Chapter One

Chapter One1

Nashville is crammed with traffic at all hours of the day and night. It was just starting to drizzle and she hated driving in the rain. The drizzle cleared and she was in a hurry to get home before it started again. She was only a mile away from where she turned onto the busier highway and didn’t see the car coming right toward her before it was too late. She was wearing her seat belt and had an airbag but somehow she still got her neck hurt and when the paramedics arrived they saw some paralysis on her right side. It was the left side her head that cracked on the window. There was a huge bump above her left eye and some bleeding from the ear and nose. Her shoulder hurt, she said as well as her back. She was trying to tell the medics what happened when suddenly she was shaking all over, rolling her tongue and was incontinent; typical symptoms of a seizure. The difference here was they couldn’t wake her. Not any signs of lowered pulse and she had good breath sounds, but she was like a boxer that’s been knocked out by his opponent.2

Nick heard the phone ringing as he was walking through the door of his private office and Shelly was almost in tears when she rang it through to Nick. She knew when the Nurse identified herself that it had something to do with Nadine. Nick raced through the receptionist’s office and yelled over his shoulder for Shelly to cancel all appointments.3

*****4

“She’s in a coma for goodness sake. She wouldn’t know you were gone. I miss you.” Erica was not accustomed to being told “no” or being put second. She also appeared to have no compassion; something Nick had never seen signs of before now. She was whining like a little child with chocolate all over their hands and face begging for more.5

“Look, you need to understand I’m not leaving her, especially to see another woman. That, if nothing else, she deserves. What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t sit here and be with her?”6

“I know all that Nick, really I do. I just love you so much and miss you so badly,” she didn’t sound sincere. She sounded like a bad actress playing a bimbo role in a B movie. 7

“ But how would 15 minutes change any of that obligation you think you have to her? You never felt badly when you left her home alone and stayed with me. What’s the difference?”8

“That’s enough Erica. Don’t you have any feeling for someone beside yourself? I’m already feeling guilty as hell. I guess I’m trying to make it up to her and I’m not willing to leave her side for the very reason I’m feeling guilty.”9

A dial tone, that’s what he heard, a dial tone. He realized as he was walking to the nurses desk to get yet another cup of coffee, he knew very little about Erica. Did she have brothers and sisters? Were her parents still living? Had she ever been married or even truly in love?10

Parents! Oh my God, He needed to call Nadine’s parents and his own as well. Man how dense he could be at times. He walked to the doctor’s lounge, after telling the nurses where he would be, and called family. He thought it was better to do it here rather than in her room. His emotions had been going up and down for the last four hours, he didn’t want to breakdown in front of the nurses or Nadine. He always told families the sense of hearing was the last thing to go, even if the patient couldn’t respond. Shit, he just had a conversation with his mistress, or ex-mistress actually, that would hurt Nadine deeply if his teaching to his patients’ families was true. He called his parents first; thinking if he broke down at least he could do it the first time he had to tell someone. His parents would be less alarmed than his-laws would be if he had a hard time explaining the situation. Both families lived in Franklin, a prestigious suburb of Nashville. 11

The next thing he knew his mother’s voice was saying hello in a rather annoyed manner. 12

“Hi Mom,” he managed. “How are things with the upper class?” He didn’t feel jovial but that was always his way of greeting and he was going on emotion right now. Routine things might help.13

“Things here are ok, but you don’t sound good. Tell me what the problem is that I’m hearing in your voice. This is your Mother remember, you can’t fool me”.14

He started to speak but instead tears started to flow from his eyes and his throat closed just enough for him to breathe but not speak.15

His mother waited till he had control and tried to remain calm as he told her of Nadine’s accident and present physical state as well.16

“She’s here at Vanderbilt in Neuro Intensive Care,” after telling his Mom all he knew. He managed to get enough words out to let her know what happened and, as always, Mom remained calm and said she and his Dad would go to Nadine’s parents house. This wasn’t something to tell someone about their daughter on the phone. They would all be there shortly. 17

The Police hadn’t gotten there yet and no one seemed to know anything. For goodness sake, he worked here more hours than he was at home, he knew she was in bad shape to keep him out most of the time and refused to give him her chart. Of course, they were right but that didn’t make him happy. He paced for what felt like hours while waiting for someone to tell him something other than “we don’t know yet”. He had done this as well, but this side of the desk wasn’t as comfortable as the other side. 18

Finally the officers arrived and as they were telling him the details of the accident one officer was giving Nick his wife’s shoes, purse and some papers. 19

It seemed as Nadine was getting back into her lane after making a turn onto Lebanon Road, another car of teens was paying no attention and in the rain they skidded when the saw her. Both cars tried to stop but they had been too close to each other to maneuver out of the way. One of the girls had a fractured collarbone and concussion, one had a black eye and the rest were unhurt. The policeman said a “thank goodness” after that and Nick wanted to kill him. But better judgment took over and he was really relieved no one else was seriously injured. 20

He was still pacing when he noticed the papers the officer had given him. They read ‘Dove Travel & Cruises International’ in bold green letters. Damn, she had been making plans for their getaway.21

Now there might never be any more plans except funeral plans if things didn't get better.22

"NO! I refuse to think like that!" his little inside voice said. He had to stay positive that Nadine would wake up and be back to her beautiful wonderful self. It was meant to be that way. They had made plans to every little detail of growing old together. For the first time in years, Nick went into the hospital chapel, knelt down and prayed as if his life depended on it. It did.23