Chapter 74 Christian Battles For Life
Skylar lay on the hospital bed worrying about Christian. He was critically injured after the fall while trying to save her life. They rushed him to the OT without informing her about his condition. Skylar was restless and kept asking the nurse after Christian. She was so traumatized the nurse refused to divulge any information about him.
“Have you informed your family, Mrs. St. James?” Skylar nodded as tears pricked in her eyes.
“Yes, I have. They should be here any minute. Is my husband critical? Please, can I see him?”
“He’s still in the OT. When they shift him to a room, you can meet him.”
The door opened and Caleb and Lillian came in, followed by her grandpa and grandpa Ben. “Skye, how are you?” asked her Lillian, with tears in her eyes. Even Caleb couldn’t stop himself from breaking down at the sight of his little sister.
“I’m fine, Lillian. Christian saved me. Please take me to him. He’s critical!” she wept brokenly, trying to get up.
“The operation was successful. They’re shifting him to a family room soon. You can stay with him,” said Grandpa Ben.
“What happened to him?” she whispered with wide, scared eyes.
“He received a spinal cord injury. The affected vertebrae had to be surgically reconstructed,” said Grandpa Ben, not going into further details that might scare her. More tears fell from her eyes and she repented not paying any heed to Grandpa’s warning. They should have listened to him.
“Has he gained consciousness? I want to see him.”
“You will be shifted into his room after the doctor gives his permission, Mrs. St. James,” said the nurse. Lillian and her grandpa stayed with her while Grandpa Ben and Caleb went to check up on Christian. Sebastian and Erica were already with him and they went inside the room to take an update.
“I just had a word with the doctor. Christian’s injury will have a long-lasting effect. He might be permanently paralyzed from the waist downwards,” said Sebastian while Erica tried to control her tears. It was their wedding day today, but it turned out to be the biggest nightmare in their lives! The news of his paralysis would devastate Skylar! She still was unaware of his condition.
“We’ll take a second opinion. Once he gains consciousness, we’ll get him the best possible treatment. Don’t tell Skylar anything now. She’s not in a condition to face it,” said grandpa Ben. Christian was wheeled into the room and they stopped their discussion, although he was still unconscious.
“The patient will gain consciousness after three to four hours. You can have a word with Dr. Foster,” said the nurse-in-charge.
“Will you shift his wife too into this room? It will help the patient,” pleaded Erica.
“Yes, we will.” After a while, a nurse brought a haggard Skylar into the room. She had changed out of her wedding dress into the hospital gown. Distraught with worry, she sat down beside Christian with tears in her eyes. If only she hadn’t rushed to the shop!
“How long will he stay unconscious?” she whispered, suppressing the sobs welling up inside her.
“Three to four hours at the most if everything goes well. The anesthesia will wear off by then. Please rest awhile, Mrs. St. James. You need to stay fit to look after your husband!” suggested the nurse. It was evening already, and she lay her tired body on the bed beside Christian’s.
“We’re outside, Skylar. There’s no need to worry. I’ll just have a word with the doctor,” said Grandpa Ben.
Later, Caleb and Sebastian stayed back while the others returned since they left the kids with Granny. Skylar watched Christian as he lay still on the hospital bed. Her heart constricted with pain at the sight of him. It happened so suddenly that she still couldn’t come to terms with it. It was the best day of her life - their wedding day! She had just discovered how much he loved her! They had planned so much but now there was nothing! In an hour, her life had turned upside down. She couldn’t even confess her own feelings for him! She couldn’t even tell him how much she loved him.
Tears fell from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as she realized how deeply her heart had started loving him! Why didn’t she realize it before? Why didn’t she realize the extent of her feelings for him?
“Why did you have to risk your life to save me, Christian?” she whispered, choking back the emotions welling up inside her. She could see how critical he was! She would have to talk to his doctor and find out the exact details. “Don’t you know how much you mean to me? What will I do without you, Christian? How will I live without you? Please, get well for my sake.”
The exhaustion took a toll on her and she soon dozed off. It was late when the nurse woke her up for dinner. “Please have your dinner, Mrs. St. James. The doctor will be here to check you up.” Skylar’s eyes flew towards the empty bed next to hers. Where was Christian? He was there when she fell asleep.
“Where’s my husband?” she asked, alarmed, as dreadful thoughts crept up in her mind.
“He’s in the OT. There was internal hemorrhage from a fracture in his right leg.” Skylar gasped and stood up, ready to check up on him.
“Why didn’t you wake me up? I have to see him.” Her head swooned, and she fell back onto the bed.
“No, you cannot go to the OT. Your family is there. Please have your dinner so that I can administer your medicines to you,” the nurse said, pushing a table in front of her. She served her dinner, but Skylar couldn’t eat a thing.
“Please, I’m not hungry.”
“You have to be up on your toes to help your husband. His injuries are so critical, he might be paralyzed for a long time.” Skylar gaped at the nurse with horror. She had no idea Christian was so seriously injured.
“Paralyzed? How do I not know a thing about this?”
“Maybe because you're in trauma after your accident. The police have been here twice while you were asleep. They need to record your statement.” Her appetite left her completely after the news about Christian. Skylar longed to hold him close and comfort him. She would definitely nurse him to health, even if it took years. She would help him back on his feet!
“Oh, does my husband know about his condition?”
“No, he hasn’t gained consciousness yet.” Skylar paled considerably, knowing how devastating the news would be for Christian. Erica came into the room to check up on her. Skylar broke down on seeing her.
“Why did it have to happen to us? We just got married today. We couldn’t even confess our love for one another!” she sobbed while Erica held her close.
“I don’t understand how the psycho killer is still roaming free. Can’t the cops arrest him already? Sometimes, I feel angry with Grandpa Ben. Why did he have to produce such a criminal son? Now he’s on a killing spree so that he can get access to our money. First our parents, then he targeted Sebastian and failed and now it’s Christian. How long do we have to suffer?” said Erica as tears pooled in her eyes.
Skylar wiped her eyes and sighed. She had no answers to that.
“Please eat, Skye. You have to be strong, for Christian’s sake.” Skylar nodded, and Erica fed her. Afterward, the nurse administered her medicines and left. Later, the doctor arrived to check on her.
“You’re fit as a fiddle, Mrs. St. James.”
Skylar thanked him, but the news didn’t make her happy. She wished she received the injuries instead of Christian.
Christian was brought into the room and they waited for his doctor. Caleb and Sebastian too followed accompanied by the doctor. “What happened to my husband, doctor? Why did he need another surgery?”
“He has fractured his right leg, but complications set in. He showed symptoms of acute compartment syndrome and we had to perform a fasciotomy to stop the pressure build up and hemorrhage. We will observe him for seven days for a recurrence.”
“How long will he take to recover?” asked a grave Sebastian.
“He will gain consciousness in another few hours but the pain will remain. We will release him when he is stable, but therapy and treatment will continue. It will take him almost a year to gain control of his legs, but I can’t guarantee that he can walk again like before.” They all looked shattered at the news.
“Isn’t there any treatment that can make him walk?” whispered Skylar, not giving up hope.
“It’s difficult but not impossible. Don’t give up hope yet. I just warned you of the worst but there’s always a scope for a miracle to happen.”
“I can do anything to make him walk again, doctor. I’ll never give up hope. Will you help me?” asked Skylar with a determined look on her face.
“Yes, surely I will.”
“We all will,” said Sebastian.