Chapter Four C: A Visitor

When he awoke, it was mid-afternoon and time for another Vicodin. He read the label and decided he’d better have something to eat with it when he became aware of the doorbell ringing.

He called out, but he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs to make a very loud sound. It still hurt, so he made his way to the front door. He fumbled at the latch and finally got the door open. There standing in front of him was the woman he had seen the night before. In her hands she held his briefcase and cell phone. Aaron was speechless for a moment then greeted her as he opened the door wider and pulled his robe closed tighter.

“Hello,” he finally managed. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit surprised to find you.”

“Sorry to disturb you,” she said. “I’m Pol Stamos. I was at the scene of your accident last night. After the ambulance left and the tow truck pulled what remained of your vehicle out of the ditch, I looked around and discovered that you’d apparently dropped these. The phone was in the foyer of the church and your briefcase was outside the front door. I’m afraid that in the rush of getting you out to the hospital we didn’t really look after your belongings very well.”

“Please, won’t you come in?” Aaron recovered enough to say. “I’m sorry, I don’t look like much today. I’m a little drugged out yet.” She stepped in still holding his briefcase and phone. “Could you just set those down next to the sofa? I’m afraid I don’t want to risk picking anything up just now.”

“You poor thing,” she said. “Are you badly injured?” Without waiting for a response, she plowed on with a speech she must have been practicing. “I came into town as soon as I could get away this afternoon. I’m afraid I had some business in Muncie this morning and couldn’t get away. I went to Lutheran Hospital, which is where the EMTs said they were going, but found out they’d taken you to Parkview instead. When I got there, they said you’d been released. I came over here because this is the address on your luggage tag on the briefcase.”

“Thank you for being so diligent. That briefcase is my office. Without it I’d be lost,” Aaron said. “I’ve been so drugged up I didn’t even think to ask about it when I checked out of the hospital this morning.” Aaron paused and looked at her for a moment, at a loss for words again. Then he reminded himself to be polite. “I’m Aaron Case,” he said introducing himself, “which you’ve probably already surmised from the nametag. Please forgive me for not offering to shake your hand. I’m pretty beat up on the right side.”

“Don’t mention it. I didn’t give you a chance to say how badly injured you are.”

“Well, two cracked ribs, which cause most of the pain. Mild concussion, but the doctor didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Temporary hearing loss, but it seems to have cleared up already,” Aaron paused again. “I was just about to get another dose of the pain remedy, can I get you something?”

“Please, sit down and let me get your medicine for you. Is it in the kitchen?” Pol said moving into the house past Aaron. Boy, she was bold. But frankly, if she would get his pills for him, she could be as bold as she wanted. He sank into his chair in the living room.

“Yes, thank you. They should be on the kitchen counter. Glasses are in the first cabinet to the right of the sink.” She returned a moment later with the pills and the water and a note in her hand. She handed him the glass and pills and while he was drinking glanced at the note.

“Is Theresa your wife? She’s left you a long list of things that you are supposed to eat and do. Here, I’ll trade you.” She took the glass back from him and handed him the note.

“No, Theresa is my mother, sort of,” Aaron chuckled. “My best friend’s wife. You called him last night on my cell phone.”

“Oh, of course. Did he get to the hospital, then?” Pol asked.

“Yes, same problem you had. Went to Lutheran first.”

“My misdirections, I’m afraid.”

“It was really no problem. He was there by the time I could focus on anything but the pain. It was really incredibly kind of you to rescue me last night. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you to thank you when I am able to get around a little more easily. Between not being able to hear you very well and the odd hallucinations I was having after the accident, I’m afraid I wasn’t much company.”

“No one expected you to be company last night,” Pol laughed. Aaron dropped into the sound again as he had last night. That was sweeter pain relief than the Vocodin, though it had definitely put him in a state where he could appreciate the laughter, even if he couldn’t join it. “What kind of hallucinations were you having? Do you remember any of it?”

“It’s pretty fuzzy,” Aaron said. “I remember bits and pieces. Like getting inside the front doors of the church, but not getting to them. I remember seeing the bell rope tied up out of reach and deciding I had to get a chair from the sanctuary. That’s when I think I started hallucinating. I thought a stained glass window was moving and talking. I tried to call out to it to let it know I was there. Then I must have passed out again. The next thing I actually remember is that I’d gotten the chair and pulled the bell and passed out again and you were there waking me up. I remember thinking you were an angel and…” Aaron broke off his reminiscence in sudden embarrassment. “I hope you understand, I was not all together,” he explained feebly.

“It’s very sweet of you to think of me as an angel,” Pol laughed again. “It was just a lucky coincidence that I happened to be getting out of my car when the bell rang. We’ve had some problem with kids coming up and waking the community with the bell. That’s why the rope was tied up out of reach. Not impossible to get to, but a discouragement all the same.”

“I’ll say it was. I thought I couldn’t get a call through, but Jack says that he could hear me, so it must have been my hearing that was out, not the cell service.” Aaron rolled his head a little. “You know, I think I should eat something with this pain pill. May I invite you to join me?”

“Why don’t I fix you something. It looks like Theresa has prepared meals that just need to be heated up for you,” Pol said rising and moving once again to the kitchen. Aaron didn’t move to stop her. Instead he called after her.

“Pick something out for yourself as well. Knowing Theresa there is enough food there for me to entertain every night this week and not run out,” Aaron grinned. It was as close as he could come to a laugh without hurting his ribs. “And the note says she’s coming back tomorrow afternoon to restock.”

“They must be great friends,” Pol called back from the kitchen. “You are a very lucky man.”

“I haven’t seen my car yet,” Aaron answered, “but right now I’d have to agree.”

Next

Previous

Table of Contents