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
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
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
An hour passes with not a word from a single hospital staff. I worry his vitals aren't being monitored; no one has even looked in our direction except for the bum who asked me for a cigarette. "I'll be right back. I'm going to find someone to tell us what's going on. This is crazy.""I'll be right here." Smartass.Finding the check-in station proved more difficult with the construction underway but once there, the woman acts as if I have three heads and am breathing fire."I'm sorry, ma'am, what did you say the name is?""Cooper. Moby Cooper.""I don't have anyone registered by that name.""We were brought here by ambulance from Greenville. My husband is on a gurney over by the dead guy." None of this is amusing. She doesn't even blink at my referral to a dead patient hanging out in the hall."I don't know what to tell you.""Are you kidding me with this? I just followed an ambulance for over three hours. They gave me this pack of information to give to a nurse after
I think I'm in hell. The people around me are moaning, some in agony, with no relief in sight. I imagine this is what Hades would be like. This is unlike anything I've ever seen before, even on television, busy emergency rooms should have abundant lighting, state of the art facilities. This is nothing like that. The halls are dim, the noise is deafening, from both the patients and the construction, and everything appears dirty. Being alone, unable to walk, these halls freak me the fuck out almost as much as the people filling them.With Piper in view, I can tell by the look on her face things are not going as planned. Her skin is a purplish red, her eyes slightly squinted, and a vein is bulging in her forehead. Someone has pissed my wife off, and I'm thankful it wasn't me. When we make eye contact, all signs of irritation wipe clean, her face softens, the color begins to return to normal, and her eyes fill with love. There's only a slight trace of the vein that gives her away.When
The room is small, with no furniture for visitors, but Moby's away from the creeps downstairs and will now have the proper medical attention. I can't ask for more right now. The light is fading from the window and it's nearing eight o'clock. When his parents find us, I'm rather confused by Patty. She tells us about her plans for the week to shop, soak up the sun, and essentially enjoy an unexpected vacation. I look at Brooks who shrugs not knowing what's going on with her either and seemingly as surprised as I am at her focus not being on Moby. Maybe this is her way of saying, if he doesn't need her because he has me, then so be it. She will do what she wants. I roll my eyes, silently communicating the absurdity of it all with Brooks.They make their exit with Brooks in tow, confident Moby is now in good hands to retreat to the comfort of their respective hotel rooms. None of them ask me what my plans are for the night, and I certainly don't want to worry Moby, so I make no mentio
"May I speak to Piper?" I hear when I answer my phone."This is she." I don't recognize the voice on the other end, nor the number on the caller ID."This is Renee. I work with Moby except I'm at the Greer facility. I don't think we've ever formally been introduced." "Hi, Renee. Moby's mentioned you before. He thought I should get together with you to work on kickboxing." I'm an idiot; this girl isn't calling to hear about Moby's work out ideas for me. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you, Renee?""I hate calling so early in the morning, but I'm a couple hours from Charleston and was hoping I could meet you. I won't take but a minute of your time. I have a seminar I have to be at before noon.""Is everything okay?""Absolutely, just want to give you a card for Moby from the guys at the gym."It warms my heart to know they thought enough to get him a card. I realize she was already coming, but men just don't think about these things. I know it's going to do wonders for Moby'
Returning to Moby's room, it's after eight o'clock and he's nowhere around. A nurse informs me he moved to another room down the hall. Pointing me in the direction, I find him propped up in bed, eating what the hospital might describe as breakfast, watching television."Hey, babe," he calls out in much better spirits than I've seen him in the last couple of days."Hey! They gave you food. That's great.""I don't know if you can call soup for breakfast food, but it's not coming through an IV so I'll take what I can get." I look at the liquid cautiously. "They're still afraid I'm going to choke, so we're starting with liquids. I was told there's noodles in here too but someone lied.""Did you sleep well?" I inquire, hoping he had a better night than I did."I'm not sure you can call it sleep so much as napping since there's a nurse in here every hour checking my vitals. Every time the blood pressure cuff inflates it wakes me up. But I did the best I could with what I had. What