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Chapter 53: Piper

Author: Stephie Walls
last update Last Updated: 2022-10-26 14:22:23
The numbers on the screen don't mean anything to Moby, but two hundred and twenty-one over one hundred and sixty, my husband is actively stroking. I have never seen it firsthand, but my mother educated me for years after watching her mother die from repeat strokes. It never dawned on me those constant reminders of visual clues would come in handy-the slurred speech, facial distortion, motor function loss-I knew but hoped I was wrong. I wish now I was oblivious to the reality we're about to face, but I'm not. I'm all too aware of just how bad this truly is.

In an instant, there's a flurry of people and alarms going off on the machines tracking my husband's heart. They quickly transfer him to a bed and start an IV. With only one of us allowed to go back to the room, my dad turns to leave.

I grab his arm in panic. "Daddy, will you keep trying to call Moby's parents and Cam? She doesn't know I'm going to be late, so at this point, I think it's safe to tell her I won't be in at all. Be
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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 54: Moby

    I heard the words Piper said, but can't really wrap my mind around the possibility of a stroke. It didn't take a genius to notice the nurse didn't correct her assumption. I can't fathom how the hell I could be having a stroke. My head is throbbing, but I'm completely lucid. I'm young, in great shape, eat a healthy diet; this only happens to grossly obese people my age, not healthy, thirty-two-year-old men. My limited knowledge of stroke symptoms, patients, and the like is zilch, but the point is it shouldn't be me. I don't smoke, and I rarely drink. I just married my wife for the love of God. What the fuck is Piper going to do with what's left of me?Lying on this bed, unable to talk to my wife, the emotions seize me, Heather steps to my side. She doesn't speak. She places her hand on my forearm while we wait for the nurse to usher us in for the CT scan. The warmth of her touch grounds me and reminds me I'm not alone. When the doors finally open, signaling our turn, she gives me a ge

    Last Updated : 2022-10-26

  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 55: Piper

    Heather comes in an hour or so later to prepare Moby for his move to ICU. I ask if she heard the results from the CT scan, but the radiology department is really behind, and since Moby's blood pressure hasn't dropped much, they're going to go ahead and go. I climb off the bed and see the trepidation in my husband's eyes. "I need to go tell everyone what's going on, are you going to be okay for a bit by yourself?"He nods his response, but I can tell he doesn't want me to go."I'll be right back, I promise.""Actually, why don't you just meet us in ICU." Heather looks at the chart in her hand before turning her eyes back to me. "Seventh floor, room two."After kissing Moby's forehead, I make the long walk through the winding maze of the ER to share what little information I have with our friends and family. It breaks my heart to leave him, but it's not fair to all the people closest to us to wait without periodic updates. The truth is, it's only mid-afternoon, and I'm exhaust

    Last Updated : 2022-10-26

  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 55: Piper

    The worst part about all this is the incessant waiting. Waiting for nurses, waiting for tests, waiting for lab work, waiting for results, waiting for doctors. After Moby's MRI, the new nurse, Asten, has come on shift. Sweet girl, but if she doesn't stop making googly eyes at Moby, I may have to kick her in the ovaries. Overhearing me talking to Moby about running home to get his things, primarily his glasses so he can see, she tells me I have plenty of time before a doctor will be back in."You can go home. I'll be here. We won't let anything happen to him," she winks at Moby. Bitch, I'm not playing. She better lay off the flirty shit before I take out her kneecap.Glancing up and huffing in irritation at Asten, I turn to Moby, who is somehow oblivious to her advances. "Are you okay with that?" He nods. He looks tired. His eyes are dull, not their normal vibrant blue. Dark circles are forming around them. I can't help but notice his skin has a ground mustard hue that's unflatter

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 56: Moby

    My eyes flutter open. The room is dusky dark and it takes me a moment to remember where I am. The sterile smell of the hospital jogs my memory. As things come into focus, I see Piper sitting in the chair next to the bed with her laptop. Her hair's pulled up into a messy knot on top of her head, and she's changed into her crazy ass leggings and a sweatshirt and put her glasses on. The light from the computer gives her an ethereal glow. My heart swells with pride knowing she's mine.Glancing over at me, she realizes I'm awake. She closes her laptop and takes off her glasses. "How are you feeling?" she asks me."Better." Clearer speech shocks me. The doctor had said as my blood pressure comes down my speech would improve, but I wasn't expecting this much so quickly. It still sounds like I have a mouth full of food but it resembles English, which is more than it did twelve hours ago."Does your head still hurt?""Yeah, but the pressure isn't as bad. How long have I been asleep?" My

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 57: Piper

    The bell sounds signaling visiting hours are over. I try to push back but Asten, the little hussy, holds firm refusing to allow me to stay with Moby overnight. "You can stay in the waiting room if you'd like but the hospital adheres to strict hours in ICU.""I'm his wife, are you serious?" I'm miffed, which I'm sure my tone conveys."Very. Goodnight, Mrs. Cooper." My eyes flutter in irritation. I swear if I have to see this little heifer much more, they may stick in the tops of their sockets."Fine," I huff at her. "Can you give me a minute, Asten?" I draw out her name indicating how pretentious I think it is."I'll be back." She turns to leave and again, my eyes search the ceiling. Irritation doesn't begin to describe what her presence does to me."Okay, I guess I need to go. I'm going to stop by the gym in the morning to tell them what's going on and see if they can reschedule your clients. I'll be back as soon as I'm done with that. Do you need anything from home?""D

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 58: Piper

    No. No. No. No. I wake feeling way too refreshed. Looking at my clock, I realize just how right I am. It's almost eight in the morning. I should be walking out the door to go to the gym and make it to the hospital by the time visiting hours start at nine. God, I'll never make it, and he'll be there alone. Thank God I called Cam last night. They left the hospital after being there several hours but before I had a chance to have any type of discussion with her about work. Luckily, I can do my job from anywhere in the world as long as I have my computer. I love being at Healing Wings but I don't have to work in the building. She was very understanding, assuring me I didn't have to call in daily, but to keep her posted about Moby's progress. It's weird working with a friend, not knowing how far to take the professional lines, so I always err on the side of caution. I swear she must have yawned a hundred times in the five minutes I was on the phone with her. When I finally asked her what

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 59: Piper

    Ripping the door open to my car, I plop down in the seat to Google the phone number for the hospital. "Moby Cooper's room, please.""One moment please." The sound of fingers on a keyboard fills the silence. "I'm sorry ma'am, there are no phones in the ICU rooms.""Okay, how about the nurses' station, it's right outside his room.""We aren't allowed to connect people to the ICU nursing station."The bitch in me erupts. "Look, I appreciate you're doing your job, and I hope you can appreciate I'm simply doing mine. My husband is on that floor, and his mother just called me to tell me they're moving him to MUSC in roughly twelve minutes, and I'm not there. Now, you can either connect me to a nurse on that floor or when I get there and my husband has left, I will personally come find you and show you just how unhappy I really am.""Let me put you on hold and see what I can do." She remains calm, but I can hear the unsettled tone in her voice."Thank you."As I wait, I start

    Last Updated : 2022-10-26

  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 60: Piper

    Leaving the hospital is more of a blur than reality, although I'm sure it happened, I'm in a fog trying to figure out how my axis flipped. Following the boxy ambulance, as we make the three-hour drive to Charleston, I ensure I never lose them. The driver was clear, if there's a problem, if Moby needs medical attention they can't provide, they will go to the nearest hospital. If I'm not behind them, I could be halfway to Orangeburg before I know they've detoured. I send up a silent prayer when I look at the gas gauge. The full tank is about the only positive thing I have going for me. Since the doctor had already postponed the ambulance to wait for me to get to the hospital, they didn't wait to allow me to go home to pack a bag. I have nothing-no money, no purse, no clothes-for an undetermined amount of time in a city I've only vacationed in. I'll figure out what to do about necessities after I know Moby is safe. His parents indicated they were going to go home to pack and would m

    Last Updated : 2022-10-26

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 108: Moby

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 107: Moby

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    "Brooks!" I chase after my brother the moment Piper's out of sight."Yeah, bro, what's up?""Did you not give her the gift?""Of course. Just like you told me to. Why?""She's cold. She won't even look at me. You guys promised me this was temporary. I've worked my ass off day in and day out trying to prove myself. Why's she brushing me off?" I'm trying not to blow a gasket, but I'm out of options. I don't have any more tricks up my sleeve. I played the only hand I have. For the last five weeks, I've worked out for grueling hours a day, each of my brothers and her friends adding something to the daily regime. I've been in the gym with my buddies and co-workers who've pushed me harder than I ever pushed when I was healthy. There've been days I worked out more than I slept. My muscles have ached, I've been tired as hell, but I stayed focused to show her how much I love her and that I'm committed as fuck. I haven't reached out one time, there've been nights I took my phone to

  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 105: Piper

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 104: Piper

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  • The Siren Song Series   Chapter 103: Piper

    The dress is better than anything I could've ever dreamed and so much prettier than the original. I haven't bothered mentioning it to Cam and doubt she'll notice when the time comes. I figure it's best not to acknowledge it, stressing her out even more than I assume she already is. She took yesterday and today off work and all of next week for their honeymoon, but I'll see her, and everyone else, tonight at the rehearsal dinner. I'm dreading the entire thing, which pains me. I've been looking forward to Cam's wedding for years, even though we didn't have a groom. Not just hers but all the Fish. I've wanted to watch my friends take the next step, open the next chapter in their lives, each of them. Somehow, the last year seems to have taken all that joy away, sucked it right out from under me. Not only is the joy no longer there but it's been replaced with apprehension and fear. My friends haven't talked to me since I left Moby, even though they all agreed it was what I needed to d

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