Part 2
Doctors, nurses, orderlies…anyone connected with the hospital emergency room had come through Howie’s room but they were all nameless faces as Sarah stood vigilantly by his side. She answered all the necessary questions about his medical history and explained about the frequent headaches but it was as if she were on automatic.
"Mrs. Dorough," called one of those nameless faces. He was an intern and he’d introduced himself to her but she couldn’t remember his name. He went on as she stared blankly at him. "We need to take your husband to x-ray."
"For what?"
"We want to do a CAT scan on him as well as a few other things."
"Will it hurt him?"
"Of course not. We just want to get an idea if his headaches are connected to why he’s collapsed."
"Can I go with him?"
"You can but you would probably be more comfortable waiting here. And given that you’re pregnant, it would be better if you stayed here."
Tommy was there and he said, "I’ll go with him, Sarah."
Sarah looked at him and gratefully said, "Thanks, Tommy. If he wakes up, tell him I love him."
Tommy gave her a quick hug and said, "You know it."
Sarah looked down at Howie. He was so pale and fragile-looking. The fact that he’d never regained consciousness wasn’t helping Sarah’s worry either. She reached up and took her necklace off, placed it in his hand, and closed his fist around it.
"I love you, D," she whispered as she kissed him softly on the lips. "You have an angel looking out for you."
Sarah stepped back and watched helplessly as the orderlies wheeled him out of the examining room and down the hall. The tears she had been holding in now began to fall and she made no attempt to hold them back or wipe them away.
From behind, two strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her in close. "Where is Howie?" came the deep, comforting voice.
"They’re taking him to do a CAT scan," whispered Sarah.
Hesitantly, AJ asked, "Did he come to before they took him?"
Sarah shook her head ‘no’.
"Let’s go sit down, baby," suggested Kevin.
Sarah didn’t argue with him allowing Kevin to lead her to the chair in the room she’d been with Howie. She leaned against his strong chest wanting to close her eyes and make this whole nightmare go away.
After almost an hour of dead silence from the three, a doctor returned to the examining room.
"Mrs. Dorough?"
Sarah looked up, "Yes?"
"Hi, I’m Dr. Anderson," he greeted extending his hand to her.
Sarah looked at him. He was tall, dark-haired…much like Kevin…and he was young. He had to have been the same age as Howie, if not younger. She stood up and took his hand in hers. "I’m Sarah," she said softly. "And this is Kevin Richardson and Alex McLean. Please, can you tell me anything about my husband?"
"Of course…I’ll be handling his case from now on."
"What kind of doctor are you?" asked Kevin.
"A neurosurgeon. Sarah, your husband has a cerebral aneurysm that is bleeding."
"What’s that?"
"An aneurysm is an area of the blood vessel in the brain which becomes weakened over time. As the area becomes weaker, it begins to bulge out like a tiny balloon. The more pressure on the balloon, the higher the risk of a leak or break in the area. When the balloon leaks or ruptures, blood escapes into the surrounding tissue, causing a hemorrhage. Sometimes the aneurysm doesn’t rupture but causes pressure on one of the small nerves leaving the brain. Most patients feel a sudden onset of a severe headache, usually described as "the worst headache ever" and it may feel like an explosion, a band or vice around the head. The headache may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The patient may feel dizzy or may even lose consciousness. He may have double vision or become very sensitive to light shining in the eyes. Sometimes he may complain of neck pain or become drowsy and difficult to awaken."
Kevin and AJ looked at Sarah and AJ said, "Howie’s had ALL those symptoms."
Sarah nodded her head as she said, "What can you do for him?"
"Well, we have him being prepped for surgery right now. I won’t lie to you…it’s a risky operation but I’ve had GREAT success with it. I just need you to sign the consent forms."
Sarah looked at Kevin and AJ and then the doctor. "Where do I need to sign?"
Dr. Anderson handed Sarah the forms as he continued, "The surgery could last ten hours at best, maybe longer. I suggest going back home and getting some rest."
"I’m not leaving this hospital without my husband," said Sarah with quiet determination.
"Then, please, rest. I don’t want you in here as your husband’s
roommate. How far along are you?"
"Six months."
Kevin said, "We’ll stay with her and make sure she takes care of herself."
"Dr. Anderson, what causes an aneurysm? I mean, Howie’s so healthy…he works out everyday and we both watch our diet."
"It could be a number of things; high blood pressure or hardening of the arteries in the brain, a blood clot that goes to the brain, some types of infection, injury or trauma to the head, genetics or a condition he was born with, or possible habitual use of cocaine."
"There are only two that could be a possibility for him, high blood pressure or genetics but wouldn’t he know about it if he’d been born with it?" asked Sarah.
"Maybe, maybe not," said Dr. Anderson. Looking at his watch, he said, "I need to get going."
"Doc, how long a stay in the hospital are we talking about?" asked Kevin.
"About two weeks…depending on what kind of patient he is. He’ll be in ICU for about 48 hours and then in a private room for about seven days after that. Barring any complications, he should be able to go after that but NOT back on the road. He’ll need some time off to recuperate."
"Can I see him?" asked Sarah.
"Sure, but he hasn’t regained consciousness."
Kevin said gently, "We’ll wait here for you, baby."
"Hey, ‘Tigger’, give him a kiss for me."
"I’m sure he’ll enjoy that," smiled Sarah knowing AJ was just as scared as she was for Howie. "Kevin, I guess you’d better let management know…make all the necessary calls."
"Want us to call Mama D?"
"No…that’s something I need to do."
Kevin saw how much she dreaded that phone call and he hugged her. "It’ll
be okay, Sarah. Go on…give ‘D’ a kiss for all of us."
Sarah followed the doctor down the same hall that she’d watched Howie disappear earlier. Strangely, she felt like a condemned prisoner making that final walk and she wanted to turn around and run as fast as she could away from here. She was terrified of what could happen…that he could…NO, stop thinking that way, she told herself. Howie was going to be just fine.
At the door, the doctor stopped Sarah and said, "I need to warn you. We’ve shaved a portion of his head for the surgery."
Sarah took a deep breath to brace herself and then pushed her way through the door to see her husband lying perfectly still, the white sheet pulled over his chest. And his hair, his beautiful curls that she loved so much…they were gone, just as the doctor had warned.
Moving to him now, Sarah sat in a chair that a nurse offered her and took his hand in his, the same one in which she’d put her necklace. She brushed his cheek and tried to think of something to say to him. She knew he probably couldn’t hear her but you never knew. Desperately, she said, "You goof!! I told you, you can do anything you want to your hair, just don’t shave it. Now look at you! What am I gonna run my fingers through when we make love?"
She was reaching the point that she thought she was going to completely lose control and her emotions spilled out in her voice. The nurses and orderlies listened carefully to her as they went about getting Howie ready for surgery.
"You know, AJ and Kevin are here with me…like they’d ever let me out of their sight with you here like this. AJ wanted me to give you a kiss for him. I should let him give it to you himself…when you get out of here."
"It’s time, Mrs. Dorough," said a nurse gently.
"They’re ready to take you now. You don’t gotta leave…but I gotta go," she said trying to laugh but it came out a cry. Whispering now as she pressed her lips to his, "Damnit! You’d better not die on me, you hear me! I love you so much, Howie! Don’t make me do this alone!! I can’t! I won’t! Our children need you, the fans need you, AJ, Kevin, Nick, and Brian need you….I need you! You HAVE to get through this." Her tears fell on his cheeks and she wiped them off. "I love you…you hear me, Howard Dwaine! You’re my heart!"
A nurse took Sarah by the shoulders and held her as she kissed him tenderly one final time. Then the orderlies moved him through the doors headed to the operating room. Her body shook uncontrollably as the nurse held her in an embrace.
"Do you have someone to wait with you?"
"Yes," sobbed Sarah.
"Would you like me to walk with you?"
Tommy appeared from the corner of the room where he’d been watching silently, knowing he’d have to get Sarah back to the others. He moved now to kneel down in front of her and took her hands in his. "You need to be strong, Sarah."
Sarah looked at him and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "He looked so helpless, Tommy."
"I know, but you know he really isn’t. Come on…I’ll walk with you to where Kevin and AJ are waiting for you."
Tommy helped Sarah up and she leaned on him for support as he put his arm around her. Together, they made their way back to the waiting room.
