ch.10 (cont.
between a rock and a hard place.
Carl was
covered with a blanket and then the two medics moved Carl out into the cold air
and Lee followed. He was loaded into a large fire truck van body, capable of
carrying a small army. Carl looked up and out from the gurney before they
loaded him in the rear. His life was passing before his eyes as memories of
days when he was younger and Darla and he would sit under the shade tree in the
front yard sipping lemonade with ice made from his first refrigerator.
No more going to town to get ice, electricity sure changed
things as the old ice house became a thing of the past. And now he was quick
becoming one of those things also.
“Don’t worry
dad they will take good care of you” lee said. “I will be following in the truck, just as
soon as I grab a few things dad. “
“Where in the
hell are they taking me?” asked Carl angrily as if about to go off.
“They have
to take you in to the hospital at Bellaire to get you checked out. Looks like
you are going to need a few stitches and probably an x-ray. And maybe an anal
probe,” as lee said to his dad with a smile. Trying to lighten the mood and
ease his father down.
“It’s my damn
head that was hurt not my ass, “remarked Carl grumbling under his voice.
“Dad you know
you have to watch your language when you are not at home.”
“I will say what the hell I want when I want
to, and you can do very little about it except shut your mouth. “
All right dad I
get the message, and I will be along soon.” Lee said as the medic was closing
the door and listening to the last of lees exchange with his dad, and the medic
remarks
“Kind of a
tough old coot isn't he”
“Putting it mildly
and that would be a for sure, “Lee said.
The ambulance
sped on the back country roads slick with snow as fast as it could. Lee grabbed
his dad’s pill information and followed in the old f-150. He wanted to call Ann
but never had a chance and the roads were slick, so he felt that he better not
chance trying to call. Besides when he arrived at the hospital there would be plenty
of chances to call as nothing ever happens fast inside the hospital. Sure they
may look like they are busy but it sure seems to take a lot of time getting
through there. And Bellaire general was no different. Lee was able to keep up
with the ambulance and pulled in just minutes after they arrived.
His dad was
already inside and a team was looking at him and his head, they took him straight
to x-ray dept. and had shots taken of his body and his head. They wanted to
make sure he had no other problems with his arms and legs. After fielding a
barrage of questions from the intake nurse, lee found himself wandering through
the hospital trying to find the x-ray dept. and finally found his dad. The bleeding
had slowed but the bandages were moist with blood soaked through. The nurse
there was happy with the x-rays and shuffled Carl and lee off to the emergency
room as the nurse was concerned about his bleeding.
The emergency
room doctor removed the bandage the medic had placed on his head and the
bleeding started anew. He asked Lee if he was on blood thinners and Lee said he
was. The Dr. said he didn't appear to have any skull fracture but with the
severity of the bleeding and laceration, first stitches would be needed to
close the wound and then he would need to be observed for at least 24 hrs... meaning
he wasn't coming home tonight. Lee Called Ann and she said she would meet him
at the hospital and wait with him till his dad was settled in his room.
They actually had him prepped and ready for
stitches as soon as lee returned from making his cell phone call. Lee watched
as the emergency room doctor stitched his dad up. Carl was on his best behavior
and said little and complained less. Lee thought that won’t last long.
And it didn't,
as soon as the doctor left the room Carl was asking a million questions and
damning this and that and wanted his clothes to go home. His head was stitched
and he was all right. He just wanted out of there.
Lee said to
his ad trying to calm him down, “come on dad, you know it’s best what they are
trying to do for you. You took a pretty good fall. They also want to test you to
make sure you don’t do this again. Were you light headed when you fell?”
“You are the
one that is light headed you ungrateful shit. What kind of question is that?”
“Unfortunately
the kind that needs answered dad, why can you be so nice to everyone else but
always treat me like shit. Dad, I do more for you than anyone does, yet you
still call me names, and treat me like a kid. Why should I give a shit what
they do to you? I’m tired of being treated like this. “
“I don’t do
anything to you, besides you are my son “
“Don’t know
what kind of answer that is dad or as excuse it sucks, and please don’t remind
me of why I am here. Next time bitch to your other family members, I am getting
tired of hearing it; “Lee said showing his emotions. And with that Lee stood up
and walked out of the room and went to the waiting area to wait for Ann to
show. He knew it would be awhile as Ann really didn't like driving in the snow
but he knew she would want to be there for him.
Lee sat
silently going over in his mind what lead up to today’s events and was
wondering if there was anything he could have done to prevent it. And there wasn't.
The medic was right, Carl was a tough old coot and he predicted, not lee how
things would go with them. Lee was thinking he heard his name being called. Social
service was called in to make a report , a receptionist said and wanted Lee to
answer some questions.
Her name she
said so fast that Lee didn't really understand and that she was representing
the hospital and was an investigator with Human \Services. She wanted lee to
tell her in his own words what happened and where he was when his dad fell.
Lee looked at
this young girl and wondered just how much experience she had at this sort of
thing, yet he still managed to recount his chain of events leading up to his
dads fall.
“So you say you
were not even in the same room with him. When he went down?’
“That is
correct” lee said, making his answers short and to the point. Her conversation
with lee was making him unnerved as she seemed to think that Lee had something
to do with his dad’s injury. He was starting to guard his answers to make sure
he said only the right things as if he had to prove his innocence. Lee thought
to himself if I had hit him ,then why would I call an ambulance to com and pick
him up? He had put stitches in before with fishing line and a sterile needle. A
calf had its leg caught up in the barb wire fence surrounding their farm and it
ripped a large hunk of skin loose when it tried to run through the fence, lee wrapped
the calf in blanket keeping the leg out and immobilizing the calf. Poured
peroxide and alcohol on the wound and pulled the skin over and stitched the calf’s
skin back together. In a week he took the stitches out and the calf was fine. Surely
if Lee was abusive he could just as easily done nothing or did the stitches at
home.
Lee understood
it seemed to be standard operating procedure as patients I guess are not
supposed to have accidents. That it is a major plan to defraud the insurance
and the government. Oh wait that’s right. Carl was too rich to be eligible for Medicare
and to poor to afford his own insurance and was now going to have to pay the bill
himself. Lee thought, well the man has dementia, maybe he will forget to pay. And
them Lee thought again and said to himself well he doesn't pay the bills I do. And
I will be damned if I will pay a bill to be hassled by Social Services. Lee may
pay it, but not before they wait awhile to get their money.
She remarked
that a follow up visit would be necessary at the home to observe Carl’s living
conditions and whether he was being cared for properly. She said it was all a matter
of procedure and that Carl would not return home till she assured that he was
safe there under lee’s care. It was all Lee could do to keep from blowing up. Nib
nosing people anymore always sticking their noses in places they have no
business at. What is with this world? She asked Lee to sign a statement and Ann
showed up then asked what it was for. And immediately told Lee he didn’t have
to sign anything but a paper allowing treatment of his dad, beyond that he was
not required to do or sign anything. Lee looked at the social worker and she
turned her nose up realizing Ann was right and tuned and walked away but as she
did she reminded Lee about the home visit she needed and said she would be in
touch tomorrow.
“Wow what was
that all about? “Asked Ann
“Guess they
think I smacked dad in the head with a two by four,” Lee smiled and went on” I
thought about it a hundred times but just never could do it. That pain in the
ass he is. “
(To be cont.)
21
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