Forever More
Part 3 - . . . And The Greatest Is Love
Chapter Thirty One
Scott opened his eyes and realized that he was on the ground near the side of the road. He could see someone being lifted on a stretcher into the back of an ambulance. Sarah! He tried to talk but couldn’t. Paramedics hovered over him and he was only vaguely aware of what was happening to him. He kept his eye on the ambulance. Oh my God! She’s dead! He could think of nothing else. Still words would not form in his throat and he was now finding it harder to breath.
Oxygen was affixed over his face and as he took in a breath it made him woozy. Then all he could hear were voices. He couldn’t even see anyone anymore. Just the voices and they grew fainter and fainter.
Ethan had his mother by the arm as they found the way into the emergency room waiting area. She was doing better he thought. It was about an hour’s drive since the police had come to the house. She had scooped Treage into her arms and they got into the police car that drove them to the hospital in Saginaw.
Ethan just kept holding her as she held onto Treage so tightly that he was crying. He wondered where they were going in the police car. His mother had not yet afforded herself the opportunity to cry. She seemed to be in shock as she tried to explain to her six-year-old that his daddy and sister were in an accident and they had to go to the hospital to be with them. Ethan had thought that she would have fallen apart by now but she seemed almost detached as she spoke. That worried him more.
Rebecca found the desk and said that her husband and daughter had been brought in from an accident and wanted to know where they were. No one had told her anything yet.
They were told to have a seat and someone would be right out. As they sat down Ethan saw the first sign of grief drain across his mother’s face. She had no color. A woman came out to get her. Ethan stayed with Treage as he watched his mother follow the nurse into a doorway and then disappear.
"Mrs. Taylor, your husband is being treated right now. I’ll let the doctor know that you’re here. He’ll talk to you as soon as he can."
"My daughter?" Rebecca asked barley audible.
"She was taken up to surgery but I don’t know anything about her condition. As soon as we find out someone will be down to talk to you."
Surgery! Oh my God! My baby!
Rebecca’s chest now started to pound and she felt faint. The nurse took her to a chair and helped her sit down.
"I’m going to go in now and see what I can find out about your husband. How are you feeling? Can I get anything for you?"
Rebecca was numb.
The woman left and came back a few moments later.
"Your husband is in that room," she said pointing a finger, "They are working on him right now and the doctor knows you’re here and tells me that he will be out shortly to see you. I don’t know about your daughter yet."
It seemed like an eternity before a man in blue scrubs came out to find Rebecca. She just stared at the blood on his shirt. Scott’s blood.
"Mrs. Taylor?"
Rebecca stood up.
"I’m Doctor Dunne. I’ve been with your husband. He’s stabilized now but we’ve got him pretty well sedated. He’s in quite a bit of pain."
"Can I see him?" Rebecca managed to speak.
"Yes, but only for a few minutes. We will be taking him down for surgery but I’m not doing that. Doctor William Brown will be performing the surgery and we are just waiting for him to get here. As soon as he looks at your husband’s x-rays they should be taking him down."
"Surgery?" Rebecca had to sit down again.
"Mrs. Taylor, your husband has several injuries but right now we have to concentrate on his hand. It’s his left hand. It was crushed in the accident. That is what the x-rays were for. Dr. Brown can tell you more about it after he sees him. I can let you go in and see him."
Rebecca stood up shaking and weak. He led her into the room where Scott lay on a table. She noticed his pile of clothes that had obviously been cut off of him. He had IV’s in his arms and the blood in his hair and on his face and chest made her sicker. He seemed almost gray in color. His lips were dried and cracked. His eyes were closed. His breathing irregular. His left arm was at his side and the hand was wrapped loosely in white cloth. She could see the red stain starting to soak through.
A woman who was in the room came up to her and put an arm around her.
"Its OK, He’s asleep right now. We gave him something to do that. There is another doctor coming down and I understand he is going to be taken into surgery, but right now I am going to stitch up his head."
Rebecca strained to see the large gash on the left side of his head.
"He’s had a bad concussion too. Once I get that cut on his head taken care of there are a few others on his arms and one on his leg that need stitches too. He has some broken ribs and some cracked ones but I am not sure how many. I wasn’t here when he first got brought in."
Rebecca found herself listening to what the woman was saying to her but not really registering most of it. She could not take her eyes off the form of her husband laying so still and hurt on the table. She reached over and touched his arm. He was so cold. The moment that she felt his skin she knew she would be sick.
The woman took her back out into the waiting room and sat her down. She then went and found another man who came and talked to Rebecca. He knelt on the floor in front of her and asked her to just keep her head down. He would be back with something to help her relax. Did she have anyone with her? Rebecca said that her children where down in the emergency room. He said he would go get them.
When Ethan came through the door with Treage Rebecca could hold it in no longer. She tired to tell Ethan all that she remembered that the doctor and nurse had told her through her tears. Ethan had told her that he had called Kyle at the dorm and that he was getting someone to drive him up to the hospital.
The man came back with some pills for Rebecca and told Ethan that they would help calm her down. She asked again about Sarah and the man told her he would go find out.
Ethan stood up and walked over to the room where he could see Scott laying. He opened the door slightly as the woman who was stitching up his head looked up.
"That’s my dad. How is he?" Ethan asked.
The woman started to tell him everything that she told Rebecca that she knew and Ethan realized that his mother wasn’t understanding some of what was going on. He then came back out and sat down next to his mother and brother.
Soon they came to take Scott up to another floor to await surgery. Rebecca held Treage tight on her lap as Ethan got up to walk down the hallway with the gurney.
Shortly after that the man came back and took them up to another waiting room to wait until Sarah came out of surgery.
It seemed that they had been there forever and still had not heard one word about her, but they somehow knew that Scott would be alright, at least he was in no immediate danger. Rebecca could now focus her attention on her daughter.
A man came out to talk to them and said that Sarah was still in surgery. All he knew was that she had some internal bleeding and that they had to go in and stop that. The surgery would probably be over within the hour and when she was taken into recovery someone else would be out to talk to them.
Before long Lisa, Ethan’s fiancée’, and her mother, brother and sister showed up to sit with them.
Kyle had gotten is friend Mark to drive him up to Saginaw to the hospital. They came in through the main entrance. Telling the woman behind the desk that his father and sister had been brought in he needed to know where to find them. She asked his name.
"Kyle Sager" then added, "But my father’s Scott Taylor."
The woman made a call and then still holding the phone directed them to an elevator down the hall and instructed them to take it up to the third floor. Just as they were getting into the elevator a man came up and grabbed Kyle on the arm.
"Did I hear you right? Scott Taylor’s your father?"
Kyle looked at the man annoyed.
"We heard there was an accident and that he was brought here. That’s true then?"
Kyle didn’t answer. Since the time that he was small he had grown somewhat accustomed to the fact that even though they lived a rather normal reclusive life in their small town there were times when people could be down right intrusive. Neighbors and friends had come to respect and treat them no differently than anyone else but there were the occasional phone calls, drive-bys or worse yet drive-ins that sometimes interrupted Sunday dinner or a late night sleep.
When out in public his father was more tolerant and welcomed the recognition, but he still much preferred to keep his family life private and his children out of the picture.
Kyle had learned a few things too, especially the last year. The media feeds on any type of scandal. Though much of what had happened the year before was reasonably quelled by Allan Ryker, his dad’s manager, there were still rumors that flew wild and if Kyle had learned anything it was that you didn’t give these people anything to work with. All he said was that he didn’t know anything yet as the elevator door closed between them.
They arrived shortly after Lisa and her family. Kyle was quite upset that no one seemed to be telling them anything and Ethan tried to get him to calm down and be patient.
Then Rebecca realized that they had to call several people. She had decided on three and Ethan and Lisa took off with her down the hall to look for a pay phone.
First she called Scott’s sister Marie. She didn’t want to call his mother herself and thought it better if Marie went over and told her. Marie said she would do that and that they would get a fight out right away.
Next she had Ethan call Jon and tell him. Ethan talked to Paula. She was in total shock and asked if his mother were there so that she could talk to her but Rebecca refused. She really didn’t want to talk anymore. Paula told Ethan that they would be there as soon as possible also.
The next was Rick. Rebecca had his number written in the back of her checkbook. She listened while Ethan again went through everything that he knew so far, which wasn’t much. Rick would handle everything on that end.
Those three people would contact everyone else. Rebecca felt better in knowing that they were coming.
By that time they got back to the waiting room the doctor who was going to do Scott’s surgery was there. He took Rebecca, Ethan and Kyle into another room and explained what he had to do.
Scott’s left hand had been crushed between the seat and the car door. He was trying to explain about all the bones and tendons that run through the hand. Right now what he had to do was to go in and try to clean it all up and reset the bones and mend the torn tendons. He was lucky that he didn’t loose the hand altogether.
They went down to see him before he went into surgery. This time Scott was slightly conscious. His eyes were partially open and he seemed to recognize Rebecca. If he was in pain she couldn’t tell. She reached down to gently smooth the matted hair from his brow. They had to shave a large area around the gash in his head in order to stitch it up. His beautiful hair was bloodstained. She now noticed that bruises appeared to cover his body. She didn’t want him to see her cry. Bending she kissed his cheek. Whatever she felt was revealed through her eyes and the gentle touch of her hand on his shoulder.
After Scott was taken down for surgery the three of them went back up to the waiting room where everyone else was to await news on Sarah.
When she finally did come out of surgery and was taken into recovery the surgeon came out and talked to them. She was doing good. They had listed her in fair but stable condition. The internal bleeding requiring surgery was caused by broken ribs that had punctured her right lung and also her chest wall. She had a broken lower left leg but that was already set and a cast was going to be put on shortly. She had many other lacerations of varying degrees some of which also required stitches.
Rebecca was allowed to go into recovery to see her for a few moments. She looked paler than Scott and her lips were blue. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch also as Rebecca held her tiny frail limp hand. She could hardly bear to let go when they made her take a seat back out in the waiting room.
Tears came forcefully again as she sat and tried to comprehend through her exhaustion the relief that she was experiencing finally knowing that both her husband and daughter would live and be alright. She thanked God for answering all her prayers from the last several hours.
Scott was still in surgery when Sarah was taken out of recovery and placed in intensive care. They had wanted to keep an eye on her that night and she would for all likeliness be moved to a regular room in the morning.
Scott’s surgery lasted several hours as the tedious job of setting delicate bones and sewing tendons proceeded. Everyone was thinking it but no one dare ask if they thought he would be able to play the guitar again. Rebecca didn’t even care. All she wanted was for him to get better. She didn’t even care if he lost his whole hand as long as he could walk out of that hospital.
Sarah had drifted in and out of consciousness as her anesthetic wore off. Rebecca didn’t think that she knew mother was there.
When Scott first came out of surgery Ethan and Kyle went into recovery to see him. Rebecca stayed in the waiting room. But once he was taken to a room she went in to see him. His hand was raised onto his chest and though wrapped she could see that there were large pins protruding out from the ends of his fingers. The surgeon had explained to her that those had to be inserted to insure that the bones grew back properly.
Scott was now conscious. His eyes looked so frightened as he saw her.
"Sarah?" he was able to whisper.
It was then that Rebecca realized that he had not even known till now how or where she was. She told him that she had surgery but was now in intensive care for the night but would be fine.
Again Scott spoke as a few tears slid down the side of his face. "I thought she was dead."
"No, she’s going to be fine." Rebecca encouraged her husband. "And you’re going to be fine too."
"I can’t feel my hand. They told me that my hand was crushed." It seemed as though he were asking her a question. Maybe he wanted her to tell him that it was all a dream.
Rebecca started to cry now as she soothed away more tears that fell from his cheeks. "You’re going to be OK. You just try to get some sleep now."
"You go stay with Sarah." Those were the last words that he said to her as she left the room. Rebecca saw the hurt in his eyes and heard it in his voice. He wasn’t thinking about himself. All he wanted was for his little girl to be safe.
The man in the rumpled sport coat and slacks sitting in the main entry lobby of the hospital pulled back a sleeve to check his watch. 7:04 p.m. Just then the sliding door opened and a tall figure of a man came through and walked up to the desk.
As the man left the desk, turned and headed down the hall he got up quickly to follow finding it hard to keep up with the larger man’s gait.
"Excuse me?" he sounded official as the man swung around to see who was requiring his attention. "Tom Knight?" He didn’t stop to have that affirmed. He knew. "You’re here for Scott Taylor?"
Tom glared down at him. "Who are you?"
"Brian Bancroft, WSVN"
Tom recognized the call letters to the radio station in the area.
"Do you know what his condition is? Did the family call you? Is it true his daughter is in serious condition?"
Still glaring Tom snipped, "Has the family given a statement yet?"
"No," the man came back.
"Then I’m not either."
"But you are confirming that the accident was serious?"
Tom turned and with a few more steps was in the elevator.
He found the small party in one waiting room off the ICU area. Rebecca stood up when she recognized him. He walked over making eye contact with Ethan and Kyle as he did so. Rebecca started sobbing into his chest as he folded his arms around her.
Just knowing that he was there seemed to comfort her. Maybe she didn’t have to think anymore. They walked out into the hallway where she tried to tell him everything that she knew. Jon had called him and he came as soon as he could. He knew that Jon and Paula were flying out the next morning. He asked how the boys were holding up and was very worried about her. She looked so tired. She should try to get some rest.
He told her how he had run into some media in the lobby. Had she gotten ahold of Ryker or anybody? Did she need him to take care of anything?
Rebecca told him that Ethan had talked to Rick and that he said he would handle everything concerning that. She knew that meant contacting Scott’s manager and heading off any media feeding frenzy.
These were not things that she wanted to think about right then but over the years she had come to realize that they had to be done.
Tom came and sat with her while everyone else took the opportunity to finally go down and get some food from the cafeteria. It seemed to Ethan and Kyle that they could breath easier now too, maybe not worry about their mom so much.
When they were alone Rebecca led Tom to see Sarah in ICU. They let them come in for a few moments. Then they took the elevator down one floor to Scott’s room where he was asleep from the medication that they had given him.
Tom hardly recognized his friend. After a few moments when Rebecca felt that she could pull herself away from Scott again, they went back upstairs to the waiting room.
During the next few hours Tom had excused himself a few times to make some phone calls and Rebecca knew that he was doing his best to get matters handled for her. Later that night it was decided that most everyone would go back home. Ethan went with Lisa and her family and they woke Treage up to take him with them. Kyle and his friends drove back home and stayed at the house that night, but he would drive back up in the morning.
Against Tom’s urging Rebecca would not leave. He stayed with her throughout that whole night and finally was able to get her to eat something about three o’clock in the morning. It hurt him a great deal to see her suffering and tired as she was.
The next few days were a blur and Rebecca went without much sleep. She would not leave the hospital. Sarah was awake and needed her to be there. When they finally moved her out of intensive care and into a room she stayed with her almost constantly. The little girl’s eyes showed so much fear and pain as it was a labor for her to breath because of her broken ribs. And she just wanted her daddy.
Rebecca had to try to get Sarah to realize that he could not be there with her because he was in another room. The little girl just wanted him with her. Fortunately she had little remembrance of the actual accident. As Rebecca talked to her she found out that she did not even recall the truck rolling over or anything until she woke up after surgery. Rebecca thanked God for that.
Scott was alert now but in quite a bit of pain. He was now more fully aware of his injuries as the doctor who performed the surgery had been in to see him on several occasions. Rebecca spent as much time as she could with him but Sarah was always awaiting her return and Scott wanted her to be with their little girl.
Though he needed his rest too he was in good hands as his mother and sister were now there and staying for the next few days in a hotel near the hospital. Paula and Jon had flown in and were staying at Rebecca’s and Scott’s place and trying to keep Treage in school and everything running in their absence. Rebecca had come to depend on Paula so much. Paula’s own children were being taken care of by a friend.
In the course of the next week everyone had been to the hospital. David and his wife, Rick and his, Kevin and Jesse and several other close friends all made their appearance. Scott’s brothers had flown up each for a day, and all who saw him knew that this was not the Scott that they knew. He was so in the depths of despair.
All he wanted to do was get out of that bed and see his daughter. Finally after much pleading on his part they took him up in a wheel chair to her room. He was so happy to finally be able to see her and touch her and tell her how much he loved her and was sorry, but once he saw her tiny bruised little body he could barley endure the pain that he felt. This was all his fault and he had wanted so much to take her place there in that bed, oblivious to his own injuries that he was not even letting himself think about. His only concern was for his little girl.
On the third day Scott was released. His broken ribs would heal and the dressing on the large gash in his head needed to be changed every day. His hand was now in a cast after no more signs of impending infection were present. There was nothing more to do for him at the hospital. He had an appointment with the surgeon at his office the following week. He was still taking his antibiotics and pain pills.
Once Scott was released he was going no where but to be with his daughter. That was were he stayed. He had even talked Rebecca into going home in the evening and getting some sleep but no one, not even Jon could convince him to do the same.
He looked so haggard. He had not shaved since before the accident. What little that he was able to even wash up was in the sink in her room. Rebecca did manage to get him to eat something every day when she got there. Though not a patient of the hospital at that point the staff had taken extra care to make his stay comfortable. He sat continually in Sarah’s room.
They would watch television together or she would look at the magazines that her mother would bring in for her. Sarah, too, had her share of well wishers and when it was formally announced that there had been an accident cards, letters and gifts started pouring into the hospital from Scott’s fans. Sarah was enjoying all this attention.
Spending every waking minute of every day with her also took Scott’s mind off of his own injuries. The pain pills were helping but he was very uncomfortable most of the time from the broken ribs that were taped. Rebecca was worried terribly about him but he flatly refused to care at all about himself. He put Sarah above everything.
It was a week to the day after the accident when Sarah was released and they were both able to come home. Rebecca was so relieved that now she had both of them back at home where they belonged. The daily trips back and forth from their home to Saginaw and the constant worry had taken its toll on her.
Sarah got settled in her room and almost immediately had the phone glued to her ear and friends coming and going.
Scott had chosen the sofa in the upstairs family room as his bed. Rebecca made sure that every need was cared for. By now Paula and Jon had gone back to their home and family. Scott’s mother had come back one more time but she had gone again. Kyle was back at the dorm at MSU. It was just Rebecca, Scott, Ethan, Sarah and Treage again and Rebecca was almost relieved to be able to try to get their lives back to normal. Sarah seemed to be bouncing back rather well. Though her cast was heavy and cumbersome she was able to get around after the first week. She was feeling much better and right before Christmas the cast came off.
Scott was not doing as well. His bruises and wounds were nearly healed. The stitches had been removed from his head but the wound was still very tender and a large part of his head was still visible with a chopped regrowth of hair around it. Even though he knew that it should not be, it was a very vain thing for him to be seen like that. Whenever anyone would be over he donned a baseball cap to cover the exposed area. Other than that he wasn’t much caring what he looked like. Finally after the tape had come off his mid section Rebecca was able to get him to sit in the tub while she gently washed his hair.
He was not able to do as much with his one good hand as he would have liked. He seemed to be angry at simple tasks such as turning a page in a magazine. He needed help dressing and about the only thing that he could fully do for himself was eat. But he wasn’t doing much of that either. He had dropped more than 10 pounds since the accident and Rebecca was worried very much about him. It wasn’t just his injuries. He was so depressed. She knew that he had blamed himself for the accident after a talk that they had late one night.
