Reality

Helen has a near death experience and temporarily brings the family back together.

 

Reality

 

Three months had passed since they came back from Nationals and found Helen's letter along with her parting gifts. At times, it still seemed a little surreal, but Stacy brought everything back into reality as she encouraged Kevin to get their lives back to normal as soon as he could. Preparing breakfast was the first step each day. He knew she was right. He always found it easier to get through situations like this if he started the day by making everyone in the family a good breakfast.        

The next few days were a blur as he found more paperwork to handle with the car purchases she had done the day she left, the divorce papers had to go back and forth to the attorneys more than once and then the custody papers as well. 

            Crystal’s adoption papers were completed and she was officially his child. She was a joyful, playful and well-adjusted five-year-old and now that she was playing soccer, he had gotten a little busier coaching her team. The director of coaching placed her with the U8’s due to her size and skill. The girls were a challenge and it kept him on his toes. 

           

Six weeks after Helen left for New York, the phone call came. A Paramedic from FDNY EMS called Kevin to tell him of Helen's condition. Paramedics found Helen in critical condition on the sidewalk outside a Family Planning Clinic. She was in the hospital and not doing well at all. She had developed some major complications from a minor procedure. 

            “I appreciate the call. We're divorced, but thank you for your concern and taking the time to reach us. I've got all the information on the hospital so I'll call the floor to see how she is doing.”

            “Mr. Wright, I know this is a serious HIPPA violation by calling you like this. Well, she still had your business card on her and she did name you when I asked if she had anyone special she desired me to reach. She did not say much else. She was unconscious when we got to her and she kept going unconscious on us during transport. She did not look good.”

            “Your secret is safe with me. We have to stick together don't we?”

            “I thank you for that. Good luck with everything. Does she have family here in New York we could contact for her?'

            “Yes, she has an aunt in Buffalo. She’s the only relative left in that area. I believe I have the number here somewhere.”      

            “That’s all right. I think she just got here or at least there’s a woman here demanding to see her niece and threatening everyone in sight.”

            “That would be her. She is high strung, but her bark is much, much worse than her bite. She’s harmless once she settles down.” 

            “Thanks for that info. Let me go round her up and get her into the family room. Mr. Wright, take care and I hope the rest of your day goes better than it started. We will be in touch.” 

            Kevin made a couple of calls to the hospital and was able to get through to the nurse taking care of Helen. He did not correct her when she assumed he was still Helen’s husband. 

            “Mr. Wright, from what we were able to get from her in the brief moments when she was conscious enough to talk to us, she had been having some problems with morning sickness and vaginal bleeding. She took a home pregnancy test and it came up positive. She went to the Family Planning Clinic for treatment and they advised her against an abortion unless the bleeding persisted. We suspect she decided against their advice, but she did suffer a miscarriage this morning. She had a second fertilized egg that implanted outside the uterus and this ruptured the fallopian tube at the junction of the uterus. She lost a lot of blood and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove her uterus and fallopian tubes. She is still running a high temperature and we have her on mega doses of antibiotics. If you have any medical history you could share with us, it would help. We don’t have much more than this morning’s emergency history and her blood type.”

            “That’s no problem. She has no allergies, two previous pregnancies with two normal deliveries, a minor surgical procedure to remove a small growth on her right foot. She suffered an injury during an attack on her news crew a few months ago. She lost a lot of blood, almost went into DIC, suffered a collapsed left lung and a dissected subclavian artery.”

            “That helps us a lot. Seven months out of a major trauma like that isn’t going to work in her favor. I have to tell you, we don’t know if she is going to pull through this or not. If you and the rest of the family can get here, I would do it soon. I know this is sudden, but she very looks bad. Nothing has touched her fever and she is suffering from sepsis.”

            “I’ll do what I can do. That’s a long way to go on short notice. She has family on the way up. An aunt is her closest living relative. She has the same blood type if Helen is going to need blood.”

            “She will need more blood and that will help. Was your relationship monogamous? Did either of you have an affair?”

            “On my part, there was only Helen. She did give in to the advances of her personal trainer and we haven’t seen him around since she fired him. I don’t even know his full name.”

            “That helps. You know the time frame of this affair, so that’s a word to the wise. Testing would be in your best interest if you were together after her suspected affair.”

            “She moved out right after that and we didn’t have any time together at all, so I appreciate your concern. My service does routine HIV and TB testing as well as routine drug tests and all of mine came back clean last week.”

            “That’s good for you then. I have to get back to my patients. If you are coming to New York, do it soon. That’s the best advice I can give you right now.” 

            Kevin called Greg as soon as the nurse ended this call. He then called Laura and Michelle. After these conversations were over, it was time to talk to the girls.

            “Girls, we have a little problem concerning Mom. She’s in a hospital in New York and she is in pretty bad shape. She is very sick due to some complicated female problems and she had to have emergency surgery to save her life. She might not make it through the night from what they told me earlier this morning.”

            “After all that happened here with us, she went to New York to just get sick and die? That’s some really bad karma there Dad.”

            “Karma or not Stacy, that’s what is going on with your mother. I feel we should go. I think I know how you feel, but I would feel better if you had the chance to tell her goodbye, even if she does pull through this. You never had the chance to really tell her goodbye.”

            “Dad’s right Stacy. We do need to go and at least tell her goodbye. I’m not sure how much we will ever see her even if she lives but like Dad said, we need to tell her goodbye in person.”

            “I know you’re right Kim. I’m thinking about how we’ve been able to keep our perfect attendance through everything else that happened to us and now to have to just up and go to New York then come back here and have to catch up on school work and gymnastics and karate and Crystal’s soccer and Dad coaching their team. My mind is spinning.”

            “Stacy, this is the way it is. Crystal stays here. Joyce is going to cover the team for me. Greg is going to New York with me and if you two decide to stay here, Michelle and Laura are going to take care of you. If you go you will have a tutor to keep you up on all the work at school and since you will still spend time in class they will not count you absent. We can take you two to a gym in New York to train with a couple of trainers Jeri knows. We might even take in a couple historic sights while we are there to make your teachers happy. You won’t miss anything.”

            “Dad, should we go? Really?”

            “I think so. Your mother wasn’t always like this. Kimberly may not remember, but I thought you would remember how she was.”

            “Dad, I really tried to remember how Mom used to be and I just can’t. All that I remember now is that mess with her and Marco and then the way she was the weekend of Nationals. The biggest day of our lives and she didn’t sit with you and Crystal. She stayed distant and she bugged out before my party was over. That’s the way I remember her.”

            “Stacy, you know I took up for Mom until the thing with Marco happened. I can’t remember anything that she did with us or for us that didn’t involve TV ratings. I still say we go with Dad. I want to tell her goodbye.”

            “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do Stacy. I think if you don’t go and your mother dies, you will feel very guilty and you won’t find any closure for a long time to come.”

            “Stacy, you and Kim should go. I’ll be okay with Aunt Laura and Michelle. Maybe I can go to Grandma and Grandpa’s too. I’ll be okay.”

            “Crystal, you think I should go?”

            “You tell your mother goodbye. You’ll feel better. I didn’t get to tell my mother goodbye and it hurt. I still get sad.”

            “She’s right Stacy. Let’s pack for a couple of days. I’ve got your assignments ready and Greg will be here in about half an hour. I’ve got our flight booked and we leave in about four hours. It’s going to be tight and we’ll get to New York at about midnight and probably won’t get to the hotel until much later. I think we go from the airport to the hospital and then to the hotel.”

            “This isn’t exactly how I wanted to spend this fall break, but Dad, you and Crystal are right. I’ll go even if it is just to tell her goodbye face to face. I can’t say much more to her than that. I’m really sorry, but I can’t. I helped you save her life and she couldn’t let go of her own ambitions to just stay with us.”

            “I know how you feel sweetheart. I really do. I know it hurts.”

            “You’ll feel better when you come home Stacy. I’ll draw you a picture while you are gone.”

            “Thanks Crystal. Your pictures really do make me feel better.”

Reviews

[Yvonne Heidt]

The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker. I have to admire the fact that "Kevin" doesn't badmouth the mother, even though she has clearly abandoned him. He also knows her medical history. Gotta admire a guy who stands up to the plate like that.