Page 68 of The Women of Oak Ridge
Jonas and I hung back as they took her to a private, curtained area. Nurses immediately hovered over her, calling out medical terms, working in tandem. One hooked up an IV while another carefully lifted Aunt Mae’s arm to examine her bandaged wrist.
The doctor used a small flashlight to check the pupils in both of her eyes. “Ms. Willett?” He spoke close to Aunt Mae’s ear. “Can you hear me, Ms. Willett?”
Aunt Mae mumbled but didn’t open her eyes.
“You’ve been in a car accident,” the doctor said. “You’re in the hospital.”
She didn’t respond.
“This is Miss Willett’s niece, Laurel Willett,” Jonas said, gaining the doctor’s attention.
“Were you in the vehicle with your aunt?” the man asked, giving me a once-over.
I shook my head, unable to speak.
He seemed to assess my emotional state. “We’ll take good care of her. She sustained a pretty bad blow to the head. I suspect she has a concussion. We also believe she has a fractured wrist, but we’ll confirm that with an X-ray. Once we get her settled in a room, you can see her. For now, why don’t you go out to the waiting room.” His gaze shifted to Jonas. “Maybe you could get her a soda or something cool to drink. She looks a little pale.”
Jonas gently led me away. Instead of stopping in the crowded ER waiting room, we continued down a hallway to a quieter area. Chairs sat against the wall, and I practically fell into one. He used his walkie-talkie to let dispatch know where he was, then joined me.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked. “I saw a soda machine.”
My stomach rebelled at the thought. “I just need to know she’s going to be okay.”
He reached for my hand. The warmth of his fingers wrapped around mine was comforting. “They’ll take good care of her.”
I nodded, then frowned. “Was the accident Aunt Mae’s fault?”
His face gave me the answer before he said a word. “I spoke with the officer who arrived on scene first. It does appear that Mae ran the red light.”
My heart sank. “I was afraid of that. I’ve been concerned about her driving. She’s had some vision issues lately.”
Compassion filled his face. “If she is at fault, she’ll receive a citation, but there won’t be any charges against her. She wasn’t drinking alcohol and didn’t intentionally cause harm.”
A new thought brought me up. “I need to call Dad. He’ll want to come down.”
“That’s a good idea. Maybe you should wait until you know more about her injuries.”
His suggestion made sense. “Thank you for being here with me.” My throat tightened. “I’ve never been close to Aunt Mae, but being in Oak Ridge with her has been really special. I don’t want to lose her.”
His grip on my hand tightened. “I know.”
We sat in the hallway for nearly an hour before the doctor found us.
“The good news is, your aunt doesn’t appear to have any internal injuries,” he said when Jonas and I stood. “She does, however, have a concussion and a broken wrist. We’ll keep her in the hospital overnight. She’s been moved to a room. You’re welcome to see her now.”
My legs felt wobbly as the doctor led the way. I’d never been in a situation where someone I cared about was seriously injured. The intense emotions swirling inside of me were unlike anything I’d ever felt before.
The hospital room had two beds, but thankfully the second was unoccupied. I immediately went to Aunt Mae’s side.
“Aunt Mae?” I said softly. Bruising on her face was beginning to appear. She must have slammed into the steering wheel when she hit the other vehicle.
Her eyes fluttered before partially opening. “Who’s there?”
I realized she wasn’t wearing her eyeglasses. Her left hand was in a cast, so I grasped her right hand where it lay on her chest. “It’s me, Aunt Mae. Laurel.”
“Laurel,” she repeated. A groan escaped her lips. “I don’t know... what happened. I can’t...” Her words became incoherent, and her eyes drifted closed.
“Shhh. You don’t need to worry about that right now. Just rest.”
