Chapter 16
Silas was relieved when the doctor finally released him to return to duty. Doug had done an excellent job keeping things under control during his recovery, but he was glad to have Silas back in charge.
“Doug, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done these last couple of weeks. I know it was a huge burden on you, so I want to thank you for stepping up and doing such a good job of keeping things under control.” Silas had wondered how things would go with him on the mend, but Doug had handled everything that came up in a professional manner.
“Hey, it was all part of the job, Silas. I do have to admit that I’m glad you’re back. I don’t know how you put up with all the phone calls. Damn, don’t people sleep in this town,” Doug chuckled.
“Yeah, some of them do like to call at all hours,” Silas rolled his eyes and laughed. “I know one thing; it’s good the doctor let me to come back to work. If I had stayed home any longer, I’d be too fat to fit in my jeans. I’ve never had so many sweets my life.”
“I heard the ladies in town were keeping you filled up with goodies. Hell, maybe I should get hurt so they’d do that for me,” Doug laughed.
Silas leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. “Well, if they ever do, make sure that Nancy Sexton brings some of her lemon pound cake. Now that’s a treat. In fact, I think there’s still some at the house. How about after lunch I bring some in for an afternoon treat?”
Doug’s eyes lit up with excitement. “That’s a great idea. I look forward to it. Well, I need to go make my rounds. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, I have some paperwork to catch up on, and then I have to go meet with the Mayor. I’ll see you later.” Silas reached for the stack of mail on the corner of his desk and pulled it over in front of him.
“I’ll see you later,” Doug said, as he walked out of the office door.
Silas was about to open the first envelope when the phone rang. “Chief Greer.”
“Silas, you need to get here, now!” the excited voice on the other end of the call said.
“Craig, is that you? What’s wrong?” Silas suddenly felt his stomach tighten.
“It’s Shelby. The ambulance is taking her to the hospital as we speak,” Craig’s voice quivered with fear.
“Oh Lord, what happened?” Silas could not believe what he was hearing.
“She woke up this morning and wasn’t feeling well. Sheila wanted to stay home with her, but I told her since I wasn’t working that I would stay with her. Shelby was lying on the couch, watching cartoons when she suddenly cried out that she couldn’t feel her legs. I’m following the ambulance now, so I was wondering if you would please bring Shelia to the hospital? I didn’t want to call her with news such as this.”
“Of course, I will. We’ll be there as soon as possible.” Silas hung up from the call, grabbed his keys, and headed out to his truck. On the drive over to the school, he wondered what could have happened to cause Shelby not to be able to feel her legs. He then said a prayer that she would be okay.
The drive to the hospital seemed to take an eternity. When Silas had shown up at the school, the news of Shelby had already made it there. Shelia was waiting outside, and as soon as Silas pulled up to the front entrance, she jumped inside the truck.
“Please hurry. Craig said that she appeared to be getting worse, and the doctor has no idea what it could be.”
Silas pulled up to the hospital emergency room entrance and let Sheila get out then he drove to the parking lot. Once he had parked the truck, he hurried inside.
“I want to see her,” Sheila pleaded, trying to force her way past Craig.
“We need to stay out here until the doctor gets her stable, sweetheart.” Craig hated not knowing what was going on, but he also knew the doctor and hospital staff was doing everything they could for Shelby.
“Is there anything I can do?” Silas asked.
“Not right now. I talked to Jen, and she’s going to make sure that Tadd and Heather get home and stay there until we know more,” Craig said as he held a sobbing Sheila in his arms.
“I think we could all use some coffee,” Silas said, hoping to find something that would distract him from the pain welling up inside of him. He reached out and gently touched Craig on the shoulder, and then walked toward the cafeteria.
Silas could not believe what was happening. Just a few short months ago, things seemed to be looking up for everyone in Sandley. However, now it all appeared to be falling apart. First, the jobs promised to the residents were given to illegal aliens. Then he was attacked and had his gun stolen, the school was struggling to survive the influx of new students and their special needs, and now this.
Silas filled three cups with coffee and then walked over to the cash register. He was deep in thought and not paying attention to his surroundings when he said under his breath, “Oh, Lord, what else is going to happen?”
“Excuse me, I didn’t hear you,” the woman at the register said.
The sound of her voice pulled Silas out of his thoughts. “Oh, nothing; how much do I owe you for these?”
The woman looked at Silas and smiled, “Nothing, there’s no charge to you Chief Greer.”
Silas looked into the woman’s eyes and could see the compassion in them. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Silas picked up the three cups and walked back toward the emergency room where he had left Craig and Sheila.
“Have you heard anything yet?” Silas asked as he handed a cup of coffee to Sheila then to Craig.
“Nothing yet, and I’m beginning to worry.” Craig’s voice quivered as the vision of Shelby’s limp body played out in his mind.
When Craig had rushed to Shelby’s side, he noticed that she was burning with fever. It surprised him because he had kept her temperature under control the entire morning. Craig had heard of a high fever causing different problems, but never of it causing paralysis. He had immediately called an ambulance, but by the time it arrived, Shelby was unconscious and barely breathing.
“I should have stayed home with her,” Sheila cried out. “If I would have been home maybe…”
Craig pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he fought to speak. “It’s not your fault. Don’t ever think this is your fault.”
Silas stood in silence and watched two of his best friends. He had never felt so helpless. Silas loved Shelby as if she was his daughter and his heart broke to think of her in such a condition. He was unable to speak until the doctor walked through the double doors and up to them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, you can come and see her now. I want to warn you that she is on a ventilator and hasn’t regained consciousness. We will need to run some tests, but we have her resting comfortably for now.”
Craig’s mind fought to understand. “She’s on a ventilator, why?”
“She is having a difficult time breathing on her own. We’re not sure why so we are hoping the tests will shed some light on what is going on with her. You said that she woke up this morning with a slight fever and complaining of not feeling well, correct?”
Shelia turned to face the doctor and squared her shoulders, trying to compose herself before she spoke. “Yes, she seemed a bit under the weather last night, but I just figured it was a cold coming on. A couple of children in her class have been sick, so I just thought she caught a cold from them. But this morning when I went in to wake her up, she had a slight fever and was complaining of not feeling well.”
Sheila turned and briefly looked at Craig before she continued, “I was going to stay home with her, but Craig said that he would because he wasn’t working today. I should have stayed home. Maybe I could have done something…”
The doctor interrupted her, “Mrs. Fletcher, it wouldn’t have made any difference if you stayed home. I’m sorry to say but Shelby is a sick little girl. I assure you though that I’ll do everything I can
for her.”
Craig and Shelia looked at each other, finding it difficult to stand with the sudden flood of emotions surging through them.
“Come on you two, follow me; let’s go see your lovely little girl.”
Craig turned and looked at Silas. “Thank you for bringing Sheila. Your friendship means the world to us.”
Silas fought back the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “Of course, I would be here. You’re family to Jen and me. Now get going. Shelby needs her mommy and daddy by her side.”
Silas stood and watched as Craig and Sheila followed the doctor through the double doors leading back to the treatment rooms. After they had left, he said a silent prayer for Shelby’s complete recovery, and that she would go home soon.
The sound of the heart monitor beeping with each beat of Shelby’s heart reminded Craig and Sheila of how fragile life truly was. Shelby had remained unconscious since her arrival at the hospital, and with each passing hour, Craig and Sheila worried that she might not survive.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll stay up with her.” Craig could see that Sheila was exhausted, and, to be honest, he was worried about her as well. With having completed her chemotherapy a few weeks ago, she was still weak, so he worried that she might push herself to the point of exhaustion.
Shelia wanted to protest, but she knew Craig was right. “Okay, but only for a couple of hours. I want you to promise that you’ll awaken me should she wake up, alright?”
“I will, I promise.” Craig could see the sadness and worry in her eyes, but he knew there was nothing they could do at the time for Shelby other than pray and worry.
Craig walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and opened it, making it into a small bed. He then took one of the crisp white sheets the nurse had brought in earlier and spread it out on the cushions, and then he spread out the extra sheet and blanket. He reached for the pillow, fluffed it some, and then placed it down on the head of the small bed. “Come here sweetheart, you need your rest,” Craig held out his arms for her to come to him.
Sheila felt her heart break as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. The sound of his heart beating in his chest was reassuring, and for a moment; she believed all would be good again.
“How could this happen? I don’t understand.” The pain consumed Sheila as nothing she had felt before. How her sweet, little Shelby could be lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life was beyond her, when she had been laughing and playing just a day before.
Craig wished he had an answer for her, but he was at a loss himself. He pulled Sheila tighter into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I don’t know, but we need to have faith in the Lord to care for her. Shelby has a mission to fulfill in this life, and I just can’t accept that her time has come to an end.
Shelia pulled her head back and looked deeply into Craig’s eyes. “You’re right; we need to hold on tight to the belief that the Lord will watch over her. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Craig released her then he bent down and pulled back the top sheet and blanket.
Sheila got into the small bed, and then covered herself. “Craig…”
“Yes.”
“If something bad should happen…”
He interrupted her before she could finish. “Don’t even think that way. Shelby will be okay. She will come home with us, and she will return to her usual, silly self. Now get some rest.”
Sheila was about to protest, but the look in his eyes let her know that everything would be okay. She smiled softly then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.