III
“Good
evening, Wes,” greeted Kate’s Dr as they entered Kate’s room. “I’m afraid there’s
still no change.” As a husband Dr Rattan understood Wes’s inability to make the
decision he needed to make. If roles were reversed he didn’t know if he could
choose to turn off machines keeping his wife alive. But as a doctor, he
believed it cruel, to Kate and her loved ones, to drag out the inevitable. “Have
you made a decision?” he asked.
Wes looked pointedly at Jacob, a
gentle reminder that they weren’t alone in the room, and carefully responded. “I’ve
thought of not much else, Doc” Wes answered, nodding towards the door. Wes
turned to Jacob and said, “Dr Rattan and I will just be out in the hall for a
minute. How ‘bout you talk to your Mom while I’m gone.”
“I prayed, well maybe hoped, I’d
walk into her room today and she’d be awake. That I wouldn’t have to decide on
anything more than what was for dinner tomorrow,” Wes told Dr Rattan. “You
know, I bought her a Christmas present – a heart locket. I had the jeweler do
our pictures so that when she opens it, it looks like we’re holding hands.”
“You’re just making it harder on
yourself, Wes; you know as I do what Kate wanted. You can’t put this off any
longer, it’s not right.”
“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. I won’t,”
Wes paused at the look on Dr Rattan’s face, “can’t, do it until after Christmas.
I won’t do that to Jacob.”
“I’m sure Kate will forgive us
under the circumstances, but Wes? The day after Christmas is as long as I’ll
wait.”
Wes stood in the hallway alone long
after Dr Rattan went on his way praying for the help he and Jacob would need in
the coming months.
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