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...

Author’s Comment:  What is happening to Jordy in this story is based on the life of a real person.  Trey and his brothers are based on real persons as well but they aren’t related to Jordy’s real story.  E.

Chapter 14

Operation Number Two

On Saturday morning, Jack and I were having coffee when Trey surfaced.  “What can I get you to eat, Trey?”

“Mr. Parker, I can take care of myself.  I have to be at the high school in thirty minutes.  Our game is scheduled for one, so I’d guess we’ll be home by five.  What are you going to do with my three brothers all day?”

Jack answered before I could, “Don’t worry about your brothers.  I can handle them for one day.  Ed has enough to worry about with Jordy.”

As Trey was going out the door, the phone rang,  “This is Ed Parker.”

“Dad, it’s Jordy.  Dr. Woods was in this morning and ordered another CAT scan.  They’re coming to take me now.  I should be back, in about thirty minutes.”

Jack practically pushed me out of the door, “Ed, go take care of Jordy.  I’ll keep the Richards’ boys occupied.  You’ve got to be exhausted.”

When I arrived at the hospital, Jordy was sitting on the bed complaining to the nurse, “Robin, when are they going to tell me the results of all these tests that they’re doing.  The doctors keep popping in and out when I’m asleep and ordering more tests, but they never tell me the results of the tests they've done, or why they’re doing them.”

“Jordy, I’m just a nurse.  Have your Dad leave a note for the doctor’s to call him.  The Doctor’s are usually responsive to notes from parents or next of kin, asking for a call.  I think they would rather talk to people on the phone than face to face.”

After getting Jordy settled, as best I could, I went to talk to Robin and asked that she leave a message for whatever doctors came to see Jordy, to call me.”

Robin nodded, “Mr. Parker, I can’t honestly tell who might be coming in or at what time.  We don’t always have an updated list of who is covering for which doctors, over the weekend.”

When I arrived at the house, it was locked and there was no one in sight.  I went into the kitchen to fix myself some lunch.  I was sitting down to eat when I saw a note on the phone.  “The guys and I went to Lincoln to see Trey’s game.  It’s a nice day and I figured that it would do them good to get away from here and what’s been happening with their Dad and their house.  I’ll explain more about what is going to happen to Bart when we get home.”

I looked around the house to see what I needed to do.  I wasn’t used to sitting and waiting for phone calls.  I went to the computer and booted it up.  I read through my emails on two sites and answered the ones that needed to be answered.  I turned to my gay stories  that I was writing, but I just wasn’t in the mood to write.

 
I was closing down the computer when the phone rang, “This is Ed Parker.”

“Mr. Parker, this is Doctor Holly, Sr.  I’m filling in for my son this weekend.  I have a note to call you about your son’s condition.”

“Doctor, it’s very frustrating for me, as well as my son, to not know what is happening to him.  It’s been a week since his appendectomy.  Shouldn’t his stomach and bowels have had a chance to begin to recover by now?”

“Mr. Parker, this case is a unique one.  I agree that this is not normal.  I don’t know the full details of the case, but I did look at the results of the latest CAT scan and there is a dark area on his small intestine that would indicate that it might be necessary to open your son and take a closer look at the area.  I’ll leave my opinion in your son’s folder.  The decision as to what to do next is up to Doctor Scott.  I’ll be here to check on Jordan’s condition tomorrow.  I usually don’t make my rounds until after church on Sunday.”

The phone went dead so I guess I had been summarily dismissed.

I went out in the yard and was weeding the flower bed and trimming the trees.  While I was working, Bev came into the yard, “Ed, how’s Jordy?”

“Hi Bev.  Jordy is fit to be tied.  He hasn’t had anything solid to eat for over a week.  It seems his stomach has gone to sleep and nothing they’re doing for him is getting his digestive tract to respond.”

“Is there anything that we can do?”

“Bev, they only thing might be to call him or send a get well card.”

Bev wanted some information and she was determined she was going to get it..  “Ed, how come the Richards’ boys are staying with you?”

“Bev. It’s a strange series of events that have caused them to be living with me.  Let me say this:  Having the boys staying with me at the present time, with Jordy in the hospital, is very tiring but I’ll survive.”

I was spared from having to answer any more questions by the arrival of Jack and the three youngest boys.  As they were climbing out of the car, the three boys yelled,  “Hi, Mrs. Stodola.  Mr. Parker  we’ll finish the trimming as soon as we get a drink and go to the bathroom.”

Jack came over to where I was talking to Bev, and Jerry, Bev’s husband, called from their deck, “Come sit a spell.  It’s too hot to be walking around without a cool drink in your hand.”

We joined Jerry and Bev on their front deck.  Jerry insisted that we join him in a beer.  We tried to decline, but he was having nothing of it.  So we, Jack and I, were sitting on the neighbors porch when all the neighbors around were joining us.  They must have decided that there was some new gossip that they needed to get caught up on.  I was surprised that almost all of them knew about the fire at the Richard’s house and my encounters with the police.  What many of them didn’t know was that Bart had had a heart attack.  Many of them knew him from being involved in youth athletics.”

Thank goodness, Trey had arrived home and disappeared into the house.  He reappeared and announced, “Mr. Parker, Jordy’s, doctor is on the phone.”

“Thanks Trey.  We’ll be right there.”

Jack and I excused ourselves and went to the house.  “This is Ed Parker.”

“This is Dr. Scott, one of Jordan’s doctors.  I have just looked at Jordy’s CAT scan in person.  Based on the one dark spot, I can’t find it in myself to open your son at this point in time.  I’ve ordered another CAT scat tomorrow and if the spot is still there then I may have no other option than to operate.  I wish I had better news for you.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I explained to Jack and Trey what the call was about. “Guys, I think I'd better go talk to Jordy.  I’m sure that he’s not a very happy camper right about now.”

Jack nodded his head, “I think it’s a good idea to go see and try to keep him as calm as we can.  Trey, will you be all right taking care of your brothers?”

Trey laughed, “Mr. Evans, I’ve had to baby-sit them for several years, now.  I think that’s the least I can do.  Do you want me to fix dinner while you’re gone?”

“Trey, fix dinner when you and your brothers are hungry.  Mr. Evans and I can fix something to eat when we get home.  I can’t imagine that we’ll be too long.  I’m sure Jordy is going to be crying the blues.”

When we arrived at the hospital, I went to Jordy’s room.  He looked up at me with downtrodden eyes.  “Dad, Doctor Scott thinks he might need to operate again tomorrow.  He explained that if he went into my stomach it wouldn’t be three entry points like when Doctor Reiberg took out my appendix using laparoscopic surgery.  It will be a more extensive surgery..”

“Jordy, don’t worry about the cosmetic look.  Let’s get whatever needs to be done taken care of, so we can get on with the rest of our lives.  You’re not the first person who has had something like this  happened to them.  I know it seems impossible to believe, but there have been many people who have been treated for obstructed bowels.  Your case is just more difficult than most. Is there anything that we can get you other than food?”

“Dad, I just want this ordeal over and a part of my history.  This has got to be costing a you an arm and a leg.”

“Jordy, your job is to worry about getting better, not worrying about how much everything is costing.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival Jack Evans, “Hi Jordy, you’re looking chipper tonight.”

“Mr. Evans, don’t try to b. s. me. I look and feel like death warmed over.  If something doesn’t happen soon, I will very likely be taken away by a gust of cold wind.  What’s happening to Mr. Richards? There sure has been a movement around his room.”

“The new Mrs. Richards has been raising bloody murder because Bart has been receiving first quality care.  She went around the company’s back and changed the limits of his medical insurance so it provides for only basic minimum coverage for him and the four sons.  This is something that I need to take care of on Monday when all the business offices are open.   Mrs. Richards was in Bart’s room demanding that I pay for the services; that Bart’s services are costing, immediately; she needed the money.”

Jack realized that Jordy couldn't really care less about what was going on  with Mr. Richards.  “Guys, I need to go.  I have some paperwork to take care of before Monday.  With Mrs. Richards’ frame of mind,  there’s no telling what’s she likely to do.  She has it in her head that Ed is the root all her problems.”

After Ken had departed, Jordy asked, “Dad, have you explained to Mr. Buffer what’s been happening?”

“Jordy, Ward is very busy this weekend.  It is the annual stockholder’s meeting here in Omaha this week for the Berksway Hathashire company. With all of the publicity of the Sokol resignation, I’m sure Ward is going to have his hands full explaining what is happening.  Our goal is to take care of you and get you well as soon as possible.  We have enough to worry about with you.  Let’s wait and see what else could happen before we start to worry about others.”

“Dad, you’re always positive.  Something is bound to go wrong.”

“Something doesn’t always have to go bad.  I’m leaving now and I'll see if there is anything that I can do at home.  It will be interesting to hear what happened to the boys this afternoon.  Call me as soon as you receive a call from Doctor Scott in the morning. 

When I arrived at the house, it was nearly dark and there didn’t appear to be much activity.  I didn’t know if that was because everyone was in bed or something had happened.”

When I walked into the house, the four Richards’ boys were watching television and there did not seem to be anyone else in the house.  Still, the four boys appeared to be uptight and tense.  I plopped down in my recliner,  “Would someone care to tell me what the problem is?”

The three younger guys looked at Trey.  He took a deep breath, “Our Grandfather called and wants you to call him.  He said he had reports that you were using the four of us for your own personal gain and were trying to get our father’s money for your own use.”

“Trey, I assume that you’re talking about you Grandfather Richards?  Did he indicate the source of his information?”

Trey shook his head, “He didn’t say who he had been talking to, but that because of your meddling, our Dad had a heart attack and that you were doing your best to make everyone’s life miserable.  He said he would be here, after lunch tomorrow, to see what is happening for himself.”

I finally got the boys calmed down and into bed.  I wanted to call Jack  and tell him what was happening, but I figured it was too late to do anything about anything tonight.  I looked out the front window and I noticed a police car going by.  I thought to myself, ‘ I hope they don’t know something that I don’t know.’

I was finally able to get to sleep and woke up when sunlight began to come in the windows.  I was opening the drapes when another police patrol cruiser went .  The officer saw me and returned my wave. I guess he was trying to tell me everything was safe.

I went to check on the guys, “Guys, I’m planning to go to early church service.  Do you want to go with me?”

Tim answered, “Can, Trey take us to church school?  Since our new Mother is a member of your church, she is probably going to be making problems for us people.  She is absolutely evil like the witch in Snow White. Why don’t you call Mr. Evans and see if he wants to go to church with us.  That way one of you would be there if the woman tried to do something.”

Trey added, “I have lost all respect for that woman.  I think that she might have lost her reasoning capacity.”

We were saved by the doorbell,  Jack entered, “Hi guys, I came to see what you want to do today.  I understand that your Grandpa Richards is going to be paying us a visit after lunch.  Ed, you'd better be going to the early service, so you’re available in case something does start happening to Jordy.  Be alert for that woman to attack from all sides.  Have you seen the television coverage of the Berksway and Hathashire stockholders’ meeting?”

She was running around with a placard saying that Berksway Hathashire is not loyal to long term employees.  She swears the company is out to ruin her family.

I arrived  home after church unscathed.  I didn’t even have time to think of the Mrs. Richards.

I started to fix plenty for sandwiches and fruit even if we had extra company, and it’s a good thing I did.

The first person to arrive was Grandpa Richards.  Since I had never met the man, I had know idea what to expect.  If Trey’s assessment was correct, Grandpa Richards was a stick in the mud farmer.  Needless, to say, I was impressed by Lowell Richards.  I would estimate he was almost six feet tall and a formidable body.  His clothes revealed that he was well muscles pretty much all over his body.

Mr. Richards and Jack Evans previously had met each other,  Mr. Richards asked, “Would someone care to explain why everyone’s bowels are in an uproar?  I’m tired of being bombarded by that woman saying that Mr. Parker is taking over her life and denying her what is due her.  Where is Ted, anyway?  Why can’t he handle his own problems?”

Jack was explaining, “Mr. Richards, You son, Ted or Bart, is in an intensive care home, for the time being, and I’m the only person who knows where it is.  I think that it is best to keep his new wife from being able to badger him.”

The phone rang,  Trey answered, “This is the Parker residence,  …  Yes, Doctor Scott,  Mr. Parker has been expecting your phone  call.   I’ll put him right on  Mr. Parker, it’s Doctor Scott.”

“Mr. Parker, I’m on the way to the hospital.  We have determined that the only thing we can do is check on Jordan and see if there anything that we are missing.  I’ll be at the hospital at four o’clock.

“Doctor Scott, I’ll be there.  I’ll meet you in Jordan’s room, since I assume that the surgeries start the same, with prepping in the patient's room.  I’ll see you shortly.”   

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:

I knew there were good reasons that I don't care much for hospitals.

Poor Jordan. I really feel sorry for him. This must be really difficult for him to handle. 

Why is it that the patient is almost always the last one to be told anything about what is happening to him?

It seems as if the moment you are admitted to a hospital, they automatically think you are a totally ignorant idiot and can't possibly understand how to speak or listen to anyone, let alone understand what they might tell you.

Most of the time, it seems that the hospital staff seem to care more about getting finished with all the trivial things like changing sheets and checking vitals, rather than actually seeming to give a damn about how a patient is reacting to the situation.

They seem to only want to talk to relatives.

People don't stop being intelligent just because they become ill or are put in a hospital. 

There is absolutely no dignity left, once you have been put to bed and had your clothing removed. 

I hope someone tells the second Mrs. Richards to go fly a kite.

I guess I need to stop ranting and get this sent off, so it can be posted.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher 

Posted: 05/13/11