Cool Mom

60: Hospital

The drive to the hospital seems to stretch across hours when it's really just ten minutes. The minute the car stops outside the entrance, I unbuckle Hazel's car seat and haul her out of the car. Jeremy already gave me the room number but that's all the information he gave me before ending the call.

When I reach the right door, I take a deep breath and push the door open. Jeremy is alone in the room but the patient in bed garners all my attention.

My breathing hitches as I walk over to Daniel and gently touch his hand. He doesn't move nor does he open his eyes.

"What's wrong with him?" I turn to Jeremy, tears in my eyes.

"We were returning to the office from a meeting and he said he wasn't feeling well. He thought it was because of the suit so we stopped at your house and he changed into lighter clothes but just two minutes into the drive back to the office he went unconscious." Jeremy sighs.

"And?" I demand an answer.

Jeremy is stopped from answering when a knock sounds on the door and then a doctor walks in. I study his name pin to see that his name is Dr. Steven Miller.

"I'm sorry but only family is allowed in visitation rooms." He says as he surveys the room.

"I'm his wife, this our daughter and Jeremy is his brother." I say, not wanting to lose Jeremy's presence.

"Very well. Your husband's sugar level dropped to a dangerously low level which made him lose consciousness. I've already put him on glucose." He says, motioning towards the drip that I hadn't noticed earlier. "He should be awake in another hour or so as the sugar works its way through his body."

"This has never happened before. Why do you think it happened now?" I ask, wanting all my questions answered.

"I cannot give you a definitive answer right now but I've taken a blood sample for some tests which will hopefully reveal the reason." Dr. Miller tells me.

"Thank you." I nod at him as he checks on the drip and then leaves.

"Was Daniel unwell this morning?" Jeremy asks me.

"No." I shake my head. "He drove with me to Hazel's school. He was perfectly fine."

Jeremy adds, "He was fine throughout the meeting too. Whatever happened, happened within the last hour."

"I guess we'll just have to wait for him to wake up." I sigh.

With the situation somewhat cleared, I come back to my senses and remember than Hazel is in the room too. I walk over to her as she tears her eyes away from Daniel to look at me.

"Is daddy okay?" She asks.

"Yes, he just needs some rest." I say, sitting down on one of the chair's in the room and pulling Hazel into a hug.

"I can drive Hazel back if you want me to." Jeremy offers.

I don't want Hazel in the hospital any longer than necessary but I also can't leave her at home alone with the helpers since the last time resulted in her kidnapping. I voice these concerns to Jeremy who thinks about it for a second.

"I can take her to my mom. She's always delighted to see Hazel and we don't know how long Daniel will have to stay at the hospital." Jeremy offers.

"Okay. Thank you." I'm grateful for Jeremy's help. I turn to Hazel, "Do you have any schoolwork?"

She shakes her head, "Miss Hannah said that we won't get any this week."

"Alright. Be nice to Jeremy's mom and do as she tells you to, okay?" I tell Hazel.

"Okay." She nods and I pull her into one more hug before kissing her head and sending her off with Jeremy.

The wait for Daniel to wake up seems to stretch longer now that the other two are gone. I stay in the chair that I am, studying Daniel. After thirty minutes I decide to check on Jeremy.

"Hey." He says, answering the call.

"Hi! Did you drop her off?" I ask.

"Yes. I'm just leaving the house and coming over to the hospital." He says.

"Jeremy, I understand that you have things to do and places to be, it's fine if you can't come over." I tell him but inside my head I'm praying that he comes over. I can't do this alone.

"Nothing's more important than Daniel's health. The office staff thinks we both headed home early. So, all's been taken care of." He replies.

"Okay. See you then." I say before ending the call.

I return my phone to my purse when I feel Daniel shift in the corner of my vision. In an instant he has my full attention and I'm off the chair and standing next to his bed.

"Daniel?" I gently ask.

He groans as if he has a headache and slowly his eyes open but I can tell that he's having a hard time focusing. Dr. Miller arrives just then to check on him.

"Ah! He's conscious long before I expected him to." He says, walking to the other side of the bed and noting some things off the drip and monitors attached to Daniel's body.

To me he says, "His sugar level is still low but it has risen significantly from what it was when he came in. It'll take some time before he's fully awake and aware of his surroundings. Please do call me when he is."

I tell him that I will and he leaves, closing the door after him. Daniel by now has gone back to sleep. I've just sat down the door opens again and Jeremy enters.

"How is he?" He asks, walking over to the bed to check on Daniel.

"He woke up but the doctor said that it'll take some time before he's fully conscious of his surroundings." I tell him about Daniel's sugar level which gets a sigh of relief from Jeremy too, "That's good."

It's evening when Daniel finally wakes up for good. Jeremy leaves the room to take a call from the office when I hear Daniel sigh and then open his eyes to look around the room.

"Hey." I say, walking over to the bed.

"Hi." He replies and winces.

"What is it?" I ask, frowning with worry.

"Just a headache." He replies and even gives me a small smile to ease my worry. Even in pain he knows when I'm worried for him.

I bend forward and kiss his cheek, "You had us worried."

"Us?" He asks.

"Jeremy's here. He's answering a call." I tell him. We fall silent for a moment before I ask, "What happened?"

He moves his head on the pillow to find a more comfortable position before replying, "I just remember my heartbeat accelerating and then feeling really dizzy. I thought I was feeling hot because of the suit."

I nod, "Jeremy said that much."

"Well, I changed." He waves a hand at his clothes, "And I had some cold water, thinking it would ease my discomfort and then left with Jeremy and now woke up here."

"Your sugar level dropped." I tell him.

I see something in his eyes, an emotion I can't place my finger on but it disappears almost as quickly.

"Have the doctors diagnosed anything?" He asks.

"No. They're still running tests." I reply.

"You're awake!"

I look up as Jeremy walks into the room and strides over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone threw me against a wall." Daniel replies with a smile and Jeremy and I join in with laughter.