The Christmas House (7 page)

    
“I will be fine if you just stay out of the way and rest, okay?”

     “Yes dear,” she replied in a snotty little voice.

    
It was a cool overcast day for April and the temperature was a mild 58 degrees. No rain, which was a blessing and
Michael
felt pretty good physically. Maybe oversleeping had done him some good after all.

     After several hours of loading the truck with David’s help, Michael turned to David and asked, “Okay, what’s next?”

    
“That’s it Dad. There’s nothing left to load,” David said.

     A smile came to Michael’s face as he realized that he accomplished at least half of the process and it was only 6:00 p.m. He sighed and leaned up against the truck and took a breather.

     He heard Arianna from a distance. “You guys forgot this box of dishes.”

     As Michael turned he saw his very pregnant wife carrying a very large and heavy box out of the garage and toward the truck.

    
Before he could say anything, Arianna stopped in her tracks and dropped the box to the ground with a crash. She grabbed her stomach and doubled over in pain.

    
“Michael!”

    
Michael rushed from the truck to the garage apron where Arianna fell. “Are you okay?”

     “I think my water broke,” she replied.

     As Michael looked down at her legs he saw that she was covered in blood.
“Water?
My God! You’re hemorrhaging!”

     Michael picked her up in his arms and told David to run in the house and call 911.

   
“The phones are already shut off Michael. Just drive me yourself,” Arianna said.

     Michael was frantic and desperately tried to find his car.

    
“Where the hell is the
car!
”

    
“You left it at the truck place Dad!” David shouted.

    “Oh right. Okay, everyone in the truck,” Michael said.

     Michael lifted Arianna into the cab of the truck on the passengers’ side as David jumped in as well. Then Michael ran back to the apartment to lock the doors when he realized, “there’s nothing left to steal! What am I
doing!
”

     Back in the truck, Michael started it up and floored it. Unfortunately he forgot to close the pull down door on the back of the truck and several boxes
went
flying out and crashed to the street.

     “Dad, boxes are falling out of the truck!” David said.

     “Son of a bitch!” said Michael as he slammed on the brakes and brought the truck to a screeching halt. He heard the load shift toward the front of the trailer.
“CRACK!”

     “Well, there goes the frame to the couch as the washing machine slams into it,” Michael said as he opened the cab door and jumped out to reload the boxes that now laid 20 feet behind the truck.

     “Hurry Michael!” shouted Arianna. Michael having heard her
pleas,
literally threw the boxes into the trailer and slammed the overhead door shut.

     Back in the truck, Michael shifted the truck into drive and stepped on the gas. He
turned to Arianna and asked, “How you doing honey?”

    
“Not so good, but it would help if you would calm down,” she responded.

     
“Calm?
I’m calm. Just rela
x
....
OH MY GOD!”

     Michael took his eyes off the road for only a moment to look at Arianna as a car pulled out of no where, stopping directly in the path of the truck.

     “MICHAEL
LOOK
OUT!”

     “DAD THERE’S A CAR...”

     Michael couldn’t stop in time due to all of the weight in the back of the truck, so he swerved to avoid the car. The truck jumped a curb and piled through a row of bushes. The jump over the curb opened the roll door on the trailer and boxes were once again falling out of the truck.

     Arianna was now screaming in pain.

   
“OH MY GOD!
MICHAEL PLEASE
DON’T
HIT ANY MORE BUMPS!”

     Michael regained control of the truck and was now only a few blocks away from the hospital. He looked over at Arianna and noticed that her legs were now completely splattered with blood. He started to panic and drove a bit faster.

     Michael said in a anxious voice as he pulled into the hospital parking area
,“
Emergency room, emergency room. Where in God’s name is the emergency room entrance!”

     “There it is Dad. Behind that white van,” said David. 

    
Michael pulled the truck over to the right and narrowly missed a parked car. He pulled around the white van and up to the emergency room entrance. In a fast motioned pace he jumped out of the truck and ran around to the passengers’ side. As he opened the door Arianna fell into his arms.

     As she put her arms around Michael’s neck, she said, “Oh Michael, it hurts so much.”

     “Hang on honey, I gotcha,” replied Michael.

     As Arianna was hoisted out of the cab an orderly with a gurney came out of the hospital entrance.

    
“What’s the problem here sir?” he asked.

     “My wife is hemorrhaging and she is 9 1/2 months pregnant,” responded Michael.

     “Who is her doctor?” asked the orderly.

     “Doctor Westfield,” replied Michael.

     As Michael laid Arianna on the gurney, the orderly said, “We will contact the doctor, but for right now we have to stop this bleeding. I am taking her to emergency.”

     As the orderly wheeled Arianna into the emergency entrance, she started to moan. Michael walked along side the gurney, as David followed closely behind.

     Michael took hold of her hand and said, “It will be alright Arianna. Just hang in there okay?”

     Arianna’s face was twisted from the pain she was feeling but managed to reply, “I will Michael, I will.”

     The foot end of the gurney pushed open the hinged doors to the treatment room and rolled to a stop as several nurses and doctors flocked to the scene. As Michael and David stood back and watched, a nurse turned to them.

    
“I’m
sorry,
you are going to have to leave this area. Go to the waiting area down the hall and we will come get you when we have further information.”

     Michael started to say, “But that’s my wife and I....”

     The nurse responded, “I am sorry
SIR
, you must leave this area now!”

     She physically pushed Michael and David with her arms as they walked backwards out of the treatment room area. The stainless steel swinging doors closed in front of them. Michael looked through the window of one of the doors feeling inadequate and helpless as his bleeding wife was moved from the gurney to the treatment table.

     “Dad?” asked David.

     “Yes David?” replied Michael

     “Is Mom gonna die?” he asked in a solemn soft voice.

     “No, David. Mom will be fine,” answered Michael.

     “Promise Dad?” asked David.

     Michael did not answer right away. He thought to himself, how
could he
make a promise that he may not be able to keep. As he watched the doctors’ work on his wife, David asked again.

    
“Dad, do you promise Mom won’t die?”

     As Michael’s eyes welled up with tears he forced the words from his lips.

    
“Yes, David...  I promise.”

     Michael took David by the hand and led him down the hallway to the waiting area. As they walked, Michael was scared and worried as to what was happening to Arianna. He was praying to himself, “Oh please God, let Arianna live. I beg of you.”

     Suddenly, the door from the emergency treatment room bolted open and a gurney carrying Arianna was being rushed down the hall directly toward Michael and David.

     “What’s happening?” asked Michael.

     A doctor running along side the gurney asked, “Are you the husband?”

     “Yes, what’s wrong?” Michael asked back anxiously.

     The doctor motioned to the attendee and the nurse to continue without him as he grabbed Michael by the arm and led him away from the commotion.

     “Your wife is hemorrhaging and we are taking her to surgery,” the doctor told Michael.

      “Can I come with? I went through the Lamaze classes,” Michael asked.

     “Sir, we are way beyond Lamaze class here. I am afraid you have a choice to make. The baby is in distress and so is your wife. The hemorrhaging has caused massive blood loss to both her and the baby. We need to solve one problem at a time, but there is a chance that the problem that is neglected will intensify,” stated the doctor.

     “What are you saying?” asked Michael.

     “We cannot induce labor. It is too late for that. We have to perform a C-section to
save the baby,” said the doctor.

     “So, go ahead and perform the C-section. Is there something I need to sign or what?” asked Michael.

     “Sir, you don’t understand. If we perform the C-section to save the baby, there is a good chance your wife will not survive the operation. If we attend to the hemorrhage that your wife is having, there is a better than 90% chance she will lose the baby,” said the Doctor. He continued, “Who would you like us to try to save first?”

     Michael was faced with the decision of his life. Arianna was the love of his life. The baby was full term and deserved every chance to live. Michael’s heart was beating so fast his chest was actually shaking. He didn’t know what to do.

     Michael put his hands behind his head and started to pace erratically. He couldn’t sort out all of the options quick enough for the doctor.

     “Sir, we need a decision now or we will lose them both,” said the doctor.

     Michael turned to the doctor and at that moment caught a glimpse of David out of the corner of his eye. He remembered the promise that he made. He turned back to the doctor and said, “Save my wife.”

     The doctor responded, “We will do our best, but this situation is critical. Please have a seat in the waiting area. The procedure may take as long as 6 to 7 hours.”

     The doctor walked to the elevator and reached forward to push the call button, when the elevator doors opened in front of him before he had the chance. He entered the elevator and turned forward. As the doors closed, Michael looked into the doctor’s eyes and saw no feeling whatsoever. The eyes of the doctor were clear and emotionless as the doors closed together with a thud.

May 1st

2:30 a.m.

Good Samaritan Hospital

     As David slept soundly on the black leather couch in the hospital waiting room,
Michael stared off into space. It had been over 6 hours since Arianna was taken into surgery. Michael heard not a word as to her condition.

     Michael got up from the couch and walked over to a nearby window.  A maintenance man was waxing the stark white floors with one of those silver-polishing machines that spun a buffer pad on the tile. Michael thought to
himself
how there were two things that he always remembered about hospitals.
That distinctive odor that every hospital seems to have and the janitor that was ever present polishing the floors.

He remembered back just 10 years ago when his parents and younger brother were killed in a car accident. He maintained a silent vigil at this same hospital for over 20 hours. Although his father died instantly in the crash, during those 20 hours of surgery for his mother and brother Michael prayed to God to spare their lives. In the 20th hour, the doctors came down from surgery and informed Michael that both his mother and brother had died. Michael hadn't prayed to God since that terrible evening. That was until today.

     Michael and God's relationship was very special. Michael always said, “If he leaves me alone, I’ll leave him alone.” He couldn’t help but think that here God decided a 10-year hiatus from pain and suffering was enough for Michael. It was time to once again destroy his life by taking away yet two more souls that he desperately needed and loved.

             
Michael felt he still had a chance to ask for God’s help before it was too late and began to walk. As he passed the nurse’s station, he informed a nurse that he was going to visit the chapel and if she could keep an eye on David for a few minutes. As Michael stepped inside the empty chapel, he felt overwhelmed with guilt. It had been years since he last visited a church and here he was asking God for a favor.

             
He sat in one of the pews near the back of the chapel and stated to pray. He was alone and scared. As he began to cry he suddenly felt a hand upon his shoulder. He quickly looked up to see the smiling face of Martha Kennedy.