Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Babe, are you alright?”
Rod sat naked on the floor, hugging the throne. “No.” His voice came out raspy and weak. “It’s been coming from both ends, and I can’t stop throwing up.”
Wyl wet a washcloth with cool water and wiped Rod’s brow.
Suddenly, Rod began shaking, then fell into a convulsion.
Wyl held him as he grabbed the water closet phone and pressed pound-one for building security.
“Call an ambulance, quick!” He yelled as the security guard in the lobby answered.
“Rod is having convulsions and has passed out.” He hung up the phone and clung to his convulsing husband.
Visions of his brother’s death flashed through his mind as he held Rod in his arms.
Ten minutes later, the ambulance attendants arrived. Wyl stepped away and threw on clothes while they stabilized Rod.
“How is he?” Wyl’s voice shook. They loaded Rod on a gurney.
“We don’t know. He may be dehydrated. We started an IV with saline as a precaution. The emergency doctors will determine exactly what happened.”
“I can ride along, right? We’re legal.” Wyl grew panicked at losing sight of the only man he loved.
“Yes. You can ride in the front passenger seat of the ambulance to the hospital. Be sure to bring your paperwork.”
Wyl knew he would need proof of Rod’s medical power of attorney. He carried miniature copies of all the documents he needed, including their marriage license, in his wallet. Wyl rode down the elevator with them and climbed into the ambulance's front seat for the trip to the hospital.
“Any preference for a hospital?” the ambulance driver asked.
“What is the best?” Wyl’s voice was still shaky and uncertain.
“UCSF Medical Center,” he said without hesitation.
“That one,” Wyl said. “I can’t lose him!”
The ambulance roared down the street, sirens blaring.
“What’s his name?” the ambulance driver asked as he expertly navigated the empty city.
“Rod,” Wyl said. “Rod Sterling. I’m Wyl Sterling.”
“Wyl, I’m Danny,” he said. “Where are you from?”
“Texas,” Wyl responded.
“Oh yes… you’re the two gay ranchers featured in The Advocate. I thought you looked familiar.”
“Let’s hope it’s still the two gay ranchers after tonight. I’m running past worried on the way to total panic. And today is his birthday.” Wyl trembled with fear of losing Rod.
“We’ll get him there. I have a husband too, and I know what you’re feeling. We’ll do everything possible to ensure you don’t lose yours.”
Wyl breathed easier at hearing Danny’s words. He must let people do their jobs to save his husband. He realized his need to be with Rod every minute didn’t allow the doctors and nurses to do their best for him. He prayed Rod would be in expert hands once they arrived at the hospital.
Danny gave instructions as they sped down the street.
“When we get to the hospital, go into the main emergency room lobby and get him checked in. We’ll take him to an emergency treatment room.
We alerted the hospital, and doctors are standing by.
I know you’re panicking, but let the doctors stabilize him while you do the paperwork.
It will take your mind off the situation and allow them to do their job. ”
“Thank you. I feel better knowing all this. Just point me where I need to go when we get there.”
At UCSF, Danny pointed to the emergency check-in desk. “Tell them an ambulance brought Rod in, and they’ll help you right away.”
Wyl watched as they wheeled Rod in, his body lifeless on the gurney. Wyl desperately wanted to be with him, but his brain knew it was best that he take care of the paperwork while the doctors worked on Rod.
Emergency admitting smelled of antiseptic, and the white fluorescent lights glared almost too brightly. The waiting area was filled with several other people, all seated in institutional blue chairs. Wyl went to the desk and spoke to the nurse on duty.
“I’m Wyl Sterling. The ambulance brought in my husband, Rod. I need to complete the paperwork to admit him.”
“Yes, Mr. Sterling. The ambulance notified us of your arrival. Take this paperwork, fill it out, and return it to me.” The nurse handed him a clipboard. Her reassuring smile warmed the otherwise cold and sterile room.
Wyl smiled back. “Thank you. Will the doctor come out and see me when they know something?”
“He is in good hands, Mr. Sterling.” Her tone was comforting, like a mother soothing an anxious child. “The doctor will see you after they stabilize your husband.”
“Thank you.” Wyl smiled the best he could under the circumstances. He sat to complete the paperwork, but tears clouded his vision, and a sob escaped his lips.
The nurse came over and sat beside him. After handing him a tissue, she gently touched his arm. “Honey, he’s going to be fine. I know you’re worried, but he’s in good hands. Dr. Wilson is the best. Can I get you anything?”
“No…but thank you for asking.” Wyl choked out the words and wiped the wetness from his cheeks. “He is my only family. If I lose him, I’ll be alone.”
“I’ll come when there is an update.” Her soft voice brought comfort to the chaos. “Now, do your best to fill out the paperwork, and I’ll check with the doctor.”
Wyl finished the paperwork an hour later and gave it to the nurse. She checked on Rod, but no updates. After another thirty minutes, a doctor came out.
“Wyl Sterling?” the doctor peered at the waiting room crowd from a doorway leading to the back.
Wyl raised his hand.
“I’m Doctor Wilson. Come with me.”
Wyl panicked as the doctor led him into a counseling room in the emergency corridor. He remembered the doctor's visit when Walt died. His heart pounded.
The small room included a table, comfortably padded chairs, soft lighting, and soothing colors. “Take a seat.” Dr. Wilson motioned toward a chair.
“Your husband is severely dehydrated. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I don’t really know. I woke up in the middle of the night and found him in the bathroom, heaving. He said it came out both ends, and he couldn’t stop throwing up.” Wyl couldn’t keep his voice from shaking and his emotions from crumbling.
“Do either of you do recreational drugs?”
Wyl shook his head. “We don’t even smoke.”
“Another possibility is food poisoning. Did you both eat the same things for 24-48 hours?”
“Yes and no. We ate at the same restaurants, but not the same food. The only thing he ate that I avoided was a slice of raw baby squid at a fish market in Chinatown. And he didn’t actually eat it. He spat it out after the first bite.”
“That could be the culprit. The Chinese have developed a tolerance for certain bacteria. Since you and he are from Texas, he encountered something his system rejected. The squid being raw is another factor. While raw squid is used in some sushi, it is thoroughly washed and cleaned. If he put raw squid from a fishmonger in his mouth, he probably got a good dose of bacteria even if he spat it out.”
“How did you know we came from Texas?”
“The hospital records from when you checked him in. I’m doing everything I can to save your husband. He became so dehydrated that his heart rate was erratic, and his kidneys were in danger of shutting down. He actually stopped breathing as we worked on him.”
Wyl’s head pounded with his pulse, and his field of vision narrowed. Things went black as someone in the distance yelled, "Nurse!"
Wyl gradually became aware of a bright light and something over his mouth and nose.
He raised his hand to block the light and heard voices.
Far off in the distance, someone was saying Mr. Sterling…
Mr. Sterling. As consciousness emerged, he realized he was on a gurney with Dr. Wilson calling his name.
“Y-yes?” Wyl stammered beneath the oxygen mask as the fog in his head cleared.
“You passed out as we talked,” Dr. Wilson said. “Breathe deeply and try not to move.”
Wyl did as instructed, and gradually he remembered pieces of their conversation. He grabbed the oxygen mask and pulled it off his face. “Rod!”
“Wyl, relax. Rod is fine. Not out of danger, but stable and showing improvement. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Yes, Dr. Wilson.” Wyl dragged himself into a sitting position.
The room moved around him. He covered his face with his hands until the spinning stopped.
He opened his eyes to see the nurse standing before him, offering a water bottle.
He uncapped it and took a few gulps. He scanned the room for the doctor. “Tell me more.”
“We moved him into the ICU. You can see him briefly at 7:00. The next 12 hours are the most critical.”
“Doctor Wilson, is he going to make it?” Wyl grabbed the doctor’s arm.
“I can’t lose him. He’s all I have in this world.
Is there anything I can do?” Wyl’s upper body shook, physical distress clear as the possibility of losing Rod gripped his soul.
The memory of Walt in the ICU kept flashing into his mind.
Wyl feared that Rod would slip away without him being there.
Had he experienced his last kiss and hug from the man he loved?
“I know you’re distraught. Rod is strong, but we need to get his electrolytes balanced and his fluid levels back to normal. His heart rate is still erratic, and his kidneys are not producing. I want him closely monitored so we can react to any change.”
It took Wyl a few moments to absorb the information. “Thanks, Doctor Wilson. Is there an ICU waiting room I can sit in?”
“Yes. Second floor. You’ll see it. I’ll be up there keeping an eye on him. 7:00 a.m. is only an hour away. I’ll come and update you before you see him. We are doing everything medically possible for him. I’m confident he’ll pull through.”
“I’ll be in the waiting room.”