Page 107 of His to Ruin

A loud crash pulls me out of the dark memory from last night.

“Nanna?” I yell rushing into the bathroom finding her lying face down on the floor.

“Nanna?” I yell again when she doesn’t respond.

Kneeling beside her I turn her over onto her back checking her airway and pulse.

No pulse. Oh my god she has no pulse. “Nanna, please wake up, please.” I plead beginning CPR just as Suzie comes rushing into the bathroom covering her mouth with both hands.

“Oh my god,” she cries.

“Phone 911 quick.” I tell her as I begin chest compressions.

“We need an ambulance now.” I hear Suzie's shaky voice to the 911 operator on the other end of the line. “No, he’s doing CPR. She’s eighty-three and has Dementia. Please hurry,” she cries giving them our address.

Several minutes pass until the ambulance crew arrive and I still can’t find a heartbeat.

“Nanna please don’t leave me alone.” I beg feeling tears fall down my face as I watch her being carried away in a stretcher as soon as they were able to get a pulse.

We follow the ambulance that’s now a good bit ahead of us, speeding past three red lights but I don’t care. Busting through the busy hospital doors I head straight to the man at the reception demanding to know where they took her. He types something on his computer then looks at me solemnly.

Swallowing he says, “The doctors are with her at the minute sir. If you take a seat in the family room someone will be with you as soon as they can,” he says motioning to a room off the side of the ward.

Hours slowly pass when a doctor enters the room carrying a folder.

“Caleb Bailey?”

I jump up from the chair wiping sleep from my tired eyes.

“I’m doctor Matterson the physician caring for your grandmother,” she says taking my hand to shake. “Can we sit over here where its more private?” she asks gesturing to an unoccupied sofa chair away from the noise of people walking around the hospital. This can’t be good.

I look over to a sleeping Suzie as the sun outside begins to rise.

“Suzie’s family.”

The Doctor gives me a tight smile.

“Can I see her?”

“Soon, I promise but first I need to discuss the seriousness of your grandmother’s condition.”

I swallow hard wishing this was all a bad dream.

“Your grandmother appears to have suffered from a Hemorrhagic stroke.”

“A Hemorrhagic stroke. What does that mean?”

“A blood vessel in your grandmother’s brain has ruptured causing severe bleeding. Normally we would perform surgery to repair the damaged vessel and relieve swelling.” She pauses briefly before continuing, “Unfortunately in your grandmother’s case this is not an option.”

“Why isn’t it an option?” I ask sniffling as my eyes begin to fill with tears at the realisation of what’s happening. At what the doctor is trying to tell me.

“After reviewing multiple brain scans a team of specialists and I concur that the severity of the hemorrhage to your grandmother’s brain has meant that the parts of the brain that allows her to breathe on her own has been irreversibly damaged. This has also led to a limited flow of oxygen to the affected brain tissue. We strongly believe that the ventilator is the only thing that is keeping your grandmother alive, Caleb.”

Devastated I lean forward on my elbows placing my head in my hands.

“How can this be happening. She seemed fine when I came home.”

When the doctor doesn’t respond I give myself a minute to compose myself before I ask the question I should have been asking all along.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com