Part 2: Doctor's Analysis 1-26-2010

Mrs. Avery Dickens was in the waiting room. She waited actually for two people.
First, her son’s doctor, she needed to know what had happened, since all she knew was that her son could be found here after the moose accident. Secondly, she waited for her husband, who was still deep in the wilderness working on running property lines for a logging company. He was hard to get a hold during the week, but she notified his boss and, in a not-so-polite way, she ordered him to release Bruce from under his thumb. He obliged, immediately calling cell numbers and seeing who he could contact that around that area.

Three hours away, Bruce frantically clawed at his driver’s side door after finding out that his son was in critical condition in the hospital. It was going to be one wild ride from T3R7 all the way to Presque Isle, but Bruce was on the charge. His mind was fixated on seeing and making sure his son was okay, regardless of losing his job or not – he didn’t know that he had received an indefinite leave of absence from his boss after being ordered by a frantic and orderly Mrs. Dickens.
He sped down the first straight road, keeping his eyes on the turns ahead, hoping not to see a rig rounding any corners near him – they got the right of way over his little pickup truck.

Later in the day, before the doctor had the time to give any update to Avery, Bruce stormed through the double doors of the emergency room and confronted Avery upon seeing her.

“What do we know?”

“Nothing – I mean, he was in a car accident,” Tears had dampened a path down her cheek and were forming mini-puddles on the tiling at her feet that were barely visible unless she were to stand still. Avery couldn’t stand still even when nothing was wrong.

Bruce wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed the top of her head, pressing against her firmly. “Okay. . . Okay,” he said. The second ‘okay’ was just a whisper, barely audible to Avery, but it did offer minimal consolation for her ears. “Has anyone came out that knows any-”

“Noone. I have listened for even a word, a sign, but nobody knows yet!” Partially soothed Avery turned quickly back to a much more frantic Avery as quick as fingers snapping. “I couldn’t get a hold of Sami, I don’t know what to do!”

“Shhh, baby. I’ll go try to call her. She probably just misplaced her cell, or left it at her apartment. Did you try Erin?” Bruce was now talking in a very calming tone starting low and consistently, but slowly raising his tone as he went. His innards were tearing to know the truth. Questions screamed through his head and body.

What happened?

Why Colby?

How bad is it?

“Erin? Hey, how are you? Listen, I need you to tell me where Sami is. There is something very important that I need to tell her first. Is she right there?” Bruce stammered though his speech, ensuring that something was seriously wrong to Erin. She knew that Bruce was a confident enough person to never have a problem with collecting and communicating his thoughts.

“ – Yea, I’ll put her on right now,” Erin’s voice became distant almost as if she was saying now into the air around the phone instead of in the phone. Muffled voices were all Bruce got for the next few seconds.

“Daddy? Whats wrong?” Tears were welling up in Sami’s eyes, and their presence were made known to Bruce instantly, although he was three hours away. For a brief moment, Bruce tried to recall when Sami had called him ‘daddy’ last. “You need to come up here, as soon as possible. Colby got in an –” Bruce paused as emotions raged underneath his thick sweater. His skin rippled under his chin. “An accident. We don’t know anything else, you need to come up,” He said, trying to withhold the lump welling in his throat.


Bruce returned to Avery’s side and they both waited as seconds seemed like hours.
The door to the emergency operation rooms opened and a doctor, dressed in green from head to toe, with the exception of white shoes and a pair of glasses about 5 ½ feet above those white shoes came out holding a clipboard. There were only two in this room of which were seeking an address from a doctor. Avery and Bruce stood simultaneously, anxiously, and fearfully all at once.

“Are you two the parents of Colby Dickens?” The doctor asked.

“Yes.” The retorted answer seemed as though it was the mix of an alto and a base as they both answered in sync. “Is Colby okay? What happened? Is there anything we can do? Can we go see him?” Questions were shot from the two at the doctor as if he were being hounded by the press.

“Colby, as you may already know, was in a car accident. Other than cuts and bruises, his face and most of his upper body is going to be fine, with the exception of maybe a few scars. He has lost a lot of blood and needs rest. His legs,” the doctor paused.

“Will he be able to play golf? The National Pro-Am golf event is coming up soon, and he stands a chance –” Bruce was interrupted by the doctor taking his glasses off and staring at him in concern.

“His legs were mangled in the accident. He has several breaks in all three major bones, and four alone in his femur. His sciatic nerve has been severed below his hip, and his lower back has been broken as well. Golf shouldn’t be on his mind. I’m sorry, he may never be able to walk again.” The doctor stuttered out the last part of his diagnosis. Upon reaching the conclusion, Avery exuded an eerie high pitched sound as she inhaled a deep breath of air too quickly.

“My dear Jesus, help us,” Bruce said just an octave above silence, looking up at the ceiling as tears marched down his stubbly cheek.