“We’ve already thought of that, Worth. We sent Bernie to get him. They should be here any moment.”
As if summoned by the mere words, there was a knock on the door and Bernie walked in, peering around the corner at the bed. “Hello?”
“Is Ford with you?” I barked anxiously.
“He’s right here,” he said. He turned and motioned with his hand. “Come on in, son, your dad is right here.”
Several moments passed before I saw Ford’s face. He didn’t approach the bed, just stood next to Bernie. I held out my hand toward him. “Ford, son, come here. Let me hug you.”
Ford stood his ground, his military hat in his hands. Everyone turned to look at him, concerned that he would be afraid for me. That, however, was not the case.
Ford raised his chin and said, “Why did you try to kill my mother?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Worth
I played the scenario over and over in my head. One moment, we were waking up sweetly warm from a night of love-making and the next, she lay in the weeds and I feared her dead. Now, our son believed I’d intentionally put her there. I couldn’t lie still. Eventually, I rang for a nurse and asked for something to help me sleep. I needed my strength back before I could sort this out and get to Auggie. They brought me a tiny paper cup with two pills and that was the last I remembered until the next morning.
They rolled in the cart to check my pressure and take my pulse. An aid followed with a plate of soupy eggs and plain coffee. I sipped the coffee and asked to see the doctor on duty. My credentials did get me a little express treatment, I will admit, and as long as I promised to not drive and to keep a cane with me in case I got dizzy, they released me.
Bernie appeared, having left Ford with Mother for the time being. We felt he would be safest there and Mother welcomed his company. Bernie found a wheelchair and we went to the ICU to see Auggie.
I thought I would stop breathing when I saw her. She was lying so still in that big, white bed. She was intubated and there was tape over her eyelids. A bank of blinking monitors hugged her bed and the nurses’ station was barely ten feet away through the observation window. I nodded to them and a tall young nurse in green scrubs came in and greeted me. “Dr. LaViere,” she acknowledged.
“I want to see her chart,” I ordered and though she hesitated, she obliged. Evidently she knew that to resist would be useless. She brought an iPad and reviewed Auggie’s information. I looked at the scans and the neurological exam that had included poking her feet and limbs to determine whether she suffered from any numbness. The CT scan showed swelling of her brain and although it was not substantial, they had effectively put her brain on pause until the swelling would go down. I had enough training to see that she was in serious, but stable condition and unless something unforeseen occurred, they would probably bring her out of the coma in forty-eight hours.
“Go get yourself something to eat, Bernie. I’m staying here.”
“Can I bring you something?” he asked quietly even though the loudest noise in the world wouldn’t rouse Auggie right then.
“Bring me back my wife,” I said and he bowed his head, patted my shoulder and quietly left the room.
***
The hospital arranged for a room for me on the same floor as the ICU. I stayed there and Bernie brought me clean clothing and edible food. He had seen to the boat and removed our possessions. All that remained was to get Auggie better and reunite our family.
I couldn’t see Ford at that time. I needed him to see his mother smile and healthy again so she would tell him what had happened. Nothing I could say would make a difference in the meantime. I kept in touch with Mother, who watched him and said he spent most of his time staring at the television. He was obedient and polite but said little.
The doctors monitored Auggie’s swelling and finally decided to bring her out of the coma. I sat in the corner of the room and watched as they adjusted her IV solution and she gradually began muscle movement. As she surfaced, she tried to move her hands to pull the tube from her throat, but they’d already been secured. Two doctors stood by and once she was conscious, they removed the intubation and she started breathing calmly on her own. She had yet to open her eyes although the tape had been removed. My heart was hammering in my chest as we all waited to see if she responded normally.
She was still sleepy when I walked over to her bed and took her hand in mine. Her eyes fluttered open and I was rewarded with a flash of green diamonds. Her pulse raised as she looked about, trying to figure out where she was. There was no obvious reaction to anything she looked at, including me.
“Let her sleep some more,” the doctors said and left instructions at the nurse’s station to be called when she appeared more alert. I maintained my vigil by her bedside and with the help of Bernie, she was never left alone. Gradually, she stayed awake for longer and longer periods but didn’t speak and avoided looking anyone straight in the eyes. The doctors spent time with her and ultimately took me to the side.
“Dr. LaViere, in our opinion, your wife has some sustained damage from her accident. While it appears she’s fully cognizant and has complete use of her body, she does appear to have some residual memory loss. She knows she’s in a hospital but cannot tell us her name or any personal details whatsoever. In our opinion, this is a temporary condition that should resolve itself over time. It’s most likely due to the swelling, which is now contained. We’re prepared to release her as long as she has full-time supervision in your home. Can you arrange for that, Dr. LaViere?”
They had just so matter-of-factly taken my breath away. My Auggie was missing. In her place was a woman of equal beauty and spirit, but she had no idea who I was, or that we had a son. I nodded. “Of course,” I said hoarsely, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Auggie came home two days later. She was speaking, but her voice was impersonal and cold. I hired a full time nursing staff, a physical therapist and made appointments with specialists who dealt with memory loss. I knew she would not share a bed with me. In fact, she had been reluctant to get into our car for the ride home. I put her in our bedroom and took the guest room next door for myself.
Ford was completely confused. He could see his mother and that she was whole and uninjured, and yet she didn’t speak to him. She watched him move around but never spoke to him directly and there was a vacant look in her eyes if anyone mentioned his name.
“Mother?” he called to her as she sat on the patio, looking out over the barns. Auggie didn’t budge. He tried again, coming up beside her and touching her arm. She drew her arm back quickly and looked frightened. “Mother, it’s me, Ford.” She relaxed a bit, realizing it was only a child and gave a half smile.