Living Again Read Free Page B

baby.
    “What is your husband’s name?” the nurse asked calmly. Kayley breathed but couldn’t speak. She shook her head.
    “A-A-Alex C-C-C-Carson,” she eventually stuttered out.
    “Okay, stay right here ma’am, and I’ll look to see where he is.” The nurse walked away to the station, leaving Kayley alone to sort through what was going on. Before the nurse came back, Kayley’s parents and Emily walked in. She watched them walk towards her, but she couldn’t move.
    Her mom made it to her first. “Kayley!” She enveloped her in a hug and Kayley allowed the dam of tears to start again. Her dad and Emily made a circle around her, hugging her.
    “Any news?” Emily was the first to speak. “Alex’s parents are driving here from Georgia. They said to call once you know anything.”
    Kayley shook her head. “She…the nurse…she’s checking”.
    “It’s going to be okay, Kayley. He’s young, he has the best doctors…” Her mom trailed off, trying to comfort her. Kayley paced back and forth, wringing her hands.
    “He didn’t call- he always calls me. I had dinner ready, he’s never late…” she murmured to herself.
    Just then, a doctor came around the corner and looked at Kayley. She stiffened, trying to read the doctor’s expression.
    “Mrs. Carson?” the doctor asked. She nodded, still trying to process what might come out of his mouth. “I’m Dr. Boone. I saw your husband when he first came in on the Med Flight. He is in critical condition. He has lost a lot of blood and has a pretty severe head injury and internal bleeding. He is in surgery right now trying to stop the bleeding in his stomach. We may also have to open up his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain.” He paused to allow Kayley to process.
    She forced her mouth to form words. None of that sounded good. “Is-is he going to be okay?” she asked, her voice gruff with unrestrained emotion.
    Dr. Boone looked at her stomach and gave her a sympathetic look. “If he makes it through surgery, we’ll feel more comfortable. We’ll keep him in a medical induced coma to reduce the swelling on his brain after the surgery. However, he is in grave condition right now. He has required several transfusions already, and he’s still losing blood almost as fast as we can get it into him.”
    Kayley collapsed in the chair, sobbing. “No. No. No. Not Alex. Not my Alex.” Emily sat next to her and pulled her into her arms.
    “Kayley,” she whispered in her ear. “Pray, Kayley. Pray. He will make it.” Kayley rocked back and forth, holding her head in her hands.
    Her dad stepped away to call Alex’s parents to update them. They were about four hours away.
     
    After what seemed like an eternity, Alex’s parents walked through the doors. Kayley shot up and ran to them. They took her in their arms and they all cried together.
    “They haven’t come out,” Kayley sobbed, gripping her husband’s parents tightly. They held on to their daughter in-law and tried to comfort themselves and her.
    “Mrs. Carson?” a voice boomed from behind her. Kayley, Emily, Mr. and Mrs. Carson and Kayley’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Johnson all stood to hear what the doctor had to say.
    “Yes?” Kayley squeaked out, gripping her mom and mother in-law’s hands for support.
    The doctor cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. And that was when she knew. Kayley knew what he was going to say was not going to be that Alex was okay.
    “I’m sorry to tell you, Mrs. Carson, that your husband passed away about fifteen minutes ago. We did everything we could…” the doctor trailed off. “He just lost too much blood, had too much internal damage.”
    Kayley collapsed, being held up only by her family that was surrounding her. This was a bad dream, she was going to wake up at any second. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she screamed, not even realizing that it was her voice reverberating throughout the hospital hallway. Everything went black as she lost