Curtis (35 page)

chapter FIFTY-EIGHT

Three days later

Thursday, April 21

“Mrs. Walker, it’s me, Jeannie. How’re you feeling this morning?”

Lorrie forced her eyes open and looked at the sweet nurse who’d been by her bedside most mornings since she’d arrived however many days ago. She tried to smile, but her body was too weak. As was usual, that didn’t deter Jeannie from continuing on. Lorrie liked the fact that she spent time with her, chatting about her family and the things she did outside of the hospital. It was a nice reprieve from all of the sad faces she’d been seeing lately.

The last few days had been especially hard. The doctor had given them all the grim news, and Lorrie had watched the devastated faces of her family as they’d streamed in and out of her room for the past few days. Things didn’t look good, and the worst part about it, she couldn’t do anything to heal their hearts. She wasn’t ready to die; she wasn’t ready to leave her boys or Curtis or her grandbabies. She was still fighting with every ounce of strength she had, and she would until her dying breath.

“I was talking to my mom last night,” Jeannie continued. “I was telling her about you and all your kids. I’ve got three sisters, so my mother couldn’t comprehend how you could’ve raised seven boys.” Jeanie took Lorrie’s wrist, placing her fingers over her pulse. “Then we got to talking about kidney stones. She was telling me that she had one removed a few years ago. It sounded a lot like what happened to you. They had sent her home wearing a Foley, too. She didn’t remember how long she had it, but she remembered how happy she was when the doctor had finally removed it.”

Something niggled at the back of Lorrie’s mind, something related to this conversation. Perhaps something important.

“My mom said she still remembers leaving the doctor’s office that day feeling a heck of a lot better.”

“He nicked my bladder,” Lorrie blurted, looking up at Jeannie.

Jeannie paused from listening to her lungs with the stethoscope. “What’s that?”

She took a deep breath and explained. “When I went in to get the stent removed, the doctor nicked my bladder. Said it was only a small tear but it wasn’t anything to worry about.”

At that moment, Curtis walked into the room carrying a cup of coffee. He smiled back at her as soon as their eyes met. “There’s my beautiful girl,” he said tenderly. Despite the tone of his voice, she could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Mr. Walker,” Jeannie greeted him. “Lorrie was just telling me that when she had the stent removed after the kidney stone procedure that the doctor caused a small tear in her bladder. I don’t recall seeing anything about that in the chart.”

Curtis had moved closer to the bed, his big hand resting over hers. “I didn’t know anything about that. Baby?”

She nodded, trying to recall what the doctor had said. Her brain was so foggy. “He said it was an accidental nick and I shouldn’t be worried.”

Jeannie finished checking her, finally taking Lorrie’s temperature, but then she excused herself. “I’m going to call the doctor really quick. I think this is information he might need to know.”

Curtis nodded at the nurse, but then his attention returned to her. “Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

She smiled weakly. “I actually didn’t think anything of it until just now.” She nodded toward the door. “Jeannie was telling me about her mother having a kidney stone removed, and it just hit me, I guess.”

Curtis leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering for her to get some sleep as once again she drifted off.

As soon as Lorrie was sleeping soundly, Curtis slipped out into the hall to talk to the nurse.

“Did you call the doctor?” he asked.

Jeannie smiled, and this didn’t seem like one of those forced ones that he’d seen on far too many faces as of late. “I did. And he’s looking into it.”

“What does that mean?”

She pivoted to face him. “It means that there’s a possibility that the wound on her bladder is actually the site of the infection. If that’s the case, it’s no longer like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Curtis was getting the gist of it, but just barely. “So they can fight it?”

Jeannie nodded. “That’s correct. If that’s what’s causing it, we can pinpoint the site of the infection.” Her smile slid from her face. “But, Mr. Walker, that doesn’t mean she’s out of the woods yet. We have to confirm that this is the issue first. And we don’t have a lot of time, because her kidneys are weak.”

He nodded. “When will the doctor be in?”

“He’ll make his usual rounds, but if he finds something before then, I’m sure he’ll send instruction on what we need to do.”

As soon as she finished her sentence, the phone on her desk rang. She turned to answer it, her smile returning as she turned to look at him, speaking into the phone. “Yes, sir. Right on it.”

The way she was looking at him gave Curtis hope.

“That was the doctor. This might be the break we’ve been hoping for. He’s ordered an ultrasound so we can see if this is, in fact, the site of the infection.”

“And if it is?”

“Then he’ll start a treatment plan immediately.”

The band around his chest loosened a little. Not completely, but enough to let him breathe. This was the best news—even if it wasn’t definitive—that they’d heard in all the time they’d been there.

“I’m gonna go talk to my boys,” he told her as she started typing something into the computer.

“We’ll be right here when you get back,” she assured him.

Not wanting to keep the boys waiting when the last thing they’d heard was the devastating news from the doctor a few days ago, Curtis headed down the hall and out into the waiting area.

As soon as the door closed behind him, heads lifted, bodies shifted so that they were sitting or standing.

“Any news?” Sawyer asked, moving toward him.

Taking a deep breath, Curtis relayed everything that had just happened to the dozens of faces staring back at him. He made sure he told them that they didn’t know for sure if this would work, but for the first time in three weeks, at least they had some sort of hope.

And for now, that was exactly what they all needed.

chapter FIFTY-NINE

One week later, Friday, April 29

“Whoa, Momma! You’re lookin’ good,” Zane teased when he walked into Lorrie’s room. “You ’bout ready to bust outta this joint?”

Lorrie smiled at her youngest son. For the first time in a month, she felt human again. The pain was mostly gone. The infection was disintegrating thanks to the fact that the doctors had pinpointed it and knew how to treat it. She wasn’t sleeping twenty-four hours a day, and as of this morning, she was officially a free woman.

“More than ever,” she told him.

Yes, she was ready to get out of this place. She was ready to go home, ready to get back to living her life. These past few weeks had been difficult, but more so for her family, the ones who had lived minute by minute wondering if the worst would happen. That morning when the doctor had come in to sign her release, he’d told her that if she hadn’t remembered that little detail, she probably wouldn’t be with them today.

“Pop is bringin’ the truck around. I’m here to make sure you’re not mobbed on the way out the door. I mean, seriously, you got a town named by you.”

“Oh, hush,” she told her boy, giggling.

When the nurse came in a minute later, Zane grabbed her things while Lorrie got situated in the wheelchair so they could take her to the exit. She would’ve preferred to walk, but they insisted that she continue to take it easy, allow her body to heal completely before she tried to trek too far.

Lorrie wasn’t going to argue.

Fifteen minutes later, Curtis was helping her into the truck and Zane was climbing into the backseat. When Curtis started out of the parking lot, he took her hand, linked their fingers, and remained quiet for most of the way home. Lorrie didn’t mind the silence; she’d heard nothing but beeping machines and muttering voices day and night for weeks on end, so she appreciated the quiet.

“Is everyone at work?” she finally asked when they pulled into the driveway half an hour later.

“Back at it,” Zane confirmed. “You know how it is around here.”

She did. And she was glad that her boys could get back to their lives, back to their families. Those were the important things, and she didn’t want them to miss out on a second. She certainly hadn’t, that was for sure.

Curtis parked the truck, then insisted on helping her out and leading her to the front door. Once inside, Lorrie took a deep breath and… “What’s that smell?”

Zane’s grin went from ear to ear. “Dinner.”

“Dinner?” Lorrie looked at Curtis. “It’s only lunchtime.”

“It is,” her husband agreed, taking her arm and leading her into the living room.

And that was when Lorrie saw them.

All
of them.

Her boys, their significant others, her grandbabies, the dogs, her nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters, in-laws. They were all there, crowded into the kitchen, spilling out into the living room and probably the dining room and maybe even the backyard, for all she could tell.

“Oh,” Curtis said, looking serious. “Did I forget to mention that we’re having Sunday dinner today?”

She pursed her lips and glared at him, unable to keep from laughing.

“Who’s doing the cooking?” she asked, turning to look at the others.

She noticed a small hand go up in the air from behind the others. “I am!” Zoey announced.

“Well, in that case, let’s eat.”

When the house finally cleared out, long after it’d gotten dark outside, Curtis wanted nothing more than to spend some quiet hours with his wife. He was proud of himself. For the better part of the day, he had managed not to suffocate her, but it hadn’t been easy. The only thing he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, hold her close to his body, and never let her go. Ever.

He made his way to the bedroom, finding the door open and Lorrie sitting at her desk, writing in her diary. Tapping on the doorjamb to get her attention, he smiled when she looked his way.

“Writin’ in your book?”

She nodded.

“Can I read it?”

She nodded again.

After toeing off his boots, he crawled into bed.

“I thought you wanted to read it,” she said, watching him from across the room.

“I do.” He patted the bed beside him.

She gave a little head shake, clearly finding him amusing. Or so he wanted to believe. She got to her feet, picked up her book, then joined him on the bed. Before she could hand him the book, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, clutching her tightly, her head resting on his chest.

A tear escaped him, but he didn’t try to stop it. He simply held her as tight as he dared.

“I’m sorry it’s been so rough these past few weeks,” she said, her words vibrating against his chest.

“It’s not your fault,” he told her.

“No, but I know it’s been hard. I hated seeing you and the boys upset.”

He ran his hand over her hair. “Honey, that’s part of it.”

“I know,” she told him. “When you love someone, the pain can sometimes be unbearable.”

“But it’s worth every second,” he noted.

“Yes, it definitely is. And we’ve had a lifetime of seconds.”

He smiled. “I hope you know that’s not nearly long enough. I need another lifetime with you.”

She laughed.

“I love you, darlin’,” he whispered against her hair. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. I would’ve given anything to take away your pain.”

Lorrie squeezed him. “You can’t fix everything.”

“No, but I’ll damn sure try.”

“I know you will. And that’s why I love you. That’s why I’ve
always
loved you.” She lifted her head and smiled, wiping away the tear on his cheek. “You are my love that lasts a lifetime.”

“Hey…” Curtis shifted lower, pulling her closer. “That’s my line. You can’t go stealin’ my lines.”

“What’re you gonna do about it?”

He grinned, and for the first time in days, he felt whole again. “I’m sure I’ll think of somethin’.”

“I’m sure you will,” she agreed. “You always do.”

April 29, 2016

It feels as though I’ve been given another chance, more time with the only thing that matters to me. Family. It’s been a rough few weeks, but I’m here, still fighting, still moving forward, just as I plan to be for years to come. I hope God knows that I’m not done here yet. I haven’t gotten to spoil all of my grandkids, or my great-nieces and -nephews, to watch them grow up and become the incredible people they will become. I haven’t had the chance to see our nieces and nephews get married, have babies. And I intend to be here for those moments, to share those happy memories with those whom I love, with the most incredible man at my side … for a long time to come.