. I’ll be fighting not only for
myself, but for you as well.”
Josh leaned over and hugged
Tommy as best he could without disturbing the IV lines or the various wires
coming from Tommy’s chest. He continued
to sob as Tommy felt the boy’s tears fall onto his face and mix with his own.
“I can’t lose you, Tommy,”
Josh sobbed.
“You won’t kiddo. You won’t lose me no matter what happens in
that operating room,” Tommy said as he hugged Josh tightly. “Joshy, I want you to listen to me very
carefully for a couple of moments, ok?”
Josh nodded his head and
continued to hold Tommy for dear life.
“I’ve told you before that
I’m not a religious man, but I do believe in God. I believe that we have a purpose in this
life. I believe that whatever happens
does so for a reason. We may not always
discover the reason until sometime later and we may never discover the reason
at all. We just have to have faith that
some higher power is in control and knows what he’s doing.”
Josh turned his head and
looked deeply into Tommy’s brown eyes.
“Josh, my accident happened
for a reason. It brought us
together. This has also happened for a
reason. We don’t know what that is and
we may never know, but we have to believe that.
We also have to have faith that we were not brought together just to
enjoy a few months before being split apart again. I have faith that we are meant to be dad and
son forever, Josh.”
Josh hugged Tommy tighter, “I
think so too, dad.”
“Josh I believe that I will
come out of this just fine. I also
believe that if I don’t there will be a purpose in that as well. You will have to find that purpose for
yourself. Never forget that I love you and I will always love you. I believe in God Josh, I also believe that
there is a heaven. If I don’t pull
through, I can promise you that I will be holding a place for you in heaven and
that I will be watching over you ever minute of every day of your life. Our bond and our love is
eternal. This isn’t the end, Josh. No
matter what,” Tommy choked out as he began to cry just as hard as Josh was.
They stayed that way for
several minutes not saying anything.
Josh firmly gripping Tommy’s hand with one hand while hugging him and
resting his smooth cheek against Tommy’s rough one. Tommy lightly rubbed Josh’s back as they lay
there waiting for the orderliness and nurses to come.
“Tom,” nurse Mitchell said
quietly from the hallway. “It’s time to
go. Doctor Andrews and her team are
ready for you.”
Nurse Mitchell and 2
orderlies entered the room and began preparing the bed and various machines to
be moved.
“I love you Josh. No matter what happens, always remember
that.” Tommy said as Josh gave him one
last firm hug and climbed off. Josh kept
his death grip on Tommy’s hand as the orderlies began to wheel the bed towards
the door. Josh stayed with them all the
way to the elevator, never letting go of his stricken dad’s hand. All too quickly, the elevator door slid open
and the orderlies carefully pushed Tommy’s bed inside.
“This is as far as you can
go,” Nurse Mitchell said kindly to Josh.
Josh and Tommy looked each
other in the eyes and gave each other’s hand a firm squeeze before reluctantly
letting go. Josh stepped back into the
corridor and Tommy had one last look back at him before the door shut. What he saw broke his heart.
The boy was standing facing
the elevator door. His head was down and
his arms were wrapped tightly around his chest.
His face was red, his eyes were puffy and he wore a mask of utter
despair. His shoulders were heaving and
his body was trembling as his sobs wracked him.
His tears were falling like rain and wetting the floor at his feet. His heart was aching and he had never felt so
sad, helpless or scared before in his young life. To Tommy, the pain in his head was no longer
as significant as the pain in his heart.
Susan walked quietly up
behind Josh and placed an arm on his shoulder.
Josh turned and buried his face in her chest. He stayed that way as she gently led him out
of the treatment area and towards the elevator which would take them upstairs
to await the outcome of Tommy’s operation.
Josh, Dianne, Andrew and
Susan waited in a small, private waiting room.
Just down the hall, Dr, Andrews was working to save Tommy’s life and to
restore his health. Dianne and Andrew
sat together chatting quietly. Susan was
dozing lightly and Josh was pacing as he had done in the ER.
The operation had been going
on for about 2 hours and there had been no word. Josh was restless so he decided to take a
walk. He paused before a Coke machine
and briefly considered purchasing a drink.
He decided against it. He felt as
though he was supposed to be somewhere or do something but he didn’t know
what. He felt helpless and scared and he
sought comfort.
He wandered own the
hallway. The only people he saw were
doctors, nurses and orderlies. There
were no other visitors around at this time of night. He reached the end of the corridor and
noticed that there was a door marked “Chapel”
He was pleasantly surprised
when he turned the handle and the door opened.
He hadn’t expected it to be open.
He entered the small room and made his way between the rows of narrow
pews.
Josh, like Tommy, was not a
religious person. He had never really
attended church and had never gone to Sunday school. He didn’t really know why he was there but it
felt right. He was thinking about what
Tommy had told him just before he was taken to the OR.
The boy took a seat on the
front pew and collected his thoughts.
There was nobody else in the dimly lit room. The front wall was adorned with a variety of
religious symbols and Josh guessed that this was a multi-faith chapel of some
sort. He hoped that it was also a place
for people like him who didn’t really practice any religion. He didn’t know how to pray but he had seen
enough people do it on TV to know that it didn’t look difficult.
He folded his hands together,
placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. He sat there for a moment and then began to
speak out loud.
“God, I don’t know if you can
hear me, I don’t even know if I’m doing this right. I’ve never prayed before and I’ve never asked
you for anything. Tonight I have to ask
you for something important. I have to
ask you to save my dad. I love Tommy
with all my heart. He has had a rough
life. He’s been through a lot. He’s a kind, loving man and he doesn’t do
anyone any harm. He helps people. He has
helped me more than he will probably ever know.
I love him with all my heart and I would give anything or do anything to
help him pull through. He has to
live. I know you might need him with you
in heaven, but I need him here with me even more. He deserves to live. He deserves to grow old. He doesn’t deserve to die just a couple of
months before his 20th birthday.
If Tommy dies, a bit of me will die with him. I don’t think I could ever be happy again if
I lost him. Please make him well, God,
please. Amen.”
Josh was crying again as he
opened his eyes. He didn’t know if God
had heard him or would even listen to him, but he had to have faith. As he stood up and walked out of the chapel,
he felt a little different. He couldn’t
quite place the feeling, but he felt a sense of peace wash over him. It almost reminded him of the feeling he got
when Tommy held him in his arms. He
slowly made his way back to the waiting room.
Josh opened the door and
froze immediately. He felt his blood run
cold. Doctor Andrews was there, still
dressed in her surgical scrubs. She was
kneeling in front of Dianne and holding her hand. Dianne, Susan and even Andrew had tears in
their eyes.
“How’s Tommy?” Josh demanded
urgently as his heart pounded between his ribs.
Doctor Andrews stood up and
turned around. She placed her arm
tenderly on Josh’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “Tommy’s going to be fine,
Josh. The operation was a
complete success.”