Lorelei was not used to being in a hospital and not being on shift. She was not used to sitting in a waiting room and not being the one that knew what was going on.
Jesse was sitting next to her, leaning forward with his head in his hands. He would only look up when the door opened, and the nurse would announce names. His knee was bouncing as they were waiting. Marlowe was next to Jesse. She was dabbing her eyes with a tissue as she tried to hold back her sobs. Lorelei chewed on her bottom lip. She was unsure how to comfort either of them. She regularly pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. They waited for hours.
The door opened again, and Jesse raised his head.
"Jesse Madden and Marlowe Williamson," the nurse said.
Jesse jumped up from the seat and grabbed Lorelei's hand. He dragged her as he rushed over to the nurse. Marlowe was close behind them.
"How is she?" Jesse asked.
"Follow me," the nurse said. "The doctor will explain everything."
Lorelei's stomach twisted in a knot. She knew that it would not be good news if the doctor was going to explain something to them. She prayed that Christina was alive. His mother's death would tear Jesse apart.
Jesse's grip tightened on her hand. Lorelei gritted her teeth because she did not want to complain about his crushing hold. It was comforting Jesse, and she wanted to be there for him.
The nurse pulled the curtain back, and Christina was lying on the bed. Her skin was shiny with a coat of sweat. Beads of perspiration were running down her forehead. Wires were attached to her chest, and a cuff was wrapped around her arm. Lorelei's eyes immediately went to the monitor. Christina's heartbeat was rapid and irregular. She could not settle in the bed and was shivering. She was muttering words to herself that Lorelei could not understand.
Jesse squeezed Lorelei's hand before letting go. He reached out to move a piece of sweat-drenched hair out of Christina's face. Christina hissed before smacking his hand away.
"Who are you?" Christina asked.
Jesse furrowed his brows and shook his head.
"What are you talking about, Mom?" he asked.
"I don't have kids!" she snapped.
Marlowe put her hand on Jesse's shoulder and pulled him back. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.
"Mom, what are you talking about?" she asked.
"I'm not your mother," Christina said.
Christina's eyes went wide when she looked over Lorelei's shoulder. Lorelei turned to see that nothing was there.
A doctor with greying hair and a white lab coat walked past the curtain. He had blue scrubs and a blue cap. A clipboard was in his hands. He glanced down at it before looking at Christina.
"Hello, Christina and family," he said. "I am Dr. Zeldman."
"What's going on?" Jesse asked.
"How long has your mother been drinking?"
Jesse and Marlowe glanced at each other. Marlowe shrugged.
"I don't know," Jesse said. "Over thirty years."
"When was her last drink?" Dr. Zeldman asked.
"Probably a few days ago."
Dr. Zeldman sucked in his bottom lip and nodded as he looked back at the clipboard.
"Do you know what Delirium Tremens is?" he asked.
Jesse looked over at Lorelei. He raised a brow. She recalled hearing that term when she was in nursing school.
"It's alcohol withdrawal," Lorelei said.
"Delirium Tremens is caused by alcohol withdrawal," Dr. Zeldman said. "It happens a couple of days into withdrawal and can last a few days. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs to withdraw from. Delirium Tremens causes many symptoms: confusion, agitation, hallucinations, sweating, irregular pulse, and as you have seen, it can cause seizures."
Jesse's face went pale. He looked at his mother. She was staring at the walls as if there were interesting paintings on them. Her hands trembled as she pushed her hair out of her face. Lorelei could not take her eyes off the ECG monitor. Christina had a rhythm that would put Lorelei on edge throughout an entire shift.
"This is happening because I made her quit drinking?" Jesse asked.
"People should always be monitored when coming off an alcohol addiction," Dr. Zeldman said. "Especially people that have been drinking as long as Christina."
Christina reached for the wires on her chest and tried to rip the stickers off. By instinct, Lorelei ran over to her and put her hand over Christina's to stop her. Lorelei shook her head and reattached the one sticker she had removed. Lorelei looked at the monitor and watched the rhythm return. Christina batted Lorelei's hands away.
"Don't touch me, Laura," Christina said.
Jesse was chewing on his lip. He was so consumed with guilt that he did not realize that Christina had called Lorelei by the wrong name again.
"Keep everything attached," Lorelei said.
"Fuck you!" Christina shouted. "You're stealing my son. I don't need your help."
Lorelei's eyes went wide, and she took a step back.
"Mom!" Jesse shouted.
"Oh, fuck you too," Christina said.
Lorelei's heart was pounding. What did Christina just say? Did Christina really think that Lorelei took Jesse away? She had met him in Toronto. Jody was the one that convinced him to move. Had Jesse talked about moving back to Vancouver before he met Lorelei? Was she harbouring hate for her that did not show until she was sick?
"We are sending Christina to our ICU," Dr. Zeldman said. "She needs to be closely monitored for a few days. She is going to require a large amount of benzodiazepines to prevent another seizure and to help keep her comfortable."
"Is she going to be okay?" Marlowe asked.
Dr. Zeldman sighed.
"As I said, alcohol is dangerous to withdraw from," he said. "It is good you were with her when she had her seizure. Without treatment, this could have resulted in death."
Marlowe put her hand over her heart, and her jaw dropped.
"Is she going to survive?" she asked.
"I cannot promise anything." Dr. Zeldman's pager beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He shook his head before shoving it back into his lab coat. "I need to go. Ring the nurses if you require anything."
Dr. Zeldman stepped past the curtain and hurried over to the nursing station. Jesse took a deep breath and sank into the chair next to Christina's bed. He buried his head back into his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"I should have never made her quit," he muttered.
"Jesse, don't blame yourself," Marlowe said. "You were trying to help. You knew you wouldn't be able to clean that apartment if she was drunk."
"How many detoxes has she been to? I should have known."
Marlowe put her hand on Jesse and rubbed his back. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Marlowe's hip. Guilt sat heavy in Lorelei's chest. She wished she knew how to comfort Jesse. His older sister was doing it with ease. Did she do it throughout their childhood?
The monitor beeped, and Lorelei looked over at Christina to see her ripping the wires off again. She reached for her IV, and Lorelei's hand shot out. She covered the site so that Christina could not pull the tube out.
"You need to keep that in, Christina," Lorelei said.
"I don't need shit," she said. "Get out! All of you get out!"
Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. Christina spoke under her breath as she wiped her sweat away. Jesse stood and walked around the bed. He wrapped his arm around Lorelei. Christina furrowed her brows and pursed her lips.
"Fuck you!" she screamed.
Two nurses rushed past the curtain. Jesse tightened his hold on Lorelei. Marlowe's eyes were glassy with tears.
"Let us know if you need anything, Mom," Jesse said.
"I don't need purple elephants when the sky is blue," Christina said.
Lorelei was shocked by Christina's odd remark. Christina reached for the wires and tubes connected to her, and the nurses stopped her. Christina screamed and thrashed on the bed. Jesse pulled Lorelei away, and they rushed out of the hospital.