Love in the Falls (3 page)

“Okay, let me help you,” Camden said putting her arm around the man. The two women struggled to lead him to a bench near the parking lot.

The man was glassy eyed. His face was drooping, and he was not responding to anyone.

“Natalie, call 911. What’s your name?” Camden asked the girl.

“Jenny Dillon. His name is Sam… Sam Steele,” she said shaking with anxiety. Camden paused in her mind for a moment. That was the perfect name for this handsome, rugged guy.

“I’m a doctor, Jenny. I need to do some tests on your boyfriend,” Camden said getting down on her knees in front of him.

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. This was our first date,” Jenny said shaking her head as if trying to ward off any thought of her taking care of this man.

Without responding, Camden started assessing him. He was slumped to the side, staring straight ahead.

“Sam? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, look at me, okay?” Camden said. “Can you stick out your tongue for me, Sam?” she said loudly as she put her hand on his cheek. There was no response. Just a glassy eyed stare.

“Oh my God, is he going to be okay?” Jenny asked starting to get hysterical.

“Jenny, you have got to calm down. Natalie, can you take her over there please?” Camden called to Natalie who had just hung up with 911.

“Cam, they may be a while. The nearest hospital is a pretty long way off,” Natalie said as she took Jenny by the arm and pulled her away.

“Okay. He needs to go to a Stroke Center anyway. I will talk to the paramedics…” she said as Natalie moved outside of earshot. Without thinking, Camden grabbed Sam’s hand and looked into his eyes. “Sam, I’m Camden Lane. Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.”

It took the paramedics about thirty minutes to arrive, much to Camden’s dismay. She knew that every minute counted when it came to a stroke victim. Every moment could mean neurons dying that could never be regenerated.

“Listen, Jenny, you take Sam’s truck. I will ride with him in the ambulance,” Camden made the unilateral decision. She knew nothing about this man, but she did know that she felt responsible for him. Jenny was far too young and anxious to take care of Sam right now.

“Um… okay. I will take his truck to the farm and give it to his business partner, Drake,” Jenny said.

“Great. Nat, I will call you later,” Camden said as she jumped into the back of the ambulance and immediately started conferring with the medics. As the door closed, Natalie couldn’t help feeling hopeful - for both Sam and Camden.

***

“Are you Mrs. Steele?” asked a doctor dressed in green scrubs. Camden was pacing the ER waiting room anxious to get word on Sam’s condition.

“No. I am just a friend. Actually, I found him in the mountains. I mean…” Camden was stumbling over her words.
How do you explain who you are in this kind of situation?

“Do you know if he has family? We need to make some decisions,” the doctor asked.

“Actually, no. I don’t even know if he has family. His name is Sam Steele. He has a farm. That is all I know,” Camden had never felt so helpless. “Listen, I am a doctor also. Can I please see him?” she asked knowing the answer would be no.

“Ma’m, you know all about medical privacy laws. I cannot do that. I’m really sorry,” he said.

With that, the doctor went back through the double doors. Camden had no idea what she was doing there. Sam didn’t know her, and he may never recover. What was she waiting for?

Remembering that he owned a farm, she decided to call Natalie. Maybe she could find his family. Natalie was a whiz with a computer, and she would do whatever Camden asked her to do.

“Nat? It’s Cam. I need your help,” she said when Natalie answered her cell.

“Is he alive? What’s going on?”

“I have no idea. The doctor won’t tell me anything. I’m going crazy here. We have to find his family. I know Jenny said he owns a farm. Can you see what you can find out?”

“Actually, I already have. I passed it on the way out of town. It’s called Steele Farms, of course. They have a big corn maze set up for the kids right now, so signs are all over town,” she said.

“Great. Can you find the number and call? See who you can get over to Trinity Medical Center, okay? Have them find me, please,” Camden begged.

“I will. Hang in there, Cam. I love you,” Natalie said.

“Love you too,” Camden said as she ended the call.

***

Camden paced the floor in the ER for two more hours. She was sure that she had worn a rut in the industrial tile. Even though she had trained in hospitals, it was different being the person who was worriedly pacing the floor.

“Are you Camden Lane?” a male voice said from behind her. She turned to see a handsome man with jet black hair and deep brown eyes standing behind her. He wore a baseball cap with a big “A” for the Atlanta Braves.

“Yes, I am. And you are…?”

“I’m Drake Higgins. I am Sam’s partner at the farm. I got a call…”

“Yes, from my friend Natalie. Sam collapsed at the falls. He was on a date…”

“With Jenny. I know. I saw him just before he left. This isn’t possible,” he said running his fingers through his hair.

“I’m actually a doctor. I believe he had a stroke, but no one will talk to me. I am very worried about him,” Camden said. She felt a heaviness in the pit of her stomach, and she didn’t know why. To her, he was really just a patient, so why was she feeling this way? Doctors were trained to separate themselves from these kinds of emotions where patients were concerned.

“Well, they damn well better let me back there,” Drake said brushing past her as he walked toward the nurse’s station. After a heated conversation, he returned.

“Well?” Camden asked looking up at him.

“They won’t let me see him either. His closest relative is his only sibling, Rebecca. She lives in New Orleans,” he said looking down at his boots.

“Can we call her? She can give consent for us to see him at least,” Camden suggested.

“Let me make some calls and see if I can get her number. She’s going to be devastated,” he said as he walked off with his cell phone to his ear.

Camden re-started her pacing while she waited for Drake to come back. She watched as families came in and out of the ER. As a doctor, she had been trained to detach from these situations, yet she was suddenly seeing the emotions rather than the medical conditions.

A mother was crying in the corner as she waited for word on her son who had come in by ambulance after a car crash. A child running a fever was sleeping in her father’s arms as he paced the floor. People were in crisis all around her, but all she could think about was this man named Sam who was just a few rooms away. Was he okay? Would he make it? And why did she care so much?

Just then, her cell phone rang. She moved outside to answer it.

“Hello?” she said out of breath.

“Camden? Where in the hell are you, honey? You should have been home by now,” Preston said sharply on the other end of the phone.

“Oh, Preston. Sorry. I should have called you. Listen, I don’t know when I will be home. This guy we saw at the falls… he had a stroke. I rode in the ambulance with him, and now I am waiting to talk to the doctor…” she tried to explain.

“Doesn’t he have family?”

“They live far away…”

“Camden, you are not responsible for this stranger. Come home. The doctors are getting paid to take care of him,” Preston said. The nonchalant tone in his voice was familiar. While he cared for his patients, he had a great ability to separate himself as soon as he was off the clock.

“No. I’m staying until I know he is alright. I will call you later,” Camden said hanging up before he could argue. She saw Drake coming toward her.

“I just talked to Rebecca. She is so worried about Sam. I asked her to call the hospital and find out what she needs to do to give permission for me to go in,” he said.

“Please let me see him too. I know that I am a complete stranger, but I was with him when he was having the stroke. I might be able to help or answer questions,” Camden was grasping at straws.

“Okay. If they will let us both in, you can come.” Drake was dazed. He looked worried and tired and scared all at once.

“You know, some people come out of this completely fine. If we caught him in time, he might fully recover,” she said.

“I hope so. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Today was supposed to be his day off. I even fixed him up on a date. He never dates,” he said smiling.

“Really? He’s such a good looking guy…” Camden couldn’t believe she just said that. “So, you say he was under a lot of stress or something?” she asked trying to divert attention.

“Oh, for sure. His Daddy died a few months back, and he has been overseeing the huge farm and store operation since then. I help out, but he takes everything on himself.”

“How old is Sam?”

“He’s thirty three. So young,” Drake said shaking his head as they walked back into the hospital.

“Yes. That’s very young for a stroke,” Camden said looking down. “But, he looked strong. That will help him recover.”

“Drake Higgins?” a woman yelled out from two double doors.

“Yes, that’s me,” Drake said holding up his hand.

“You can see your friend now,” she said.

“Can I bring my friend with me? She was with him when he had the stroke,” Drake said pointing to Camden behind him. The nurse nodded yes, and Camden felt a wave of relief wash over her.

As Drake and Camden walked down the long corridor, the coldness of the hospital suddenly hit her. She had been in hospitals for years during her training to become a doctor, but never had she experienced it as a visitor of someone gravely ill.

About halfway down the hallway, the nurse turned around and waved for a doctor standing behind the station. He walked over and ushered Camden and Drake to the side.

“Hi. I’m Doctor Rabun. I’ve been caring for Sam. Are you his family?” he asked.

“Actually, we are the closest thing he has at the moment. His sister will be flying in from New Orleans tomorrow, but I am his business partner. Drake Higgins,” he said reaching out to shake the doctor’s hand. “This is Camden Lane. She is a doctor also, and she helped him when he had the stroke.”

“Hi, Doctor Rabun,” Camden said softly as she shook his hand. She knew that some doctors did not take too kindly to a city outsider coming in on their territory. “I’m actually not a doctor yet. I just graduated a year ago from medical school. Taking some time off before deciding what to do.” Camden smiled as if she was apologizing for her presence there.

“Nice to meet you both. Can we chat for a moment? I’d like to bring you up to date on Sam’s status and discuss our next steps.” The doctor led them down the hall to a small room devoted to speaking with families in private. Camden worried that the news might not be good.

They all sat down on the stark white chairs. The room was cold and not comforting at all. Of course, the hospital was pretty old, and certainly not what she was used to in the city.

Doctor Rabun opened up his manila folder and scanned over it. His silver framed glasses dipped down to the end of his nose as he read the information in the file. His balding head gleamed under the bright fluorescent light above.