Chapter 140: The Waiting Game

When everyone had settled down in that little waiting room by the Surgical Operating Theatre and had been given a hot drink by one of the orderlies on hand the doctor came back in and explained to everyone what was going on.

Carrie Pearson’s condition had been deteriorating rapidly over the last twenty four hours. She had had several violent seizures as a result of increased blood pressure around the brain due to the effects of the cancer and the various treatments Carrie had been getting. This last seizure was by far the worst one so far and one that had really scared the doctors and the nurses looking after her. Carrie did seem to be settling down again and the doctor felt confident that they would all be able to go in and see her one by one before anything else happened. The doctor also stressed that the baby Carrie was carrying was of the utmost priority and if Carrie had another seizure like the one she had just had then they would do an immediate Caesarian Section and deliver the child into the care of an incubator to be sent off to Ulm’s main maternity hospital for proper care.

After a short question and answer session another nurse came in and gave a nod to the doctor telling him that Carrie’s condition had stabilised and that she could see visitors two at a time if they stayed calm and quiet. Everyone agreed to these requirements without question as they all headed down to another room next to the theatre where Carrie was lying.

Barbara and Arnold went in first to see their daughter then came out ten minutes later to let Troy go in followed by Glenda and Bryce then lastly Jessie and Bjorn. When it was time for Jessie and Bjorn to go in Jessie decided she wanted to go in by herself. Bjorn agreed and felt a little bit relieved that he would get to see Carrie by himself too.

When Jessie was finally called in to see her friend she only lasted thirty seconds and came rushing out in one ball of tears. Jessie had hoped to ask Carrie a few things and have just a quick general chat but when she saw how thin and gaunt Carrie had become in just the last five days and how she was all encased in wires and tubes sticking out of her body all over the place she just couldn’t handle it. This was not the Carrie Pearson she had known and sang with for so many years. This was an imposter - someone she neither recognised or knew in any shape or form. Where ever Carrie was right now it certainly wasn’t here. All this confusion in Jessie’s mind welled up and flooded her inner self forcing out any idea of any sort of discussion between the two. She rushed on out of the room and let Bjorn go on in after her.

Bjorn gave a few nervous swallows himself when he saw how terrible Carrie now looked but he held his nerve and knelt down quietly beside her and held her hand. He didn’t say anything apart from a simple prayer for God to be with Carrie and for Him to keep the baby safe. Carrie responded by looking at Bjorn with big tears forming in her own eyes and whispered as best she could, “You are a good man, Bjorn. Thankyou for giving me this baby but I know I will soon be singing with the angels in heaven. I have also given my mother a letter that she is to give to Jessie when I leave this world and not before. When Jessie has read the letter I hope she will read it to you. I do love you both so very dearly. I think you two will make a wonderful couple. And very good ... very good ... very good par ... my ... good ... p ... ba ... ba ... p ... love...”

Carrie’s words became all jumbled and unintelligible and her eyes started rolling back into her head. Bjorn felt Carrie squeeze his hand so he squeezed it back as tears rolled down his face and onto the floor in large wet puddles.

Moments later a monitor by Carrie’s bed sounded an alarm as all hell broke loose once again. Bjorn was very quickly kicked out of the room as doctors and nurses and technicians rushed in and wheeled that bed back into the Operating Theatre. Bjorn and the others were ushered back into the other waiting room to once again begin that waiting game that is the hallmark of other hospitals all over the world.