May 15, 2013 — Lara
May 15, 2013 — Lara
1845: Clock in; run down to Starbucks.
1900: At ICU nursing station sipping latte. Whoa, energy! Stethoscope dangles down neck. Got one patient tonight: Z, 66-year-old Indian with pneumonia.
1905: Zoë, charge nurse walks up; shakes head. “Z could pass on tonight. We can’t wean him off the ventilator. Doctors are talking to his family about withdrawing life support.”
1910: Walk into patient’s room; praying for wisdom to deal with Z’s family. With dying, family becomes priority. Could be messy. Wife sits at corner. Looks 18…like a supermodel.
“I’m your husband’s nurse tonight,” I say.
Wife bows head. “No English,” she says.
2100: Ventilator drones softly. Z looks dead; warm skin says different. Another woman walks in. Looks sixtyish and Indian. Three men follow.
“Are you the nurse?” She asks.
“Yes,” I say. “Please who are you?”
“His wife,” she sneers. “We’re not withdrawing life support.”
“We don’t have a say,” one man says. He points to young woman sitting at corner; silent. “Daddy’s married to her now, and she’s got power of attorney.”
“This dimwit? How can an imported wife from India make decisions for your father?”
“Dad gave in to midlife crisis and married her. Let it go. Please,” man replies.
“If he were still married to me, I’d make sure the doctors don’t give up on him. I’d make sure he was insured,” older woman says. She cries.
2400: Family is gone including young wife. Z’s vitals are normal.
0400: Giving Z a bath. Tears seep from Z’s eyes. He knows! I run to get Zoë.
“Z’s tears are not real,” she says. “His eyes are just edematous.”
I continue with bath; I’m tearing up too.
0600: Z’s condition unchanged. One more hour par Doctor’s orders to recover.
0700: Shift over. Clock out with heavy heart. Driving through busy traffic of Dallas. Image of Z’s tears haunts me.
0800: Home! Call ICU to speak to Z’s new nurse. “We withdrew at 0738. The morgue just picked up the body,” she says.
0801: Ask myself today’s lesson. Comes in seconds. Stick to the spouse of your youth. When you can’t fight your battles, they’ll be there to fight for you.
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About Lara Daniels: African romance and suspense storyteller sharing poignant love tales one book at a time. When she is not writing, Lara enjoys spending quality time with her family. She is also a Registered Nurse who shares her more serious writing on www.laradaniels.org and tweets as @LDParables