A Weekend Off

It's 3:00 a.m. and I am driving my wife to the emergency room. Both of us fear the worst, but neither of us talk about it on the way. It's just too hard.

The nurse at triage tells us there is only one doctor on duty and it will be a few hours before he can get to us because there is a critical on the way. At 3:40 a.m. they move her to a room where she waits. I desperately want to stay with her, but my son won't last long. He's only 17 months...you cannot tell him not to explore, or not to be interested in what is happening. Part of me is just grateful he was already awake when we decided to go to the hospital. Children have a sixth-sense when it comes to their mothers.

It's 4:00 a.m. and Thomas can't take it anymore. I kiss my wife, put the boy on my shoulders, and tell her I'll return shortly. He and I go to the children's playing area. Thomas wastes no time, immediatly running from toy to toy, book to book, station to station. He trys everything in the room for about eight seconds. You'd think he was at the rodeo (or I was...).

It's 4:25 a.m., and a nurse comes in the room. I look at her, expecting to hear something about my wife.

"Can I help you with something?"

I stare at her, momentarily surprised. "Yes," I finally muster, "you can tell me how my wife is doing, and when we can go home."

"No, I mean this area is closed right now." She then asks, "are you supposed to be here?"

She leaves to check with the other nurses to see if we can stay. I'm not waiting for her to come back. I should check to see how Deb is doing anyway.

She waits. Still, she waits. She's watching Bosom Buddies. It's hard to believe that the guy who starred in Forest Gump and Philadelphia got his 'big break' on that show. It's strange, because a few weeks ago I tried to remember the opening theme music. I didn't remember then, but I know now...