Mollywood (36 page)

“Hello, Joe.” She drawled, sounding like a phone sex operator.

“Hi.” I blinked at her over the top greeting, and held the door for her. She ducked under my arm, brushing herself against me unnecessarily.

“What was that?” Mason asked, his eyes the size of saucers.

”Neighbor.”

“This is going to be one of those kinky key party neighborhoods.” Mac snorted, but I saw the amusement vanish from his face when he saw Kelly walking up the street with a giant silver box in her arms. She peered over the green bow at him with a reluctant smile.

“Hi.” He said, suddenly looking a lot less cocky.

“Hello, Malcolm.” She replied with a slight smile curling the edge of her mouth, but her stride never faltered.

Both Mason and I looked at one another bemused.

“Shut your faces.” Mac preemptively interjected before we could even being.

We jumped in a cab and were halfway across town before I realized I’d forgotten to ask Robin to keep an eye on Molly for me. I tried to call her, and a few of the others, but went straight to voicemail. I shrugged, and slipped my phone into my pocket.

The boys had decided that we should hit the Alamo Draft House for a reshowing of Road House. Afterward we planned to head over to Legends Sports Bar to watch a game and grab a beer. It was as good a place as any to hang until the women left my house. We were just at the part where Caretaker, Sam Elliot’s character, is found dead when my phone went crazy. I’d put it on vibrate rather than turning it all the way off.

At first, I thought the damn thing was electrocuting me. It was buzzing so damn fast. I jumped up, bumping the table with my knee and spilling beer all over Mac. Pushing my way past several people, I ran out of the theatre, I pulled my phone out and answered it.

“Joe! It’s Tamryn! Molly’s hurt. She had a seizure. We called an ambulance and they’re on their way.” My normally unflappable sister sounded like she was on the edge of tears. Cold swept through me like someone had opened a door to the artic inside my heart.

“What happened?” The words barely slipped past the growing lump swelling in my throat.

“I don’t know. She was talking and laughing one minute and the next…” It was less what she said and the way her voice caught as she said it. I could hear Jamie sobbing in the background.

“Oh my God, she’s bleeding.” She wailed, and for a moment I was sure my heart screeched to a dead halt. Then I heard Granny’s distinct voice barking orders.

“I’m on my way.” Mac and Mason stood next to me with looks of alarm. I ignored them as Tamryn spoke again.

“Joe, the ambulance is here.” I heard the noise level drop and assume she had covered the phone with her hand. My stomach was twisting in knots and the popcorn I had eaten was threatening to come back up all at once. A moment later she came back on the line. She told me the hospital they were headed to and hung up.

“Joe, what is it?” Mason looked as pale as a ghost. Mac had a queasy expression that I found far too relatable.

“Molly. She had a seizure. I have to get to the hospital.” Mac held up his phone and I saw the app for hailing a cab up.

“One’s pulling up outside. Let’s go.” Mac took the lead with Mason trailing along behind me. The trip to the hospital was a blur. Mason was texting with Robin, who was in the ambulance with Molly.

“She hit her head on the coffee table when she seized, so there was some bleeding.” Mason relayed. The boys were jabbering a thousand miles a minute, but I didn’t hear much of what they said.

“She’s going to be alright.” I murmured, and several minutes later I realized I’d been chanting it like a mantra. Mason had fallen into a stoic silence and Mac looked like he might cry. I felt the cold skeletal hands of death wrap around my heart.

Again.

Pulling up to the hospital was like reliving a nightmare. UMC at Breckinridge was the same hospital that Jessica had been brought to after the accident. It wasn’t fair to think it, but the place had cost me both her and Jack. Logically, I knew this was a major oversimplification, but emotionally none of that mattered. Frigid chills ran up and down my spine that had nothing to do with the temperature outside. Stepping out of the cab, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Inside my head, the demon, composed of pure rage and fear threatened to escape. The bars of his cage were bent and tattered, barely keeping terror from consuming me.

I’m not sure how I got inside to the waiting area. A matronly nurse behind the counter advised us that Molly had just arrived. She took me aside and began asking me questions. Gibbering laughter rang inside my head as the insane monster rattled the last remaining bars but Betty joined us a moment later and somehow we managed to tell the nurse everything she wanted to know. Mason came over as she finished and led me back to the waiting area.

“Robin’s with her, Joe.” He explained, trying to engage me in conversation. “She said that Molly had another seizure on the way here and that the paramedics gave her anti-seizure medication. Molly’s doctor is on her way.”

When I entered the waiting room, I saw Tamryn sitting in the exact chair she’d camped in when we went through this with Jess. My mind officially tripped over itself, and I actually froze in place. Dan and Granny sat on each side of Tamryn, and all three hurried to stand when they saw me. I felt a tug on my sleeve and saw Betty had followed me into the waiting area.

“Honey.” Betty sniffed, and I allowed her to embrace me, understanding even in my wrecked state of mind that this must be as traumatizing for her as it was for me.

“What…” I started, not sure exactly what I planned to ask.

“We were passing around Dan’s cute little sailor suit and Molly had just come back from using the restroom. She kept on rubbing her right side.” Tamryn said in a rush.

“She asked me for some Tylenol for a little headache right after y’all left.” Dan added, looking shell-shocked. “She was laughing and having a good time, so I thought she must have been feeling better.”

“Do you need me to call your doctor?” Tamryn asked, her eyes locking onto mine like laser sights.’

“She’s on her way.” I replied, sounding as hollow and lost as I felt.

Tamryn reached up and put her hands on my shoulders. “Not Molly’s doctor, JoJo.
Yours
.”

I collapsed into a chair, unable to deal with the onslaught. Leaning forward, I put my head in my hands and tried to pull myself together. For several minutes I took slow deep breaths, trying to focus and telling myself we were in the right place and that things could have been so much worse. Thank goodness Molly quit working.

“Can you imagine if she’d been working with those sharp knives?” Granny blurted.

“Or in the shower? Or walking down a flight of stairs?” Dan agreed. My eyes cutover at them, and though I knew they were trying to help, I wanted to pick up a chair and throw it at them. It must have shown on my face, because Tamryn suggested they go get a cup of coffee and call Lisa and Jay who were at the house with all the kids.

I was just starting to get the beast back in the box when there was a ruckus at the nurse’s station that drew my attention. Looking up, I saw a young man in a white coat making his way toward me. A moment of pure, unadulterated panic nearly consumed me.

“Mr. Jensen? I’m Dr. Franklin. I need to talk to you. Can you come with me please?” Rising from my seat I looked around and met Tamryn’s eyes. She started toward me and I let her take my arm as I trailed leadenly behind the doctor. He led us through a door and motioned us to chairs. “I’m sorry, miss but who are you?”

“I’m his sister. Doctor, can you tell us what’s going on?” The man looked at me and I nodded.

“Mr. Jensen, your fiancé has suffered several seizures. We’ve given her some medication to stop them, and it seems to have worked for the time being.” Suddenly a nurse came charging into the room.

“Dr. Myers is here.” She interrupted.

“Excuse me for moment.” Dr. Franklin said, darting off after the nurse.

“What the hell?’ Tamryn grumbled and I simply stood rooted to the spot wondering what the hell myself. Moments later Dr. Myers burst out of the security doors and strutted in my direction. Her younger male colleague trailed behind.

“Joe. Sorry I took so long but I wanted to review the situation in person. Molly’s seizures are a game changer. The plan was to induce her, but the position of your daughter has complicated the issue. The baby girl is currently breech and she’s the one closest to the birth canal. Molly’s still a little confused, which is completely normal following a seizure. I need your permission to proceed with an emergency C-section.” Tamryn gasped next to me and squeezed my hand hard enough to crush bones. I felt the room slipping away and concentrated on the pressure of her hand. The universe was tormenting me all over again, but I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself.

“But t…the babies aren’t due for another four weeks.” I stammered.

Dr. Franklin nodded reassuringly and Dr. Myers shook her head.

“That’s true, unfortunately the seizures take us from preeclampsia to eclampsia. The only cure is delivery. Both babies are in good shape at the moment and they are nearly full term. All three of them are in more danger at this point if we don’t deliver.”

My vision narrowed to tunnels of diminishing light and I struggled to breathe. The doctors both reached out for me. Dr. Myers had me sit and place my head down between my knees taking deep breaths. After several moments, I was able to sit upright again.

“What do you need me to do?” The voice that rasped out of my throat was that of an old man. Tamryn struggled to hold back tears, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“We need your permission to operate. A NICU team is standing by for each of the babies. We have some of the most skilled doctors and nurses in the state.” The surreal nature of the conversation was almost laughable.

“And there are no other options?” Molly would want me to be sure. She’d talked at length about how she’d fight to keep the babies from being born premature. It was her main motivation when she quit working. I already knew the answer. They wouldn’t have dragged me into a private room to talk to me if there was.

“I’m afraid not, Joe. And the longer we wait the more complicated this will be. I’m afraid I need an answer now.”

The sun shone down out of a clear blue sky that made the late morning dew sparkle on the deep green grass. I stepped out of the truck and grabbed the flowers from the seat. Turning I let my feet lead me down the familiar path that wound through the graveyard. Each step reminded me of how unfair life was, how none of us ever had a warning when life ended for us. There was no expiration date stamped on the bottom of our feet. How much simpler everything would be if there was.

The gravel had been replaced on the path and the footing was questionable in areas. I slowed my pace as I got closer to my destination. Frankly, this wasn’t where I wanted to be right now. Pain and misery permeated the place for me like rot and termites in wood. With a heavy heart, I came to a stop in front of Jessica and Jack’s headstones. The ground to the left was mounded with fresh earth, the sight of it pierced me with sorrow. Sinking down on my haunches in front of the gravestones I placed a hand on each of them.

“Hey Jess, hey Jack. Sorry, it’s been a while, I’ve been dealing with a lot lately.”

Taking the flowers I separated them into two bundles and lay one before each headstone.

“The space next to you guys is full now. Jess, I know the plan was to have me planted there beside you when I died, but things have changed…I hope you guys don’t mind the new neighbor. I sold the plot to a really nice family. If I’m going to have a chance of rejoining the living I have to let go.” I sat for a few minutes, talking to them, explaining about my new family and how much they needed me. After my confession, I rose and retraced my steps to the truck. It felt good…lighter having visited them.

By the time I got back into the truck, I felt like another chunk of weight had dropped away. The last few weeks had been filled with a mind bending number of twists and turns, and I was ready for some peace.