Chapter 199
"I am the oldest son, you can talk to me". Anthony says and the doctor only walked him into his office, with Mirabel beside him.
He was scared of what he was about to hear, he prayed silently, that his father be alive, his brother surely needed help, and they needed to help him.
He wasn't like that, he has never been like that, he was one of the coolest, of the Anderson family. People, only have good things to say about him, so for him to be acting this weird, then he needed to be helped, but he needs to want the help.
As he tiptoed into the office, he tries to read the expression, of the doctor.
Most times, the facial expression, of the doctor, can tell one, if he is to hope for a good news, or a bad news, but then again, some doctors, are very good at hiding their feelings, and their expressions, by feelings, they don't like showing how sad they are to patients, and some usually don't express happiness, until they see how you react to the news given to you.
"please you may have a seat". he says, and Mirabel, held her husband close.
"I am happy to tell you, that your father will live, but he needs not be reminded, of what ever might hurt him, because after he awakes, from the injections and pills given to him, he might not be very happy.
You should know what I mean, when it comes to his status, and the things he has in place, before this accident, he may not be happy to want to be told or see some things". The doctor is not happy, he could not be happy and yet, he could not look into his eyes, he must be hiding something, that he doesn't want them to know, but they were not kids, and there was no way, they would not know about it, sooner or later.
"Doctor, can you just tell us, what the issue really is, because I am kind of getting weird feelings inside me right now.
"like I said, he is going to live". the doctor repeated the same thing he has said, and Anthony cut him short immediately.
"You have said that before, can you not talk about that, and just go straight to the point? We are not kids, there is no news, we cannot handle, if you think, we cannot handle this issue, then, that is because you have not tried us, please, tell us, what is the problem.
"Alright, I am afraid to tell you that, Mr Anderson, may not be able to walk again, he may be confined, to a wheel chair, for the rest of his life, I would not like it, if he gets the knowledge of it now, because that might break his heart, but that is just the only thing, but if it has to do about him living or not, he will live, and he would be able to do, just about anything, he wants to do.
"But he cannot walk? Mirabel, who had her hands in her mouth asked.
You mean he won't be able to walk again, like ever again, it is not temporal, it is permanent? She was shocked, beyound words, she could not just imagine him not walking, he is an action man, he love to move around, while addressing his children, he is a man, who commands so much respect, he is a man, who always commands respect, just by his movement and his presence, having him in a wheel chair, will break his heart, he might even become bitter and angry, like Andrew, suddenly became, after what happened with Anna.
"You see, he was shot in dorsal region of back with no exit wound. Bullet was fire from close range (distance of 6-8 meters). Mr Anderson was vitally stable on admission with. Glasgow coma scale score of 15/15, paraplegia (power in both L.L Grade = 0) with complete loss of all type of sensation below D10 level.
There was an entry wound in left posterior axillary line at the level of 10th rib.
Mr Anderson, underwent immediate contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) thorax and abdomen, which showed Grade III spleen laceration with left and right lung contusion and foreign bodies in lateral wall of right chest in intramuscular compartment at the level of 8th rib with right sided hemopneumothorax and hemoperitonium with no obvious bony injury.
Mirabel was the one demanding for answers, but as the doctor continued to explain, what really happened to Mr Anderson, and why it so happens, that he won't be able to work again, she started rolling her eyes, at the high medical terms used, she could hardly understand a thing, but she could not interrupt him, not when Anthony was watching the doctor explain with so much interest, like he was even getting anything, out of what was said. "After that, your father, underwent immediate exploration of thorax and abdomen with spleenectomy with repair of gastric perforation with jejunostomy with right sided implantable cardioverter-defibrillators placed with removal of bullet from chest. After stabilization of general condition magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spine was done, which showed abnormal signal in the intra-medullary compartment of the cord at D11-L1 level s/o cord contusion/cord edema.
"Just when, was all these done? Anthony asked, cutting him short.
The doctor smiled, guessing he was confusing them the more, so he decided to just explain in a lay man's language.
Your father will be helped, we never can tell, a miracle, can actually happen, I am a doctor, but i do believe in miracles.
your father will be manage conservatively for cord contusion and will then be discharge.
But for now, he need not see the television, he need not read what the papers are saying, he just need to try and survive this time.."What about the election, it is just in three days? Mirabel asked, knowing the thought of him, not wining the election, will kill him, not when he has come this far, he would be devastated, he might take his own life, it would be really serious, she was so scared now.
"Doctor, I am worried for my father, this election, is everything for him, I don't think he will be able to take it". Anthony told him and he nodded in understanding.
"When things like this happen, I really don't like it, when people, think of the worldly things, think of his health first.
"What of your mother? He asked them, be ause looking around, he has not seen her.
"She is sick, she was taking her treatment at home, when we learnt that my brother was here causing trouble, my father wanted to come and stop him, and that was why we left mother at home, and started coming to the hospital.
"Your brother needs help, he is paranoid, he needs urgent help, before he hurts himself the more. But not withstanding, we are going to see what we can do, we will help each other, just help me keep his mind occupied, and those cabinet people, should just stay on their own.
"Can I stay with him? Anthony asked, and the doctor nodded.
"He is stable now, you can stay with him.
Since there was nothing more to discuss, Anthony and Mirabel, left the doctor's office.
When they were outside the room where his father was, he prayed silently, for the first time, he asked for a miracle, for his father, he is going to need to be strong for the family, as the oldest son, he needed to use wisdom, his father was always bullying on him to direct his siblings aright, now it was time, for him to do exactly that.
Alot has happened in just one night, it was almost dawn, and it feels like the day was just beginning, with so much trouble for the Anderson family.
The family that used to be lively and the envy of other families, now it was chaos throughout, because one refuses to let go.
Pride they say, goes before a fall, and if only Andrew had accepted Anna, though it is hard, it's not easy, to love someone, and still act normal with the person, after knowing, that the person is going to have a baby for another man, bit if Andrew had allowed himself, to take things easy, maybe Anna would not have given herself, multiple reasons, to want to run away from him.
Their lives just became less appealing, all of a sudden.
It was a dark day for them all, first it was their mother that was sick, second was their Angel who went missing, and now their father shot, by their brother.
In the morning, the papers would know how to make the story even more annoying, and people will be trouping in to know if it is true.
Then he needs to be strong, he needs to be that first son, that takes charge.
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