Walker: Secrets

Chapter 54

Three days slowly passed by, Maddie lying there in that hospital bed in a deep coma with no signs of improvement yet for the doctors to speak of. It was just a waiting game. The only thing they could do was wait. Wait, pray, and hope. 

People came and went, flowers and cards being delivered to her room. Her room had been decorated now, the family having brought in things from home in an effort to cheer up her room and also to give them something to do. Maddie's weighted blanket had been brought in and was covering her, her teddy bear and the little plush pony that Rose had given her tucked in beside her. Her ribbons she had won at the Mustang Makeover and others she'd won from rodeos were hung up along with photos for them to be able to speak about. Any little thing they felt would help they did but by the time that day four had come around, they had nothing left to do except sit beside her and wait. 

Sit beside her and wait, listening to the beeping of the machines and watching the rise and fall of her chest as the ventilator pumped air into her lungs.

Because it wasn't logical for them all to be with her every moment of the day, they had decided to write up a schedule and take it in turns to be there sitting with her. Cordell attempted to throw himself back into work to keep his mind off what was going on but knowing that he wasn't in any real condition to be on active duty, Captain James assigned him to stay at his desk for the meantime. On Liam's prompting both Stella and August went back to school and tried to carry on about their days the best that they could, heading straight to the hospital to sit with her once they got out of school.

Geri was on the schedule to sit with her, Captain James, Cassie, Trey and Micki having volunteered to come visit with her too. Cordell kept the night shift, choosing to stay to sleep with Maddie and though Abeline and Liam offered to take over so he could get some decent sleep at home, he refused. Though he knew that there wasn't much he could do he just wanted to stay with her as much as he could. How could they expect him to leave her lying alone there like this?

Friday morning came, a knock gently sounding on the door as Abeline kept watch beside Maddie. She looked over to see who it was, Jenny and her daughter coming into the room. 'I'm sorry-' Jenny apologized. 'I would have called ahead to see if us coming in was alright but I don't have anyone's number. And Rose-' She looked down at her daughter, Rose clinging tightly to her leg. 'Rose wanted to come in and see her.'

'That's alright, come in.' Abeline assured her, placing aside the book she'd been reading to Maddie. 

'Do you want to go sit with Maddie?' Jenny questioned and the girl nodded soberly.

'Come here.' Abeline patted her lap, inviting the girl over. 'Come sit up here with me.'

Rose hesitated for a moment but upon seeing her kind smile, accepted the invitation and curled up in her lap.

'We brought these too.' Jenny continued, a bouquet of flowers and a get well card in her hand. 'Is there a vase around I could put them in?'

'I think the ones we have here are full. If you ask at the nurses station they might have more.'

'Alright.' She placed the flowers and the card down on the table next to Maddie's bed. 'Will you be alright here for a moment with Mrs. Walker, Rose?'

Rose nodded. 

'I won't be long.'

Jenny left and silence fell except for the steady rhythm of the machines beeping, Rose taking everything in with her blue eyes. 'What-what's wrong with her?' She questioned softly after a time, Abeline's arms wrapped around her. 'Mama said she's sleepin but why does she look like that?'

'The cords and the machines?'

She nodded again.

'Well...' Abeline took a deep breath as she tried to think of a simple way to explain it to her, looking back at her granddaughter. 'The machines are helping Maddie breathe until she's strong enough to be able to do it on her own again. The other things, they are so that the doctors can keep an eye on how she's doing.'