The Long Way Around by Douglas Cavanaugh

Author:Douglas Cavanaugh [Cavanaugh, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kirostar Publishing
Published: 2020-03-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

A Final Gleam in Conrad’s Eyes

Mercy Hospital

Oelwein, IA

Tuesday, December 07, 1993, 7:30 p.m.

Meals had become harder for Conrad to digest. In the mornings, his stomach could only tolerate oatmeal and egg whites, and on the rare occasions when his appetite resurfaced later in the day, he enjoyed soups and broths the hospital dietician prescribed the kitchen staff to prepare for him. Meat was no longer on offer, and he didn’t miss it anyway. In fact, he had developed an aversion to eating anything from his former favorite food group, though he couldn’t remember exactly how or when that had happened. Over the last few days, he’d reasoned that because he’d been reduced to consuming what was essentially baby food, it was a telltale sign that his life’s end was drawing near.

Conrad’s appearance was now more haggard than ever. His hair had grown to lengths which, over the last fifty years, would have been unimaginable, and his face exhibited a constant five-day stubble, the result of his skin being too sensitive to shave because of an obstinate irritation and itchiness. More menacingly, other end-stage kidney failure signs had developed, such as swelling in his hands and ankles, shortness of breath, and an unrelenting fatigue that had grown stronger each day over the past few weeks. Conrad knew it was just a matter of time before his kidney shut down completely, which left the hospital’s mechanical filtering system in control of his fate. But differing from other patients in the similar stage of kidney failure, Conrad’s mind was remarkably clear, and his grandson’s recovery dominated his thoughts. He checked on Ryan as often as possible, regardless of the fact the young man’s mood and attention span varied drastically from visit to visit.

* * * * *

Ryan Meyers had awoken from his coma just over a month ago. His physical rehabilitation and mental acuity were progressing steadily, though not nearly fast enough for his grandfather’s satisfaction. He was now able to sit, stand, and could almost walk the hospital halls without assistance. He also had been able to speak for several weeks, but the rate and clarity of his speech was inconsistent, and the quality of their conversations suffered greatly as a consequence. That’s what bothered Conrad the most. He needed to be certain Ryan’s life was returning to normal, that he was healing both physically and mentally, before his soul could succumb to nature’s call and leave this world in peace. Regretfully, it appeared Ryan’s recovery was going to take longer than Conrad’s kidney could hold out. One thing working in his favor, though, was that Ryan’s initial interviews with the law enforcement agents had gone well, leading Conrad to believe his grandson would not face any charges concerning Brian Garner’s death.

Conrad was sitting alone in his room watching television when his favorite nurse opened the door and poked her head in to announce a visitor. The old man’s eyes were glued to a news story that had broken earlier that

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