The Do-Over by Annie J. Kribs

Author:Annie J. Kribs [Kribs, Annie J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atlantic Bridge
Published: 2012-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Jake dialed 911 even before he set Sara down. Once he’d given the operator the pertinent information, he carried Sara to the couch and laid her down as gently as he could with shaking arms. He was thankful once again for living in a small town, because it took the paramedics less than three minutes to arrive at Sara’s house. While they took her vitals and loaded her onto a gurney, Jake grabbed a change of clothes for her as well as her purse, which he’d brought from his house that morning. He waited until the paramedics had Sara loaded into the ambulance before climbing in beside her and pulling out his cell phone.

“Is it all right if I use this?” he asked the medic who was busy attaching an IV.

“Is it necessary?”

“I’d like to call her parents before they hear about this from the neighbors.”

“Make it quick.”

“Thanks.”

Jake called the number he found programmed into Sara’s cell phone and got her father on the line. He quickly explained that Sara was being taken to the hospital by ambulance and then disconnected the call. He spent the rest of the ride holding Sara’s limp hand and listening to the paramedic deliver her vital information over the radio to the admitting nurse in the E.R.

Upon arrival, Sara was whisked straight to the radiology department. Jake was ushered into a tiny waiting room until her tests were completed.

Although this particular room boasted comfortable chairs, a television, and a coffee maker, Jake couldn’t bring himself to sit. He was haunted by visions of her pallid face.

It was just over an hour later when Sara was finally wheeled back into the room. Jake was relieved to have her back where he could see and touch her, but dismayed because she actually looked worse than when he called the ambulance.

The nurse introduced herself as Jen and explained that Sara was coming in and out of consciousness. Jen left them alone briefly to hail the doctor, and Jake finally got his chance to talk to Sara. She was half-asleep but he spoke anyway.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but your doctors will fix it. I promise.” Jake held Sara’s hand and massaged her palm with his thumb.

The doctor walked in just then. He was looking at some films.

“Has Ms. Curtis been in any recent accidents? Been feeling ill lately?”

Jake thought about it briefly. “She was in a serious car accident about a year ago. She hasn’t mentioned feeling ill.”

“Any injuries in that accident?”

Jake shook his head. “I don’t think so. Her husband was killed, but she only had some minor cuts, abrasions. Nothing more than stitches, I think.”

The doctor squinted at Jake for a moment. Evidently he’d assumed Jake was her husband. “She has a massive infection. We won’t know the full nature of her illness until the pathology reports come back. That could take a while. As a precaution, we’re going to move her into intensive care just as soon as we have a room prepped for her.

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