The Long Road Home Part 3

Chapter 42-2

The Long Road Home

Part 3

 

By 3:30 Shane arrived to take me outside. Pushing the wheelchair and Grandma helped me with my sneakers while the nurse unhooked my IV friend; letting Dad follow us asking Shane about my night terrors and this grueling schedule.  Telling Dad it's worse some days than others. Dad restating the word “worse?” 

Shane helped me out of the wheelchair putting his arm around my shoulder as we walked around the hospital twice before Dad said he was going lye down before he fell down. We laughed and made two more laps and we head for the pool. Grandma stopping by to pick up my trunks and allowing Shane time enough to change into his; leaving Dad snoring away as we tipped toed out of the room.

Grandma watched Shane and I jump into the pool while she opened her novel. We swam for an hour and played, tossing the football that Shane had brought from home. Grandma dried me off helped me into my boxers while Shane changed into some dry shorts with clean white hospital towel around his bare shoulders; telling my “nurse” that he would walk me back to my room. While she left word at the desk that we were back.

Shane wasn’t shy or embarrassed when it came to nurses, doctors or hospital. He didn’t bother with a changing room or a bathroom, just changed into his clothes in the same room as me like it was no big deal. I, however, blushed; knowing grandma was no ordinary nurse. Neither of us said anything, it didn’t matter how old boys got we didn’t have different parts with our plumbing outside instead inside like our female counterparts.. Grandma just grinned like it was no big deal, in a way it really wasn’t. I had lost count how many times she had seen, me, my brother, and the Downing boys naked or how many times she had bathed us all.

Like I said before, it wasn’t Shane’s first rodeo. He was my brother and that’s all that mattered, and most of all he wasn’t embarrassed about it, like would have been if wasn’t for my grandma and my foster families. For if it was up to my parents I would still be wearing an Eskimo suit.

Dad was still sound asleep when we arrived back, Shane shushed me as he went into the bathroom grabbed Dads shaving cream, and carefully put it in his hair and palms of his hands and a small dab on his nose. Stood back and yelled “fire, the rooms on fire;” Dad quickly jumped to a start smearing shaving cream all over his face. Just in time as Bishop Lanwall walked into the room. Doubling over with laughter seeing Dad covered in shaving cream; Dad blinked a couple of times grinning telling Shane he just earned himself a little payback.  Shane said, “bring it on, Dad.” Tossing him his towel from around his shoulders while he laughed himself silly and giving me a high five.

Dad cleaned himself off while Shane set up the table so we could all eat together helping my nurse with our trays. Shane's eyes hit the ground when he saw the size of my portions with three cartons of milk and two glass of fruit punch. Compared to every ones else’s one of each. Grandma said to make sure I ate every last bite. Bishop said the prayer knowing how strict Dad was when it comes to praying every noon and night. Not even he was that strict but wasn’t worth angering the mighty giant. It was what it was.

Mom stopped by around eight while Shane and I were on our last lap for the day pushing the envelope of twenty-two laps around the floor and four laps around the hospital; telling Mom that we were on our way back to the pool and see if Dad and Bishop Lanwall would care to join us. Mom leaned down to check my temperature stating I was still warm, but not as hot as I had been and my nurse agreed said. That pool was a much better solution where they could cool me down faster and I could get little exercises as well.

Dad thought it was a great idea as he quickly changed into his trunks and grabbed Shane’s football under his arm grinning, reminding Shane the game was on. As we waited for Bishop Lanwall to join us. Mom didn’t bring a suit, telling us there was no way she was putting this into a bathing suit. Pointing to her semi-round belly. The nurse told her lots of pregnant mothers find the pool refreshing. Taking the weight off the back and feet, and it was very good for the baby and its mother. Mom declined saying maybe next time; providing if they could even find a suit to fit her.

We all walked down the hall as if we were all going to the beach for a family outing with towels over our shoulders. Mom laughed at me and Shane jumped in doing cannon balls as Dad and Bishop Lanwall slid gently into the water. Grandma had taken off the bandages prior so they wouldn’t float around grossly in the pool. Telling us not to drown anyone while housekeeping cleaned my room and if Bishop Lanwall would like a roll-away bed instead of old hospital cot; now that we had a bigger room that could easily handle three beds.  He said that would be most welcome than sleeping all night in a chair.

We are all good swimmers and there were plenty of people to watch our backs, but the “nurse” told Mom if we needed anything before she came back to just push the button on the wall near the door. Mom watched her leave as we fro-locked in the pool. It was men against the boys Dad chasing Shane to take the football away as he tossed it to me and Dad and Bishop Lanwall tried to take it to get back before I reached our goal line. Mom removed her shoes and nylons stockings and set a clean white hospital towel near the pool and soaked her feet moaning how good it felt. Cussing Dad and Shane for splashing water on her, while she tried to stay dry unsuccessful.

By the time the nurses came back to check on us and bring in a suit for Mom to use. Mom was almost soaked. Telling Dad he earned himself some payback. Quickly slipping into the changing room and into hospital swimsuit, made for expecting mothers; yelling and warning us that we better not laugh, handing her wet clothes to the nurse to stick in the dryer and slid into the pool moaning how good it felt. Quickly grabbing me by the waist tickling me, taking the football threw it to other teams, Shane telling her that was so unfair.

Dad blocked Shane long enough to grabbed me and put me on his shoulders.  To make the teams little more even with Mom taking her place next to Shane while Bishop Lanwall tossed me the ball. Mom and Shane overpowered Dad with a tickle to his ribs letting me fall back into the water. Dad said that was cheating as Mom quickly dunked him under with Shane’s help. While Bishop Lanwall quickly took the advantage by placing me on his shoulders handing me the football as we made it to the finish line before Dad surfaced and Mom and Shane were left behind.

It was nearly ten before we made it back to my room. Mom was doing her best to dry her hair and carrying her shoes in the other hand. Telling us tomorrow night she and Shane are going to win back all the points her and Shane lost. Dad said; “bring it on” giving me a knuckle bump. Mom kissed both me and Dad goodnight letting him grab a quick hot shower leaving with Shane. While the nurse prepared me for bed with clean fresh bandages and hooked me up to my IV friend.  Telling Dad that so far my fever is almost normal and had been most of the day because of the pool. Dad gave me a knuckle bump and turned on the game. Leave it to Dad to find one as we each cracked open a small bag of chips and cold orange soda.

Dad was out like a light before the game ended as I listened to two bears sleeping in a cave. I knew it was going to be another long night; when the night nurse forgot to give me my sleeping pill. It didn’t matter if I slightly dozed I still dreamed of my father beating the crap out me in the cursed boiler-room as I woke up screaming at 2:30 in the morning. Dad once again holding me while the memory washed over me. Knowing it was going to be another long day.

It was almost 6:00 when I woke again laying there watching the sun brighten the sky having to push the button for the nurses, but got no answer, as I laid there waiting. In some ways, it was the best night sleep I had gotten in a long time. Considering my fever hadn’t spiked at all during the night.

Yet it didn’t help that I needed to pee like a racehorse and didn’t want to wake Dad. Bishop like me are light sleepers as he quietly helped me out of bed. So I could do my business, considering the hospital container was full. It happened sometimes with nurses, they forget that you're even there being busy with other patents. I didn’t mind, I had all the help I needed right here in my room.

Bishop closed the bathroom door telling me that he would find out what was taking so long, being careful not to wake my Dad. It was fifteen minutes as I sat there in the bathroom before the nurse came in saying my buzzer must have been unplugged. I nodded it that was fine; asking me would like my bath now or after breakfast. Saying I would rather do a few laps first and see how it goes. Considering I wasn’t running a fever for a change; just needed to pee real bad.

We let Dad sleep while I and the nurse walked the hall. Dad joined me when I had made my fourth lap letting the nurse attended to other patents. Telling her he would bathe me seeing how busy they were. Her face paled, but said I would be fine; hearing over the speakers call a cold blue while Dad and I watched a bunch of nurses quickly running into a room four rooms down from mine. We knew better to stay out of the way, but we stood there watching; for fifteen minutes. But for me, it seemed like longer as I saw from the corner of my eye a bright white light and two people and one of them was Jeff. Then they were gone.

I didn’t have to ask. I knew that someone had just died and I felt the empty hole in my chest where Jeff had been and hurt knowing he had left me to face the hardships alone. He didn’t even glance at me; he didn’t even make contact with me. He was just gone and I was alone holding my Dads hand waiting for him turn back into a monster; even though he was nothing like my father, who has never shown me love or any kindness. Mr. Rothwell had when he forgets that I am not another foster kid, but a real person that could easily be one of his own children. It was the monster in him that I feared the most.

Today was a good day as we ate late breakfast and Dad helped me into the tub letting me bathe myself as he carefully attended to my back, being careful not to break open the hard scabs as he dabbed them with soap. While I only flinched over the more tender spots as he used a soft cloth and drenching me with warm water instead of cold. He dried me off and dressed me in my shorts and socks and helped me roll over. He asked the nurse to show him what they needed to do for my wounds when I able to go home this weekend providing my fever doesn’t spike. The nurse let him bandage me using ointment on the bigger wounds and letting the small ones breathe on their own. Telling him this needed to be done four times a day minim and every time I was cooled or bathed each day.

Dad was gentle and he was kind and he got know me other than a thick incomplete file with my name on it. We would laugh together and we prayed together. We would walk outside instead around the floor with his arms around me. Grandma smiled as she watched me closely knowing there was very little she could to prevent me from going home with the Rothwell’s spending less time as my nurse. Letting Dad attended to my needs as a father should.

In some ways like me, she liked the Rothwell’s, but underneath were so many dark secrets. She promised me that she would make sure nothing happened to my brother Aaron; hugging me tight in our private moments alone in the bathroom, letting the world on the other side hide us in its shadow as we wiped our tears; trying hard not to say goodbye.

My fever dissipated as my wounds healed everything was looking good to going home on Friday. But Mom and Shane had a score to settle bring Kerry with her to even the teams. Bishop Lanwall said he had other business to attend to, meeting us on our way to the pool.  Asking Dad if he could manage not to drown me and if everything went well as planned. That he would see me Sunday before for sacrament meeting. Shirt or no shirt, telling Dad; God will understand if I couldn’t wear one and would prefer that I didn’t. Dad shook hands resting his hands on my shoulders. Then told the girls to kick their butts; he’ll be waiting to hear the score.

Mom and Kerry did just that using several moves that should have been called as cheating. Tickling us every time one of us had the ball or grabbing us around the waist while other person tickled us. I never knew Shane had a tickle spot that he would lose total control. Even Dad had one just under his fourth rib on his right side or right behind his ears. That trailed down his neck. When our time was up Mom said that following Monday we should all go to the pool for family home evening at American Fork High school and stop for ice cream on the way home. Dad said that seemed like a good idea as we walked back to my room. Dad stopped at the desk telling them I was back and we were ready to prepare for our last long night.