Page 18 of Coming Home for Fall 5
“Mom, are you okay?” Sasha put the back of her hand to Molly’s forehead. Her mom was burning up. “Oh, geez, mom, you feel really warm. I had no idea you were this sick! When did you start feeling this bad? Why didn’t you call out to me?”
Molly groaned again and muttered something about a pain in her stomach, but she didn’t answer any of Sasha’s questions. For someone who was usually alert, and who hated people making a fuss over her, this concerned Sasha more than anything. “Okay, we’re going to the hospital. C’mon.” She slid an arm underneath her mother’s thin waist and attempted to haul her into a seated position. Molly cried out in pain and Sasha was forced to immediately lie her back down. “Where does it hurt? Is it your appendix?” She’d seen enough medical shows to have some idea of what appendicitis looked like, but it was hopeless to keep badgering her mother with those sorts of questions at that moment.
Molly was too out of it to give Sasha a clear answer.
“I’m calling an ambulance. Don’t move.” Sasha ran out of the room to retrieve her phone, and by the time she was once again sitting on the bed with her mom, she had already called 911. She gave the woman the address of the sublet and a short rundown of what was going on, then there was nothing left to do but wait.
It was an excruciating 8-minute wait, but the ambulance arrived shortly after. Sasha leapt to her feet when she heard the sirens. “Mom, stay here. I’m going to go lead the paramedics to our unit and then they’re probably going to put you on a stretcher, okay?”
Sasha spoke like she knew what she was talking about, but truthfully, this was the first time she’d had to call 911 herself.As a kid, there had been a few scuffles with her cousins that left one of them with a broken arm or a split open head, but in those emergencies, she’d never been in charge.
She met the paramedics outside and brought them to the apartment. Two of them rushed into the bedroom to help Molly while a third, short woman with a slick French braid, asked Sasha some questions.
“Does your mother have any medical history we need to be aware of? Allergies?”
“No.”
“Any recent surgeries or injuries? Illnesses?”
Sasha shook her head. “No, nothing. Oh—She had Covid last summer, and it was rough, but once she was over it, she seemed totally back to normal. No lingering symptoms or anything.”
“I’ll write that down, but I don’t think it has anything to do with that.” The woman scribbled something down on her chart. “Is there a chance she could be pregnant?”
At the mention of a pregnancy, Sasha’s chest tightened. She shook her head, unable to answer the question verbally, and thankfully the woman took this as a sufficient response. There were a few more routine questions, then her mom was carried out on a stretcher, and the short woman asked if Sasha wanted to ride with them to the hospital.
Only because her brain foggy with stress, Sasha blurted out, “Well, I have a doctor’s appointment I’m supposed to be going to.”
The woman gave her a look and Sasha quickly realized what she’d said.
“Oh my god, sorry. Forget I said that. Of course I’m coming with you. Let me just get my purse.”
*
While she sat in the waiting room, Sasha tried not to think about how much longer she was going to have to wait to get another doctor’s appointment. She felt guilty, worrying about her own problems when her mom was in the middle of an emergency appendectomy, but it was easier to think about herself in that moment. If she thought too much about what was happening to her mom, she knew the panic would set in.
She stared at her phone, hoping for the screen to light up with the phone number of her doctor’s office. She’d left them a message before their offices were even open, explaining the situation and begging whoever got the message not to charge her the last-minute cancellation fee. She really hoped there were exceptions for this kind of thing—and that they’d be able to get her on the schedule as soon as possible.
There were things Sasha needed to know sooner rather than later—rather, one very important thing.
“Ahem.”
Sasha looked up to see that one of the nurses who’d admitted her mom standing over her. She smiled. “I have an update.”
“Oh, great.” Sasha stood. “Is she out of surgery?”
“Yes,” the nurse said. “And it was successful, but she still has a bad infection and is likely going to need to stay here for a few nights. Kicking the infection is key at this point. But once she’s feeling better, we’ll send her home with some strong antibiotics, and all should work out fine.”
Sasha released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank God.”
“On her chart, you put that she works at a bank,” the nurse asked. “I’m hoping it’s not typically strenuous work?”
“No, actually, this is the first job my mom has ever had where she isn’t on her feet all day.” Sasha smiled. “She landed the gig a few months back, and they really like her there. Plus,they have good benefits and pay her well.” Then her stomach dropped. “Oh, God, what if they fire her because she needs a week off? Is someone going to write her a note or something?”
The nurse seemed to stifle a laugh. “We’ll provide her place of work with any forms they might need, but it should be fine. Legally, they can’t fire her for something like this, and if she’s only taking a week off, it shouldn’t be a huge deal.”
Sasha relaxed, but only a little. “Sorry, I guess we’re just used to working the worst jobs the world has to offer. And working for the worstpeoplethe world has to offer. But I’m sure you’re right. This place will be different.” She slapped a smile on her face. “So, when can I see her?”
“She’s still in the recovery room and won’t be awake for another hour or two, so if you want to go home and take a nap or get some coffee, we’ll call you the second she’s awake and back in her regular room.”
