Chapter 31
Dee had tried to call several times, but no answer. She was now getting nervous. She put on her shoes and grabbed the keys to her car. Within minutes, she was driving towards Nick's house to come and check on me.
"She doesn't sleep THAT soundly, I hope she is okay." she kept saying outloud to herself in the car.
As she approached the driveway, everything seemed to be normal. She got out and walked up to the front door. She tried the doorbell, but no luck. Then she peeked in the picture window at the front of the house. The light was on in the living room, but everything seemed normal. She then decided to walk around the back to make sure I was sitting on the back porch. When she came around to the back door, she noticed it was open. Fear immediately penetrated her entire body.
She very quietly approached the door and snuck in. Little did she know what she was about to find.
She looked all around then decided to go towards the bedrooms. She rounded the corner of the hallway and was shocked at the site she saw.
Blood was all over the floor. She saw my body laying face down and motionless. She ran towards me, screaming and trying to wake me up. After rolling me over on to my back, she noticed the blood pouring from my body. She ran to the phone and called 911, and while waiting for the ambulance, she pressed towels into my wounds to keep me from bleeding to death.
The ambulance arrived within minutes, as well as the police. As the medics worked on me, she tried to tell the police all that she knew, which was very little.
"Is she going to make it?" she asked the ambulance crew, as tears streamed down her face.
"We don't know, she has lost a lot of blood. Are you her next of kin?" they asked.
"No, but I am her best friend. Her fiancee is out of town and I am all that she has. Please, let me go with you to the hospital." she pleaded. The agreed.
Dee climbed into the front seat of the ambulance and then they speed to the local hospital. They rushed me into the trauma room, leaving Dee standing in the waiting room. She was in complete shock.
"Oh God, she has to make it. What will Nick do without her? What do I tell the guys? What will I do?" she repeated to herself over and over.
A nurse saw her and came over to comfort her while they waited on the news. After about 20 minutes, a doctor came out and told Dee that they needed to take me up to the OR. My injuries were critical and if not operated on, there was no chance at survival.
The doctor told Dee that I had a ruptured spleen, a skull fracture, multiple bruises and bumps, a collapsed lung and there was blood filling the sack around my heart. They weren't sure that I would make it through the night, so, the doctor asked Dee to call all my relatives and Nick.
Dee was in tears. She knew that she would have to hold herself together long enough to call Nick. Once he knew, she would call everyone else. She picked up the phone, and started to dial Kevin's cell phone number. She didn't know of any other way to get ahold of everyone.
She waited in silence as the phone rang, and after the fourth ring, Kevin answered.
"Hello?" Kevin asked.
"Kevin, it's Dee."
"Hey babe, what’s up? Did you miss me? Why are you calling so late?" he inquired.
"I need to talk to Nick. It is important. Is he around?" she asked him.
"Umm, yeah, he's here. But baby, what is wrong?" Kevin asked, getting more concerned.
"Just let me talk to Nick and then I will explain. Please, Kevin, it is an emergency." Dee said trying to hold back her emotions.
Immediately Kevin knew it was bad. The whole room was watching as Kevin talked to Dee. The color in his face faded and he looked scared as he handed the phone to Nick.
"Hey, Nick, Dee is on the phone for you. It's about Heather." he said solemnly.
Nick took the phone from Kevin and listened intently as Dee described the situation. You could see tears form in Nick's eyes as he listened. Suddenly he dropped the phone and fell to his knees. Brian ran to his side, trying to figure out what was wrong.
Kevin picked up the phone and talked with Dee to find out more information.
"Nick, what is it? You are scaring me. Just tell me, please." Brian pleaded with Nick.
"Heather, Oh God, what have I done…she…she…" Nick collapsed into the arms of his best friend. "She may not make it through the night. I have to get to her…Oh God…please…please take care of her…" Nick started to yell as he jumped up and tried to run to his room.
Kevin told everyone about my condition and immediately they had Nick on a plane back to Florida. Brian went with him, to help him, while AJ, Howie, and Kevin took the first flight out after they made arrangements and cancelled their next performance.
*****
After a three hour plane trip, Nick and Brian arrived back in Orlando. A security officer was at the gate to meet them and escort them to the hospital. Once they arrived, they found Dee waiting for them in the family waiting room.
"Nick, oh thank God you are here. The doctor wants to speak with you. Let me take you to him." Dee said.
"NO! I want to see Heather. Take me to her…please." he pleaded.
"Nick, now listen, you can't see her right now. They just brought her out of surgery, and they have her in the recovery room. She pulled through the surgery, but they have no guarantees on her condition improving." Dee explained.
"Dammit! Just let me see her, I need to touch her, to see her to know that she is alright!" Nick yelled in panic.
The doctor had overheard them in the hallway and came out to speak to Nick.
"Mr. Carter, I am Dr. Hernandez. Heather has suffered extreme trauma to her face and her abdomen. We had to remove her spleen, and repair the collapsed lung. She is unconscious. The skull fracture will take time to heal. However, there is something that you should know. There is at least one good thing out of this. The baby is in good condition. It doesn't seem like the fetus was injured during her ordeal. We will do everything possible to make Heather better, but there are no guarantees. She is in critical condition, and the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are the most important." Dr. Hernandez explained carefully.
"Fetus? Baby? What are you talking about?! I just want to see my fiancee, please…can't I see her?!" Nick said. He was in total shock.
Brian and Dee just looked at each other. Not only were they worried that I would never make it through the night, but now an even bigger problem, the baby. The doctor escorted Nick to the ICU and allowed him to see me.
Nick walked over to the bed where I had been placed. He looked
at me, and could hardly control his emotions. He took my hand, and
sat down next to me. Tubes were attached to me, as well as a heart
monitor, blood pressure cuff, and a respirator. It was a frightening
scene. Nick could only gasp as he watched the respirator help me
to breathe. He finally laid his head down on the pillow next to mine,
and cried.