Escaping Debt & Death

Chapter 6- Is he…?

Caroline

I'm in a training session at the bank all week. My boss Damien offered me a promotion but he wants me to learn the ropes of the new position before I get thrown into the ocean of the corporate sharks.

The last thing on my mind is training. It's been ten months since Trevor's accident and he's still in a coma. The company has been footing the medical bills but eventually they'll cut funding. With the revised figure I won't be able to afford to keep him on life support much longer. The swelling in his brain is gone. Injuries are healed completely. He just refuses to wake up. Dr. Warner has run every test possible. Trevor is fine physically. Whatever is happening in his mind has been keeping him trapped. Dr. Warner advised that I should start to prepare for the inevitable.

I'm still working at the bar part time. I've paid off Panda Trading completely, but I still have the bigger bills to tackle.

Jamie practically lives in the guest room and Deon checks in every week. He and Jamie have grown close and started dating about three months. I've never seen her so giddy for a guy. It's hilarious.

The kids are all a year older. Dominic was allowed to visit his dad when he turned thirteen. He's not the same cheerful boy he was before. I feel as if his childhood was snatched away. He goes with me every day to visit and when he gets home he fabricates stories to share with Michael and Giovanna about the time he spent with his dad. He always paints his dad as being awake and cheerful; total opposite from the man lying in the jaws of death.

Dominic doesn't want them to remember him the way he's seen him.

He looks at me while he's telling them about his visits, he's holding back the tears until he could let it out before he sleeps. I wonder if it was a mistake to allow him to see his father like that. I'm thirty four and I'm breaking inside so I can't imagine what my thirteen year old baby is battling. We started therapy as a way to cope. Dominic and Michael are working through the absence of their dad, but Giovanna just stopped asking for dada after a while. I know she's little but it's tearing me apart knowing that she's probably starting to forget her dada.

Damien bursts into the conference room mid lecture, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Caroline!" "My office now!" he's out of breath as if he ran from his office to the conference room which is on the other side of the building.

I followed closely behind him trying to keep up "What's wrong?" I asked with urgency " There's a call for you in my office. Dr. Warner, he said it's important. He tried calling your phone but obviously you're in the conference so he didn't get on."

My strides speed up without realizing. The knot is forming in my chest. I'm preparing myself for the worst. Damien holds the door open for me and gestures to the phone "Hello Dr. Warner...this is Caroline speaking"

"Mrs. Ainsley I need you to come to the hospital immediately." I hear the severity in Dr. Warners voice.

"Is he………… " I don't want to say it. The moment I say it, it becomes my reality."Quite the opposite Mrs. Ainsley your husband is awake." I feel my eyes bulge "Don't bring your boy with you today, I don't want Mr. Ainsley to feel overwhelmed."

"I'll be right there." I put the phone on the hook as my hands tremble uncontrollably. I slump into Damien's chair. I'm shaking, I can't stop.

Damien is still in the doorway. I think he's held his breath the entire time. "Is he…?"

"Awake." I muttered "What?" Damien looked at me in confusion. "He's awake!" I blurted out. Tears are streaming down my face and I can't stop shaking.

"Why are you still here?" "Go go!" Damien protested. He squeezes my hands tightly."I think that's the best news I've gotten all year."

"I'm calling Jamie to drive you. Leave your keys I'll get your car home"

"Go get your stuff and get out of here!"

I scurry out the office and grab my things in the conference room. Jamie meets me at the entrance and pulls me into a tight embrace. "Finally something good for you babe." We both cry in the car on the way to the hospital. I call my mom to share the news and talk to Dominic he's crying happy tears. I promise I'll take him tomorrow to visit his dad. I call Deon, he's meeting us at the hospital. The guys at the warehouse are in the background; I'm hearing a lot of woo hoos and thank god.

Dr. Warner's shift was over an hour ago but he waited for me to arrive. "Mrs. Ainsley…" I look at him with scolding eyes "I'm sorry… Caroline;" he chuckled "Your husband died for ten minutes!" My hand covered my mouth. Dr. Warner doesn't realise that I'm frozen on the spot as he gives me the details of Trevor's awakening. I zone out for a minute and I'm brought back to my senses when Dr. Warner questioned me " Do you know what was the first thing he said when the feeding tube was removed?"

I looked at him questioningly. Dr. Warner

looked at me as if I was some sort of divine being "He said your name. The first thing he said was Caroline."