Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
Harmon
I go into management mode the moment Chrissy drops to the ground. It’s clear Camarra and Cassius have dealt with this often enough. Though there is panic in their eyes, they move fluidly, doing everything they need to do to take care of their sister.
I didn’t know much about seizures before meeting Cassius, but when he explained that his sister was epileptic, I looked into it.
Even more so since I met her. I know a lot about it now, especially since I’ve had my tech team researching for the medical watch line.
That doesn’t make me a pro, but I can surmise what’s going on here enough to know it’s a serious situation.
Her seizure lasted almost four and a half minutes.
I learned you’re supposed to time them, so I looked at my watch the moment she fell to the floor.
Four and a half minutes is a long time to have a seizure, and it’s possible she won’t come out of this as she was.
She may have permanent brain damage. We won’t know what this looks like until she’s up and alert, which could be a long time after a seizure like that.
The paramedics allow both of them to go with Chrissy in the ambulance, and I take a taxi to the hospital.
I don’t use my name often to get what I want, but I do this time.
The nurse at the front desk lets me into the back, even having someone escort me so I know exactly where to go.
Camarra and Cassius are sitting in a small waiting area for families of those who come in via ambulance.
Their eyes are red and puffy, legs bouncing up and down.
“How is she?”
They look up at the sound of my voice.
“Her vitals are stabilizing but we don’t—” A sob comes out of Cassius. He takes a deep breath. “We don’t, uh—”
“It’s okay,” I say, taking his hand and pulling him up to hug me. “She’s going to be okay.” He nods against my chest. I let him go, not wanting to overwhelm him. I turn to Cammy. “Is there anything I can do for you right this moment?”
She shakes her head, tears still pouring out of her eyes.
“I’m sorry for this,” Cassius says. “For ruin—”
“Don’t you dare,” I say firmly, anger rising up in me. “You did nothing wrong, and neither did she. I don’t give a shit about anything other than her being okay. Do you understand?”
Tears fall from his eyes, but he nods, and I pull him to me again. I kiss the top of his head.
“I just wanted to enjoy the day. I was trying to let her have fun,” he says “Sometimes when she gets too excited, she has a seizure, but I thought she was okay. She looked okay. She was just having fun.”
“This isn’t your fault,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry,” he keeps saying.
It breaks my heart, and I have to take deep breaths to keep my own emotions in check. I hate that he’s taking blame for this when it’s no one’s fault. She has a neurological disorder, and though it’s mostly managed, sometimes these things just happen.
“Sit with Camarra. I’m going to see what information I can get.”
He sits in the chair beside his sister. She rests her head on his shoulder and links her hand with his. I walk around the corner to the nurse’s station.
“Harmon Stone,” I say. “I was—”
“Oh yes, we heard you were here,” the woman says with a smile. “What can we do for you?”
“I want the status on Chrissy Carr.”
“Of course, sir. So far they’ve—”
An alarm starts to go off and her gaze jerks to the left. She pushes up from the chair and runs into a nearby room. Others bring their attention that way, nurses and patients. I follow after her to make sure it isn’t Chrissy that’s setting off alarms.
Unfortunately, it is. I grit my teeth as I watch her having another seizure, a team of nurses and doctors around her with more running past me and into the room.
“Two milligrams of Ativan!” a doctor shouts.
A young female nurse scrambles to put the medicine in the IV. The seizure stops seconds later. I stare, my jaw aching as I watch them check her vitals. They shine a light in her eyes, check her blood pressure, O2—all of it.
The doctor walks out of the room, eyes widening slightly when he sees me. The tag on his white coat says Ralph Zacca, Emergency Medicine.
“Are you her guardian?” he asks.
“This is Harmon Stone,” the nurse from the desk says. “He is here with the guardian.”
“Come with me,” the doctor says and walks to the small waiting room.
“Oh my god, is she—” Cammy cries when she sees me walk in with the doctor.
“Your sister is stable, for now. She had a short seizure on the trip here. They gave Ativan and it stopped. But she had another one just now. Another dose of Ativan. When was the last time your sister had a seizure?”
“Uh,” Cass starts, looking at Cammy as he wipes his eyes and sniffles. “Few years.”
“Three, I think,” Cammy adds. “Almost four.”
“And she takes her meds regularly?”
“Yes, she never misses it. We make sure,” Cammy adds with a firm nod.
I spot a box of tissues on a table in the corner, so I grab them and hand one to each of them as the doctor continues to ask them questions. Once he has all the information he needs, he explains next steps.
“For now, your sister needs to stay for observation. She had two smaller seizures after a big one, which can be common. She hasn’t woken up yet, so we aren’t sure if there are any lasting effects.
” Cammy cries harder. “I won’t get into the possibilities, as I’m sure you’ve already considered them all.
She needs some time to wake up. Our neurologist will be in to see her shortly, and they will speak to you as well.
Doctor Crouse is an amazing doctor. Your sister will be in good hands with him. ”
“Can w-we see her?” Cammy asks.
“Of course. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll have the nurse come get you.”
I take the seat beside Cassius, and he takes my hand immediately.
“I’m sorry,” I finally say. It’s been on the tip of my tongue since I saw her drop. That image is something that will never leave my brain.
“You have no reason to be sorry,” Cassius says.
“I should have picked something calmer. Something with less sensory—”
“No,” Cassius says firmly. “Chrissy would have been so mad about that. She had fun today, thanks to you, and she is going to be okay.”
I nod and rest my head back to breathe.
I haven’t dealt with this nearly as long as they have, and she isn’t my sister. I care, but this is different for me. Still, it’s extremely stressful. I don’t know how doctors and paramedics handle this sort of thing on a daily basis. I could never.
As promised, a nurse comes over to bring Cammy and Cassius to see Chrissy.
“What are you doing? Come on,” he says, offering his hand.
“No, you two should be in there.”
“And so should you. Let’s go,” he says firmly.
I hold his gaze for a long moment before getting up. I take his hand and follow the nurse with them into her room.
She’s hooked up to the typical machines that watch her vitals, along with an IV giving her fluids. She’s calm. Peaceful. Looks like she’s sleeping.
Cammy goes right to her side, kissing her forehead and taking her hand to kiss that too.
“We’re here, Chrissy,” she says.
Cassius does the same, going up to her to whisper to her and let her know they’re there.
I stand back, wanting to be a silent support, wishing there was something I could do to help this little girl.
She just turned fifteen… they’re just getting their life off the ground.
This can’t possibly ruin that. She can’t have damage from this.
Though, unfortunately, I know she can. It’s likely, actually.
A knock on the door pulls our attention. It’s a nurse coming in with a small cart.
“Hi, I’m Jenny. I’m going to get some blood work.”
She taps some things on her computer, scans Chrissy’s bracelet, and takes a few vials of blood.
“Hope you feel better, Chrissy,” the nurse says, giving us a sympathetic smile as she leaves the room.
“How long do you think she’ll be sleeping for?” Cammy asks.
“I don’t know. Remember last time? She slept for hours.”
“The seizure wasn’t that long last time.”
“Yeah, so she may sleep more. She needs it, Cam. And we have to do our best to hope she wakes up just fine.”
“If she doesn’t—”
“Cammy—”
“No, I need to say this, Cassius. Let me say it,” she says, her voice shaking. “If she doesn’t wake up the way she was, we will handle it, okay? We can’t go off the deep end. We will do whatever it takes to make her comfortable and take care of her ourselves.”
“Obviously, Cammy.”
“I’m just saying,” she snaps, bringing her attention back to Chrissy.
There are two chairs not far from them, and I bring them closer.
“Here, take a seat. Get comfortable.”
“Thank you,” Cammy says, sitting down and still holding Chrissy’s hand.
“I need to get some water,” Cassius mutters.
“I can get it for you,” I offer.
“I need the walk.” He leaves the room, not letting me argue further.
“He pulls away when he’s stressed out,” Cammy says, her eyes still on her sister.
“I can see that.”
“It’s how he found you.”
“How he found me?” I question.
“When you met at the club? He was off at a bar trying to drink his stress away. Some guy he knows there told him to go to the club.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “What do you mean?”
“Our mother had let the insurance lapse. We couldn’t afford Chrissy’s medicine.
Cass was desperate to figure out how we were going to afford pills that cost hundreds of dollars.
He went to the bar to drink. I’m not complaining, we all deal with stress differently, I’m just saying… this is what he does.”
I hate that that is what he was dealing with when we met. And I had no idea… but no wonder the money was so important to him. No wonder he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. His sister’s life depended on it—literally.
“Someone at the bar knew me?” I ask, both wanting to know but hoping this will keep her mind off what’s going on.
“I guess, yeah. Cass didn’t say much, only that the guy said he should go to this club and look for you. I don’t know.”
I have no idea who she could be talking about, but I want to find out.
I need to thank them.