Daniel's Oil by Urcelia Teixeira

Author:Urcelia Teixeira
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-928537-91-5
Publisher: Urcelia Teixeira

Chapter Twenty-One

Patty stared at her husband’s pale face and white hair that blended into the white pillow under his head. In all the years they had been married she had never seen him this ill and most definitely never in a hospital bed.

Her eyes traced the multitude of tubes and wires that ran from his arm, waist, and mouth to various machines, her eyes freezing when they landed on the luminous green line jumping rhythmically on the screen on the other side of the bed. The doctor had said his heart rate was stable but compared to the heart thumping inside her chest, it seemed far too slow to convince her that he was out of danger.

She looked down at his hand she hadn’t let go of since they got there. It was much larger than hers, the skin around his fingertips cracked and calloused, showing clear signs of a man who wasn’t scared of hard work. She should have shown him more appreciation and respect, her thoughts taking her to his accusations of just a few nights before. Her heart filled with regret as her head dropped forward and rested on her arms on the side of the bed, her hands still clutching his lifeless hand. She said a silent prayer and asked God to forgive her for not honoring her husband in the way he deserved. She had taken him for granted, assuming he would be around forever.

Her melancholic thoughts were interrupted by one of the night nurses.

“Mrs. Richardson, you should go home and get some rest. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

Patty sat up straight and shook her head.

“He needs me. He needs to know I’m here and that I haven’t left his side.”

The words sounded hollow, masked under a blanket of counterfeit courage.

“I’m sure he knows that already. Besides, the doctor said he might not regain consciousness for another few days. Your husband lost a significant amount of blood and his left kidney is fighting off a bad infection. There’s nothing you can do for him right now except wait. I give you my word; I will phone you the moment he wakes up.” The nurse gently placed her hand on Patty’s back. “Go home and get some rest. Your husband will need you more once he wakes up.”

Patty’s eyes darted between Daniel’s face and the nurse’s reassuring smile. She was exhausted and hadn’t changed out of the bloodied clothes since they got there. Her foot, although clean and stitched up, could do with being propped up on a pillow.

“Maybe you’re right, dear, but call me the instant he starts to wake up, okay? I need to be here. He needs to know I’m here for him.”

The nurse nodded a promise and ushered her to the door. Patty stopped to look back at Daniel one more time.

“I’ll take care of him while you get your rest, Mrs. Richardson. I promise,” the nurse said as she gently nudged her out of the room and toward the exit.

Daniel’s little red car was still parked in the hospital emergency care lot.

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