Betting on Love (9 page)

He tried to look up at her, but his eyes squinted, and he didn’t seem to have the strength to lift his chin. “My head…” His words slurred, and his mouth seemed to drag on one side.

Panic welled within her, but she forced herself to remain calm. She raced into the kitchen, grabbed the phone, and dialed 911. The dispatcher answered.

“I believe my uncle is having a stroke.” Melody could hear the anxiety in her voice even as she tried to remain steady. As she relayed their address to the woman, Melody grabbed a plastic bag from under the sink. The woman told her he could start vomiting at any moment. She needed to watch to be sure he didn’t choke.

The thought of it spurred a sob within her chest. She sucked in her breath, willing herself to stay in control of her emotions. Racing back into the living area, her heart pounded at the sight of Uncle Roy slumped farther in the chair. She pushed back the recliner to shift him in what appeared to be a more comfortable position.

The dispatcher continued to ask her what her uncle was doing, when his eyes opened wider as if in panic. She placed the bag under his mouth just before he started to vomit. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she tried to swallow them back as she asked the dispatcher, “How much longer until they’ll be here?”

“Just a few more minutes, honey,” the woman tried to reassure her. She kept talking, but Melody only heard a jumbling of words from the woman.

Seconds seemed like hours. Melody felt so helpless, so out of control. There was nothing she could do to help her uncle. He kept trying to talk to her, and Melody tried to understand what he said, but his words slurred together; plus the dispatcher continued to ask questions and make comments.

Melody sat close to him, watching to be sure he didn’t vomit again and choke, or fall and hurt himself worse, or stop breathing. She could tell his body continued to tighten, and she knew at any moment he could pass out or die.

The thought of him dying sent a wave of fear and nausea through her body. She loved this man. He’d been the only consistent male in her life. He’d always been good and caring and fun. She didn’t want him to die.

She heard the distant sound of sirens, and relief washed over her. The piercing noise grew closer, and she looked out the front bay window. She saw the ambulance approaching and looked back at her uncle. “Help is coming, Uncle Roy. Hang on. They’re coming.”

The ambulance pulled into the driveway, and two men jumped out of the front. They dashed around the back of the vehicle and pulled out a gurney. Melody swung open the front door, waving them inside. The older, gray-haired one came through the door. “Where is he, ma’am?”

As he spoke, his gaze scanned the room for her uncle. She pointed to the recliner, but he was already rushing to him. The younger man pushed inside the door, and the two of them began to assess her uncle.

Her body began to shake with relief that they were there but also with fear they couldn’t help him. Realizing she needed to call her aunt, she ran back to her bedroom and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand.

She pushed her aunt’s number as she made her way back to the living room. They had already loaded Uncle Roy onto the gurney and were wheeling him out the front door.

“I’m going with you,” she hollered. The younger man nodded for her to come on.

“What’s going on?” Her aunt’s voice sounded over the phone. Melody hadn’t realized the line connected. Before she could respond, her aunt continued, “Are those sirens in the background? Melody, are you there?”

“Yes, Aunt Renee.” Melody tried to sound calm as she stepped up into the back of the ambulance. Just realizing she wasn’t dressed but in her pajamas and pink robe, she scrunched her face. She wasn’t immodest, and she hadn’t had time to dress. Her uncle’s health was most important. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Uncle Roy.” Melody sat on the benchlike seat in the back of the ambulance while the older emergency technician connected him to a machine. “I think he’s having a stroke.”

“What?” Aunt Renee’s voice heightened, and Melody knew her aunt was going to panic.

“We’re on our way to the hospital. Meet us there.”

“I’m coming,” her aunt said. Crackles and rustling sounded over the line, as Aunt Renee must have forgotten to push the E
ND
button on the phone. Melody could hear the beeping of the car when she opened the door. Her aunt’s audible prayer sounded over the line. “Oh dear Jesus, please heavenly Lord, don’t take Roy. Not yet…”

Melody pushed the E
ND
button on her phone and shoved it deep into the robe’s pocket. She looked down at her uncle. In the midst of all that was happening in his body, his face still glowed of a peace she didn’t understand. But his body seemed to still be tightening. He looked to be completely paralyzed on one side.

And there was nothing she could do to help him.

She’d tried to make him comfortable. She’d kept him from vomiting all over himself. She’d called the ambulance. But she couldn’t heal him. She couldn’t make him better. She had absolutely no control, and she hated it.

“Come on, son. We’ve got to go!”

Noting the urgency in his dad’s voice, Drew tossed the shovel against the barn wall and jogged to his dad. He pulled off his gloves and hopped into the cab of the truck as his dad started the engine. “What’s going on?”

“Gotta get to the hospital.”

A myriad of reasons to rush to the hospital whizzed through his mind. His mother was most likely at the grocery store with Renee. Could they have had a wreck? Did something happen on the farm to one of his friends? Did Melody get hurt trying to fix a vehicle? “What happened?”

“Roy’s had a stroke.”

“How? When?”

“Apparently Melody woke up and found him hunched over in his recliner. She called the ambulance and got them there in a hurry.” The truck bounced through a large pothole in the road, but his dad didn’t slow down. “But your mom doesn’t know if he’s all right yet or not. They’re at the hospital. Half the church is already there praying.”

Drew stared out the windshield. Within moments, trees and fields gave way to buildings and streetlights. They passed a subdivision, then a gas station, a couple of fast-food restaurants, and then a grocery store. Finally, they made it to the hospital. Drew recognized several of the cars and trucks in the emergency parking lot. He saw Doris shuffling to the door after having just had hip replacement surgery only two months before. Her sisters, Joanne, Maggie, and Betty hustled behind her, fussing that she needed to slow down.

He was thankful for the outpouring of love his church family was sure to drape over Renee and the family. Many prayers would storm heaven’s gates for Roy’s recovery. But Drew still worried about what was happening at that moment.

Without a word, he and his dad rushed into the emergency room. His mom saw them, ran to them, and grabbed her father in a hug. She released him then gripped Drew’s hand. “He’s going to be okay.”

Tears streamed down her face, and a smile brightened her lips. She squeezed Drew’s hand then grabbed his father’s hand with her other one. “He had what’s called an ischemic stroke, and they were able to give him some medicine.” His mother released their hands and called over to one of their church friends, “Anita, what did the doctor say that medicine was called?”

“Tissue plasminogen activator.”

His mom turned back toward Drew and his dad. She laughed and patted his dad’s chest. “What she said. But the important thing is he’s going to be okay. They have to watch him for bleeding, but his prognosis is good.”

“God is so good.” His dad’s praise was barely above a whisper as he swiped his hand down the entirety of his face.

“Your buddy’s going to be okay.” His mom nudged his dad’s shoulder. “Come sit down.”

Not ready to have a seat, Drew watched as his parents sat beside their pastor and his wife, Joan. They’d spent far too much time in a hospital with Joan having battled cancer in two separate parts of her body over the last few years. God had mercifully healed her both times.

Drew scanned the room. He felt humbled by the care and concern his church displayed. Behind him he could hear some of the ladies making a calendar of who would prepare which meals for the family and on what days. He knew his dad and several of the other men would probably argue over who would have the privilege of mowing Roy’s one-acre yard.

On the far side of the room, Drew spotted Melody wearing a bright pink robe. Her hair stuck out at odd angles all over her head. She had her elbows propped against her knees, and her face was buried in her hands. Sweet, quiet Wanda sat beside her with one hand on Melody’s back.

Feeling prodded by the Holy Spirit, he made his way to them. Wanda stood up slowly. “Here, honey. I’ll let you sit here. I’ve missed my morning medicine, and I need to go take it.”

Hesitantly, Drew sat beside Melody. She didn’t move, aside from the rising and falling of her back. He clasped his hands in front of him. Should he touch her back as Wanda had? Would she be offended? She most definitely didn’t seem to be the kind of girl who would appreciate an uninvited touch of reassurance.

His mind kept imagining what she must have felt walking into the living room to Roy having a stroke. She must have been so afraid, and it must have seemed like forever until the ambulance arrived. He didn’t even want to think about how it would feel to fear someone he loved might die before help could arrive.

If it were him, he would be on his knees in prayer, clinging to God for help, wisdom, and comfort. But Melody didn’t have that.

He looked at her robe and hair again. It was obvious she had just awakened when it happened. She probably hadn’t eaten or brushed her teeth. He knew she must feel every bit as uncomfortable as she was afraid.

No matter what she thought of him, he had to show her that he cared. He had to at least try to comfort her. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Melody.”

She turned toward him, buried her face in his chest, and wrapped both arms around him. Her back heaved with the sobs she seemed no longer able to hold back. He pulled her closer and patted her back. Every protective urge he’d ever felt prickled his skin. He’d do anything to make her feel better, to assure her he’d do everything in his power to keep her from pain.

Without thinking, he lowered his lips to the top of her head. Though tangled, her hair was still soft and smelled of shampoo. He raked his fingers through a portion of the long hair against her back. “It’s okay, Melody.”

She continued to cry, and he didn’t let her go. He’d hold her for the rest of his life if she’d let him. Anything to take the tears away from this beautiful, strong, competitive, almost always difficult creature.

A shadow fell over him, and he looked up and saw Renee. She bent over and rubbed the back of Melody’s head. “You did good, honey. Why don’t you let Drew take you home to change?”

To his surprise, Melody lifted her head and nodded. She stood, and Drew got up and placed his hand in the small of her back. He still felt the need to protect her.

Renee’s eyes were red rimmed and her nose was puffy from tears that had shifted from fear to rejoicing. She touched Drew’s shoulder. “Please stay with her a little while.”

Drew nodded. He wouldn’t have a problem with that. He had no intention of leaving Melody alone. After getting the keys from his dad, he guided her to the truck, opened the door for her, then raced around to the driver’s side and got in. They didn’t speak as he drove to Roy and Renee’s house. He pulled into the driveway and parked. Looking over at her, he noted her furrowed brows as she bit her bottom lip. He knew she was remembering having left there only a few hours before in an ambulance.

Once he got her out of the truck and into the house, he tried to lighten the tension she felt. “You go get cleaned up, and I’ll find something for us to eat.” He looked at the clock. “It’s almost one o’clock. I bet you’re starving. I know I am.”

She didn’t say anything as she puttered down the hall and up the stairs. A few moments later, he heard water running in the shower. He rummaged through the refrigerator to see what Renee had that he could fix for lunch. The pickings were slim, as she had been going to the grocery store when Roy had the stroke.

He found a little bit of sliced turkey and bread. He made a couple of sandwiches then cut apple slices and put them on two plates. Spying some packaged chocolate chip cookies, he put a few on each plate as well. Not sure what she’d drink, he decided he’d let her get that herself when she was ready.

She finally made it to the kitchen wearing cutoff sweatpants and a T-shirt. Her hair was tied in a knot at the back of her head, and her face was scrubbed clean. To his surprise, her bare feet exposed toenails painted a bright pinkish orange color with a small white flower on her big toenails. He wondered if his sister had something to do with that.

He smiled when she looked up at him. “Hey. I made us some lunch. I wasn’t sure what you’d want to drink.”

She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soft drink. Popping the top, she nodded as she sat down in the chair across from his. “Thanks, Drew.”