The Living Room (31 page)

“What can I do to help? And you know there will be a huge wait. When Crystal broke her arm last year, it took the doctor four hours to set it.”

“Ian is your brother!”

Megan turned away and looked out the window. Amy sped out of the parking lot. Neither spoke.

“All right,” Amy said abruptly when they reached the entrance to their neighborhood. “I’ll drop you off at the house. But I can’t believe you don’t care more about your brother.”

“I care, but there’s nothing I can do. When he comes home and needs something, I’ll be there for him.”

Amy let Megan out of the car at the end of their driveway. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw Megan with her cell phone to her ear walking nonchalantly toward the house.

It was an eight- or nine-minute drive to the hospital. When Amy pulled into the parking lot for the emergency room, Jeff’s truck was already there. She rushed through the sliding glass doors that opened in front of her and into the waiting room. There was no sign of Jeff or Ian.

“I’m Amy Clarke,” she said to a young man seated behind the intake desk. “My husband just brought in my son, Ian. They think he may have a broken arm. Where are they?”

The man yawned and looked at a computer screen while he moved a handheld mouse. Amy fidgeted.

“In triage room 3. One of the nurses will need to take you back there.”

“Then get one up here right now!”

The man didn’t respond but picked up the phone.

“It’ll be a minute,” he said.

Amy fumed as she stood beside the desk. From where she stood, she could see that the young man was playing a game of solitaire on the computer. She made a mental note of his name. She would either report him to the hospital administration or use his name for the most evil character in her next novel. In a few moments a blond-haired nurse in scrubs appeared behind the young man.

“Mrs. Clarke?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Come with me.”

The nurse led Amy past a row of glass-faced cabinets filled with medical supplies.

“How is he?” Amy asked as soon as she was beside the nurse.

“They’ve taken him to radiology.”

“So his arm is broken?”

“The doctor and radiologist will review the X-rays and let you know.”

“Did you see his arm?”

The woman glanced sideways at Amy.

“Yes.”

“Was the bone sticking through the skin?”

“No, if it’s broken, it’s a closed fracture.”

Amy had been totally focused on getting to the hospital. The reality of what had happened to her little boy suddenly hit her. Tears flooded her eyes. She grabbed a tissue from her purse as they walked.

“He’s a brave fellow,” the nurse said when she saw Amy’s tears. “He sat very still on the examining table when Dr. Hostettler checked him.”

“Which arm is it?” Amy sniffled.

“The left. It looked like the injury is to one of the lower bones.”

“Could he move it?”

“Not really.”

They reached the radiology department and turned a corner. Amy almost bumped into Jeff, who was standing beside the door to the room where the X-ray machine was located. His shirt and pants were covered in mud. Through a clouded glass she could see Ian. He was wearing a T-shirt and standing in front of an X-ray machine. A female technician was beside him and gently touched Ian’s arm to move it into position. Amy saw Ian wince in pain.

“What happened?” Amy demanded.

“He was riding in the back of a four-seater when it popped over a big rock and slid into a tree. Ian’s arm was resting against the outside of the roll bar and got hit.”

“Who was driving?”

“I was.”

The technician turned Ian around for another scan.

“I wasn’t going fast, probably less than five miles an hour. It was a freak accident. I’m sorry.”

Everything about Jeff’s body language and tone of voice communicated sincerity, but Amy wasn’t ready to give up her right to be angry with him.

“Then what?”

“We were close to the beginning of the course, so I was able to get him out quickly. We kept an ice pack on the arm during the drive to the hospital. He was a real trouper with the doctor. You would have been proud of him.”

The technician brought Ian out of the X-ray room. His jeans were muddy. Amy realized they must have cut off his shirt.

“Hi, Mom,” Ian said in a slightly shaky voice. “I think I broke my arm.”

Amy wanted to hug him but was afraid to touch him. The nurse who’d brought Amy to the radiology department came up to them.

“I’ll take you back to the examination room to wait,” the nurse said. “Dr. Hostettler talked with Dr. Fletchall, the orthopedist on call. He should be here shortly to discuss treatment.”

They reached the examination room.

“You can lie on the bed or sit in a chair,” the nurse said to Ian.

“I want to lie down,” he replied. “I feel really tired.”

“The adrenaline is wearing off,” the nurse said to Amy and Jeff. “And the pain medication is taking effect. We’ve also given him a mild sedative.”

The nurse helped Ian onto the bed. He stretched out and the nurse gently positioned his arm.

“I’ll get a fresh cold pack,” she said. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Ian lay on the bed with his eyes closed. Amy couldn’t tell if he was breathing. She stepped closer to the bed and saw the slow rise and fall of his chest.

“He may be asleep,” Amy said softly to Jeff.

Ian opened one eye and shook his head but didn’t speak. He closed his eye. The nurse returned with a cold pack and placed it on Ian’s lower arm.

“Leave it on for five minutes and then remove it for a couple,” she said to Amy.

Amy’s phone, which was in her purse at her feet, beeped, and she took it out. It was Natalie. She motioned to Jeff and stepped out into the hallway.

“I’m at the hospital with Ian,” Amy said softly. “They think he broke his arm.”

“I know,” Natalie replied. “Megan called to let me know and asked me to pray for you.”

“She did?” Amy asked in surprise.

“Yes. And she wanted the phone number of the woman who is in charge of the prayer chain at the church so she could let her know, too. How is Ian?”

“He just got out of X-ray, and we’re waiting for the orthopedist to get here. It looks like his left arm is broken. He and Jeff were riding on a four-wheeler, and Ian’s arm hit a tree.”

Amy looked through the open door. If she didn’t know something was wrong, she’d think her son was taking a Saturday afternoon nap.

“How are you holding up?”

“Starting to calm down now that I’m here and can watch him. I know kids break their arms, but I wasn’t prepared for this.”

“No premonition in a dream like you had for Noah’s field trip?”

Amy hadn’t even thought about that possibility. Natalie’s question was a good one.

“And that doesn’t make any sense,” Amy said. “Why would I be able to tip you off and not get anything in advance for my own son that he was going to be in danger? I mean, I’m glad I could warn you, but it doesn’t seem fair.”

Natalie was silent for a moment. “Maybe it’s because there was no way to suspect the field trip might be hazardous. Everyone knows getting on a four-wheeler can be risky.”

“But Ian was so excited I didn’t have the heart to try to stop them when Jeff told me about it this morning. I really didn’t have much time to think it over and react.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Natalie said quickly. “Or Jeff, either. I’m sure he feels terrible.”

Amy could see Jeff sitting in the chair with his head bowed.

“Yeah, I need to say something to him. I didn’t yell or anything when I got here, but I’m sure he’s wondering when I’m going to blow up.”

“I’ve never seen you blow up.”

“My blowups are like icebergs. Most of them are hidden beneath the surface.”

“Which may not be good for your health. Listen, call me if I can do anything. Can I bring over supper tonight? I have beef stew cooking in the Crock-Pot, and there’s no way we can eat it all.”

Natalie was a true friend. Amy could receive help from her without hesitation because her kindness was motivated by pure love.

“That would be great,” Amy said. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, and Jeff loves beef stew.”

“Consider it done. Let me know when you get home, and I’ll hop right over.”

Amy returned to the triage room. She touched Jeff on the shoulder. He looked up in her face.

“I know this was an accident,” she said. “And I don’t blame you.”

He put his hand over hers.

“Thanks.”

Fifteen minutes later a gray-haired doctor came into the room and introduced himself as Dr. Fletchall. He turned on a light box mounted on one wall of the room and slipped an X-ray beneath a clip at the top. Seeing how small Ian’s arm looked caused Amy’s emotions to swell once again.

“You can see it best on this one.” He pointed to a hazy line in one of the lower two bones in the arm. “He has a fracture of the ulna. It’s what we call a greenstick fracture because it resembles
what happens when you try to break a green stick. It’s cracked up the bone on one side but doesn’t go all the way through. That’s good news. The better news is there isn’t any indication of damage in the area of his growth plate. He should heal as good as new with proper splinting.”

“Thank God,” Amy said.

“Yes,” Jeff said.

“How did this happen?” the doctor asked Jeff. “It would take a fairly hard blow to do this.”

Jeff described the incident in the four-wheeler. Ian opened his eyes.

“Was he wearing a seat restraint and helmet?” the doctor asked.

“Yes, sir,” Ian replied in a soft voice.

“Good,” the doctor said, then faced Jeff and Amy. “Young bones don’t do very well when they come in contact with tree trunks, but they bend a lot more than ours. I’ve asked the orthopedic nurse to prepare material for a fiberglass cast.”

“Are you going to have to set it?” Amy asked.

“Nothing drastic. Only enough to make sure it’s aligned properly.” The doctor turned to the bed and pointed to the lower part of Ian’s arm without touching it. “His arm is rotated outward more than it should be. I’ll need to correct that.”

“What will you do to it?” Ian asked.

“Make sure it heals straight.” The doctor glanced sideways at Amy. “I think I’ll give him something stronger to put him in a twilight state. That way he won’t remember anything.”

“How long will he be in the cast?” Jeff asked.

“Probably four weeks or so. I’ll have you bring him in after a couple of weeks for a recheck.”

The doctor left, and a nurse returned to give Ian a shot. He whimpered slightly, but by the time Dr. Fletchall and the orthopedic nurse came back to set and cast the arm, he showed no sign of discomfort. The care the doctor used when handling Ian’s arm comforted Amy.

“Will the place where the break occurred be stronger?” Amy asked.

“No, the research doesn’t support that theory. Is your son interested in any sports?”

“All of them,” Jeff replied. “But he loves football the best.”

The doctor glanced up.

“Then I’ll see you at some point in the future after the cast removal.”

When they left the hospital, Ian sat in the backseat of Amy’s car and leaned against the door with his eyes closed. He was sound asleep when she pulled into the driveway. Jeff carried him upstairs. They met Megan on the landing at the top of the stairs.

“How is he?” Megan asked.

“He’ll be fine in a month or so,” Amy replied. “Thanks for calling Natalie and the prayer coordinator at the church. I really appreciate it.”

“I did what I thought you would do.”

“And I apologize for saying you were selfish. You wouldn’t have been able to do anything at the hospital.”

“It’s okay.”

Amy covered Ian with a sheet and tucked him in.

“He’ll need a pain pill in two hours even if we have to wake him up,” she said to Jeff.

Amy went downstairs while Jeff showered and changed into clean clothes. He was still upstairs when Natalie arrived with the beef stew.

“That smells yummy,” Amy said, lifting the lid on a large container. “But you gave us too much. Is there enough for your family?”

“And the neighbors on both sides.”

“Can you stay for a minute?” Amy asked.

The two women sat at the kitchen table while Amy told Natalie about Ian’s injury and treatment.

“I’m sorry I brought that up about your dreams,” Natalie said when Amy finished. “I was thinking out loud. I didn’t want to upset you.”

“It’s okay. I thought about it while I waited for the doctor to finish with Ian. I can’t expect the Lord to reveal everything bad that’s
going to happen to my family. No one goes through life with that kind of information. But I do want to see what God wants to show me and hear what he wants to tell me.”