Can this day get worse?

Coming back from getting my coffee, I was relieved to find Sam gone. I was tired and didn't feel like being embarrassed some more. I felt foolish. I was a small town girl in this huge city and I felt so small. The longer I sat in the waiting room, the more tired and sore I was getting.

"Miss Rivers?"

" I'm here. Can I see my grandfather now?"

" You can have five minutes. He is still in a coma."

The kind nurse took me back to where he was. All my life, my grandfather was a tall strong man. I couldn't remember if he had ever been sick, but my mind failed me. Before me was a man who looked so weak and small. I could feel my tears as I set down by his bed and reached for his hand.

After a few minutes the kind nurse came back in to escort me to a tiny room to wait for the doctor. This room was so small. It contained a couch and a few chairs. Nothing on the walls to make it cheerful or welcoming. Time seemed to stand so still. A cruel thing for someone to have to wait in for whatever news was coming.

" Miss Rivers, I am Doctor Jim Stand. I will be taking over your grandfather's care. We are admitting him here. There are more tests we need to run on him. "

"What's going on Dr. Stand? Why is he in a coma? I don't understand. Yesterday morning he was fine. We were laughing at breakfast and now this."

" What we do know is your grandfather is very sick. His cat scans are showing he has a mass on his frontal lobe. We need to run further testing to see what exactly we are dealing with. I wish the news was better. My recommendation is you go home and get rest. He will be out for a while and you won't do him any good if you don't get rest."

The tears just kept coming down. My chest felt so tight. Like the little room was closing in on me. The kind doctor put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

" Thank you, doctor. We live three hours away out on the outer banks. I think I should stay close to here. I will find somewhere to stay. What happens now?"

" There is a decent hotel a few blocks from here. You can find a place there. Make sure you tell them your grandfather was a veteran and is currently inpatient here at the hospital. We are moving him to a room now. We will run more tests today. I would come back this afternoon. Get something to eat and some rest. "

Dr Stand walked me out of the room and passed me back to the nice nurse. She wrote down the information for the place the doctor suggested I stay. I felt like I was walking in a fog. I walked out of the hospital and the tears just flowed. Blinded by them, I never saw the motorcycle coming at me as I stepped off the curb.