In Her Shadow by August McLaughlin

Author:August McLaughlin [McLaughlin, August]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-12-16T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Six

“So what happened exactly?” Claire moves to an upright position in the bed and looks at Dr. Bergen, the mid-forties doctor who’s been treating her.

She awoke at United Hospital in Minneapolis, unsure what she remembered and what she merely dreamed. According to Hank, after passing out at the clinic she was rushed to the emergency room where she remained unconscious for several hours. Bonnie, having the wherewithal not to contact her grandmother, phoned him immediately.

Considering the situation and the panic she experienced just prior, she feels unusually calm. And, she notes, hungry.

“It seems you suffered from hypoglycemia. In severe cases, low blood sugar can cause loss of consciousness. Do you recall what you ate and drank beforehand?” He pulls a pen from his breast pocket to jot notes.

Hank’s watchful eyes feel like policemen’s flashlights in the movies. “I…hardly ate anything all day, or lately really, other than coffee and Diet Coke.” She pauses. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

“Yes, your friend here told me,” the doctor says. Claire smiles subtly at Hank. He barely knows the half of it. “Sorry to hear of your grandfather’s stroke.”

“Thank you.” As the doctor explains further details of her condition her thoughts turn to the IV machine hooked to her arm. Though nearly identical to the contraption that triggered panic in Grandpa’s room, it doesn’t alarm her. And for once she feels unafraid of food.

“I’d like to keep you overnight for monitoring purposes,” Dr. Bergen finishes. “If everything checks out, as I presume it will, you can return home first thing tomorrow. And no more skipping meals or I suspect I’ll see you again shortly.”

“Girl scout’s honor.” She smiles, raising her hand in three-finger salute.

As the doctor leaves, Hank approaches her bedside. “You gave us quite the scare, missy. Sure you’re feeling better?”

“Positive.” In fact, she feels better than she has in weeks. But why? “Is it normal to feel this great after having a blood sugar attack?”

Hank smiles. “Once it’s fixed, absolutely. Nothing feels better than getting all of your levels back to normal. You were probably dehydrated, too. They had you on oxygen earlier. Food, water, air... Not things generally considered optional.”

“Well I think it’s safe to say I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Can I get you anything?” Hank adds. “Doctor said I can stay until nine-thirty, which gives me…” He glances at his watch. “…about half an hour.”

Too little time to get into the day’s events, she decides. And besides, she’s exhausted in mind and body. She longs for normal food and conversation—no secrets to uncover, no paranoia to pursue.

“Is it okay for me to eat with this thing on?” She lifts her IV-attached arm. “I could really go for some pizza or something, if the cafeteria’s still open.”

He grins. “Thatta girl. Eating should be fine. I’ll go check it out. Anything else?”

“Mmm…Coke. Make it a regular.”

Once Hank steps out she reaches for the phone and calls the Hastings hospital. Grandpa remains stable—sleeping and no notable changes. Grandma, too, seems fine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.