Love is the Best Medicine

Chapter 34

Meryl was pacing back and forth in the private waiting room when Mamie came in. She knew it was just a knee replacement but she couldn't seem to shake this feeling that something bad was going to happen. Meryl's face lit up when she saw their second born enter the waiting room. "What are you doing here? I thought your father told you he wanted you home resting."

"All the other kids are working and Lou's in school; I wasn't going to leave you here by yourself or let Daddy go through this without one of his kids here." Mamie said hugging her mother, tightly. "Besides, I know how you two are about the other."

Meryl led her daughter to a chair and they both sat down. "What do you mean?"

"When something is going on with the other you both are a mess." Mamie laughed.

Meryl smiled as she twirled her rings on her finger; she couldn't help but laugh. " I guess we are more predictable than I thought we were. I also guess that comes with being married for over 30 years."

"I don't think it's just that." Mamie smiled. "There are many couples who have been married for that long and aren't like that. I mean look at Grandmother and Grandfather Gummer."

Meryl laughed at Mamie's first comment. Then her heart broke for her husband at the second comment. She knew nothing worked Don up like when people compared his relationship to Meryl to his parents' relationship; there were no similarities at all. Now she realized that Mamie knew and picked up on that. "Okay, I guess it comes with being in love with your best friend. How's that?"

"That's better." Mamie laughed. "Besides it doesn't have anything to do with how long you've been married. You and Daddy have always been like this; and I'm pretty sure you always will be."

Meryl smiled at her eldest daughter. "You're pretty smart;  you know that?"

"It's in my genes." Mamie winked. "I remember your complications after Lou. Daddy was a mess; well, we all were."

***

It was Saturday morning, June 15, 1991; Don and Meryl were getting used to being a family of 6 after having brought their newest little bundle home from the hospital the day before. Don had fed the three older kids breakfast and had them settled down watching cartoons when he went into check on his wife and the baby in their bedroom. He was surprised they were both asleep. Don stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his wife shaking and blood covered their bed. He wasn't sure if he could ever erase that image from his mind. She was still asleep, which scared him even more. From doing some inspection it became clear to him that she had passed several LARGE clots. He knew this was bad, this was really, really, really bad. Don went over and shook her awake. "Baby, wake up; NOW."

"Don...don't feel...good." Meryl whimpered in her sleep.

Don continued to try to wake her up. He also noticed how incredibly pale she was "I know baby; wake up. I need you to wake up so we can get you some help."

"Don...Lou?" Meryl croaked when she began to wake up.

Don looked over into the bassinet and saw their baby was still asleep. "She's fine baby, but we have to get you to the hospital."

"No...sleep." Meryl mumbled as exhaustion seem to take over again.

Don noted how white and clammy she was. "No, no sleep. We need to find out why you're bleeding so badly."

"Dad, tell the girls to leave me alone." Henry yelled as he ran into his parents' bedroom.

"You're a doo-doo head." Grace said.