Chapter 1

Driving into the parking lot at the country club and after parking Paul Leonard just sat in his car for a while. For some reason, the thought running through his mind was of the opening line from the Dickens novel the Tale of Two Cities that went, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” For sure these past two weeks were “the worst of times” of his life.

It all started one morning when Paul who was a cardiologist was at work and received a frantic phone call from Maria, his longtime housekeeper. She in an excited voice told him that when she came into his house this morning she found Paul’s wife Emily collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. Maria said she called 911 and asked for an ambulance to be sent to the house. The ambulance just left and was taking Emily to the University’s hospital. Paul thanked Maria for calling him as well as calling the ambulance.

Paul quickly told his nurse Beverly Newton what Maria said and told Bev to reschedule the appointments as well as for her to ask his partners for help if necessary. Bev said for him not to worry about anything and asked him to phone her when he learns more about Emily’s condition.

Arriving at the hospital in record time Paul made inquiries as to where Emily was. He was told she was presently being evaluated in order for a diagnosis as to her condition to be made. He was shown to a waiting room where he was told the doctors would inform him once they had more definitive information.

Paul was in the waiting room for over an hour before Doctor Terry Cameron, a neurologist wearing green scrubs along with another doctor also in green scrubs entered the waiting room and came up to Paul. Terry introduced this other doctor to Paul as Arnold Hilton and said Arnold was the top neurosurgeon here at the hospital.

Terry said, “There is no easy way to say this but I will tell you what the situation is with Emily. The CAT scan shows Emily suffered an intracranial hemorrhage because of a ruptured aneurysm. Unfortunately, the rupture is located in a place where it is inoperable. I have asked Doctor Hilton to review the CAT scan and he agrees that it is inoperable. Further, I have come to know the renowned Doctor Glen Waters who I have met because of his visits here and I also asked him to review the scan results. He agrees with our assessment. We will do what we can to make Emily comfortable but I am sorry to say that she doesn’t have much time left.”

Hearing Terry saying those words was like someone had just suckered punched him. Paul felt weak and he had to sit down or he would fall down. The two doctors stayed with Paul and asked if there was anything they could do.

Paul said he would be alright and asked when he could see Emily. They told him she was going up to the intensive care floor and he could visit her in about a half-hour. Paul thanked Terry and Arnold for doing what they could and asked to be left alone.

He wasn’t sure for how long he sat and had the thoughts of life not being fair and of losing the love of his life, Emily. She was his high school sweetheart who he had met there and they were married right after they graduated from college. They had thirty-one years of a wonderful marriage and she bore him a son, Kevin followed by a daughter, Stephanie.

Before he went to the intensive care floor he phoned his son and daughter and told them of the sad news. Needless to say, they were shocked at the news and said they would make plans to come there as soon as possible. He also phoned Beverly and told her of Emily’s condition and said he didn’t know when he would be back at work. He asked her to handle that situation as best she could. She told him not to worry about work and that Emily would be in her prayers.

Paul sat in Emily’s room looking at her and having many thoughts. The nurses were nice and were doing their checking on Emily who was hooked up to monitors. The nurses brought Paul a dinner because he said he wasn’t leaving. Finally at the nurses urging who said he needed to sleep he left late in the evening saying he would be back early in the morning.

The next day Paul was back at the hospital. He had moved the chair close to her bed and was holding Emily’s hand. Paul wasn’t sure Emily could hear him but he was quietly telling her of the wonderful life they had together, of the two fine children they had raised, and of the wonderful woman she was. He told of some of the fine memories he had of her and of things she had said over time that he remembered. Paul told her she was the best thing that ever happened to him in his life.

He was holding her hand as he was doing this talking and she was non-responsive. But then he thought he felt her give his hand a little squeeze and then he heard the periodic beep he had been hearing turn into a continuous beep. In looking at the monitors they told him that Emily had passed away.

Paul doesn’t remember if he ever cried in his life. This time however with Emily’s passing he cried and he was not ashamed or embarrassed that he did.

He phoned to tell his son and daughter of the news but there was no answer and both his phone calls went to voice mail. He assumed they were on the road coming here and later learned they were.

The next few days were sort of a blur and ones that Paul didn’t wish to remember. Making the funeral arrangements, the funeral itself along with the services and interment were memories he wished he didn’t have. In looking back at those days Paul thought he probably was in a state of shock. He knew by his son and daughter’s reactions that they were also shocked.

With Emily’s passing now behind him he knew he needed to get on with his life. He had talked one time with Emily about the inevitable happening with the assumption being that he would be the first to go. When that happened he told Emily that she should get on with her life and not to spend the time mourning for him. If she finds someone who makes her happy she should develop a lasting relationship with him. She told him that if she goes first he should do the same thing as his happiness is all she has ever wanted in life. Remembering her saying that brought tears to eyes.