A Moment Longer [Chaelisa] [COMPLETE]

21. The relief

The first few hours of waiting with Bea in the intensive care unit were agonising and genuinely the most terrifying of my life.

They had her hooked up to an IV and were giving her oxygen. In order to rule out internal traumas and neurological issues, the doctors performed a number of tests. Apparently, after respiratory failure, there could actually be delayed brain injury that wasn't apparent right away. It would be a while before all of the results came in.

With no clear prognosis, my silent prayers were non-stop. I begged God to spare my baby from any serious harm. It was challenging to determine Bea's true condition because she was sleeping a lot and undoubtedly felt fatigued from the ordeal.

I had to be thankful for both the fact that she was able to open her eyes and the fact that she was still alive and breathing. Thank God I woke up at that time on a whim. The situation may have turned out very differently if I had arrived in her room even a minute later. I was unable to bear to think about it at all. There was clearly someone keeping an eye on us last night. I had to keep praying and concentrating on the fact that she was still alive until I had answers.

I was still standing by Bea's side at this point in the morning. I was afraid to even go to the bathroom so as not to miss the doctor coming in with information. Finally, a nice nurse made me go get something to drink and use the restroom. She assured me that nothing would occur while I was away and promised to watch Bea.
I started crying as I entered the restroom next to the nurse's station.

Finally losing it, I was overwhelmed with guilt. None of this would have occurred if not for that foolish shirt and my carelessness. How could I have left her crib unchecked before putting her to sleep? I forced myself to gather myself and put up a brave face before going back to my daughter. She was perceptive, and I couldn't let my worry show.

Shortly after I settled in at Bea's bedside, the doctor entered.

"Roseanne..."

I got to my feet while feeling the weight of my anxious, heavy heart. "Yes?"

"We got to know the results of the examinations done on the woman's inside health. Apart from a minor rib fracture that will mend on its own, there are no internal wounds. Her neurological evaluation also appears to be good, but I want to keep an eye on it the following day before we think about releasing her. We're planning to transfer her to a regular room on one of the main floors since I no longer believe she needs to be in the intensive care unit.