Half-Halloween

Please be forewarned: A portion of this story is brutal and sad but unfortunately reflects events which can and do occur in real life. All characters are fictional and any resemblance to actual people is purely by chance.

-----

After the doorbell rang fairly late on Halloween night, Sharon quickly dried her tears and blew her nose before opening the door.

Two little voices called out "Twick-r-tweet!" She leaned back, checked the clock to see it was well after nine pm and looked back at the two little trick-or-treaters. One was dressed as a ghost with the classic white sheet up to his neck and fortunately, she thought to herself, it did not cover his face. The little girl was dressed in a long skirt and a tie-dyed top; maybe she was a flower child, thought Sharon.

"Oh, my, a ghost and, what are you, Sweetheart?" she asked, forcing a smile on her face.

"A hippie!"

"Oh, neat. I happen to have some treats for you two," she said as she looked down the sidewalk looking for an adult. Seeing none, she asked them, "Are you out here alone?"

They both looked down, seemed to be suddenly shy and didn't answer the question.

"Kiddos, it's pretty late. Are you sure your parents know you're out here alone?"

"We don't got a mommy," the little boy said.

"Yeah, and Daddy's got a bad cold," added the girl.

"Yeah, and we couldn't wake him up so we came anyways!"

"So, uh, your daddy doesn't know you're out here?"

They shook their heads 'No.'

"And he couldn't wake up when you left?"

More shaking.

"Here, I'm a mommy," she said with renewed pangs of raw grief in her heart, "And I think your daddy needs to know you're out here. Where do you live?"

"Over there," the girl said, pointing down the street.

"Then, let's go see him. It's a little late for you to be out here..."

"But we don't got much candy, yet," pouted the boy.

"OK. I'll make you a deal. You take me to your daddy and I'll give you all the candy I still have here in the bowl. OK?"

That brought smiles to their faces and in seconds, she grabbed a coat, gave them more candy, locked the door and let them lead her to their house. Around the side of the house a door was wide open and they pointed inside.

"He's in there," whispered the girl.

Sharon walked into the living room to see an obviously very ill man stretched out on the couch. His eyes were closed, he was breathing rapidly and she could see his clothes were soaked with sweat. Approaching him, she called out, getting no response. A gentle shaking of his shoulder produced only a soft moan but she was struck at his obvious fever. Clearly he was in trouble.

"I think your daddy's sick. Where is the phone?"

"He keeps it in his pocket, back there."

Sharon gently rolled him partway and grabbed the cell phone from his pocket. It lit up with the movement and she tapped the '9-1-1' icon in the corner.

"9-1-1. State your emergency."

"Uh, my name is Sharon and two little trick-or-treaters told me their dad was sleeping but I was concerned and I'm now at their house and there's a man who's in a coma and seems to have a high fever. He's hot to the touch and drenched in sweat."

"Is everyone else OK?"

"Yes, the kids are doing fine. I'm a neighbor..."

"Will you stay with them until the ambulance comes?"

"Of course. Here's the address...."

Ten minutes later the ambulance pulled up in the driveway and two young paramedics trotted to the front door. Once inside they did a quick assessment.

"Nonresponsive. Moans to touch. Hot as hell."

"BP is 50 by palp."

"Clearly shock. Maybe sepsis. Jim, get a line in and give him fluids wide open."

"'K. What's his sat?"

"Ninety-two. I'll put some O's on him just in case and call it in. They'll need the whole Shock Team there when we roll in."

In less than ten minutes, the IV fluids were running and the man was loaded onto the gurney. As they wheeled him into the ambulance, the one named Jim turned to Sharon. "Ma'am, your husband is very sick. You may want to come to Mercy Hospital right away and give a history to the ER crew."

"But he's not...." she answered to the ambulance door which had been closed as the rig tore off. Suddenly, she realized she was responsible for the two little kids who were hovering behind her, hanging onto the long dress she had put on to entertain all the trick-or-treaters.

She turned to them and forced a smile on her face. "Your daddy will be fine. He's going to the hospital and the nurses and doctors will fix him all up," she told them with more positivity than she felt. "Uh, do you know where he keeps his wallet?"

The little girl pointed to a bowl on the kitchen counter. There she found a wallet and car keys. His name was on several pieces of ID and an insurance card. "Is your daddy's name Henry?"

"Uh-uh. It's Red," answered the little girl. Sharon smiled to herself. The man had a mop of thick, red hair with some streaks of gray and it was clear 'Red' was a nickname.

"OK. Kids, what are your names?"

"Bree."

"Bobby."

"And I'm Sharon. Now, we need to go to the hospital. Get a coat and one piece of candy and I'll take you there. OK?"

They nodded shyly before grabbing coats and candy. She walked them back to her place, sat them down in the living room while she quickly changed into comfortable slacks and a blouse. She buckled them up in the back seat and quickly drove to Mercy Hospital. At the emergency room she was met by a rather large woman in a security uniform who asked her a few questions before letting them into the waiting room. Sharon let the secretary at the desk know she was with Henry and gave them his ID and insurance cards to copy. The kids were clearly exhausted and once she sat down on the dingy bench seat, they sprawled out on either side of her and within minutes both were asleep with their heads in her lap.

After about thirty minutes a weary appearing, scrubs-clad woman came out and asked for Henry's family. Sharon raised her hand and pointed to the sleeping children. The woman came over and squatted in front of Sharon and spoke softly.

"It seems Henry has ruptured his appendix and is septic."

"What's that?"

"Bad blood stream infection. Can be serious, even fatal."

"Oh my god. Really?"

"Yes, Ma'am. We need to take him to surgery and try to clean up the mess. He'll be here at least several days, probably longer."

"He'll make it, though, right?"

"We hope so. He's on his way to surgery and will end up in the ICU after that. It's gonna be several hours so I recommend you take your children home. You can come back and visit your husband in the morning."

"He's not..." She stopped talking for a second, thinking about the big picture. If she admitted she wasn't the children's mother, they'd be taken by the social worker, referred to Child Protective Services and placed in some stranger's home until Henry got better.

"He's not what?"

Quickly Sharon responded, "He's not, uh, he's not going to die, is he?"

"Ma'am, we'll do everything to keep him going. There're great surgical and intensive care teams on tonight. Please go home and call us in the morning. The kids can't go into his room in the ICU but they can wave at him through the hallway window."

"Uh, Thank you. I'll call before we try to return in the morning."

Once the kids were awakened, she led them to her car and drove them to their home. They quickly went to their rooms and within minutes the two were out like lights still in their clothes but, she noted, without their shoes. Sharon rummaged around and found a blanket and a pillow in a hall closet and stretched herself out on the couch. Eventually, she fell into a troubled sleep.

-----

She woke with a start the next morning with Bree staring at her from a few feet away. "Good morning, Bree. Sleep OK?"

"Yeah. I'm hungry."

"What do you eat for breakfast?"

"Cherry-Puffs and milk."

"OK. Uh, when do you go to school?"

"Daddy takes us at eight-thirty."

"What school?"

"Hempleton."

"OK. Tell you what. I'll call school and you and Bobby are staying home today. We need to visit your daddy. OK?"

"Yeah. I guess. I wanted to talk about Halloween with Casey."

"Casey a friend?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, we really need to check on your daddy so maybe you can talk to her later. Why don't you run in and wake up your brother while I fix breakfast?"

While the kids were getting dressed, Sharon looked up the school's number and started to fix some food. She found the 'sugar bomb' cereal and decided to give them something else. There was some bacon in the refrigerator along with eggs. She quickly scrambled the eggs, covered them with cheddar cheese and grilled the bacon.

"Where's my cereal?" asked Bobby when he came to the table.

"Since you're not going to school, I thought you might want something special. Eggs with cheese and bacon."

"But I want cereal," he began to pout.

"OK, I'll make you a deal. If you finish this breakfast, I'll let you have a piece of candy from last night."

That seemed to be the magic answer. Both kids ate all the food and were rewarded with some candy. While they were eating, Sharon decided to call the school. She was worried about them potentially calling the Child Protective Services and since she could easily care for the kids, she wanted to avoid getting the officials involved.

"Hempleton Elementary. How may I help you?"

"Oh, Hi. My name is Sharon Smith and I'm taking care of Bree and Bobby Jones while their dad is in the hospital. They won't be able to come in today. Is there any way I can get some assignments or instructions so they can keep up with their classes?"

"Sure thing, Ms. Smith. Bree's class is working on a math section and simply working with her on her 'times tables' would be great. She has some flash cards. Bobby's class is reading one of the basic beginning books. He should have it there at home. Maybe you can work with him on that. Uh, when do you expect them to be able to return to school?"

"I don't know yet. Their dad is quite ill and had emergency surgery last night. Let me give you my number and you can call any time for an update. OK?" she said before giving her cell number.

"Yes. Great. Uh, your relationship with their dad is...?"

"I'm a neighbor and a friend. I work from home and will be responsible for them until he's home." She figured she was a friend to the kids, after all, so it wasn't a complete lie.

"OK. Do keep in touch. Maybe call in a day or two?"

"Sure. Will do."

-----

After grabbing a bite and cleaning up in the kitchen, Sharon realized she needed to get cleaned up before going to the hospital. She took the kids to her house and had them watch Sesame Street while she took a quick shower and got dressed. As she went back to the living room, she saw the two watching the TV intently. They were adorable. Bree was older by about a year or two and had her arm wrapped around her little brother. The peaceful scene reminded her of her own loss, causing her to have a moment of profound sorrow. A few tears puddled in her eyes before she dabbed them dry and approached the kids.

"Hey, you two. How about we go and visit Dad?"

"Can we wait until the show's over?"

"Sure, Honey. No rush. Things can be pretty busy at the hospital in the mornings anyway. So, what's Oscar up to, anyway?"

-----

At the hospital she was told the children were not allowed in the ICU rooms but could look through the hallway windows and wave at their dad. She was allowed to visit him in the room. There she cautiously approached his bed. He seemed to be asleep. He looked pale but was breathing comfortably and no longer was covered with sweat. He had a lot of tubes and even though Sharon had worked years before at a nursing home, they were quite intimidating.

Red's nurse came in and answered a few simple questions and explained the function of all the tubes. She pointed out Red was still heavily sedated and couldn't be easily wakened but she reassured Sharon he was doing as well as could be expected. Back in the hallway she boosted first Bobby and then Bree so they could see their father. She thought they took it rather well. As she escorted them out the unit, the nurse called out, "Ms. Jones, could I talk to you a second in private?"

Sharon had the kids wait by the door while she spoke with the nurse. She was told he'd most likely be out of the ICU the next day and she was to call for the new room number before returning.

Once in the car, Bree piped up, "Is your name Jones, too?"

"No, it's not, but she must have thought it was."

"But you're not married to Daddy!"

"No, I'm not and you know that. For now, let's pretend I am. That way it's easier to visit him and you get to stay at home." She felt slightly guilty having them in on her lie but believed it the best in the long run.

She stopped by her place to pick up some clothes and personal items before taking the kids to their place. After they had a quick snack, she sat them down and proceeded to work with them on their school lessons. After lunch everyone seemed tired so they all stretched out and even though she didn't sleep, Sharon felt rested by the time the kids were up. Dinner was a simple affair of fried chicken and vegetables. She was surprised when Bobby ate them without complaint. She had them take baths after dinner and read them a fun story about a knight who rescued a damsel from the wicked queen. For the second night she curled up on the couch and passed out.

-----

The next morning was a repeat of the previous though they went to the hospital nearer to lunchtime. Red had been moved to a private room on the regular ward. His new nurse gave her a quick update. He was doing well and even though he couldn't eat yet, his pain was better and the vital signs were good. "Why don't you see your husband privately first and then let the kids in for no more than five minutes, OK?" she was told.

With her heart pounding in her chest, Sharon walked into the room. Red's eyes were closed but he turned his head and opened when he heard her. A puzzled look came across his face. Aware the nurse was watching, Sharon quickly went up to him and said, "Good morning, Honey. Feeling better?" Before he could answer, she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I'm your neighbor Sharon. I'm watching the kids. Act like I'm your wife." She pulled back a tiny bit, kissed him on his forehead and spoke loudly for the nurse to hear, "You had us worried, Red. You're looking so much better."

He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face but said nothing. Sharon turned to the nurse and asked, "Is he still getting a lot of pain meds?" The nurse nodded 'yes' so Sharon turned to him and said, "It seems you're a little confused from the medication. Would you like to see Bobby and Bree?"

When he nodded 'Yes,' the nurse brought them in one at a time and allowed them to say 'Hi' to him before escorting them out. Once the nurse had left them, Sharon turned to him and in a clear but soft voice told him briefly who she was and why she was pretending to be his wife.

"Your kids came by my place on Halloween and I was concerned when they told me you were 'asleep' and they couldn't wake you up. I came with them and found you super sick, called the ambulance and have been taking care of them ever since."

"Thank you," he croaked out.

"Somehow everyone thinks I'm your wife and I kinda went along with it. I didn't think the kids would do well with being sent to a foster home so I've been taking care of them ever since. They're at your home and I'm staying with them. OK?"

"Yeah."

"So, like I said, I'm Sharon and for now, I'm your 'wife' until you get all better. Oh, here's my cell number in case you want to reach me," she added as she left a slip of paper.

"Sharon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he said as his eyes drifted close.

The kids seemed to be in good spirits knowing their dad was improving and they got to see him. After lunch she had them work on their lessons while she prepared dinner. The evening went well and they all tumbled into bed by nine p.m.

-----

Each morning for the next week they visited him in the hospital. Slowly the tubes were removed and he was able to sit up and even eat small amounts. Eventually, the surgeon gave her an update reminding her Red was still quite weak and would need some time to recover at home before he could drive and return to work. On the day before he was to return home, the discharge coordinator sat her down and reviewed everything which would need to be done at home. Nothing seemed too difficult and she agreed to having a home health nurse visit a few times.

On the day of discharge, she found his keys and drove his SUV to the hospital with the kids strapped in the rear seat. While Bobby and Bree sat quietly in the waiting room, Sharon received all the discharge instructions. Once Red was wheeled to the car, he crawled in with a little yelp of pain. On the way home he asked with a grin, "Borrowed my car, huh?"

"Yup. I thought my sedan would be more difficult to get into."

"Good thinking. Hey, kids, you glad to see me coming home?" A cacophony of laughter and talking lasted until they reached home. Sharon helped him into the house and led him to his freshly made bed in the master bedroom.

"Made yourself right at home, didn't you?" he smiled.

"I've been living here for eight days so I thought I'd make myself even more useful. Go ahead and lie down and I'll bring you lunch in a little bit."

When she later brought him his tomato soup and crackers, she gently woke him. "Red, a little lunch, OK?"

"Yeah. Thanks. Have you eaten?"

"It's after one and yes, we've all eaten. I thought your rest was more important. The kids are resting and I wouldn't be surprised if they fell asleep. This has been really stressful for them, too. Now that you're home they should do better."

"I'll bet."

"Let's send them to school tomorrow. Get them back into their usual routine."

"You've got all the bases covered. They seem to be comfortable with you."

"Yeah, I had to bribe them with Halloween candy a few times but we get along just great. Good kids, by the way."

"I think so, yeah. Uh, would you mind staying in here for a few minutes?" he added as she got up to leave.

"Sure. What's up?"

"OK, who are you, really?"

"I'm Sharon Smith. I live across the street and down near the corner. I'm a writer of children's books and work from home."

"Married?"

"No. Divorced."

"Hmm. Me, too."

"Bree told me who you work for and I called them to tell them you'd be out for a while but what do you do, anyway?"

"Computer geek. Once I feel better I'll be able to telecommute."

"Only when you feel a lot better."

"OK, Mom," he laughed before wincing with pain, "I'll behave."

"Good. Now get your rest and we'll get you up for dinner to the table." A few minutes later she could hear the soft breathing of a sleeping man coming from his room.

For dinner he made his way to the table and was able to eat a small portion of food without too much difficulty. "Best food I've had in over a week," he teased.

"That's not saying much," she laughed, but was still pleased at the compliment.

"I may need to hire you for long term cooking. Kids, should I?"

"Yeah, Daddy, do it."

"Now, Bobby, Bree, I'm glad to help out but as your daddy gets better, well, I'll need to move back to my home."

"I know you've been staying here. Uh, what about tonight?"

"I thought I'd stay a few more nights until we're sure you're strong enough. After that, I'm a phone call or text away."

"Kids, uh, why don't you take your dishes to the kitchen and let Sharon and me talk privately, OK?"

After they had left, Red turned to her. "Uh, Sharon, I don't even know you but I am forever indebted to you. You saved my life and took over for the kids. I don't know how to repay you."