LOVED (16 page)

And to God.

My world is crumbling before my eyes and I don’t know what else to do. I’m sure, in a world of perfection, we would al
l come to you in times of bliss, and not merely in times of sorrow and guilt.

We haven’t spoken in thirty years. I don’t ask for much, so it would stand to reason when I do, you may listen. I am asking if you have the method and the means that you do so with a keen ear.

One man, God.

One.

There’s one man right now that you need to be aware of. His name is Gene Parks. He’s dying. I know in my heart of hearts that you will be bett
er served with this man on earth and not with you.

I’m not here to barter, trade, or make some sort of deal. I’m not going to promise to worship you to a greater degree if you grant my wishes expressed in prayer. I’m here to ask your consideration. That’s all.

Take a look in this man’s eyes. If you don’t see the most caring, loving, and compassionate human being you’ve ever produced…well, so be it.

But if you’re half as intelligent as I am, and I’m certain you are; you’ll see what I see.

A man that has been instrumental in the development of the love that is before you now. In his eyes, God, his two children are before you now. I pray, God, that whatever happens…whatever it is that may be your will – please provide Kelli and I with the strength to understand and accept it.

That is all I ask. Amen.

I looked over into the passenger seat. Kelli was asleep, slumped over onto the door. I reached over and softly placed my hand on her leg and held it there. As I turned into the hospital parking lot, her weight shifted and she woke up.

“We’re here?” she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

I nodded. A lump rose in my throat.

“That didn’t take long,” she said.

I tried unsuccessfully to swallow.

“Well, come on,” I said as I opened the door.

Kelli wrapped her arm around mine and shuffled her feet as we walked through the lot. As her slippers scraped through the sand in the parking lot, I continued my brisk pace toward the door.

“Slow down, I’m going to lose my slippers,” she said softly as she looked down at her feet.

“Kelly, we need to…” I paused.

“Okay, baby girl. I’m sorry,” I said as I slowed my pace.

As the elevator rose to the third floor, my mind filled with emotion. Wonder, hope, fear, and sorrow consumed me. Kelli stood, stone faced and held my arm in hers. I turned and looked at her. As I did, she looked up and smiled.

The elevator door opened and we walked down the hall to room where Gene had been. I slowly pushed the door open, prepared for the worst.

The room was empty.

“Where is he?” Kelli asked.

I started to open my mouth, but realized I could not come close to speaking. I shrugged my shoulders and swallowed.

I turned and walked toward the reception desk, Kelli in tow. The nurse at the desk was tapping on a keyboard and made no effort to look up when we approached.

“Gene Parks,” I said, “where is he?”

“Just one moment, please,” she said as she typed.

I reached over the counter and placed my hand over the computer screen. She turned and looked up at my face. I clenched my teeth and flexed my jaw muscles.

“
We don’t have a minute.
He was here, and he’s gone from his room. Dialysis patient. Sixty-four years old. We received a call, we need to know where he is,” I said sternly.

I moved my hand from the screen.

She typed on the keyboard and looked at the screen and squinted.

“AICU, on
seven. 724,” she said.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Why’d they move him, Erik?” Kelli asked.

“Hard saying, baby,” I said as we walked back toward the elevator.

I pushed the button for the seventh floor and closed my eyes.

The door dinged when it reached the seventh floor.

I hope you were listening earlier.

I opened my eyes.

We walked into the circular shaped room. I looked at the room numbers above the doors and followed the numbers until we reached room 724.

I slid the curtain that covered the doorway into the room. The bed was unkempt, but the room was empty.
I scanned the room. The board on the wall beside the bed had the name
Parks
written on it.

I turned back into the hallway.

“What’s going on, Erik?” Kelli asked.

I shrugged.

“Ma’am, where’s the man that was in this room? Gene Parks?” I asked a passing nurse.

“Let me get someone for you,” she said.

As she hurriedly walked toward the reception desk, we followed her. It wasn’t shocking to me that Kelli had become very quiet. Even considering her typical silent submissive nature, she was extremely quiet for the last few days. Fear, denial, and being filled with wonder probably prevented her from speaking much. Tonight she was even quieter than she had been for the last few days. She held my arm as we walked to the desk.

The nurse whispered to another nurse who was sitting at the desk. The nurse at the desk stood and walked from behind the desk and stood in front of us.

“There were some complications with anemia,” she said, and took a deep breath.

“And for some reason, during treatment, he went into an
aphylactic shock,” she paused again.

“
Anaphylactic shock?
How in the
fuck
did he go into anaphylactic shock? What did you give him?” I demanded.

“Sir, we.
Well. I’m not sure, we…” she stammered.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I shook my head, “he had severe reaction to an antigen. Someone introduced it. What was it? What happened? Where is he?”

She pointed toward the entrance.

“Go to the waiting room in the hallways on the left, by the elevator. You passed it on your way in. I will get a doctor to see you as soon as I can. He’s down the hallway with a few doctors, but you can’t go in there,” she said.

“How long? How long will
you
keep us waiting?” I asked, attempting to make her feel responsible to get a doctor to us as soon as possible.

“As soon as I can.
I cannot interrupt them, but I will get a doctor to, and get someone to see you as soon as possible,” she promised.

“What does
all of that mean, Erik?” Kelli asked as we sat on the waiting room couch.

I inhaled a slow breath through my nose and exhaled through my mouth.

“When an
antigen
is introduced to your body, say when you get a vaccine shot, are given an antibiotic, or anything that isn’t normally in your body, your body naturally creates an antibody. The antibody renders the foreign substance harmless. Sometimes the reaction to the antigen is severe, and your body goes into shock,” I inhaled another breath and thought.

“Like a bee sting, baby. When someone is allergic to a bee sting,” I explained.

Kelli nodded.

“So they gave daddy something he was allergic to?”

“Basically, yes,” I responded, knowing the anaphylactic shock could kill him in no time, and that it wasn’t the reason we were called here.

I placed my hands on my knees and rocked slowly into the seat of the couch. Kelli leaned over toward my shoulder and laid her head on my upper arm. Soon, I heard her breathing change. I looked over my shoulder and confirmed she was asleep. I closed my eyes and relaxed. This to me was exhausting.

“Your father is in the car waiting, Erik,” my mother said.

I walked out the front door onto the porch and looked into the driveway. He rol
led down the window and waved his arm.

“Don’t forget your bat and glove, son,” he shouted, pointing to the porch.

I looked down and noticed the glove and baseball bat by the doorway. Quickly, I grabbed them and ran for the car. The trunk to the car was opened, and I threw my bat and glove in the trunk, closed it, and got into the rear seat of the car.

“Buckle your seatbelt,”
he said as I sat into the seat.

I buckled my seatbelt and leaned forward to catch a glimpse of his face. The seatbelt restricted me from leaning forward far enough. I leaned back into the seat and sighed.

“So, you going to hit a homer, son?” he asked.

“I’ll sure try,” I answered, filled with wonder.

“That last game was a doozy. That pop fly you caught won the game as far as I see it,” he said.

“Me too,” I said.

“You sure run the bases well. Good strong legs on you, son,” he said.

“Thank you, sir,” I said attempting again to lean forward.

The seat belt caught me half way to the rear of the front seat.

“Son, sit still. If we get into a
wreck, that seat belt will save your life, but only if you’re sitting in the seat properly,” he said.

“Yes sir,” I responded.

He turned the corner and accelerated up the on ramp to the highway. I watched out the windows as the cars passed us. Soon, he was up to the same speed as traffic. I listened to the repetitive whump whump whump of the tires on the road below and closed my eyes.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, son. You’re going to need to be alert. Your game is the first one today,” he said.

“Yes sir,” I said as I opened my eyes.

The car changed lanes, and began to slow down. We exited the highway and sped down the exit ramp toward the stop light. The light was red. I felt the car begin to decelerate. As the light turned green, the car accelerated again, and headed for the intersection.

“Can’t wait for this game, it should be a damn fine display, Centre Park’s team is a good one son,” he said over his right shoulder.

“That’s what they’re saying,” I said, smiling.

I saw the truck coming, but I couldn’t speak. As we entered the intersection, he turned around, but there was no time. Even seeing the truck approaching, the explosion startled me. As we passed through the intersection, the truck hit the driver’s side door, causing the car to flip over. It tumbled several times before it came to a stop.

I looked around the car. Glass was everywhere. The smell of smoke filled the car. The airbags in the front were out like huge balloons. My father was slumped into the seat.

“Dad?” I screamed.

“Dad!”

I tried to open my door. It wouldn’t budge. I pulled the handle and kicked it as hard as I could. As I kicked it, it opened half way. I stepped out into the street, and around to the driver’s door of the car. People were stopping and walking up to the car.

The driver’s door was mangled, and the entire driver’s side of the car was destroyed. A lifeless body lay slumped in the seat. A man re
ached in and placed his hand on my father’s neck.

“Does anyone know CPR?” he screamed.

“Anyone?” he screamed again.

“Call an ambulance!” he shouted.

“Someone call an ambulance!”

I looked around
at the people as they all talked to each other. One ran to a drug store on the corner. The trunk to the car was open. I walked to the rear of the car and looked inside. My bat and glove were still inside. I reached in and picked them up.

“Someone, Jesus.
Someone please, call an ambulance,” the man screamed.

Clutching my ball and bat, I walked to the curb and sat down.

I clutched my ball and bat close to my chest and waited.

For an ambulance that never arrived.

“Mr. Eads?” a hand touched my shoulder.

I grabbed the wrist firmly and opened my eyes.

“Mr. Eads?” he asked again.

“There’s no “s”,
it’s Ead. Erik Ead,” I said as I sat up on the couch.

Kelli slumped into the couch beside me, obviously asleep.
I stood and motioned for him to step beside the couch. I needed to protect her from as much of this as possible.

“
Yes sir?” I said.

I noticed it was daylight as he began to take a deep breath. I looked at my watch. 8:14. I had been asleep quite a while. I looked up from my watch and into the doctor’s eyes.

“Well, it’s been a hell of a night. We had complications from anemia, and when we…”

“Bottom line, doc.
Just cut the horseshit, what’s the bottom line,” I demanded.

He stopped speaking and looked shocked. I turned to look at Kelli, who was still asleep on the couch. I turned back to face the doctor.

“Dead or alive, which is it?” I asked.

“Well, he’s alive. As you know, his kidney has failed completely. We thought last night we were going to lose him twice, but…” he paused.

“Well. Life is full of mysteries, I suppose. Mysteries and surprises, Mr. Ead. He in no way is doing
well
, he’s as close to death as he can be and still be living. The operation is not something that we would
normally
perform with him in this condition, but we have no choice. We’re going to attempt it,” he rubbed his hands on his thighs.