softly. “I thought she had the flu,” he added helplessly, and Patrick touched Ken lightly on the shoulder. He knew Ken was beating himself up over what had happened.
“I know you did, and a day or two wasn’t going to make any difference. From what’s on her chart, I would have suspected the same thing,” the doctor said gently to Ken. “We’ll find out what’s happening, and we’ll figure out a treatment plan if we need one. We’re going to take a little blood now so we can get started, and then as soon as we get a room ready, we’ll move her up there.” The doctor prepared to leave, and Ken thanked her before walking around to the other side of the bed. Patrick began to stand up, but Ken motioned him back down as he took Hanna’s other hand in his and stood on the far side of the bed, looking at his daughter. Ken’s lips quivered, and his eyes filled with pain and fear. Patrick felt the same emotions welling inside him, but he couldn’t begin to fathom what Ken was feeling.
Patrick knew how he’d felt when the doctors had told him he’d never talk or sing again. The next blow had come when he hadn’t been able to prove them wrong. He’d thought his life was over, and more than once he’d simply wished he would die. Patrick had thought of ending it all, but in the end he’d withdrawn into himself and moved back home. If anything happened to Hanna, Patrick knew Ken would feel many of those same things, and his heart ached because he’d do anything to keep Ken from feeling so lost and alone.
They sat quietly for a long time, listening to Hanna breathe. Every now and then, Patrick gazed into her confused and terrified eyes. Patrick knew she’d been through this before, and he saw the fear in her eyes as she wondered if she was going to have to go through everything all over again. He had no practical idea of what Hanna had been through, but from the look in her eyes, as well as the helplessness in Ken’s, Patrick knew it was some form of hell.
Dr. Pierson came back into the room. “We’re going to move her to a room,” Dr. Pierson said quietly from the foot of Hanna’s bed, and Patrick stood up to give the people who’d followed her access to the bed. Ken stepped away as well, only letting go of Hanna’s hand when they began to move her. The orderlies talked softly as they worked, and then they slowly rolled Hanna out of the little room and along the hallways. Ken walked behind her, and Patrick fell in next to him. Ken looked lost and scared. Without thinking, Patrick reached for Ken’s hand and held it in his. The orderlies glanced at them, but Patrick met their gaze with a hard stare and they looked away and continued their work. When they reached the room, the orderlies set the bed in place and a nurse took over, making sure Hanna was settled.
“This is going to make her comfortable, but she’ll sleep for hours,” the nurse explained as she injected some medication into the IV line they’d put in earlier. Hanna’s eyes drifted closed, and Ken held her hand once again.
“Ken,” the doctor said as she walked into the room. She checked over everything before turning to him. “Hanna is going to sleep through the night. I want you to go home and get some rest. You know how the next few days are going to be, and you need to be strong for her. I know you want to stay, but there’s nothing you can do except let her sleep. We’ll call you if there’s any change at all, I promise.” She took Ken’s hand in hers. “You need to rest.”
“I need to be here with Hanna,” Ken protested, and the doctor sighed, looking at Patrick for help, but all he could do was shrug. He wasn’t in any position to convince Ken to do anything.
“Ken. Let this nice man take you home. Come back first thing in the morning, but you need to rest.” This time there was an edge to her voice. “This can be a long process, you know that. Don’t knock yourself out at the start of the race, because Hanna
“I know you did, and a day or two wasn’t going to make any difference. From what’s on her chart, I would have suspected the same thing,” the doctor said gently to Ken. “We’ll find out what’s happening, and we’ll figure out a treatment plan if we need one. We’re going to take a little blood now so we can get started, and then as soon as we get a room ready, we’ll move her up there.” The doctor prepared to leave, and Ken thanked her before walking around to the other side of the bed. Patrick began to stand up, but Ken motioned him back down as he took Hanna’s other hand in his and stood on the far side of the bed, looking at his daughter. Ken’s lips quivered, and his eyes filled with pain and fear. Patrick felt the same emotions welling inside him, but he couldn’t begin to fathom what Ken was feeling.
Patrick knew how he’d felt when the doctors had told him he’d never talk or sing again. The next blow had come when he hadn’t been able to prove them wrong. He’d thought his life was over, and more than once he’d simply wished he would die. Patrick had thought of ending it all, but in the end he’d withdrawn into himself and moved back home. If anything happened to Hanna, Patrick knew Ken would feel many of those same things, and his heart ached because he’d do anything to keep Ken from feeling so lost and alone.
They sat quietly for a long time, listening to Hanna breathe. Every now and then, Patrick gazed into her confused and terrified eyes. Patrick knew she’d been through this before, and he saw the fear in her eyes as she wondered if she was going to have to go through everything all over again. He had no practical idea of what Hanna had been through, but from the look in her eyes, as well as the helplessness in Ken’s, Patrick knew it was some form of hell.
Dr. Pierson came back into the room. “We’re going to move her to a room,” Dr. Pierson said quietly from the foot of Hanna’s bed, and Patrick stood up to give the people who’d followed her access to the bed. Ken stepped away as well, only letting go of Hanna’s hand when they began to move her. The orderlies talked softly as they worked, and then they slowly rolled Hanna out of the little room and along the hallways. Ken walked behind her, and Patrick fell in next to him. Ken looked lost and scared. Without thinking, Patrick reached for Ken’s hand and held it in his. The orderlies glanced at them, but Patrick met their gaze with a hard stare and they looked away and continued their work. When they reached the room, the orderlies set the bed in place and a nurse took over, making sure Hanna was settled.
“This is going to make her comfortable, but she’ll sleep for hours,” the nurse explained as she injected some medication into the IV line they’d put in earlier. Hanna’s eyes drifted closed, and Ken held her hand once again.
“Ken,” the doctor said as she walked into the room. She checked over everything before turning to him. “Hanna is going to sleep through the night. I want you to go home and get some rest. You know how the next few days are going to be, and you need to be strong for her. I know you want to stay, but there’s nothing you can do except let her sleep. We’ll call you if there’s any change at all, I promise.” She took Ken’s hand in hers. “You need to rest.”
“I need to be here with Hanna,” Ken protested, and the doctor sighed, looking at Patrick for help, but all he could do was shrug. He wasn’t in any position to convince Ken to do anything.
“Ken. Let this nice man take you home. Come back first thing in the morning, but you need to rest.” This time there was an edge to her voice. “This can be a long process, you know that. Don’t knock yourself out at the start of the race, because Hanna
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