Loving David (31 page)

“Will, I told you, I’m fine. You didn’t need to bring Charlotte down here.”

“Listen pal, you look like hell, and when you look like hell I call the wife. End of discussion.”

Charlotte looked at everyone. “Could we have a few moments please?”

The paramedics started to protest, but William cut them down with a stare, and they all got up to leave.

“Charlotte, we’ll be right outside.”

David sighed and rubbed his neck.

“Is your neck bothering you?”

“A bit. Seriously, Charlotte, I’m fine. Will just overreacted.”

“David, you need to go to the hospital. Let a doctor look at you and help you get well.”

David looked at Charlotte. “Let’s just go home, huh? You promised me some pillow fluffing and pampering.”

Charlotte looked into his eyes. “David, this isn’t a joke.”

“Do you see me laughing?”

“Do you see
me
laughing? I want you well and whole again, and the only way that’s going to happen is if you go to the hospital.” A tear slipped down Charlotte’s cheek. “Please. For me. Please.”

David reached out to wipe away Charlotte’s tears before he hung his head in defeat. “No tears, love. I can’t stand to see you cry. I’ll go to the hospital.”

Charlotte closed her eyes, relief washing over her. “Thank you.”

“On one condition though?”

“I don’t think you’re in much of a position to negotiate.”

“I don’t want to be wheeled out of here like some invalid. I will walk out of this trailer, and either you or William will drive me. I can’t stand to see my pale visage splashed across any tabloids.”

“Okay. I think we can manage that.”

David nodded and made an effort to stand before he grunted and toppled right back onto the bed.

“David!”

“No, no, I’m just a bit dizzy. Let me just get my bearings,” he said as he struggled once more to get to his feet. Charlotte watched in horror as he collapsed to the floor like a rumpled sweater. She rushed over to help him, tears pricking her eyes once again. She helped him back up to the bed. David was panting like he’d just run around the block.

“Hold on baby; we’re gonna get you to the hospital,” Charlotte said as she planted a kiss on his damp forehead. Charlotte flung open the door of the trailer and clambered down its steps. William and the two paramedics turned, startled. William grabbed her by her forearms, his face crinkled with worry.

“What--- what is it Charlotte?”

Charlotte tried to keep her composure, but it was too much. She broke down, sobbing. “We have to take David to the hospital. Something’s really wrong.”

CHAPTER 18

Charlotte had never been in an ambulance before. She’d been annoyed by them on occasion as they blared their sirens and flashed their lights to get people out of the way. They were too loud or they made her late.

Never in her wildest dreams did Charlotte think her very life could hinge on an ambulance being able to get to the hospital in a timely manner. The paramedics had put David back on oxygen and kept monitoring his vitals. With his face obscured behind the mask and his dark swirls of hair now limp ringlets against his forehead, Charlotte barely recognized David. All she could do was hold his hand with as much assurance as she could muster, a faint smile painted on her lips. She didn’t dare show him how terrified she was.

William had followed in his car and had called ahead to the hospital with explicit instructions about what should happen when they arrive. The ambulance pulled into the emergency room bay, and a cadre of nurses and doctors flooded out to meet them. The doors of the ambulance swung open, and Charlotte barely had time to scramble out of the rig before the wheels of David’s gurney slammed against the asphalt. Charlotte’s fingertips grazed the metal railing at his feet as she ran to keep up with him while he was rushed into the ER. The sterile, antiseptic smell mixed with the stench of vomit and urine ripped through Charlotte’s nostrils, and she almost gagged, reminded of those days in the hospital with Ben’s girlfriend. She blinked to clear her mind.

It wasn’t going to turn out like that. It just wasn’t.

“Ma’am, please step aside. We need to run some tests,” one of the nurses shouted at her as the team began to hook David up to mass of beeping, blinking machines.

“Please, I’m his wife… let me stay with him.”

One of the doctors nodded at the nurse, and Charlotte thought that meant she’d be allowed to stay. She didn’t understand it was code for ‘Get this woman out of here now so we can work---- I don’t care
who
she is.’ The nurse took Charlotte by the elbow and gently guided her out.

“Ma’am, we need to stabilize your husband’s condition first, and then we’ll run some tests so we can determine what’s wrong. The doctor will be out later to give you additional information.”

Before Charlotte could open her mouth to ask what kinds of tests they wanted to run or what could be causing the problem, the nurse raked the thin yellow curtain shut with an authoritative snap.

Charlotte’s shoulders sank, and her knees buckled. A hand reached out to steady her, and she gasped, but she was relieved to see it was William. She shriveled into his arms, crying, as he led her to the waiting room. He sat her down in a chair, taking the one next to her.

“He’s gonna be okay Char. I’ve got the chief of staff in there working on him. The man’s an institution. David’s in good hands.”

“I told him if he didn’t feel better by today I was taking him to the doctor. William, what if I waited too long, what if----”

William held up his hand and shook his head. “You and I know better than anyone he’s a stubborn son of a bitch. Believe me, when I showed up on set today and saw how bad he looked, I spent half the morning trying to convince him to go the hospital. I was arguing with him about it when he passed out. Don’t you dare blame yourself. This isn’t anybody’s fault.”

Charlotte shook her head. “But I knew something was wrong. I should have insisted.”

William handed Charlotte a handkerchief. “Listen; the guy thinks he’s invincible. He’s probably in there right now arguing with the doctors to let him check out.”

Charlotte laughed in spite of herself. “You’re probably right.

#

The wait was interminable. The meager selection of magazines from at least two years ago held little interest for Charlotte. As did talking. As did nibbling on the pretzels, or M&M’s, or the vanilla sandwich crèmes William offered her. She watched, unseeing, a relentless spool of afternoon court shows that sprawled across the screen of the waiting room’s TV. If she’d cared enough she would have asked them to turn the channel. Or better yet, to turn it off. The only thing Charlotte wanted was to have the doctor come out and tell her all David needed was some ginger ale, a few crackers, and a good night’s sleep.

It was nearly eight in the evening when the tall, angular doctor who had subtly ordered Charlotte out of David’s room earlier ambled out. His grim expression told her that this was more than ginger ale could cure. Charlotte gripped the armrest of the chair, suddenly afraid of the words this man would speak. William rose and greeted the doctor with a handshake. The two men murmured a few unintelligible words to each other before the doctor came over to Charlotte, taking the chair across from her. William remained standing.

“Mrs. King, I’m Dr. New, chief of staff, and I want to give you an update on David’s condition.”

Charlotte gulped and nodded. “Okay.”

“Once we got David stabilized, we ran a series of tests, including X-rays and a CT scan. What we found is that David has an aortic aneurysm.”

“A what?” Charlotte blurted out, her confusion and terror reaching a fever pitch.
Aorta.
That meant
heart.

“What that means is his aorta, which extends from the heart and is the body’s largest artery, is swelling. That’s usually an indication of some kind of weakness in the wall of the aorta. If it ruptures, death is instant if it goes untreated. It looks like David experienced a tear, which caused him to hemorrhage and explains the pain he’s been experiencing the past few days.”

Charlotte’s head was swimming in words as she tried to untangle what he was saying.
Aorta,
rupture, aneurysm
. She was having a hard time trying to keep up.

“Dr. New, what are our options?” William chimed in.

“Surgery is the only alternative. David’s pretty young to have this condition, since aortic dissections typically occur in people in their fifties and sixties, so my guess is that it’s genetic.”

“David’s father was in his forties when he died of a heart attack,” Charlotte said.

“Then that would explain it. It’s a good thing you brought him in when you did. Unfortunately, most people die before they know what’s happening. Because we’re catching this fairly early, David’s chances look good.”

“What happens now?” Charlotte asked.

“He’s in being prepped for surgery. Our chief cardiac surgeon, Dr. Curtis, will perform the surgery. She’s the best.”

Charlotte couldn’t help it--- she snorted. “People always say that.”

“Come again?”

“How many times do you hear ‘He’s a gifted surgeon’ or ‘She’s the best,’ and then people die.”

Dr. New clasped Charlotte’s hand, staring into her eyes. “Ten years ago my wife had cardiac arrhythmia, which meant her heart couldn’t pump any blood. She had to have a transplant, which Adrienne performed. My wife just turned fifty-two last week, and she’s never been healthier. I literally trust Dr. Curtis with my life. David’s getting top-notch treatment. I promise.”

Charlotte dropped her face into her hands, tears quivering throughout her. She blew her nose in the handkerchief William had given her earlier and shook her head.

“I’m sorry. This is just all so much to take in.”
Dr. New squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “I know it is. But believe me, he’s going to pull through.”

Charlotte closed her eyes and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Of course. I’m going to have the nurse take you up to surgery so you can see

David before he goes in.”

Charlotte offered a thin smile as Dr. New gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and William

shook his hand. Charlotte slumped against the hard chair, fear and exhaustion tugging at every fiber.

“It’s all gonna be okay,” William said as he sat down next to Charlotte. “David’s a fighter. He’s gonna pull through.”

“I hope you’re right,” Charlotte whispered.

“Mrs. King?” a short bleached-blonde nurse with black roots and ruby red lips was standing in front of Charlotte.

“Yes?”

“Dr. New asked me to take you to surgery so you can see your husband,” she gestured toward the elevator. William and Charlotte followed her, the click-clack of his loafers and the flip-flop of her sandals against the shiny tile floor a sharp contrast to the soft clomp of the nurses’ bright orange Crocs. They all rode in silence up to the eighth floor. Charlotte kept her eyes trained on the elevator panel while William checked his watch and cleared his throat at least ten times. The nurse merely stared straight ahead, cracking her gum.

When they reached the surgical floor, the ER nurse took them through a maze of hallways until they finally got to the pre-op room. David was propped up in bed, an oxygen mask a shroud across his face, his skin the shade of the stark white bed sheet. His eyes were sunken pits, and his entire body sagged like a rag doll against the bed. He held up a hand in a meek attempt at a wave. Charlotte rolled a stool to his bedside and took his hand. Charlotte was surprised at the strength of his grasp. She caressed his forehead, and David blinked his eyes in appreciation.

“You know, if you didn’t want to do this movie, you could have just said so,” William said. David held up his other hand and gave William the finger. Charlotte giggled and William let out a hearty laugh.

“I knew you had to be hiding in there.”

Charlotte looked into David’s eyes. “Sweetheart, you know they said your chances with this surgery are really good since they caught it so early. You’re gonna be just fine. You’ll be back home before you know it.”

David gave Charlotte a thumbs-up and before she could speak, a stunning Asian woman with long, glossy black hair dressed in blue scrubs poked her head around the curtain.

“Mrs. King? I’m Dr. Curtis, and I’ll be performing your husband’s surgery,” she said in the smoothest of English with a hint of Midwestern twang.

Charlotte and Dr. Curtis shook hands and the woman looked at David.

“We’re going to be wheeling you into the operating room shortly, Mr. King. You ready?”

David nodded and Charlotte couldn’t believe how brave he was being. Dr. Curtis turned back to Charlotte.

“If all goes well, the procedure should take about four hours. You’ll notice a plasma screen in the surgery suite that will give you updates on the surgery.”

“Wow… that’s so hi-tech,” Charlotte said.

“We understand that friends and family want to be kept apprised of the situation. Just another evolution in the world we live in.” She turned to David. “I’m going to scrub up and I’ll see you afterward.” She looked at Charlotte. “I’ll be out to talk to you when it’s over… let you know how everything went.”

Two nurses came in and announced they’d be by in a few minutes to take David to the OR. After the staff left, it was just the three of them. William looked at Charlotte and then at David before leaning over his friend’s bedside.

“I’m gonna go hit up the vending machine. I’ll see you when you’re out.”

David made the sign for okay and Charlotte mouthed a silent
thank you
to William as he left. She resumed stroking David’s forehead.

“Still beautiful.”

#

Time crept. Charlotte could hear the hands of the clock in the surgery waiting room click by with each passing minute, each tick booming like a death knell. Charlotte watched the plasma screen, waiting each time for it to scroll through all the other surgeries until it got to David’s. It would say things like “anesthetic administered,” “procedure starting.” About three hours in, Charlotte’s eyelids drooped with sleep, and she sacked out on the buttery soft leather couch in the waiting room.