CHANGE OF LIFE - Chapter 25

This is the last chapter I wrote. Do you think this is a satisfactory ending? Do you think there should be some more chapters? If so, what should they show? Would it be better to have another book as a sequel?

 

I stepped down onto the train platform, and in the half light of pre-dawn I looked for Willard. The platform was crowded at first. I stood there until the crowd had thinned. Still I did not see him. Maybe something had delayed him. I’ll wait in the station for him. I need to go in there to claim my box from checked baggage.

With my suitcase and box I sat down in the station, which now contained only a handful of people, most of them railroad workers. A Little Rock policewoman came through the door.

“Is Mrs. Dolores O’Reilly here?”

A cold chill ran through me.

“Yes, I am Dolores O’Reilly.”

“Ma’am I have been asked to inform you that your husband was shot yesterday in the line of duty. He was taken by helicopter to the UAMS Trauma Center. I don’t know any more than that. I have been instructed to take you to the Trauma Center where you can inquire about his condition. Then I will take you to a hotel. They only have visiting hours for brief periods of time during the day, so you should have some place to sleep and clean up in between times.”

Patrolwoman Hilda Parsons, an African-American, short and plump, rough around the edges, held me while I sobbed. Then she helped me out to the squad car, carrying my suitcase and box. When we arrived at the Trauma Center, Patrolman Parsons’ uniform and badge gained us admittance into the Emergency Room. She went up to a clerk sitting behind a counter.

“This woman just arrived on the train. Her husband was supposed to meet her. But he is a policeman and he was shot yesterday and was brought to the Trauma Center yesterday afternoon. Would you get on that computer and your phone and find out for her what his present condition is and when she will be able to see him. Her husband’s name is O’Reilly, Willard.”

The uniform and badge gained permissions that would have been refused if I had come here by myself at 4 AM.

After searching in the computer and then making a phone call, the clerk told them,

“Mr. O’Reilly was operated on this evening. His condition is guarded but stable. He is in Surgical Intensive Care Unit. The first visiting period will be 11:00 – 11:30 AM. Tomorrow go to the main entrance. The Information counter will tell you how to get to Surgical Intensive Care Waiting Room. When you get to the waiting room, sign in so they know you are there. When it is 11:00 AM, a nurse will come into the waiting room. She will tell you if you can visit him or not. If he is not able to have visitors, she will give you a report on his condition. If you can’t visit one time, then be there at the next visiting time. By then he may be able to have visitors.”

Patrolwoman Parsons said,

“Thank you, ma’am for your help. Mrs. O’Reilly we have done all that we can do here tonight. Let’s find you a hotel nearby so you can cry and gather your wits.”

“Thank you. You’ve been so kind and helpful, Officer Parsons”

“Don’t you dare tell that to anyone else. I wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation.”

I checked into the hotel with my credit card that said Dolores O’Reilly. I was glad that the clerk didn’t ask for another identification. Everything else I had, Social Security card, Illinois driver’s license, and the other credit card all said “Dolores Kosciuszko.”

I went into my room, unpacked the suitcase, took a shower, and went to bed. I was not expecting to fall asleep, but I did. I dreamed that Willard met me at the train station, and we went to a nice hotel. I wore my sexy nightgown for him and we made passionate love. The next day we walked around Little Rock, rode on the trolley, ate in restaurants, and talked non- stop to each other about the five weeks we had been apart.

We talked about the rift that had come in our marriage by being childless, and how we had drifted apart over the years, living in the same house, eating at the same table, sleeping in the same bed, but emotionally we were miles apart. The love we once had for each other had wasted away.

The next day I slept late and went down just ten minutes before breakfast was over. I ate a good breakfast because I didn’t know how long it would be before I had a chance to eat again.

When I was finished breakfast, I went to my room, freshened up, and went downstairs. I asked the clerk if there was a bus that went from the hotel to the UAMS. The clerk offered that their shuttle was about to leave and he could drop me off on the way to the airport. I extended my room reservation through the end of the week.

When I went in at the main entrance of UAMS, I found the Information desk. They gave me directions to the Surgical Intensive Care waiting room. There was a small desk inside the door to sign in. It asked for name, cell phone number, relationship, time in and time out. Inside the room there were leather chairs and couches, old magazines, and coffee. There were several dozen people of all ages and stations in life slumped, lying down, sitting cross legged, or just sitting. Some were talking, a few children were laughing, some were weeping, many had a blank stare.

There was another door diagonal to the entrance with a phone on the wall. That door opened to a corridor which led to the units within SICU. At 11:00 AM sharp a nurse with a clipboard came through that door. All talking in the room ceased, people sat at attention. The nurse would read a last name. A group of people belonging to that name would gather around. If they were going to be allowed to visit, the nurse allowed two of them to go through the door. If they weren’t going to be able to visit, the nurse gave them the latest information on the patient’s condition.

As I was waiting to hear “O’Reilly”, a hand gripped my shoulder. I turned and saw Captain Castor, Chief of Police in Prattsville, dressed in full uniform (to open any doors that might otherwise be closed). He waited with me to hear my husband’s name.

“O’Reilly.”

Dolores and the Chief stepped forward.

“Mrs. O’Reilly, I’m sorry that you can’t see your husband now. But come back at 3:00 PM and, unless he has a setback, you should be able to see him then. Your husband is a very lucky man, if you can be shot and be lucky. The bullet narrowly missed his spinal cord. How it missed his liver and his gall bladder, only the Lord knows. It was a clean through shot. His body had one huge shock when he was shot. Then when we operated the body had another shock. We have him sedated now. As I said, unless he has a setback, I feel sure you will be able to see him at three o’clock.”

I thanked her and sat down. Captain Castor sat down beside me.

“Your husband is a hero, Mrs. O’Reilly. There were two smugglers who were heavily armed. Some foolish men in our County thought that they could hijack the smugglers’ truck and steal their narcotics and money. There was a bloody shootout in which three local men were killed and two were seriously wounded.

Three police cars were sent to the scene. Since it was out in the country, the police cars approached alone from three directions. Your husband arrived first. He left his partner at the car and sneaked up on the smugglers. He shot the first one and was lining up to shoot the second one. As he took aim, the first man rolled over and shot your husband. The second man saw his opportunity and was about to shoot your husband when his partner shot him and saved your husband.

“Mrs. O’Reilly, I know that you may be up here several days, maybe a week. The other policemen and policewomen of our department took a collection to help with your expenses. What hotel are you staying in?”

“The Hilton on University.”

“Let me go there with you. I’ll take you in my car. The town has agreed to pay your hotel expenses.”

“Please thank all the members of your force and the town for their generosity.”

The Chief took me back to the hotel, talked to the manager on duty and had the charges taken off my credit card and billed to the Town of Prattsville.

I was back in the SICU waiting room at 3:00 PM. When the nurse called “O’Reilly” she smiled at me and said,

“You can visit with your husband now. Please limit your visit to ten minutes this time. As his condition improves you will be able to stay longer.”

I walked back through the corridor. Each room had large windows facing the corridor. Some windows had the curtains drawn. Willard’s curtains were open so that I saw him before I entered his room. As I came in, all the tubes that he had coming out of his body were frightening to me.

“Willard, this is Dolores.”

He mumbled something incomprehensible.

“Don’t try to talk. Use your strength to get well. I want you to know how much I love you. I’m staying in a hotel here in Little Rock. I’ll stay here as long as you are in the hospital. I’ll come to visit you every day for as many times as they will let me. When you are stronger and can talk, then we can do all the talking that we planned to do in Little Rock.

“I can’t stay very long this time but I’ll be able to stay longer as time goes on.”

I bent over to kiss him. It was hard to manage a kiss with all the tubes, but I did.

The nurse told me that I could come back at 7:00 PM.

I realized that I had not eaten lunch and it was almost 3:30PM. On my way back to the main entrance I saw signs for the Cafeteria. I followed the signs and came into a large cafeteria. Since it was in between meal times, there were no hot foods being offered. However, I was able to get a sandwich, a dish of mixed fruit, and a bottle of chocolate milk.

I inquired at the Information Desk and found out how to get to the hotel by bus and how to get from the hotel to the hospital by bus.

Back at the hotel, I cleaned up and sat down to figure out where I stood financially. I still had a couple hundred dollars in my purse. I opened the envelope that Chief Castor gave me. When I counted all the money inside, there was $594. I wept at the kindness and loyalty of Willard’s fellow police officers.

When I saw Willard that evening I was again asked to limit my visit to ten minutes. Willard was more alert than he had been that afternoon.  He moved his lips to form the words “I love you.”  That was the first time he had told me that in years. Then when I was getting ready to go, he formed the words, “Pray with me.” I bowed my head and said, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. And Lord, thank you for bringing Willard and I together twenty-five years ago and thank you for bringing us together again this day. And please give Willard a good healing from the damage that bullet did to him.  Amen.”

I kissed Willard and saw the smile on his face and the tears in his eyes.