21
When Kate awoke, she felt the pain in her head pounding like the many feet of a chorus line on a stage floor. Visions of the Natural Bridge flooded into her mind, each one bringing with it a kick to her brain.
“Tara, Nicole?” She called out. Her efforts to sit up or to rub her sore right arm with her left hand were unsuccessful. It was no use. She was tied down to her bed. A nurse was summoned by a beeping tone.
“Please relax, Mrs. Monterey, I will call the doctor.”
Kate was alone for a few minutes while the nurse went to alert the doctor, who had left specific instructions to be called the moment Kate gained consciousness. Kate was able to use this time to put things into perspective. She was able to understand why she was restrained and that she was in a hospital. She still felt the shock in her system of witnessing her husband turn to water directly in front of her. She decided that it would be in her best interest if she could remain calm when the doctor arrived and to speak as slowly as possible. She had some work to do to convince the hospital staff that she wasn’t crazy.
Some five minutes passed, the same nurse was back.
“Where is my doctor? I would like to see Dr. Hanson!”
The nurse wrote something down on her clipboard and placed it on the foot of her bed.
“Mrs. Monterey, Dr. Sorentino will be here to see you very shortly, he is only minutes away. I am sure he will notify Dr. Hanson immediately. Can I get you some water?”
Kate realized the nurse was doing the best she could. She decided it would be best to cooperate.
“Fine, I will wait for the doctor, and yes, I could use some water. Please tell me, where are my daughters?”
The nurse picked up a cloth already soaking in a tray on the night table near the bed. She rung it and placed it on Kate’s forehead. As the nurse wiped the perspiration from Kate’s forehead, cheeks and neck, she explained that from the contents of her purse they were able to contact her husband’s employer. Ray Letender the man who worked with William was outside waiting to see Kate as soon as the doctor said it was okay. For the moment, the girls were with him. Ray had tried to reach William’s mother and had left a voice message on her answering machine. Just as the nurse finished reassuring Kate that her daughters were fine, Dr. Sorentino entered.
“I see we are awake. Hello, Mrs. Monterey, my name is Dr. Sorentino, but please call me Doc.”
The doctor was already checking her heartbeat, still a little fast for someone who had been sedated.
“I seem to recall hitting a guard earlier. Is he okay? My fist sure is sore.”
Kate was shrugging her shoulders in the restraints.
“Can I please come out of these?”
“As long as you promise not to fracture my jaw, slugger.”
The doctor began unbuckling the belts on Kate’s right arm; the nurse was in step with him on the left side. Free from the bindings, Kate rubbed the knuckles of her sore fist and then the soreness in her arm.
“Did I really fracture his jaw?”
The nurse smiled as she commented.
“He probably deserved it, honey. Most men do!”
The doctor snickered as if to say: “See what I put up with around here?”
He ignored the nurse’s comment and conveyed to Kate that the guard would be fine and he had not suffered a fractured jaw.
Kate was not listening to the doctor.
“Mrs. Monterey, it seems to me you are not listening!”
Kate was startled.
“Yes, Doctor I heard you say the guard is okay. I am glad to hear that. Can I please see my daughters now, and please tell me, when can I be released?”
The doctor looked at the nurse, nodding his head in the direction of the hall. The nurse was quickly off to call in the waiting threesome.
“Mrs. Monterey, I will be honest with you, I see no reason to keep you here, but since you were brought in restrained, for your own safety, a psychologist will have to examine you to make sure…”
The doctor stopped, uncertain how to put the next words mildly.
“Crazy? That is what you were about to say, isn’t it? To make sure I am not crazy, that is what you need a psychologist to tell you?”
Kate paused and silently reminded herself to stay calm.
“I need to call my sister in Chicago. How can I do that?”
The doctor looked at Kate and realized she was trying hard to remain calm. He proceeded to push away his lab coat from his hip and pulled out a slim flip phone.
“Do you know her number?”
Kate proceeded to recite her sister’s number including the area code. She had called the number a thousand times before. Kate was pleased that despite her condition, she recalled the number without skipping a beat.
“It’s ringing!”
The doctor handed Kate his phone and picked up the clipboard from the foot of the bed to enter his comments.
“Helen! It’s me. I need you to come and get me. I am in a hospital. They think I am crazy. Something terrible has happened to William. Helen, I need you! I do not know what hospital I am in or even what time it is, my head is spinning… and… I think I am going to be sick!”
Kate held the phone toward the doctor and threw her head back. With her eyes closed and her voice barely audible, she asked the doctor to let her sister know which hospital she was in and to ask her to hurry.
“Hello, my name is Dr. Sorentino. Your sister is exhibiting PTSD, or Post-traumatic stress disorder. Can you come here as soon as possible? I think your presence here will be a good thing.” As the Doctor spoke he stared at Kate purposely wanting his words to be heard by her.
Just then the door opened and Ray ushered in Tara and Nicole.
“Mommy, Mommy, are you alright?”
Tara climbed on the chair next to the bed to hug her mom.