He knew her so well. She cried and clung to him. Soon she felt Elaina’s arms around her, then Rita’s. Soon more arms; Colton and Jacob. She’d heard Jacob say they would take care of everything at home, to just go. Nothing could have made her feel more loved than that moment. She was cocooned in the middle of the most wonderful caring people in the world.
CHAPTER SIX
The plane ride was the longest in history. She kept her eyes on the portal until the sun set. Then she just stared at darkness through the window. She didn’t feel like talking and Lance honored her silence by not pressing her. Yet, he did hold her hand, and kept her close to him the entire time. She was grateful. She feared she would fall if he released her.
Vern was waiting at the airport as before, but instead of going home they headed straight for the hospital.
She wasn’t prepared for what she saw, seeing her father intubated and on a respirator in ICU was almost too much. What seemed worse, was her mother. Seeing her in this state was hard. She was always a very proud woman. What she saw now was a desolate distraught woman who looked ten years older.
She was seated beside her father holding his hand among the constant ominous sucking and blowing rhythm of the respirator, the blip of the ECG, and the hiss of the oxygen. Her face was ashen and her eyes were red, swollen and wet with tears. She dabbed at them with a tissue.
“Mom?”
She saw Tammy and stood holding out her arms sobbing. Tammy rushed over, and for the first time she could remember held her mother.
“How is he?” she said doing her best to keep completely calm.
“They can’t tell us anything.” She sniffed looking down at him. “The doctor said it was bad, that if he survived, there would be brain damage.” She sobbed again. “I sent Melanie home. She was a wreck.”
Tammy didn’t cry. Her mother needed her to be strong and that’s what she was going to do. A quick glance at the ECG answered her own questions. There was severe cardiac damage. She’d seen this too many times to deny what the outcome would be. She wouldn’t play with false hope and think he would wake up. She needed to be practical no matter how hard it was. Well, now she was going to switch to nurse mode and take care of her father and mother for whatever time he had left.
Lance was over at the nurses’ station conversing with the nurse who, like all women, blushed outrageously at the attention. Then she picked up the phone while nodding at him. She knew he was inquiring about the care, and bless him for being there after the way she dismissed him.
The doctor came in shortly after that. Lance must’ve been very convincing on getting him back because her mother had already spoken to him. Tammy however, knew which questions to ask, and reiterated what she expected in the form of comfort measures. The information he gave was exactly what she first suspected. Tammy waited until he’d left before she told her mother in layman’s terms. Her mother launched into sobs.
Royce arrived with Anne a few hours later. He looked ragged, unshaven, and jet-lagged. Tammy got them settled beside her father’s bed and went to speak to Lance who was waiting patiently in a chair in the hall outside ICU. At some point he just stepped outside to give them the time they needed with one another. Several hours had passed by then, and he was still there. She couldn’t possibly love that man any more than she did at that moment. She was surprised to see Vern with him though.
Lance stood up concern etched in his handsome expression. “How is everyone?”
“Not good. My mom is a mess.” She glanced at Vern.
“In case anyone needs to go home for rest.” Lance said answering her unspoken question.
“That’s sweet.” She bit her lip and took a shaky breath. “But I think this is going to be an all-nighter. If Vern doesn’t mind, would he go get my sister?”
Lance glanced at Vern and nodded. He left right away. “How areyouholding up Tam?” he asked sincerely.
That was the first time someone asked her that. “I’m okay.”
“Just okay?”
“You should go home. You’ve done so much.”
He dismissed that suggestion. “No. How are you really?”
She nodded answering his question. “I’m in familiar surroundings—a hospital, so my mentality is to be professional. I know that might seem weird, but it’s working for me.”
He rubbed her arms reassuringly. “I’ll stay here. You know where I am if you need me.”
She did need him. She needed him like she needed to breathe. Forty five minutes later her father died surrounded by his whole family.
Her mother was inconsolable. Anne and Melanie held her at the moment while Royce moved Tammy out into the hall. It was the early hours of the morning so the halls were quiet. Lance was still there.
“Lance, take Tammy home—“
“No, I’m fine.”
“Tammy,” Royce interjected. “We’ll be fine. You’ve done more than enough. Anne and I will take mother and Melanie home and stay with them. We’ll need you to take the shift tomorrow while arrangements are being made. You are the strongest out of all of us and we’ll need you.”
