Chapter 38
Summer
The next morning I’m eager to check on Jake, so after a continental breakfast, Zander drives us to the hospital. It’s a good thing I wanted to get there early because rush hour is a mess.
We have to follow the wall maps to get back to Jake this morning, but don’t get lost. A guard asks to see our IDs to get into the research wing this morning, which I appreciate. Ray's already in Jake’s room when we arrive.
“Morning, Ray,” I greet as I go straight for Jake. It looks like they’ve given him a bath since he’s in a hospital gown now. “Did they bathe him?” I ask Ray worriedly.
“They did. I was here early and helped. They were very gentle and professional, Summer,” he smiles.
“Sorry. I’m used to just Mal being around him. All these new people make me nervous.”
“It’s okay,” he smiles. “Better to be cautious than uncaring. The nurse said that he had a peaceful night with no issues.”
“Good. That’s good,” I sigh. I take a seat in the chair on Jake’s left and grab his hand.
Once Dr. Crosby and a nurse arrive, Zander excuses himself to get a coffee, and I give him a smile in thanks. “Good morning,” Dr. Crosby smiles. “This is Leigh, the day nurse. She will help me with Jake’s physical this morning. Once that’s complete, we can talk in my office.”
“Hi,” I greet Leigh before getting up and lifting the chair out of the way.
“Nice to meet you, Summer,” Leigh responds. “Hello again, Ray,” she smiles. Leigh wheels a tray over beside Jake and pulls down his blankets.
“Excuse me,” I say. “Can you tell Jake what you’re doing? It may seem silly, but Mal, his nurse, and I always talk to him and tell him what we’re doing. That’s what he’s used to.”
“That’s not silly at all,” Dr. Crosby replies. “There's no proof coma patients can’t hear us when the brain is intact. We can do that, and I’ll let Sandy know as well.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I smile.
I watch as they explain to Jake and us what they're doing. They take length measurements, check his muscle tone, listen to his lungs and heart, check his skin condition, and even his fingernails and toenails. When they check the catheter, I look towards the ceiling.
Once they’re done with everything, they cover him back up in his blankets. “It’s clear he's had exceptional care. No skin conditions, no abrasions or bruising, no infections. Everything looks great. We’ll let him rest for the weekend, then get to work on Monday.”
“Can he wear regular clothes? I unpacked his clothes into the closet last night.”
“Certainly. Why don’t you pick out clothes for him, and Leigh can get him dressed?” Dr. Crosby replies.
I go over to the closet and pick out a t-shirt, socks, and jogging pants.
Handing them to Leigh, I step back. She’s very efficient but careful, putting his socks on first and pulling his jogging pants up without exposing him.
She lifts the blankets to work around the catheter, but we can’t see anything.
Last, she pulls off the hospital gown and gets his t-shirt on, and tucks him back in.
“Ray, Summer, please follow me to my office,” Dr. Crosby says.
When we step into the hallway, Zander is there, sipping coffee. “All good, darling?”
Smiling, I nod. Ray offers for Zander to join us, so the three of us follow the doctor down the hallway, through a lab, and into her office. Once everyone is settled, she begins.
Dr. Crosby explains the trial and procedure, answering all our questions.
Unsurprisingly, I have the most. The biggest revelation is that Jake won’t open his eyes immediately if it works.
Monitoring his brain activity will tell them if he’s conscious, but it'll take a while before he’s visibly awake.
If it works, they'll keep his room dim and quiet, as too much stress too quickly can impede his progress. She admits there’s no standard procedure after he wakes, though.
For Jake, it will just be a day or two since the accident.
For some patients, medical staff slowly introduce them to their new world, while others need their family immediately.
There will be three attempts to wake him. The risk comes with the third attempt. If it doesn’t work, he won’t ever regain consciousness again, even if new technology develops in the future, since there’s a good chance it can damage the brain. Ray has the option to stop after two attempts, though.
After we sign NDAs and Ray fills out extra paperwork, Dr. Crosby walks us back to Jake’s room.
“You have more medical knowledge than the two of us combined, Summer,” Ray comments.
“I’ve done a lot of research,” I shrug. “So, what do you think? You’re staying the whole week with Jake, right?” I just assumed he would, but I don’t think we’ve actually talked about it.
“I’m trying not to get excited, and yes, I’ll be staying here all week.”
“I’m already excited,” I smile. “We’re driving back Sunday, but I’ll be here for Friday’s test,” I tell him, looking over at Zander.
He nods and smiles at me. “What do you want to do for the rest of the day, darling?”
“I’d like to stay here. Maybe get caught up on schoolwork. Is that okay?”
“Sure. I can work on my laptop.”
“I need to make arrangements at work now that we have a schedule,” Ray adds. “If you’re staying, I’ll head back to the hotel.”
“Do you want to have dinner with us?” I ask.
“Thank you, yes.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later then.”
Ray nods goodbye before leaving the room. Zander and I spread out on the couch and armchair to get some work done, and I turn the tv on for background noise. Leigh is in and out during the morning, checking on Jake.
At noon, Zander and I break for lunch. Zander asks Leigh for recommendations of where to eat, and she gives us several choices nearby, including a food truck across the street.
We choose the food truck and walk over to stretch our legs.
The burgers are incredible, and I’ll definitely be coming back here again.
The afternoon goes by quickly, both of us engrossed in our work. We dig into the snacks Zander brought with him in the afternoon. I take a few minutes to wish E and Seb good luck with their basketball game at 3pm. They’re playing in Charleston tonight.
Dr. Crosby stops by just before 5pm, and I ask about visitor passes for the guys tomorrow, so she writes their names down to give to security.
They can show ID and get lanyards like Zander has when they get here.
She’s not working this weekend, but is on call if needed.
We pack up our stuff once she leaves, and I kiss Jake goodbye, then call Ray.
Our hotel has a steakhouse, so I tell him to meet us there for dinner.
Zander drives us back, and after dropping our stuff off in our room, we head down to the restaurant.
I text Sarah an update and that I’ll call her when I get a chance.
Ray isn’t here yet, so we grab a table to check out the menu, and Zander orders a beer and appetizers while we wait. “What’s the plan tomorrow, darling?”
“The same, I guess. Is there anything you want to do?”
“I’d like to visit an old army friend who works at the National Guard base nearby. After the guys get here, of course.”
“Sounds good,” I smile.
Ray arrives just as the server delivers our appetizers. “Sorry I’m late. I got tied up on a work call.”
“No rush, Ray,” Zander replies. “Have some appetizers while you check out the menu.”
After we order, I watch Zander and Ray get to know each other.
They talk about their jobs and interests while we wait for our food.
Ray doesn’t seem to have a life outside of work anymore, but he’s made a lot of money for himself because he works so much.
He used to love hockey and barbecue, outdoor adventures and camping, but now he’s a shell of himself.
Financially successful, but nothing else.
Maybe this trial can save more than one person.
Ray and I tell stories about Jake and me when we were younger. “Remember when we went camping and Jake saw something moving in the bushes,” Ray says. “He came running over to me so I would find out what it was, and you came walking up with a bunny in your arms. You were always so brave.”
“I forgot about that. That was the same trip Jake found the poison ivy patch. He was so miserable I started trying to find something to make him better faster.”
“That’s when your interest in plant medicine started,” Ray says.
“Huh. I guess you’re right,” I smile. “I remember asking Mom to take me to the library so I could look up what other plants were poisonous to be prepared the next time we were in the woods.”
We tell other stories about pranks we pulled over the years, some of which I didn’t know Ray knew about. “You were both good kids,” Ray smiles. “He was an extrovert, and you are introverted. You helped him stay motivated in school, and he kept you adventurous.”
It’s a wonderful dinner, reminiscing. We have a lot of laughs and stay for several hours. When Seb calls, we leave the restaurant. I wave goodbye to Ray as he leaves, then Zander and I take the elevator up to our room. Getting comfy on the bed, I call Seb back. “Sunshine,” he answers.
“Hi Hurry, how was the game?”
“We lost. E was off his game big time. How was your day?”
“Pretty good. The doctor explained everything to us, and I had to sign an NDA. I can tell you they try three times to wake him, and the first one is next Friday morning.”
“That’s awesome, Sunshine. I can’t wait to meet him tomorrow. Oh, and Bay is coming with. Alex booked us a room at your hotel for tomorrow night. You gonna stay with me?”
I can picture him wiggling his eyebrows. Laughing, I tell him no. “I don’t want to leave Zander alone. He’s been so amazing through all this. Sorry Hurry.”
“I’ll survive,” he sighs. “No, it’s totally fine, Sunshine. We’ll be together all day tomorrow and Sunday. I miss you.”
“Miss you too, Hurry. How is everyone doing?”
“Alex is great. Bay and Penny are good. E is the same. Holly and Jaxon were asking about you today at school, so I gave them the update.”
“I’ll text Holly later. I still have to text Sue and Mal tonight, too. There’s still so much happening, although some of it's good now.”
“True. Just to warn you, Alex is bringing SAT prep stuff with him tomorrow. Between that and homework, we’ll be busy.”
“Sounds good, Hurry. Are you home tonight?”
“Nope, Bay and I are staying with Alex tonight. They’re in the pool, but I wanted to call you.”
“Aww, that’s sweet. Thank you for checking in. Now go for a swim with Alex and Bay and I’ll see you in the morning. Call when you get to the hospital because we need to get you visitor passes, okay?”
“Will do, Sunshine. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too. Bye Hurry.” I text Holly, Sue, and Mal, then grab a shower before wearing Nick’s shirt again. I take a seat on my bed, swallowing my sleeping pill.
“How are the guys?” Zander asks.
“Good. Bay is coming with Alex and Seb tomorrow, and Alex is bringing SAT prep.”
“You’re going to be busy, darling. I know you can handle it, but please pace yourself.”
“I will. Umm, I wanted to talk to you about something that you’re gonna think is coming out of left field, but,” I shrug.
“What is it, darling?”
“Would you mind if I called you Dad?” I ask.
A minute passes in stunned silence before a tear rolls down Zander’s face, reflecting the dim light. “Really? You want to call me Dad?”
“Yeah, if that’s okay?”
Zander gets up and pulls me off my bed, enveloping me in a big hug. “Yes! Yes, of course. Yes. Thank you. I’m honored.”
A small smile touches my lips, and a few happy tears well up in my eyes.
I should've called him Dad months ago, really, but something about this trip made me finally bring it up. He’s been nothing but exceptional to me since we met.
I couldn’t ask for a better man to be my dad.
Pulling back, we both wipe our cheeks. “Okay, we should get some sleep, darling,” Zander says, kissing the top of my head.
“You’re right,” I reply, getting under the covers. I can’t wait to see the guys tomorrow.