‹ Prequel: Life After You
Status: You all wanted to know what happened...so here goes....
Fate's Cruel Hand
Fate's Cruel Hand
His perception of time is basic and seems to drag in, even when he asks a nurse for the time he is left disappointed. At meal times he was brought whatever he had chosen after breakfast that morning and tried his best to attempt the plate of inedible food. Despite feeling hungry, he rarely enjoyed anything he ate and was regularly chastised by the nurses for only having a few mouthfuls.
He is still hooked up to various monitors and bags of fluids, the oxygen mask sitting on his chest.
Jeremy can't wait until the beeping machines and buzzers are taken away, given to another patient so he can hear himself think. All day he had been asked questions about his health, his lifestyle and diet, the nurse writing everything down in a messy scribble.
He's sore from the crash and wishes he could get up and just go to the toilet when he needs, but because of the cast on his arm and leg, he needs help. It's embarrassing having to be assisted and he's lost count how many times he's gone beetroot red, and of course the nurses were very compassionate, but that didn't make him feel any better.
The sooner he goes home the better.
***
Dr Griffin, the senior consultant for the coronary care unit stands at the bottom of Jeremy's bed, his lifeless eyes occasionally looking up from the notes.
Kelly nervously holds Jeremy's hand.
"The tests show that one of the arteries to your heart has collapsed, which means the blood isn't getting to the organ as it should do, which is the reason for the heart attack"
"What caused the collapse?" Kelly asks on Jeremy's behalf.
"It's likely that the artery collapsed after the trauma of the accident, but was probably weakened already. But it can be fixed. What we do is insert a balloon, a stent into the artery so the blood can flow correctly again. It's an uncomfortable procedure and shouldn't take more than an hour or two at the most. I've already made the arrangements for you to have the procedure done."
"Let's do it" Jeremy replies nervously. He isn't entirely sure what the procedure entails, but knows it has to be done to prevent any further heart attacks.
*****
The angioplasty procedure had been a success much to the relief of Kelly and Jeremy. However, the bad news is that Jeremy would have to stay in hospital a while longer while his body recovered from the various injuries and more to the point of being cared for.
A bunch of grapes sit untouched on the wooden locker, his personal effects locked in the drawer and the jug of warming water half empty.
Kelly can see how uncomfortable this recuperation period is making him. They had briefly exchanged words the day before and she had snapped at Jeremy when he told her he wanted to discharge himself. She had called him stupid and wished she hadn't. Her words had hurt him and she never meant that.
"I'm sorry for calling you stupid" Kelly says as she gives him a gentle kiss and a hug. She can smell the freshness of his shampoo that isn't tainted by cigarette smoke.
"How are you feeling?"
Jeremy shrugs his shoulders.
"Like I've been hit by a truck" he looks at her with a small smile.
She notices how sleepy he looks and knows that the pain medication is helping with the physical pain, but her fear is that he becomes dependent on it so soon after the rehab program.
Kelly tries her best to hold back the tears and considers leaving.
Jeremy grabs her hand.
"Hey. What's wrong?" He asks her softly, trying to sit up. She feels him pulling her into a hug.
"I thought I was going to lose you" Kelly stifles an escaping sob.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere"
He is still hooked up to various monitors and bags of fluids, the oxygen mask sitting on his chest.
Jeremy can't wait until the beeping machines and buzzers are taken away, given to another patient so he can hear himself think. All day he had been asked questions about his health, his lifestyle and diet, the nurse writing everything down in a messy scribble.
He's sore from the crash and wishes he could get up and just go to the toilet when he needs, but because of the cast on his arm and leg, he needs help. It's embarrassing having to be assisted and he's lost count how many times he's gone beetroot red, and of course the nurses were very compassionate, but that didn't make him feel any better.
The sooner he goes home the better.
***
Dr Griffin, the senior consultant for the coronary care unit stands at the bottom of Jeremy's bed, his lifeless eyes occasionally looking up from the notes.
Kelly nervously holds Jeremy's hand.
"The tests show that one of the arteries to your heart has collapsed, which means the blood isn't getting to the organ as it should do, which is the reason for the heart attack"
"What caused the collapse?" Kelly asks on Jeremy's behalf.
"It's likely that the artery collapsed after the trauma of the accident, but was probably weakened already. But it can be fixed. What we do is insert a balloon, a stent into the artery so the blood can flow correctly again. It's an uncomfortable procedure and shouldn't take more than an hour or two at the most. I've already made the arrangements for you to have the procedure done."
"Let's do it" Jeremy replies nervously. He isn't entirely sure what the procedure entails, but knows it has to be done to prevent any further heart attacks.
*****
The angioplasty procedure had been a success much to the relief of Kelly and Jeremy. However, the bad news is that Jeremy would have to stay in hospital a while longer while his body recovered from the various injuries and more to the point of being cared for.
A bunch of grapes sit untouched on the wooden locker, his personal effects locked in the drawer and the jug of warming water half empty.
Kelly can see how uncomfortable this recuperation period is making him. They had briefly exchanged words the day before and she had snapped at Jeremy when he told her he wanted to discharge himself. She had called him stupid and wished she hadn't. Her words had hurt him and she never meant that.
"I'm sorry for calling you stupid" Kelly says as she gives him a gentle kiss and a hug. She can smell the freshness of his shampoo that isn't tainted by cigarette smoke.
"How are you feeling?"
Jeremy shrugs his shoulders.
"Like I've been hit by a truck" he looks at her with a small smile.
She notices how sleepy he looks and knows that the pain medication is helping with the physical pain, but her fear is that he becomes dependent on it so soon after the rehab program.
Kelly tries her best to hold back the tears and considers leaving.
Jeremy grabs her hand.
"Hey. What's wrong?" He asks her softly, trying to sit up. She feels him pulling her into a hug.
"I thought I was going to lose you" Kelly stifles an escaping sob.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere"