Finding Jaime

Chapter 22

Brendon pulled into the emergency department to let me off. I ran in and he went to park the car.

"Pete Wentz. My son was just brought in. Jaime Clarke?"

The nurse checked the computer.

"Oh, yes. Have a seat. Someone will be out to talk to you shortly," she said.

"Please. I have to see him. Is he okay?"

"Have a seat please, sir. Someone will be out to speak with you shortly."

"But what does that mean!" I asked. "Why won't you let me back to see my son?"

Arms started to pull me away. I started fighting them.

"Dude, it's me. It's Brendon. Come sit down. Let's do what the nice lady says and wait."

He pulled me over to the chairs and sat me down.

"Why won't they let me go back and see him?" I asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means that they need to check Jaime out. They need to tend to his wounds and do whatever tests they might need. Like an MRI or something. They want to get him cleaned up to make sure you don't freak out when you see him."

"But what," I started. "What if he..."

"Don't say it. Don't even think it," Brendon cut me off.

We sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours. Meagan kept texting asking for updates. I kept having to text back that I had none.

Around two thirty, a doctor in scrubs came out looking for me.

"I'm Pete. Pete Wentz," I said. "Jaime's dad. How is he?"

"He's going to be okay. He's sustained a head injury and a concussion, three broken ribs and a broken leg. He's dehydrated and sunburned, and he's unconscious. But, he's going to be okay. We did an MRI and there's no visible brain damage or bleeding. We're transferring him upstairs just now. Once he's in his room, you can go see him."

"Thank you," I said, shaking the doctor's hand.

Brendon smiled at me as I sat back down.

"See? He's going to be okay."

I called Meagan and filled her in. She broke down into tears and said she was so happy to hear.

As soon as I got off the phone then nurse from the desk came up to me and told me Jaime had been moved to a room, which room and said I could go up now.

"You want me to stay or no?" Brendon asked.

"Up to you," I said.

"I'll head home. Jaime's never met me. You guys need time together. Once he wakes up. Let me know when he does, okay?"

I nodded and went upstairs after giving Brendon a hug and thanking him.

I took the elevator up to the fourth floor Pediatric wing and went down the hall to the room they'd said Jaime was in. The curtain was drawn around his bed.

I walked up to it and slid it open a little. Jaime was lying on the bed, his eyes closed, his face red with sunburn. He had a bandage around his head, an IV in his hand, and though he was covered with a blanket, his left leg was encased in a white cast and propped on a couple of pillows. He had a tube running under his nose, giving him oxygen and another tube running up into his nose. I didn't know what that one was.

He had wires coming out from under his hospital gown and something clipped on his finger. The monitor over his bed showed his heart rate and oxygen levels.

Jaime's eyes were closed. Sitting in the chair by his bed, I picked up his hand and squeezed,

"Jaime, I'm here. It's Pete. Open your eyes, son. Come on. Open your eyes."

Nothing.

A nurse came in a few minutes later to check on him.

"Oh. Hi. You must be Jaime's dad?" She asked. I nodded.

"Lucky kid," she smiled.

"Can you tell me what that tube up his nose is?" I asked.

"Oh. That's a nasogastric tube. We're giving Jaime some liquid nutrition to help with both the dehydration and the fact that he hasn't eaten in a couple of days, on top of the injuries. Since we don't know how long he might be out for, it's the best way to get some calories into him," she explained.

I nodded. That made sense.

She checked a few things, made a couple of notes and touching my shoulder said:

"He'll be okay. He just needs some rest."

She left and I went back to holding Jaime's hand.

"Jaime. I'm so sorry," I said. "I'm so sorry this happened."

I sat and watched my son lie unconscious on the bed.