The Faint Bypass

Inspired by true events.
My beloved father, may you always be in our hearts and prayers.

Sibling embarrasment happens to the best of us. Have you ever sat in your French class only to look up and see everyone staring out the window which overlooks the playground and laughing at some wild child running across the playground screaming a bee has stung her. Then suddenly it dawns on you that it's your own sister humiliating herself. Or when you're talking to a mother at the day care centre for your child when your sister interupts saying 'your daughter is so cute' to the mother. Only to find out it's a boy. Does that stop her? "No that one over there, the girl in the jeans and t-shirt". Again, yes that's a boy!

"After several hours in surgery, your father did not have any complications and I am glad to say it was a successful surgery" the doctor told us when the surgery was complete. "He is in the ICU and we will keep him there today just to keep an eye on his vitals and make sure he is fully conscious by tonight."

We had been there for several hours now, waiting with mum who every now and then would burst into tears. All us brothers and sisters were quiet throughout as we really did not know what to say or do, other than wait patiently. We all sighed with relief when the doctor had given us the news that the operation was over.

"When can we see him?" mum asked the doctor.

"He is still unconscious at the moment but you can go in for a short time, two at a time only as not to crowd him". He said and left the waiting room leaving us fighting for which two will go in first.

Mum had taken the youngest with her first and we had planned it out so that I would go with my younger brother, my two sisters would go together and my other brother and sister will partner up for their turn. We had moved from the waiting room to the seats outside the intensive care unit and as everyone was not their usual chatty selves, for obvious reasons, we all just sat quietly waiting our turn. Everytime the doors would open all of us would pop our heads round to catch a quick glance at our dad, who lucky for us was parked right opposite the doors, so we could see him lying there.

My two older sisters had seen him after mum and they had come out crying and really distressed. I think the nurses must have kicked them out for crying as they were not gone that long.

Me and my brother would be last to go in, so now it was my other brother and sister's turn to speak to dad. They entered the unit and again we watched as the doors closed......

When they approached my dad, my brother (the one from 'Spinach is Greener')sat on the only chair on one side of the bed and my sister (Rosie from 'Another surprise party')stood on the other.

There were three thick tubes going into my dad from just under the belly button and blood marks on the bed sheet that covered his bottom half of the body. The air was thick with the rusty odour of blood, making it very difficult to concentrate. A transparent tube was also coming out of dad's mouth which looked slightly painful. Drips hanging up next to the bed with monitors logged on by his side. The bag holding the fluid from his kidneys was attached to the sidepanel of the bed making the whole scene quite depressing. Other beds had patients recovering in the unit and as you can imagine the atmosphere was quite bleak.

My brother started talking really quietly to my dad and took a hold of his hand and was getting quite emotional. Rosie on the other hand was unable to control her uneasiness and whispered to my brother, "hey John, I feel really queezy and lightheaded."

My brother, who is certainly not the most sensitive of us, replied "Just relax we will go in abit, don't you dare make a scene."

"But I really think I should sit down" she carried on.

"Ok, ok you can sit here and I will stand" John said still sitting holding dad's hand.

"John, I feel really faint" Rosie continued.

"You will get us kicked out, just wait a bit longer." John was starting to get up now.

All of a sudden Rosie fell to the floor making a thud. John quickly panicked and ran round to her hoping the nurses had not seen for fear that he would get kicked out and no one else would be allowed to see my dad. So, he did what any brother would do in that situation (or so you'd think)......

As someone entered the IC unit, all we could see from outside was Rosie on the floor with her eyes closed and John dragging her along the floor by her left leg and signalling to me to come in quickly as it was now my turn to visit.

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