After a few minutes of silence, Drake got up and together they left the small room and
went back to the waiting room. The group talked among themselves as Drake shared what the doctor had told him. Rachel and Sue went to the cafeteria and brought coffee back for everyone and they watched the television and continued chatting.
Soon Drake heard his name being called by the receptionist and he got up from his seat and walked over to hear what she had to say to him. She told him that the patient he was interested in was getting ready to be wheeled into surgery, and the doctor thought that he may want to see her before being taken back.
Without acknowledging, he headed for the double doors and he was let in and went back to the doctors lounge and waited for someone to come get him. The doctor came in and motioned for him to come with him. They walked back through a narrow hall way and turned left and there was Dahlia lying on a portable bed being ready to taken into surgery.
He quickly went to her and laid his hands over hers. He bent down to her ear and told her that everything was going to be fine, that this doctor was going to make her good as new. As he was bending close, his tears were dripping on her hospital gown, and although he saw no motion of her body, nor did her eye lids move, he prayed with everything he had that she could hear him. He knelt into her lips and kissed her softly, telling her how much he loved her, and that he would be right here waiting for her return. With that, the doctor gave the orders to the technicians to take her on back. He turned to Drake and patted him on the back and said that he would do the best that he could do. Just go back to the waiting room and wait for someone to call him.
He walked around the corner and back down the narrow hall, but at this moment the hall seemed to stretch on for miles and it made him feel like it was sucking him in, never letting him out of his nightmare. He saw the double doors once again, and walked through them to where everyone was seated.
They all asked what had happened back there and he simply said that he had told her everything was going to be alright and that he would wait for her right here.They asked if she responded in any way, and he shook his head with a no response. With this everyone sat back down and the talk became less as minds were wandering from the day’s events.
About an hour later, after everyone was still or resting their heads against the back of the chairs, Ralph looked at his watch and said hey, let’s go get something to eat. Drake said immediately that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he had promised Dahlia that he would be right here waiting.
Even though leaving the hospital for a spell would have been nice, they knew that they could not change Drake’s mind, so they headed for the cafeteria and each ordered a meal. They found two empty tables and pushed them together, and there they all sat, eating in silence, watching people come and go, while all ears were waiting for the signal.
After they finished eating, they got up and walked over and threw their trash away, and Rachel suggested they step outside to get some fresh air. No one argued so they walked outside, and breathed in a big deep breath of fresh air. There is nothing like fresh air when you have been cooped up inside a hospital for some time. They all walked on the sidewalk, that led them around the entire building, trying to relax their minds and enjoy the outdoor scenery.
They had walked for about a half an hour and then headed back inside and went back to the main lobby. There were other new people sitting there now. The ER was a busy come and go room.
Another hour went by and most of them were dozing by now. The television had become boring and the ER was emptying out once again. Nurses had changed shifts, the receptionist had now left and a strange face had taken her seat.
Soon a loud racket could be heard on the PA system. Nurses were being called. A code blue was overheard, and staff were racing. Drake and Rachel and everyone else looked at each other and then the other, hoping it was not their loved one that the code blue was being screamed about. Silence fell over the room as if someone had just poured water over a fire. The hush was thick like fog, as everyone waited to see what was happening.
A staff came out and Ralph quickly walked up to him and asked him if this had anything to do with the patient who was having brain surgery, and the staff said no. It was a patient that had just been brought in. He said not to worry, there had been no word on the patient he was inquiring about.
Each of them breathed a sigh of relief as they took their positions back for waiting. They were speaking their private thoughts out loud and each was consoling the other. Another staff came through the double doors and walked to the main part of the lobby and asked who was here for the Miss Dahlia party. All of them stood up at once, stating that they are the ones waiting for word. How is she, is she doing alright, how was the surgery, was it a success?
The staff member said that he was informed to come get them and to bring them back to another lounge that would hold all of them. Everyone got up and followed him through the double doors and turning to the right, were led into a large room that seated three couches and a few chairs. The staff said to take their seats and the doctor would be in, in a few moments. It was so quiet in the room, each could hear the clock ticking on the desk, and then the door opened, and the doctor walked in.
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