Page 44 of Corkscrew You
“Well, now, that’s a whole can of snakes right there,” says Doc. “If your father’s of sound mind, then he has the right to refuse even life-saving treatment. No physician can force him to do otherwise. It’s unethical and illegal.”
“So we’d have to prove he’s nuts?” Ava persists.
“Ava,” Mom remonstrates gently.
“Mom, seriously! If wedon’tfind some way to force this lunatic to see sense, then he’ll die! I’m sorry to be so blunt, but come on! Weallknow it’s true.”
“Does having alternative views on medicine indicate an unsound mind?” Danny backs Ava up.
“Not usually,” says Doc. “You could try testing it in the courts, but…’
“That could take years,” says Ava. “He’d belongdead before we got a decision.”
Doc winces at Mom’s expression. He’s a plain speaker himself, but there’s such a thing as beingtooplain.
Come on, Nate. Step up.
“Surely, if it was another emergency, the doctors wouldhaveto save his life?” I say. “Isn’t that in their code of ethics, too?”
“It is, son,” says Doc, immediately making me feel about ten years old. “But with a condition like this, emergencies aren’t always … retrievable. It was sheer luck that your father received prompt medical attention today, and that it was arrhythmia and not anything worse. Though itcouldhave killed him. Let’s not kid ourselves about that. Drugs and a defibrillator aren’t always close by.”
“So waiting for an emergency’s not a plan, either.” I state the useless obvious.
“I’m sorry.” Doc’s speaking to us all now. “I’ll talk to him again. Try to convince him that proper medical treatment is for the best. Remind him he has a family to think of. The man has a duty of care to you all, even if he can’t see straight when it comes to his own fool self.”
Danny stands and shakes Doc’s hand. “We’ll call you when he wakes up.”
“Thank you, Ray.” Mom stands, too, and gives Doc a kiss on the cheek.
“My job, Ginny.” Doc pats her on the arm. “Plus, I like a good fight. The more bone-headed my opponent, the better.”
He nods to all the rest of us in turn. “You take care now and mind your mother takes care, too. Your health is just as important as your father’s. I don’t want to be seeing any ofyoucollapsed in a heap in my office, you hear?”
“Yes, sir,” we all say, with varying degrees of conviction.
I shift again to let him out, and he fixes me with that direct look of his.
“Any issues, you come see me, all right?”
I guess he means about Dad. Or Mom – he’s made no secret of being worried about her. And he’s talking to me because I’m the eldest, and ostensibly the one in charge, though I haven’t felt like that today.
“Sure, Doc,” I say.
Soon as he’s gone, the air goes out of us. We don’t have Doc’s conviction. None of us has a fucking clue what to do with this guy lying on the hospital bed.
Looking around, I can see how tired and stressed my family are. And I owe them – for being absent without leave, and for having a good time while they had to deal with this crap.
“Hey, Dan,” I say. “Why don’t you guys go get something to eat. I’ll stay here.”
He nods, to show he appreciates the offer.
“Mom?” he says. “Come on. There’s a Denny’s right next door. Nate will text us if anything happens.”
“I’mstarving,” says Izzy. “Is that wrong?”
“Yes,” says Max. “You’re a terrible person.”
Izzy aims to give him a dead arm. Durant revenge of choice. Max dodges it easily.
