Drew's Story

Dear readers, I've received many comments via personal email about Maggie's Story. A lot of you really connected with the characters in this story. I received many requests to continue with the lives of Maggie and her husband Drew. This time, Drew's Story picks up about twenty years down the road.

Guys, if you're looking for one handed reading, this is not the story for you.

Please, enjoy Drew's Story. As always, your comments are welcome.

Maggie heard the front door close rather abruptly, almost as though it was slammed closed. She looked at the clock; it was well after seven that night. Drew had left early that morning, easily before five. Drew walked into the kitchen and pulled his tie out of his shirt.

"Sorry, I'm late. There were issues that needed to be worked on."

Maggie snarled back, "There's always an issue isn't there."

Drew looked around the house, the kitchen sink was overflowing with dishes, and there was clutter everywhere he looked. Old magazines stacked into piles that stretched down the hallway. The hamper was overflowing with dirty clothes while bags of groceries still sat on the table.

"Maggie, when in God's name are you planning on picking up this house?" Drew said as the veins in his neck started to pop out.

"Tomorrow!" Maggie shot back, "I had promised to head up that program I told you about. Don't you listen to me when I talk? Tomorrow, I'll get it tomorrow."

Drew quipped, "Instead of burning through your free time volunteering for stupid shit like the 'national prevent hang nails assocation,'why don't you just volunteer being a wife!"

Maggie walked over and reached her hand out, Drew placed his tie into her hand and then turned away from her. Maggie tried to defuse the situation.

"Drew if you don't cut back, you're going to loose all your hair."

"Well at least I didn't cut mine off!" Drew snapped back.

Drew looked back her way, "Maggie I'm sorry. It's just been one of those days."

Maggie placed his tie down on the kitchen table; "I kept dinner warm for you. Avery wants to talk to you; she's in the other room. I've had a rough day myself. I'll be upstairs. Turn the lights off when you come up."

Maggie turned away from Drew and walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

Drew let out a long sigh then turned toward the living room, and walked in. Avery was sitting down on a chair, the TV playing in the background.

"Avery, mom said you wanted to talk to me?"

Avery looked up from the TV, then pointed the remote control at the TV and shut it off.

"Dad, you and mom okay? I heard you two going at it again."

"Yeah, we just both kind of wore out. We're kind of at each other sometimes, I've been working too much, and she's working two jobs between all her volunteering for this and that. I'm going to sit a bit, Avery, I seem especially tired tonight. What's on your mind sweetheart?"

Avery crossed her legs on the large chair and looked over at Drew.

"Dad, what's love?"

"Oh, Jesus Avery, that's a tough one," Drew said as sat down in his recliner, "You know since recorded history scholars, dreamers, philosophers, and men of God have all tried to figure that one question out."

"And did they?"

"No, till this very day, no one really knows what love is. It's like what that one Supreme Court justice said about porn, 'I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it.'

"There're all kinds of love Avery. You may love apple pie, but that's not the same kind of love that you have toward your mom or me, yet the love we have between us is different from the love we have toward you.

"It's like this. Someone you love is supposed to arrive home at six and when that person doesn't show up then, you start watching the clock a bit more than you normally do. You get a sick feeling in your gut when an hour has gone by, and you hear nothing. You start wondering what's wrong and your mind races, generating thoughts of things that might have gone wrong. Then when that person walks into the room, the feeling of love fills your whole soul. To me, that's the meaning of love."

"Well dad how do you know...when you're in love. I mean real true love?" Avery asked.

"Well honey, when you find your own true love, you'll know it by his smile, the light in his eyes when sees you, and the look on his face. You already know what I mean as I've seen you light up when Justin comes into a room."

Drew started rubbing his left arm and un-buttoned his shirt collar. Avery noticed her father's discomfort, "Dad are you okay, you look a bit pale?"

"Oh I'm fine, it just seems to be a bit warm in here that's all."

"What wrong your arm?"

"Must have sprained it somehow. It kind of hurt the other day, too but it must have gotten better as the pain went away till now."

Drew could see there was something more Avery wanted to say as she was avoiding looking her dad in the eyes.

"There's something else on your mind isn't there?" Drew asked, "Come over here and sit by your old man and get it off of your chest."

Avery got up and moved over to Drew taking a seat next to him on the floor.

"Daddy, I've got something to tell you."

Drew keeps rubbing his arm, "Go ahead, what's on your mind?"

Avery just blurts, "Dad, I'm pregnant..."

"I see...Jesus Avery! Well damn honey, how did it happen?"

Avery smiled, "Well do you want me to explain where babies come from dad? Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad. I'm a bit more than just upset right now that you didn't listen to the advice your mother and I gave you about birth control and abstinence. But no, I'm not mad. But let's face it, that's a hell of thing to spring on your old man when you're not married. Is Justin the father? I know you two are very close; guess I didn't know just how close till now.

"Yeah, daddy, Justin is the father. He is the only boy I've been with, there're no others. We only did it once, and well I've missed a period. I'm not completely sure yet and will need to see the doctor."

"Have you told him? Have you said anything to your mother yet?"

"No, I've not told anyone but you..."

"You know you'll have to tell your mother, don't you? You can't hide something like this forever."

"Yeah, I suppose so. I know she'll freak out, and I'll get an ass ripping from her. That's why I decided not to say anything to her just yet. I was hoping you'd be able to kind of smooth things over, maybe run some interference for me."

"Your mother loves you more than you think Avery, that woman would run into a burning building to save you. Don't underestimate your mother's love for you..."

"But dad, she is always so picky towards me, I can't seem to do anything that pleases her."

"That's because she sees herself in your eyes. She doesn't want the same things to happen to you that happened to her when she was your age."

"Like what dad?"

"That Avery, will have to be between you and your mother."

"Dad, there's more... I heard mom talking to Aunt Joyce the other day on the phone. Dad I think mom's planning on getting a divorce from you. I heard her say something about setting the date for the divorce on the fourth of this coming month."

"Ohhh..." Drew said as stared down at the floor.

"Dad, I'm not sure about it, it was just what I heard them talking about. Dad are you okay?"

Drew fell back into his chair, his face was blushed, yet he seemed to shake a bit. Beads of sweat started to form on Drew's forehead. He gripped his arm then all the color drained from his face turning pale white then bluish.

Drew cried out in pain, "Avery! Avery! Go get your mother! Hurry! It feels as though someone just parked a truck on my chest. Get your mother!"

Avery jumped up and ran through the house, yelling out for her mother.

"Mom! Mom! There's something wrong with dad! Mom!"

Maggie practically flew down the stairs and ran into the living room. There, she saw Drew clutching his chest, he had fallen out of his chair and was on the floor, curled up into a ball from the pain, and then he fell silently as his body relaxed.

"Avery! Call 911, then run to the bathroom and get that bottle of aspirin and bring it here! Hurry!"

Avery dialed 911 and started to speak with the 911 Operator as she ran to the bathroom retrieving the bottle of pills as her mother requested. She brought the bottle back to her mom. Maggie placed one of the aspirins under Drew's tongue, turning toward Avery, "Avery, your dad is having a heart attack. We can't wait for the EMS team. We must give your dad CPR, and we got to start it right now!"

"Mom, I can't I just can't!"

"Avery, look at me! It's just like in the classes we took last year with the Red Cross. You can do this! I'll breathe for your dad, you do the compressions, just like the way they taught us.

"Avery now for God's sake, we need to do this now! Lock your fingers together and start the compressions!"

Maggie pulled Drew's head back, and began breathing air into his lungs; she could see his chest raise and fall. Avery started to press on his chest, counting to herself keeping time with her presses. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, growing louder with each second. At last, she could hear footsteps on the porch and the doorbell ring.

"In here, we're in here," Maggie yelled out.

The paramedics began to work on Drew, connecting wires to a heart monitor and inserting a tube down his throat.

"Is he your husband? What's his name?" one of the paramedics asked, and he started to take his vitals.

"Yes. His name is Drew."

"How old? Does is smoke? Any drug use?"

"Oh, God, he's forty-five, no, no, he doesn't do any of that stuff. I put an aspirin under his tongue as soon as I could—"

"Jim, he's is full arrest."

"Charge to 650!"

The other paramedic pushed several buttons, and the machine in a red box let out a screeching "ta-weeee" sound as it built up to full charge. He took out two silver paddles from the case and held them upright to Tim, the other paramedic. Tim smeared a jelly like goop on one paddle then Jim rubbed the two plates together. He placed one paddle on this chest, the other on Drew's side. The heart monitor just showed a squiggly line as it endlessly moved side to side.

"Clear!"

The machine let out a loud thud, and everyone watched the green line dance across the monitor's screen.

"Still in full arrest!"

"850! Charge to 850!"

"Jim!"

"I said charge to 850!"

Ta-weeeeeeee, the machine began to build up its charge.

Jim opened up a red case holding drugs and syringes. He took out one the size neither Maggie nor Avery could have dreamt about. He opened a small vial and sucked out the entire contents with the syringe; he pushed on the plunger forcing a stream of liquid out the needle's tip.

"Jim, you don't have authorization!"

"Are you his wife?"

"Yes!"

"Do you give me permission to use this drug?"

"Yes!"

Maggie's words barely left her lips when she saw the paramedic pour iodine all over Drew's chest and plunged the needle into his heart.

"Oh God, I'm going to get sick!" Avery said as she witnessed the needle being pushed deep into her father's chest as she ran toward the bathroom.

"Drew! Don't let the bastard win!" Jim said, and he applied the paddles to Drew's body for the third time.

"Clear!"

A third thud came from the machine and Drew's body responded in kind. All eyes were on the small green dot as it moved across the screen. The dot flew and bounced around a bit then settled down. Suddenly, the dot began to move up and down as it traced across the front of the monitor.

"I've got a pulse! He's pinking up, pressure coming up."

Maggie let out a puff of air; it seemed as though she had been holding her breath all this time. One paramedic reached up to his shoulder and pushed the microphone button.

"Dispatch, we have a white male, forty-five years old, approximately one hundred eighty pounds. Was in full arrest when arriving on scene. Revived and will transport ASAP."

The ambulance was waiting and Drew was placed on a stretcher and strapped down for his ride to the hospital. As the two paramedics were packing up, Maggie pulled one paramedic aside and asked, "What did you partner mean when he said don't let the bastard win?"

"Death...My partner hates to lose. Is your daughter going to be all right?" he asked.

"She'll be fine. Are you taking my husband to Sinai Medical Center?"

"Yes, they're closest, but there's no need to rush over, he'll more than likely be taken directly to surgery to get a few stents implanted. They won't let you see him at all till he's stable. There will be lots of test to do. It's about eight, when he gets stabilized and into surgery, it would be going on ten perhaps eleven. I'd get there about that time. There will be a ton of forms to fill out. I've got to go. I wish the three of you the best."

Maggie watch the ambulance and the squad pull out of the driveway and race down the street, sirens blaring as they went.

Maggie went into the bathroom but couldn't find Avery; she looked into her room and saw her lying on her bed, tears in her eyes.

"Mom, it's all my fault. I killed him!"

"What are you talking about, your dad is going to be okay, I just know it; I'll be going to the hospital in a while. I'd like for you to come along."

"You don't understand mom; I did this to him. I gave him the heart attack. It's all my fault! I was talking to him, and well I told him some things that made it all happen. It's my fault..."

"You can't give anyone a heart attack. What things Avery?"

Avery stood and blurted out, "Mom...I think I'm pregnant..."

"Oh Jesus Christ Avery! What the hell's wrong with you! Didn't you listen when your dad and I explained things to you? Do you know who the father is? How many boys have you been sleeping with?"

"I'm not a whore mom! I don't sleep around. Justin is the father. He's the only boy I've been with. I knew you'd go in orbit. That's why I told dad first. He understood. All you want to do is find fault with me. There's nothing I can do that makes you happy, make you proud of me. I'm in love with Justin. That's something you can't say about dad!

"I know you don't love him anymore, I heard you and aunt Joyce talking about getting a divorce from dad on the fourth of this coming month. I told him. I told him you were planning on divorcing him."

"Avery, why did you do that? You didn't have your facts. I'm not divorcing your dad. That thought never entered my mind. Where did you come up with this idea?"

"I heard you. You were talking on the phone with aunt Joyce. I heard you! And I told dad!"

Maggie flung her arms into the air, her voice increasing in intensity, "God damn it Avery, what the hell did you do?

"What you heard was Joyce and I talking about one of the girls we work with. Her divorce from her third husband is final on the fourth of this coming month. I have no plans to divorce your father today, tomorrow or the fourth of next month!"

"I didn't think—" Avery said.

"That's your whole problem, you never think, you just do. You got yourself pregnant because you didn't think. You told your dad I'm going to divorce him because you didn't think!"

Avery started yelling back, her hands clinched into fists, "I'm not perfect! I didn't ask to be born! Right now, I wish I'd never been born. I'm sorry to be such a burden to you. I wished I was dead. Would that make you happy?"

Maggie reached over and grabbed Avery arms and pulled her toward her, "I don't ever, ever want to hear you say that again! Do you—"

"Mom, you're hurting me!"

Maggie called out, her voice grew in anger; she was practically screaming. She shot out her words like bullets from a machine gun.

"Do you understand me? Do you hear me? I said do you hear me!"

"Mom, let go, you're hurting me!"

Maggie finally heard Avery's cries and looked down at the death grip she had on her daughter's arms. "Oh, God, what am I doing..."

Maggie ran out of Avery's room.

A half an hour passed by; the house was eerily quiet. The silence was broken when the telephone rang. Avery got up from her bed and walked down the hallway to her mother's room. She peeked inside and saw her mother sitting quietly on the end of the bed in the dark; her head cradled in her hands.

"Mom are you okay? May I come in?"

Maggie spoke, "I never thought in my wildest dreams, I could get so angry with my only child."

"Mom?"

Maggie raised her head and looked up and said, "Sit with me for a bit. The hospital just called. They got dad stable, but they need me to come down and start the paper work. Where did I go wrong?

"Avery there is something I need to tell you. I've never mentioned this to you, and your dad promised he would never speak of it to you."

Avery walked over and sat by Maggie on the end of the bed.

"Listen now. When I was about your age, perhaps a bit older, I fell in love with a young man. His name was Scott. We were both madly in love in with each other. Well, as life would have it, Scott was killed in a plane accident. I found out a few weeks after his death that I was pregnant.

"A month or so into the pregnancy, I got sick, really sick. The doctors had to abort the baby. Things were really bad for me... I said I wished I was never born. I said I wished I was dead. I said those very words you told me.

"Then on a cold spring afternoon I sat down on the couch in the living room and took an overdose of pills. Joyce found me and took me to the hospital. I nearly died, a few minutes more and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I meet your father about a year later.

"When I look into my daughter's eyes, I see my reflection; my life, and I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did."

"Do you ever miss your first love, mom?"

"Sometimes, especially in the spring, I'll hear a small plane flying low overheard and I wonder if Scott's spirit is up there in the sky, keeping watch over me."

Avery looked down and then over to her mother, "I didn't know... about your suicide attempt either."

"Well now you do. You now know why I got so mad when you told me you wanted to die," Maggie dried her eyes and reached out and gave Avery a hug, "What do ya say we get our butts in gear and go see how you're father's doing?"

****

Drew was in an ICU room when they arrived. The doctors had put in a stent to help open up a blocked blood vessel, and he was given medications to help lower the stress on his heart. A respirator was doing his breathing. As they were talking to one of the nurses at the ICU desk, a young intern came out from behind his desk and asked, "Are you Mrs. Carter?"

"Yes."

"And this is your daughter?"

"Yes she is."

"You two are the talk of the ER," the intern began, "From what we were told from the paramedics, you two were giving your husband textbook style CPR. Your quick thinking by putting an aspirin under your husband's tongue...well let's say you two saved his life.

"I'm not his doctor, but I would guess he'll need some bypass work."

"May we see him?" Maggie asked.

"Only for a minute or two. He's sedated right now. Has either of you two ever been into an ICU unit?"

Maggie and Avery both shook their heads no.

"Well it can be a bit overwhelming. There are all sorts of pipes and wires and machines making noise. With all the banging he received during the CPR and the work of the paramedics, well he is kind of bruised up, don't let that worry you. I can let both of you in, but for only a few minutes."

The intern led Maggie and Avery to the ICU unit that Drew is in. As they pass through a curtain, Maggie could see her husband lying on a bed connected to what seemed like a dozen machines, each one making its own noise.

When Avery saw her father lying in bed with all those machines hooked up, she ran out of the room, her hand covering her mouth. Maggie just stopped cold in her tracks, then said, "Sweet Jesus Drew..."