He Is a Sickle Cell Patient
David was no stranger to hospitals. He had sickle cell anemia for as long as he could remember. When he was younger, he would visit the hospital several times a year. Oftentimes he would even be admitted to the hospital for weeks on end. As he grew older, things got a bit better. But he never fully got well.
He Had Been Through Bad Days
There have been days when David’s loved ones were sure they’d never see him again; days where he’d be hooked up to so many machines. There were a lot of these days.
But somehow, David always found a way to come back to them. He always found a way to survive.
His First Coma
Looking at his prone form on the sick bed, however, his loved ones were starting to lose hope. Sure, there have been bad days, but things have never been this bad.
This is the first time David had ever been in a coma. And the sight of his body simply laying there limp and lifeless brought tears to a lot of faces.
Too Frail
It wasn’t just the stillness that worried David’s loved ones. It was also how frail he looked. The doctors had told his family that this was to be expected. Moreover, David hadn’t had any solid food in months. It’s expected that he’d lose a lot of weight.
While the explanation did make sense, it did very little to alleviate the worries of the family.
He Used To Be Very Active
David used to be a very active individual. He was a man who loved the outdoors. It was as if he was trying to make up for the many years of fun he had missed out on as a sickle cell patient.
Seeing him now confined to the four walls of a hospital ward was heartbreaking.
His Condition Was Unexpected
No one had expected his condition to deteriorate this terribly or this fast. However, the medications he used diligently were supposed to have prevented this from ever happening.
When he had first been brought into the hospital, the family had thought they were bringing him in for just a quick check-up. What happened next was something no one, not even the doctors expected.
He Was Healthy
David had walked into the hospital himself. Sure a few of his grandchildren had accompanied him, but he had been healthy enough to walk and open the hospital doors on his own.
There had been no doubt in the family’s mind that the old timer was in as good a condition as he had ever been. It wasn’t until the reports of the tests came in that the family became worried.
He Was Admitted Immediately
It all started with the revelation that there was something terribly wrong with his blood sugar level and blood pressure. According to the doctors, it was unbelievable that someone with such readings could even be walking around, much less someone that old. He was admitted immediately.
Not So Bad
Things didn’t start off so severe initially. At first, David was simply placed in a ward for monitoring. Family and friends were allowed to visit whenever they wanted. When they did, they would often find him awake and responsive.
He would often converse with them on various topics to keep himself busy. He’d also complain about being confined to the hospital ward as well, though that was one thing they couldn’t help him with.
Still Happy
Those were happier times for the family. Yes, their beloved grandpa was stuck in the hospital, but things weren’t so bad. It was obviously not the worst of the cases he had spent at the hospital.
Things could have been so much worse, and everyone knew that. So despite the circumstances, the family was happy. That is until things got worse.
His Condition Is Deteriorating
When things began deteriorating, they started small. It began with David getting tired. Initially, no one paid it any mind. Everyone chucked it up to him just needing some more sleep.
But then the sleep started getting longer and more frequent. Even then, the family still wasn’t so worried. It wasn’t until they started noticing certain things in his waking hours that they started getting worried.
Getting Even Worse
It happened all of a sudden. One day, David was alright, his frequent tiredness being the only indication that there was something wrong. The next, he started showing signs of troubled speech, where his words were starting to slur.
Things would only get worse from there until he would be transferred to the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Intensive Care Unit
The days in the ICU were the worst for David’s family. They weren’t allowed to visit him as they used to. He was too weak to attend visitors most of the time, so even during visiting hours, most of the time all they could do was watch his sleeping form and pray for a quick recovery.
This went on for weeks.
In a Much Better State
The doctors assured the family that they were doing everything to take care of David. Apparently he was in a much stable condition now and his body was starting to recover.
While it might not look like it, they claimed, he was actually in a better state than when he first arrived at the hospital.
Inconclusive Results
The family had asked severally what was wrong with Him, but the doctors’ only reply was that the test results were not yet conclusive. That only further alarmed the family.
David had had to be rushed to the hospital quite a few times in the past due to his medical condition. But never have the test results ever been inconclusive before.
The Grandchildren
In many ways, his grandchildren were the ones who were affected the most by David’s current state. They were the closest family members to David except for his wife, and they love spending their time with him.
Watching their lively grandfather just lying there most of the day did a number on them.
Grandpa Had a Stroke
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When the news finally came out that Grandpa has a stroke, the grandchildren were especially affected. Other family members would often come in to see them shedding tears close to David’s bed or laying their hands on him while he slept.
It was obvious that they missed him. Everyone in the family did.
She Wasn’t So Bothered
Not everyone in the family was devastated by David’s condition, however. His wife, Victoria, was the only one who seemed unaffected by her husband’s current situation.
Where the grandchildren couldn’t look at David’s frail frame without breaking down in tears, Victoria would often sit beside him, a smile on her face as she hummed to him their favourite tune.
Confident He’d Survive
She had seen him bounce back from so many frightful moments, and she was confident that he would bounce back from this one as well.
But there was a part of her that was frightened like everyone else in the family. She knew there was something different about this particular one. She just didn’t want to dwell on her fears. What good would they do?
Things Get Worse
David falling into a coma was a huge test of Victoria’s ability to remain optimistic. For all the times she had taken him to a hospital during the nearly 4 decades long marriage, he has never fallen into a coma.
This was an entirely new territory. And it wasn’t one she liked at all.
The Coma
The coma was a truly terrifying experience for David’s family. It started with panic. One of the older grandchildren had been watching over David when he realised that he hadn’t moved for hours.
A bit worried, he decided to call a nurse. What followed was the panicked coming and going of medical personnel and a fight to keep David alive.
A Terrifying Experience
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The months after David fell into the coma were some of the worst months the family had ever been through. The grandchildren were affected the most, a few of them entering into a rather depressed state, so much so that they had to be withdrawn from school in the meantime.
Many times the kids would have dreams or even nightmares of Grandpa jumping out of bed, but that never happened.
She Had It All Together, But…
Victoria was the only one who seemed to have it all together. She kept the family strong with her reassuring presence and her coolheadedness in the midst of the crisis. One would never have been able to guess that her husband’s life was on the line.
But while it might seem like she had everything under control, this was so far from the truth.
Breaking Down Inside
Deep down, she was hurting. The love of her life was in a coma, one that she wasn’t sure he would ever get out of.
While no one in the family knew it, there were so many times when Victoria locked herself in a closet or one of the hospital’s toilets to cry her eyes out. Also, her husband was fighting for his life, and for some reason, she was afraid it was her fault.
A Suspicion In Her Heart
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Tired of carrying such a burden on her heart, Victoria decided to speak to one of the doctors about it.
But first, she still had a feeling there was something the doctors were hiding. If there was, then she couldn’t trust them with the information she wanted to share without knowing what it was they were hiding.
Finding Out The Truth
One faithful day, she confronted one of the doctors about it. At first, he was reluctant to share anything except what the family had already been told to Victoria, but she was a really persistent and persuasive woman.
It took some pressure, but soon enough, the Doctor finally gave in and told her the truth.
There Was Poison Involved
Picking up one of the test results, the doctor showed it to Victoria. Without the doctor’s assistance, she’d most definitely not have been able to make anything out of it, but with his explanation, she was able to follow.
What the results said was disturbing; her husband had been poisoned.
Who Could It Be
Victoria couldn’t wrap her head around the news. David was an angel. He was loved by everybody; young and old, male and female. Who would ever want to poison such a man?
Also, this was the one question that haunted her consistently every moment she spent with his still form in the hospital.
Then It Clicked
Veronica spent a long time thinking about the matter, wondering who might have wanted her husband dead. Then it clicked.
Having figured out a possible explanation, she ran over to the doctor to share what she thought with him. Explaining her thoughts to him, the man was amazed and impressed. He thanked Victoria for the useful piece of information.
Spending Some Time With Her Husband
While the doctors were busy trying to figure out how to best apply the information provided by Victoria, she decided to spend the time with her husband.
She wanted to beg for his forgiveness. If her suspicions were right, then she was partially to blame for the state he was in. The thought ate her up inside, but there was nothing she could do but pray that the doctors succeed.
A Letter From The Doctor
It didn’t take long for her to hear back from the doctor. They had taken the information she provided into consideration and carried out a few tests to be sure if her claims were valid or not. The results were out and she had to come and see them.
Scared, yet hopeful, she made her way to the doctor’s office first thing that morning.
She Had Been Right
She had been right. The doctor’s report proved that. The doctors now knew what was wrong with her husband. They would be able to start making actual progress with his treatment, and if all goes well, he’d be out of the coma really soon.
But with this good news came one bad news as well. She had been right. She was responsible for what was happening to her husband.
Getting a Lawyer
While the doctors began making the preparations to make changes to how they were treating David, Victoria was busy doing the only thing she could do at the moment; get a lawyer.
With her suspicion confirmed, getting a lawyer ready was the only option open to her. However, this was going to make it to court. And she had to be prepared.
The Problem
Explaining the situation to the lawyer, Vitoria finally revealed her suspicion which had been confirmed by the doctors; David had been poisoned. But not by herself or by any member of the family. Instead, he had been poisoned by the pharmaceutical company which produced his most recent medications; medications she had bought for him.
The lawyer was taken aback by the revelation.
Doing Their Best
While Victoria was working with the lawyer to prepare for the impending case, the doctors prepared to start an operation on David. They had gotten the meds that were believed to have poisoned him.
On analysing the medications, it was easy to see why David’s condition had deteriorated that quickly.
It Was The Meds All Along
According to lab reports, the medications had not only expired, they also contained some rather toxic chemicals. Chemicals that have been banned from use by the FDA for over 50 years now.
Selling medications like this wasn’t just illegal. It was unethical too. Everybody involved in the case was going to be in some serious trouble with the law.
Undergoing The Operation
With the doctors finally having all the information they needed, it was now time to attempt the procedure of reviving David. In theory, the procedure was a simple one. All they had to do was flush David’s system of the toxic substance that had been accumulated from the medication. This was much easier said than done though.
The procedure took many hours. Throughout that time, Victoria never stayed far away from the operating room.
It Was a Success
It took a couple days, but finally, David woke up. He was a lot leaner and frail-looking, but everyone was so happy to see him alive again. His grandchildren were the most excited to see him.
Where Is My Wife?
While everyone in the family was celebrating David’s recovery and spending time with him, however, Victoria was nowhere to be found. This didn’t escape David’s notice.
Asking after her, the doctors told him everything that had happened and how Victoria blamed herself for his condition despite the fact that she wasn’t responsible for it in any way.
Struggling With Guilt
Victoria had been told that David was out of his coma. She was so happy to hear the news and wished so much to see her husband.
But she still felt guilty. She knew that she wasn’t responsible for putting him in a coma. That was the fault of the pharmaceutical company that made those terrible medications available for public consumption. Yet she couldn’t help but feel like an accomplice.
The Police Arrive
She had been the one who purchased the meds. She had been the one who gave him those pills each day. Essentially, she was the one who poisoned him.
The doctors and her lawyer didn’t feel the same way though, and neither did the police. At first, when they arrived, Victoria had the irrational fear that they were here to take her away. But they weren’t.
Getting a Testimony
Instead, they were there to get her statement. She was a witness in what was now a big case.
In fact, she was considered some sort of a hero. She had single-handedly blown the lid of an operation that had probably caused the death of hundreds if not thousands of citizens.
Catching the First Suspect
Following the testimony of Vitoria, the officers were able to get hold of the first suspect. It was the store owner of the pharmacy from which she had bought the medications.
On further interrogation, it was found that the woman was involved with a larger crime organisation involved in the sale of fake and expired drugs for profit.
Not an Isolated Incident
This was no isolated incident, and evidence was found linking the storeowner to several other such incidents of harmful or expired medications being sold to individuals.
This was an organised crime with a large, widespread network, and the police on getting to the bottom of this case. And it was all thanks to Victoria.
Seeing David
Having finally been able to get the people involved, Victoria no longer felt guilty. Heading straight to the hospital from the police station, she sees her husband awake and active for the first time in several months.
Overwhelmed with emotions, the two lovers embrace and shed tears of joy at once again being given the opportunity to share some more time together.
A Full Recovery
In just a few weeks, David made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital.
For being a victim of malicious drug companies, he was compensated with a year’s worth of medications, legitimate ones this time, as well as a substantial sum of money to cover for everything the family had spent in the past few months, and then some more..
The Story Ends
Finally, after months of misery, the family was back to being happy again. David and Victoria remained as close as ever, spending even more time enjoying the renewed chance at a happy life they have been given.
The grandchildren also returned to school after having their grandfather come back from a coma and their grandmother the hero of the town. They became like little celebrities in their individual schools.
