Trey Comes Calling
by: E Walk
(© 2010-2011 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 9

They’re Starving Me

“This is the Parker residence.”

“Ed, it’s Jack.  We’re still at the Richards’ house.  It looks as if Bart overdosed on his medications and is in a coma.  The ambulance is on it way.  As soon as the ambulance leaves,  Trey and I will go the hospital to take care of things.  We should be there shortly.”

I hardly had time to put the receiver on the hook when the phone rang again, “This is the Parker residence.”

“Dad, I want to come home.  They’re starving me, here.”

“Jordan, get a good nights’ sleep.  They aren’t going to release you before Wednesday at the earliest.  They need to make sure that there isn’t any infection that they missed.  Ask your nurse for some medicine to stop the pain and that will help you get some sleep.”

“Dad, you don’t understand.  It’s boring here.  I can’t maneuver very much because of the I. V.s and the tubes.  I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself.  Do you know how embarrassing that is?”

I laughed, “Jordan, the nurses and their assistants are used to helping patients go to the bathroom.  Enjoy the service while you can, because I’m not going to assist you when you get home.  You’d call the police and report me for molestation”

Jordan started to laugh but stopped, “Dad, be serious.  It hurts to laugh.”

“Then get some sleep.  The Richards boys may be here for some time.  You wouldn’t want them to accidentally run into your sore spots would you.”

“Okay, I’ll stop complaining, but if I don’t get out of here on Wednesday, you’ll have a real basket case on your hands.”

“Jordy, get some sleep.  I’ll stop by to see you in the morning after I get the Richards boys off to school.  Do you want me to bring anything for you?”

“Dad, bring my CD player and one of my cases with CDs.  You probably should bring my journal, too, so I can make some notes for when I see Doctor Gordon.  The player, the case with the CDs and journal are on my desk.”

“See you in the morning.  Someone is at the door.”

“Good night, Dad.”

The garage door opened and Trey and Jack entered, carrying two bags.  Jack apologized, “Sorry we’re so late.  We had to get Bart checked into the emergency room.  He was awake and talking when we left.  Trey had a difficult time trying to figure out things that the boys would like to take in their lunches.”

Trey frowned, “I know the boys would have picked those boxes with the crackers and cheese and everything salty.  We just bought two kinds of lunch meat, some canned fruit and some Ho Hos.  We’ll sneak in some vegetable sticks in the morning.”

Jack announced, “I need to get on home.  I’ll check with you tomorrow to see what’s happening.  If the hospital should call, call me and leave me a message if I don’t answer my phone.”

When I got up in the morning, I could hear the young guys in the kitchen.  As I walked into the kitchen, I heard Trent complain, “Trey, next time, can we pick the things for our lunches.  Why didn’t you get us some chips and some containers of juice.  Now we’ll have to waste time standing in line to buy milk.”

Trey was frustrated, “Trent, stop complaining or you'll have to eat school lunch everyday while we’re staying with Mr. Parker.  He has more things to worry about than your lunches.”

Trey departed and I made sure that the three youngest Richards boys were ready to go to school.  Tommy asked, “Aren’t you going to go with us.”

I raised my eyebrows, “I thought you guys said you would be embarrassed if I went to school with you.”

Timmy smirked, “The kids thought that it was cool that an old man would walk with us.  They wanted to know if you’re going to be working at school.”

“What did you tell them?’

Timmy giggled, “I told them that you were too old to work at school.  I told them that you would probably go back to bed when you got home, and sleep all day.”

I pointed to the door, “Get your bodies to school and don’t wake me when you get home this afternoon.”

I stood on the front lawn and watched to see that the three guys made it to school safely.   As soon as I saw them disappear into the school, I went to collect the things that Jordy had requested.

When I went to go into room 324 at the hospital, the room was empty.  I looked around and I heard the nurse who was working on a computer, “Can I help you, sir?

“Yes, I’m here to see Jordan Parker.”

The young lady answered, “He was taken to diagnostics for a cat scan and an x-ray.”

“Why did he need another cat scan and x-rays?”

“Sir, who are you?”

“I’m Jordan’s father.”

“In that case, I guess I can tell you.  His stomach and intestines are not working properly.  It’s like they have shut down.”

The nurse got a call on her cell phone, “Excuse me, Mr. Parker,  I have something that needs to be taken care of in another room.”

I was sitting in Jordan’s room when he returned, “Hi Dad, would you tell these people that I need something to eat.  I’m starving.”

I asked, “What did they feed you for breakfast?”

“They only gave me liquids.  Doctor Holly was here this morning and said I shouldn’t have any solid food until Doctor Reiberg had a chance to check and see what the cat scan and x-ray showed.  He said he would be back tonight.”

The nurse entered with her computer, “Mr. Parker, could you bring me the psychotic medications that Jordan takes.  It seems that our pharmacy isn’t familiar with some of them.  Doctor Holly was going to call Doctor Gordon to see what Doctor Gordon thought Jordan really needed.”

The nurse looked at Jordan, “I need to get your vitals.”

I watched as she checked his blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen level.  She then checked his feet which she wrapped in a special pair of boot like apparel that acted like a blood pressure machine.

I was confused, “Why does Jordy need those special things on his feet and legs?”

The nurse gave me a funny glance, “They’re to help prevent blood clots.”

She took her stereoscope and listened to his lower stomach.”

Jordan asked, “Sarah, when can I order some food?  I want something good to eat.”

“Jordan, your diet has been restricted by the doctors, since your bowels aren’t responding to medication.”

Jordon looked at me, “Dad, tell them that I need to eat.”

“Jordy, do what the doctors tell you to do.  They know what they’re doing.  I’m going to go home and get you medications that Dr. Gordon prescribed.  I’ll be back about one o’clock.”

Jordy commented, “Thanks for bringing my things, Dad.  When you come the next time, could you bring my IPOD and ear buds?”

“Yep, I’ll see you this afternoon.”

As I was leaving, “Jordy was complaining to the nurse, ‘Sarah, I’ll die of malnutrition if I don’t get some food.”

“Jordy, you’re already receiving more nutrients than you usually get from food from the big bag on the I. V.  holder.  I’ll give you a shot to help you rest which is what you probably need.”

After I left Jordy’s room, I stopped at the nurse’s station, “Could you tell me which room Mr. Richards is in?”

The nurse on duty frowned, “Sir, we don’t have anyone on the floor by that name.  Are you sure he’s in this hospital?”

“Yes, I’m sure he’s here.  He was brought in by ambulance last evening.”

“Let me check, sir.”  The young lady looked at me and started to look at the computer screen. “Sir, Mr. Richards is in the intensive care unit on first floor.”

“Thank you, Ma’am”

I figured the least I could do would be to stop in and talk to Mr. Richards, since his four sons were living with me.  When I arrived in the Intensive Care Unit, the receptionist looked at me, “How may I help you, sir?”

“I would like to visit with Mr. Bart Richards.”

“Sir, his visitors are limited.  Can you tell me who you are so I can see if you’ve been authorized access?”

“I’m Ed Parker and I happen to have his four sons staying at my house.”

The receptionist went somewhere and when she returned she pointed, “Mr. Richards is in room 2.  You will need to put a mask and a sterile gown on, before you can see him.”

“Why is that?”

“Sir, I don’t know why.  I’m not a medical person.  I just do what they tell me to do.”

I went to room two and there was a stack of yellow gowns, surgical gloves and face masks.  I put on the paraphernalia and entered the room and a nurse, who was dressed the same way I was, was attending Mr. Richards.

She looked at me, “Good morning, sir, Mr. Richards has developed an infection in his respiratory system.  He’s rather heavily sedated.  He may or may not recognize you.”

I walked to the bed, “Good morning, Bart.”

“Who are you?”

“Bart, I’m Ed Parker.  I have your four sons living at my house.”

“Oh, I remember you, now.  You were one of Trey’s teachers when he was little.  You’re also a friend of Mr. Evans and my ex-wife, Kathie.”

“Yep, but more importantly, you signed the paperwork giving me the authority to look out for your four sons until you recover sufficiently to take care of them.  I wanted to stop in and tell you that they are fine.  I’ll talk to you later.”

Mr. Richards tried to sit up, “Mr. Parker, please don’t let my wife have any contact with the boys.  She’s convinced that they are morons compared to the wonderful children by her first marriage.  I know for a fact that Trey is more intelligent than her son, Chris, and Trey doesn’t have the attitude that Chris Walton does.”

“Mr. Richards, I’ve met Chris Walton, and he has a severely distorted image of his importance, like his Dad.  You can trust me that the Waltons will not be having much to do with the boys.  Kathy has been very supportive.  I know your new wife by sight, but I’ve never really met her.”

Mr. Richards laid back on the pillow, “I’m getting tired.  The second Mrs. Richards is going to be long gone, as soon as I can get out this hospital.   I’m worried that Mr. Evans will fire my ass for taking so much time off.”

“Bart, I think you will be pleased as to how much of a liking Mr. Evans has taken to the boys.  He’s not going to let anything bad happen to the boys, nor am I.  I suggest some rest before the nurse comes to give you something to sleep.  One of us will be here to check on you, this afternoon.  I don’t think we should bring your three youngest sons here, until you are no longer in intensive care.  When you feel up to it, you could call and talk to them on the phone.”

“I don’t know your phone number .”

“I’ll write down the house number.  Now that I know your extension, the guys can call you. I‘ll try to keep them from bothering you too much,  If they start to bother you with their calls, let me know.”

As I was driving home, I was thinking,  ‘I hope that Ken knows what’s happening to Bart.  All I know is that he has a respiratory infection.’

My train of thought took a sharp curve when I saw the HyVee  store.  I turned into the parking lot and went to find something to fix for dinner. I picked up some donut holes for an after school snack.  I decided to fix spaghetti.  I looked at the different kinds of spaghetti sauce and had no idea which kind the boys would like.  I grabbed a jar of Paul Newman sauce and the things to make a tossed salad.  That created another dilemma, because I had no idea what kind of  salad dressing the boys liked.  I picked up a bottle of two different kinds so they would at lest have a choice.  

I passed a lady with a cart and noticed that she had some bread, ice cream and several boxes of cereal.  I decided that looked like a pretty good idea and by the time I picked up a few other things that I knew we needed, my cart was full and I started toward the checkout stand.  I realized that I needed to get some more milk, so I turned around and headed to the back of the store.

By the time I got home it was nearly noon.  I had just finished putting the groceries away when the phone rang. “This is Ed Parker.”

“Ed, it’s Ken.  Mrs. Richards was released on bail.  I understand that her former husband, Howie Walton, put up her bail.”

“Why would he do that?”

Jack chuckled, “Beats me.  Perhaps he still has fondness for her.  Maybe it takes two woman to satisfy his libido,  You probably should go to school to meet the Richards boys, so she can’t walk off with them, since she has never adopted them.”

“Jack, did you know that Mr. Richards is in the intensive care unit?”

“The hospital called and told me they were putting him in ICU, last night.  I thought I would go see him at lunch time.  How’s Jordy?”

“He claims he’s being starved to death,  The nurse told me that his intestines had gone to sleep,  I’m going to take him some things that he wants and the hospital needs to see what psychotic medications Doctor Gordon had prescribed for Jordan.  I’ll be taking the things to the hospital after I have some lunch.  I’ll make sure that I’m back here to get the boys, after school”

“Good, I’ll see you about six,”

After my lunch, I grabbed the things for Jordy and collected all his medications that the nurse requested. 

When I went to Jordy’s room, he was asleep.  I went to find his nurse to tell her that I had Jordy’s medications.  She nodded, “I’ll tell the pharmacy that you have them.”

She pulled out her cell phone and made a call.  When she finished, “One of the pharmacists will here in about five minutes to look at Jordan‘s medications. I’ll bring her to Jordan’s room.

I was getting Jordy’s tape player hooked up when Jordy woke up,  He had tears in his eyes “Dad, I can’t go to the bathroom.  They’re not going to let me have anything solid to eat until I can pass gas.  Doctor Reiberg was here after you left and she put this stomach tube in to eliminate the waste  that is my stomach.  It feels awful.  I feel like I’m being held together by plastic tubes.  I guess I won’t be going home by tomorrow.”

The pharmacist arrived and I handed her Jordan’s medications that had been prescribed.  She looked at them and frowned, “Mr. Parker, some of these are unfamiliar to me.  I’ll have Sarah lock them up after I analyze them and can get them in stock.  I’ve been talking to Dr. Gordon.  We’ll make sure that Jordan gets the medications he needs. during this ordeal.  He’ll be taking them intravenously so they can have the proper effect on his body.”

After the pharmacist took off with Jordan’s medications, I looked at the clock, “I'm sorry, Jordy, I need to leave so I can pick up Trey’s brothers from school, before their step mother can.  It’s a long story and I’ll explain the next time I see you.  I need to go now, or I’ll be late.”

This situation seems pretty severe,  Poor Jordy, he is having a pretty rough time of it.  I sure hope they can figure out what is wrong with him.  I, personally, have always been a bit skeptical of any of the drugs that are used to stabilize the mental health of a person.   I used to work in an institution, and one of the things that bothered me to no end was that the doctors and the staff would dope the patients up, to the point that they were practically zombies. 

Jordan is very lucky that he has a wonderful father, like Ed, who loves him and is going to look out for his best interests.  Ed certainly isn't going to let Jordy be pushed into the corner and forgotten about.

I still find it amazing to realize that any parent would simply drop their child off at the front steps of a mental hospital without even identifying them, having no intention of ever seeing them again, but it happened... a lot.

I know for a fact that one of the nurses that worked at the institution where I worked treated her dog a lot better than she treated her patients, at that place. 

Oh dear, I seem to have started ranting, haven't I?

I am going to stop talking about her, before I call her something that one might call a female dog, and I don't want to insult any dogs.

I can hardly wait for another chapter of this wonderful story.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher 

Posted: 02/18/11