Closest to Your Heart- chapter 1
This is a story I wrote within recently. It's written in chapters, so instead of posting it all at once, I'll be posting it chapter by chapter. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER ONE
May Richardson walked to the small round table in the hall and picked up the phone receiver, drying her hands on her apron as she went.
"Hello, Richardson house." She said.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Richardson?" a voice asked from the other end.
"Yes, it is. Can I help you?"
"Well, ma'am, I'm sorry to say the reason I'm calling is about your husband."
"Oh?" May's eyes grew wide. What could have happened to Abel?, she thought.
"This is the hospital in Elk City. We have your husband, Abel, admitted here."
"What happened?"
"He was involved in a three-car accident." the woman paused,"He's stable, but his right arm is broken in two places, and he's pretty bruised."
"Oh, my." May said.
"And one more thing," again the woman paused,"he's slipped into a coma."
Dear Lord above, help him!, May prayed.To the receiver she said, "When can I come and see him?"
"As soon as you can come." the woman replied.
"Thank you, Miss-" May waited for a reply.
"Nurse Wilke."the woman answered.
"Thank you, nurse."
"Mm-hmm. Goodbye." The nurse hung up.
May hung the reciever on the hooks and went to her farmhouse kitchen. She took off her apron and hung it on the back of a chair. Then she went to the bedroom she shared with Abel and changed out of her house dress into something nice before going back downstairs to call her friend, Ruth Atkins.
May picked up the reciever and dailed the number. While she waited she checked her hair, which was graying around the edges,before Ruth finally picked up.
"Hello?"
"Ruthie,"May said,"I need your help."
"May? What's the matter?" May could hear the concern in her friend's voice.
"Abel's in the hospital."
"Oh, dear.What do you need?"
" I need a ride into Elk City to the hospital.I hate to bother you, but Oliver isn't home yet and I don't have anyone else."
"Of course I'll help you." Ruth said. "Listen,dear, I'll be there in fifteen minutes. You just be ready to go, you hear?"
"Thank you, Ruthie." May said.
"Don't worry. I'll be over soon."
May placed the phone on the hook. All she had to do now was wait. She decided to drink a cup of coffee. When Ruthie did arrive fifteen minutes later, May practically ran out the door to the car.
"Let's go!" She said as she climbed in.
" May, you look absolutely sick!" Ruth exclaimed as she pulled out the driveway.
" I'm worried." May said, "Abel's unconcious and I'm afraid he won't come out. "
"Listen, May, you've gotta have more faith! Have you prayed?"
"Every minute since I've heard. I keep sending up short prayers."
"Well, that's a step in the right direction." Ruth said.
"What if he doesn't remember me?" May fretted.
"May, Abel has been you're husband for nigh-onto thirty years." Ruth smiled, "If he don't remember you, he won't remember anything!Now stop worrying."
"All right." May distracted herself by looking out the window at the familiar Oklahoma landscape. She stayed quiet most of the way to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, May walked up to a desk with a prim-looking nurse sitting behind it.
"Excuse me." May cleared her throat.
"Yes?"the nurse asked.
"I'm May Richardson.My husband Abel is here somewhere."
"Abel Richardson." the nurse checked her files for his name. "Here it is. He's in room 14. Only immediate family is allowed."
May turned and looked at Ruth, who nodded in return."I'll wait in the sitting room." Ruth said.
May turned from her friend and began to walk in the direction of Abel's room. She found Room 14 and turned the handle on the door. A doctor and nurse were in the room with Abel. May cleared her throat and the doctor came over to her.
"I'm May Richardson." she introduced herself. "Are you Abel's doctor?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Dr. Hollister." the young doctor said. "You're Abel's wife, right?"
"Yes".
May looked around the doctor's body towards Abel."Will he be all right?"
"We believe so. However, it may be quite a while until he comes out of his coma. "
"What can I do for him?" May asked.
Dr. Hollister sighed. " There isn't much you can do, Mrs. Richardson. I think the best thing would be to just talk to him."
"Well, then," May said, looking determined,"that's just what I'll do.When're visiting hours over?"
"Normally around nine at night.They begin at ten in the morning. But, " the doctor added,"I think this is a special case. You come whenever you can."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and Mrs. Richardson?"
"Yes?" May looked at the doctor's face.She found sympathy there.
"This probably won't be easy."
"Ah, son. If you knew what i've gone through in this life you'd see this isn't all that bad."she smiled and patted his arm in a motherly way."I'll be just fine."
Dr. Hollister nodded with a smile and left the room. May sat down and soon she was alone with Abel.
"Abel?" Ma spoke, "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I know you're in there and I'm going to be here for you.
I don't know how long it's going to take, but I will be here every day with you.I'm gonna talk to you, and I'll pray for you.Oh, you can be sure I'll pray for you. If anyone can get us through this, God can."
"Hello, Richardson house." She said.
"Hello, is this Mrs. Richardson?" a voice asked from the other end.
"Yes, it is. Can I help you?"
"Well, ma'am, I'm sorry to say the reason I'm calling is about your husband."
"Oh?" May's eyes grew wide. What could have happened to Abel?, she thought.
"This is the hospital in Elk City. We have your husband, Abel, admitted here."
"What happened?"
"He was involved in a three-car accident." the woman paused,"He's stable, but his right arm is broken in two places, and he's pretty bruised."
"Oh, my." May said.
"And one more thing," again the woman paused,"he's slipped into a coma."
Dear Lord above, help him!, May prayed.To the receiver she said, "When can I come and see him?"
"As soon as you can come." the woman replied.
"Thank you, Miss-" May waited for a reply.
"Nurse Wilke."the woman answered.
"Thank you, nurse."
"Mm-hmm. Goodbye." The nurse hung up.
May hung the reciever on the hooks and went to her farmhouse kitchen. She took off her apron and hung it on the back of a chair. Then she went to the bedroom she shared with Abel and changed out of her house dress into something nice before going back downstairs to call her friend, Ruth Atkins.
May picked up the reciever and dailed the number. While she waited she checked her hair, which was graying around the edges,before Ruth finally picked up.
"Hello?"
"Ruthie,"May said,"I need your help."
"May? What's the matter?" May could hear the concern in her friend's voice.
"Abel's in the hospital."
"Oh, dear.What do you need?"
" I need a ride into Elk City to the hospital.I hate to bother you, but Oliver isn't home yet and I don't have anyone else."
"Of course I'll help you." Ruth said. "Listen,dear, I'll be there in fifteen minutes. You just be ready to go, you hear?"
"Thank you, Ruthie." May said.
"Don't worry. I'll be over soon."
May placed the phone on the hook. All she had to do now was wait. She decided to drink a cup of coffee. When Ruthie did arrive fifteen minutes later, May practically ran out the door to the car.
"Let's go!" She said as she climbed in.
" May, you look absolutely sick!" Ruth exclaimed as she pulled out the driveway.
" I'm worried." May said, "Abel's unconcious and I'm afraid he won't come out. "
"Listen, May, you've gotta have more faith! Have you prayed?"
"Every minute since I've heard. I keep sending up short prayers."
"Well, that's a step in the right direction." Ruth said.
"What if he doesn't remember me?" May fretted.
"May, Abel has been you're husband for nigh-onto thirty years." Ruth smiled, "If he don't remember you, he won't remember anything!Now stop worrying."
"All right." May distracted herself by looking out the window at the familiar Oklahoma landscape. She stayed quiet most of the way to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, May walked up to a desk with a prim-looking nurse sitting behind it.
"Excuse me." May cleared her throat.
"Yes?"the nurse asked.
"I'm May Richardson.My husband Abel is here somewhere."
"Abel Richardson." the nurse checked her files for his name. "Here it is. He's in room 14. Only immediate family is allowed."
May turned and looked at Ruth, who nodded in return."I'll wait in the sitting room." Ruth said.
May turned from her friend and began to walk in the direction of Abel's room. She found Room 14 and turned the handle on the door. A doctor and nurse were in the room with Abel. May cleared her throat and the doctor came over to her.
"I'm May Richardson." she introduced herself. "Are you Abel's doctor?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Dr. Hollister." the young doctor said. "You're Abel's wife, right?"
"Yes".
May looked around the doctor's body towards Abel."Will he be all right?"
"We believe so. However, it may be quite a while until he comes out of his coma. "
"What can I do for him?" May asked.
Dr. Hollister sighed. " There isn't much you can do, Mrs. Richardson. I think the best thing would be to just talk to him."
"Well, then," May said, looking determined,"that's just what I'll do.When're visiting hours over?"
"Normally around nine at night.They begin at ten in the morning. But, " the doctor added,"I think this is a special case. You come whenever you can."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and Mrs. Richardson?"
"Yes?" May looked at the doctor's face.She found sympathy there.
"This probably won't be easy."
"Ah, son. If you knew what i've gone through in this life you'd see this isn't all that bad."she smiled and patted his arm in a motherly way."I'll be just fine."
Dr. Hollister nodded with a smile and left the room. May sat down and soon she was alone with Abel.
"Abel?" Ma spoke, "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I know you're in there and I'm going to be here for you.
I don't know how long it's going to take, but I will be here every day with you.I'm gonna talk to you, and I'll pray for you.Oh, you can be sure I'll pray for you. If anyone can get us through this, God can."
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