The Baby-Making Affair (SPG)

Chapter VI

Finally!! I was able to find time and inspiration to update this. I would like to thank those people who are still reading, voting, and commenting despite of my inability to write for quite some time. I hope this chapter can compensate for the very long wait.

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Desert Springs Hospital, Las Vegas

Fifteen hours. That's how long I've been standing outside the Intensive Care Unit, waiting for an update on Ted. My head is throbbing and eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and crying nonstop since I heard the news. The Affogato and Biscotti Pizzetta I ate with Brent were the last meal I had, but food is the last thing I have in mind right now. I just dropped everything and hop in a bus to Vegas as soon as I got a call from the hospital saying Ted collapse while cleaning the bathroom. The chances of getting his head hit the floor pretty hard is killing me. But I guess I should have prepared for the worse.

"Did the contact person of Mr. Theodore Philberts arrived here yet?" I heard a doctor asked the nurse at the station.

"Right here, doc. I'm his emergency contact person, Savannah Elaine Wright." I answered.

"Hello Ms. Wright! I'm Dr. Alexander Christiansen, one of the Cardio-Thoracic surgeons here. Maybe we can step into my office so I can explain it to you further." He simply said while guiding into his office.

"What happened to him, doctor? We just talked a few days ago. He seemed fine and happy. He's even talking about the new hype here of watching and betting with boxing matches at Mandalay Bay." I asked him in a distressed tone.

"A customer actually found him unconscious inside the toilet. There's a few blood on the floor so he panicked and called the staff. They thought at first that he was attacked or something. But upon further observation, we confirmed he had a heart attack." He calmly told me.

"What?! But he's never been sick. He always watched what he eats and his job requires him to make a lot physical activities. So I'm quite certain that he's healthy." I exclaimed.

"Heart attack is a very treacherous disease, Ms. Wright. A lot of people don't know they have it until it's too late. In Mr. Philberts' case, let's just say he's very lucky that man found him immediately." He simply answered sympathetically.

I can't do anything but cover my face with my hand and cry. I can't believe this is happening. Just when I thought everything is already looking up. Just when I thought we can both finally have a better life. Dr. Christiansen stands from his swivel chair and sits on the chair in front me, patting my shoulder.

"Look child, I don't want to make you feel a lot worse. But I still need to tell you something." He sadly said.

So I tried to get my composure back even though I want to start bawling my eyes out there.

"A few minutes after the staff called for help, Mr. Philberts had another heart attack while he's in the ambulance on their way here. This would have been... tolerable if not for the time interval of those two attacks" he said like he's grasping for a better word to explain something.

"Just go straight to the point, Dr. Christiansen. How's Ted doing right now?" I asked, struggling to be brave of what is coming.

"The span of time between the two attacks is very short. Mr. Philberts didn't have enough time to recover, causing both sides of his heart to have a Systolic Heart Failure. I'm sorry, Savannah"

My eyes started flooding with tears again, but I tried to hold them back. Crying won't help Ted get better, and I need him to be better. I can't lose the only family I have left. So I tucked-in all of my emotions and asked:

"So what are we going to do now, doc? Is there a way for him to get better?"

"He needs to have a Coronary Bypass Surgery as soon as possible. You need to sign a few paperwork for that. If in case that won't work, he will have a heart transplant. But the problem is that the staff told us that he doesn't have insurance to cover for these. And I can assure you that these procedures doesn't cost lightly."

"What?! How come he doesn't have one? As far as I remember, he religiously saves a part of his money for that."

"I'm not really sure. But they checked and didn't find any. Aside from the fact that someone from his workplace also mentioned that."

"Really? May I know who is that?"

"Sure! Just a moment." Dr. Christiansen answered as he lift his intercom to call someone. He talked and listened for a few minutes before he put it down and look at me. "They told me her name is Beatriz Barbado. I believe she's the one who called the 911."

"Of course! Betty, I know her. I'll just step out for a while to clear this out, doc. I'll be right back." I told him which he answered with a smile and nod. I get my phone and call Betty as soon as I get out of his office. She's one of the oldest employees at The Strip and one of Ted's most trusted friends. "Hi Betty! It's me, Savannah."

"Hola niña! I'm fine. How about you? Have you heard what happened to Ted?" she said.

"Yes. I'm actually here at the hospital right now." I answered.

"El pobre hombre. I was the one who found him when one of the customers shouted that there's an unconscious man in the baño. I thought he was hit by someone because there's a cut on his head." She narrated while weeping.

"No Betty. That's probably from the impact when he fell down. Listen, I heard the hospital asked you about Ted's insurance." I started.

"Si. They asked me where is his tarjeta del serguro. But I told them that he doesn't have one."

"But I clearly remembered him having one. He never forgets to save a part of his earnings for that." I insisted.

"Si. But I remembered two years ago, he told you need money for escuela licensiada. So he decided to withdraw the money. He told me he can save money for the póliza de seguros in the future."

My knees almost gave in upon learning what he did for me. What more did he sacrifice for me without telling me? "Oh Ted! How could you be so selfless. Now you're the one who's suffering because of me." I closed my eyes for a moment before I took a deep breath and enter Dr. Christiansen's office again.

"How did it go, Ms. Wright? Were you able to confirm about the Mr. Philbert's insurance? I don't want to pressure you, but time is really of essence here."

"Do it, doc." I looked at him straight.

"Excuse me?" he confusedly asked.

"Do whatever surgeries or procedures you need to do. I'll take care of it." I told him emotionlessly before I stood up and went to the door.

It seems like he wants to say something else but decided against it. He instead stood up and told me to wait for the paperworks that I needed to fill-out. Then he asked someone to prepare the room for surgery. A few hours after that, here I am still waiting for any news. Hoping for a good news, but still preparing myself for the worse. I don't even know how and where will I get the money for this surgery, what more for the next one. I must have dozed-off because the next thing I remembered, the content of my bag is all on the floor. So I started picking them up when I noticed a small piece of paper. I looked and read it thoroughly before I decided to get my phone and call the number with a deep sigh. The person on the other line answered on the first ring.

"I'min. But I got a few stipulations of my own." Isimply said.