The Water Giver by Joan Ryan

Author:Joan Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

“We don’t know where it is,” she said.

“Can someone go find it?”

She explained that the chair belonged to the neuro unit on the seventh floor. The nurses up there weren’t sure where it was. Ryan was banging the claw on the mattress and slamming his boot against the rail.

“Really, is this too much to ask? I mean how hard can it be to find it?”

“I’m not sure there’s anyone available.”

“How about I go up there?” I said, trying to keep the anger and frustration out of my voice.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

I finally exploded. I was like Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon. I demanded to see all of Ryan’s records. I wanted to know why no one was doing anything. Where was a schedule of therapies and a list of goals and objectives for my son’s rehabilitation? Did I have to do it all myself?

Ryan was still in ICU, of course, barely able to focus on anything for more than a few seconds, a detail that had no impact on me whatsoever. I stopped just short of clapping my hands and barking, “Let’s go, people!” My issues with control, dormant for the most part since the accident, lunged out, snarling and drooling, like something out of Alien.

An ICU doctor was summoned.

“You can’t look at the records without someone from the hospital to explain it,” he said gently.

“They’re my son’s records! I have every right to see them whenever I want!”

I didn’t know if I did or not. I just wanted information. Information made me feel as if I was doing something. The ICU doctor brought out a huge binder and began to go through it. I took notes furiously, though I had little idea what I was writing. At least, I felt, I was putting them all on notice that I was Paying Attention. In reality, I was making a fool of myself.

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.