‘Til Death Do Us Part, From the Head to the Heart

He only remembered leaving the party and getting into his car. The next time Ross opened his eyes, flashing lights and shrieking sirens surrounded him. His head throbbed with pain, and he had no memory of anything but starting his car.1

Other than his head, though, Ross seemed fine. 2

Ross tried to get out of his and discovered it was up against a pillar, and that the other door had gotten stuck. So Ross tried to start his car and back out, a plan that he managed to execute perfectly. He then hopped out of his car and surveyed the mechanical carnage before him. He’d crashed into van with eight people in it, the impact of which had swung him into the pillar. One of the EMs came up to Ross and said, “We should check your head. You have a big purple bruise on your forehead, just above your eyebrow.”3

Ross replied, “ Oh, I’m fine. It hurts, but a I don’t think I have a concussion.” They rushed him to St. Apple hospital anyway, where they discovered that Ross had spinal fluid leaking into his lungs and clogging them, a rare condition, they told him. It happened to only four other people worldwide and they had all survived, but three of them almost died. 4

If Ross didn’t have an operation, he would die. The surgeons rushed him to the operating room and began.5

By this time Ross’s family and girlfriend had shown up. Mr. Carnell looked grim, Mrs. Carnell had turned, Ross’s sister, Maria, tried to be strong, and his girlfriend, Missy, did nothing but cry.6

Waiting, waiting, wating. Hope and fear mounted, anxiously, quickly rising to a fever pitch while time passed slowly, ever-so slowly, each second stretching into an eternity. Finally the teams of surgeons came out of Ross’s operating room. The head surgeon looked at Mr. and Mrs. Carnell, at Maria, at Missy. He said, “Well, the operation was successful. Ross will need some time to recover, but he’ll survive.”7

The entire waiting room burst into smiles, tears, and cheers as a wave of joy swept over everyone. Ross’s parents went home Missy and Maria went to get ice cream to celebrate.8

Ross asked for Missy the minute he woke up, and when she entered his room, she found down one knee. He asked, “Missy, will you marry me?”9

“Yes, Ross, I will,” as he slid the diamond ring onto her finger. Ross’s family came in next and got him ready to go home. Then they left the hospital, stronger and braver for their struggle.10