Chapter 11

Come three o'clock, Christopher is sitting outside on his porch steps waiting for Sarah to get home. When he sees her he takes a deep breath, stands up, and starts walking towards her.

"Hi, Christopher."

"Hi, Sweetheart."

"How is Nana?"

Christopher clears his throat before saying, "Nana started feeling worse so she went to the hospital."

Christopher can tell by the look on Sarah's face that she is about to go hysterical. He grabs her and hugs her and says in a soothing voice, "Now, Sarah, don't you fret none. They just took her down as a precaution. Why don't you put you school stuff in my house and we'll drive down to the hospital so you can see for yourself. Nana was more worried about you, until I promised we'd come by as soon as you got out of school."

"Okay," she says, but she can't make her feet move. The look she is sending his way is breaking his heart.

He picks her up and says, "Come on."

He flies up the stairs with her in his arms and takes her school bag from her and throws it inside his house, and he reaches around the door and locks it.

He shuts it behind them and they go to his truck. He lets her crawl in from the driver's side from out of his arms. Sarah has the whole seat open to her, but she stays sitting right next to Christopher. "Put your seatbelt on," he says, as he starts his truck.

Christopher looks over his shoulders and pulls out into the street. Once they get into Hartford they start seeing the blue road signs with an H on them directing them to the hospital. He just hopes it is the correct hospital.

After he gets a parking tag from the hut, they hurry into the hospital and walk up to the information counter. "Hi, a Nan ... Oh shoot, I don't know her last name. Do you, sweetheart?"

Sarah puts her hands up on the counter and her head barely comes up to it as she says, "It's Smith."

"Nan Smith, she came in by ambulance early this morning."

"Yes, she has been put in a room. Are you family?"

"She is her granddaughter."

"Oh, she is in room three eleven east."

"Thank you," says Christopher.

"Thank you," says Sarah, waving at the helpful lady.

They get into the elevator and take it to the third floor. As they come out into the area they see signs that say either east, west, north or south, and they are pointing in the corresponding direction.

As they are making their way along, Sarah nudges closer to him and takes his hand. "I don't like the smell of this place."

"Me neither, but it keeps it clean and sterile." At last they come to the nurses' counter. "Hi, we are looking for room eleven."

"It's right there," says the nurse, pointing to a room they would have found on their own if they had just kept walking. "Who are you looking for?"

"Nan Smith."

"Are you family?"

"I'm her granddaughter."

"Oh! Well, sweetheart, your grandma is resting right now, but I bet she will want to see you." Sarah smiles.

As they are leaving, Christopher gives the wonderful nurse a grateful smile. Hand in hand they walk into her room. Nan is in the far bed on the right side.

"Hi, grandma," says Sarah, starting to cry as she goes to her.

She looks at her grandma and her heart wrenches as she sees all the lines and machines hooked up to her Nana.

Nan opens her eyes and turns her head to the left, and when she sees Sarah she smiles. She puts her left hand on Sarah's right shoulder and there is a line coming from that arm. "Hi, sweetheart. I don't want you to worry. Nana will be just fine. I just let myself get run down." She looks up at Christopher and gives him a grateful smile. He nods to her.

As Sarah and Nan are talking the doctor walks in and interrupts them. "How are you feeling this afternoon?"

"A little better. Do we know what is wrong yet?"

"Not yet. We are going to keep you here for seventy-two hours of observation and run a few more tests. Don't worry, we'll figure it out. I'll stop back in later."

As the doctor is walking out of the room, Nan says, "Christopher, can I talk with Sarah for a moment."

"Of course." Christopher quickly goes out into the hall and finds the doctor. "Hey, Doc."

Nan looks at her beautiful granddaughter and asks, "Sarah, I'll call Karen for you so you can stay with her?"

"I want to stay with Christopher."

"You like him?"

"Very much, and he has done so much for us. I know I'll be safe and cared for with him."

"You do, huh?"

"I don't know why, but I feel like he is sad like me sometimes, and we are good for each other."

With big eyes and raised eyebrows, Nan smiles, and after a moment of hesitation she says, "Okay. Go get him."

As Sarah walks out of the room she sees Christopher talking with the doctor. "Hey, Doc, you run any tests you need to and send me the bill."

"Okay, we will do everything possible for her."

"Thank you."

"Why don't you give your information to the nurse and we'll go from there."

"Did I hear you say you will pay for her medical bills?"

"Yes."

"You know she has almost no medical insurance at all. Even the Medicare plan she is signed up for is confusing. We were actually kind of concerned about that."

"Don't worry about that. Give me a piece of paper and a pen and I'll write my info down, and just send me the bill." As Christopher is writing his info down Sarah comes over and stands right up against him. He looks down and smiles. "How's Nana?"

"She's okay. She wants to talk with you."

"Okay, let me finish writing this down and I'll be right there."

"Are you really going to pay for all the medical bills for Nana?"

"Yes."

"Wow!" Christopher smiles, and after he hands the nurse his information he puts his right arm around Sarah's shoulder and they walk back into Nan's room. "Guess what, Nana?"

"What?"

"Christopher is going to pay for all the medical bills."

Nan looks at him with an odd look and says, "Oh, I can't let you do that."

"Don't worry about it, Nan. Besides being a successful writer, I am also very good at investments and I am a millionaire many times over. In fact, I would also like to pay for Sarah to go to college." Sarah looks up at him quickly with big eyes. It is something he has been thinking about for a week now, but he figured the better he can make Nan feel the better she can fight whatever is happening now.

"Well, wow, thank you again, Christopher. Are you sure you are not a guardian angel sent down from Heaven?"