6It was a Saturday, on a lovely June morning. Marie had decided to visit her "pop", as she liked to call him. She had always felt close to "Tony", because as a little girl she always felt like the "Favourite". She knew he didn't mean to treat her that way, but after hearing the story of her pop and "Grandma Marie"s romance and life together, she felt very privileged to be named after her. Not that she had any less feelings for "Nana Angela," but blood always was thicker than water, and she knew her "mum", still missed her terribly.
Marie was on call this day, she worked at the local hospital, and gone all the way to becoming a fully qualified "Doctor". Tony used to have that dream for Samantha, but soon gave it up once she married "Hank". Marie worked in the oncology ward of the hospital, and sometimes had to work 24 hour shifts. She often thought it lucky she didn't have a spouse or children because sometimes she wouldn't even get home for 2 days.
This particular Saturday, she had arranged to meet Samantha, at the "home". They had both wanted to check up on Tony, as he was, as expected with someone who has cancer, feeling depressed. The fact that Angela was forgetting everyone's name, including His, made it that much worse for him. Never in a million years when they had first been married, did Tony ever dream their lives would be so full of incredible highs. But in being so happy, you must always pay a cost, and that's living with the inevitable lows. And that was his diagnosis of "Cancer", and his darling wife "Angela", slow progressing "Dementia".
Sam arrived at the home around the same time as Marie, and they met on the verandah. Sam always being the concerned protective mother, asked if she was eating properly and as Marie always said to her, she ate at the hospital. When they both entered the house after using the spare key given to them by Tony, they noticed a smell coming from the bedroom. They noticed Tony laying in bed with his arms wrapped around Angela, and she looked all dishevelled and small, lying next to him. There was a bottle of pills on a dresser next to the bed, that were open, but as Marie checked to see if any were missing, was relieved to find them all there. She thought they looked so sweet, age may have taken over their bodies, but their love they still had for one another outshone even the Stars. When she heard Tony stirring in bed, she knelt down and asked him if he was alright. He groggily replied he was, and turned to go back to sleep. Then it was SAMs turn to worry, as she knew her father never liked sleeping in too long, unless he had a good reason. Sam tried to nudge him awake, but when it was no use, she got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Looking at her daughter she wondered out loud, "Marie, what did those pills look like to you?, are they sleeping pills or something else, what did dad just take, we need to find out because I have a sick feeling about this. Your grandad hasn't been well as we all know and now neither he nor Angela are waking up, do something will You?, I'm getting really worried here!".
Marie checked Tony's pulse, listened to his heart, and when she was satisfied with the results, she checked on Angela. She followed the same procedure with Angela checking her pulse and heart, while trying not to wake her, she then decided on a course of action. After setting aside her medical bag she rang Tony's doctor and told him of her findings, she said how she found her pop lying in bed with his wife, and how there were some pills next to the bed opened, but not enough had been taken for real alarm, but as they were elderly and both suffering serious illnesses, she thought it better if they were hospitalised. For both their sakes.
Since neither one had stirred from their slumber, Sam said it was best to leave them there till Tonys doctor examined them. When Marie had got off the phone after her call, she decided she would make a cup of coffee for herself and Sam, when Sam suggested something stronger she laughed and told her mother that though she wasn't on call, she felt compelled to stay away from alcohol while tending to the "Grandparents"!
"You know mum, I don't think they were the pills from that bottle next to the bed that Pops took, I think he had another bottle hidden somewhere else. The one I found earlier was full, but he definitely took something and Nana Angela may have too. We may need to wake them up very soon for their own sake, I don't want to worry you, but with their age being what it is, and not knowing what they took, it would be very dangerous even fatal not to act now. While I look for the pills, you try waking them both up, and see if you can get any sense out of pops".
"Okay Marie, I trust your judgement. You start looking in the top drawer here, while I try waking up Dad and Angela. I just hope we can find out what's going on with these two, before it's too late to help them. I know it's gotta be a mistake, and he just mixed up the bottles. He'd never wanna leave Angela like this, she was always "Everything", to him. In fact I'm ashamed to admit this, but I sometimes got jealous of her, because I thought he loved her more than me. I know it's a horrid thing to say, but when we first came to live with Angela and her family, I was dad's number one girl, but it all changed when he started to have feelings for Angela. Then it was "Angela this, Angela that", and I started resenting her, plus she wasn't my mother, so that made it doubly hard when she told me what to do. Deep down I knew I was wrong to feel like that, but remember I was only a little girl then, and up to then it had been just dad and me. Of course later on I did come to love her like a mother, so I guess what I'm saying is, we need to be very vigilant taking care of them, because I'd never forgive myself if something happened to them and we could have stopped it. I know we can't cure cancer, or dementia, but if there's some way we can make them comfortable, while going through all the treatments needed, I would prefer to have them close by, and knowing they were getting the best care possible. To me that can only come from being in a hospital bed, not in this "Home", where the only "Home Care", is a "Housekeeper". If "Dad", was awake he'd agree with me"!.
Hearing his name mentioned Tony opened his eyes and called out.
"Angela!, Where are you?, Angela, where's Angela, Sam, Marie, what's going on, what are you doing here?. And Where the hell is my wife?.
Looking at each other in utter bewilderment, Sam said to Marie. "Why can't Dad see Angela?. She's lying right next to him there, isn't she?
Marie looked back at her mother then at Tony, and couldn't believe it, while they had been conversing about the "Grandparents", Angela had somehow slipped by them out of the room. Obviously with her dementia being as advanced as it was, time was of the essence in finding her. Tony got more agitated the longer they took in answering his questions, so they decided to go the safe route, and told him she had just gone to the bathroom while he was sleeping. When he was feeling abit calmer, Marie asked him if he had taken any pills lately, and if so what were they?. When he couldn't remember, and started panicking about his wife again, it was SAMs turn to calm him. She told him she would make him a cup of coffee, and how the doctor was on His way. He wanted to check on both "He", and "Angela", but if Tony wanted to see Angela, he needed to be calm when doing so, it would only make Angela upset to see him Upset.
"Okay Sam I'll do it your way, you make the coffee, while I try remembering the days events and what I took. But don't hold your breath, I have enough trouble remembering what I ate For breakfast, never mind what pills I'm taking".
"I know Dad, but this is very important to remember, and if you gave any to Angela, and it made her more disoriented than usual, we need to find out what they are and "Fast", do you understand"?. Once Sam handed him the coffee, Tony said to her.
"Yes Sam , I may be old, but I'm no dummy you know, Angela's memory loss is way worse than mine, mine is only from old age, hers is permanent, and it may come to pass that she doesn't recognise me one day. That's the day I don't want to be around anymore, when the wonderful life I shared with my best friend in the whole world is only remembered by me, and of course by you, but not by her , I just couldn't bear to watch her slowly but surely forget everything we built together, along with all the dreams we made come true for each other. I don't mean to make light of everything you and Hank have together, but if your marriage lasts as long as ours, and your half as happy as I have been with Angela, then I hope one day you will understand what I tried to do today, and you would agree with it, and not admonish it !. Now I know you and Marie are hiding the fact you don"t know where she is, so stop yakking to me and go look for her Please!, she may be in danger, and really frightened wherever she is, so let me call in some reinforcements, and you get the other grand kids, and together we'll scour the whole of Connecticut if we have too.!"
"Okay Dad, you got us!, Angela isn't here and we don't know where she is, but of course we'll help look for her. But just please promise me one thing?"
"If I can honey",
"The minute your feeling sick or dizzy, you'll go straight back to bed, the doctor is supposed to be coming to check you and Angela over, and won't take too kindly to you over stressing yourself!"
"Okay Sam, and thanks for caring, your a wonderful daughter".
"Dad you know I'll never stop caring, now you go make those phone Calls, to the neighbours is it? They all love Angela, at least we know they'll help"!
"Okay Sam, Marie, I'll see you both here in an hour, and we'll go over this street with a wide tooth comb, leaving no stones unturned. Well you get my drift. Okay ladies, let's move it, let's do it".!
And with a heavy heart and still feeling like something terrible has happened the Micelli and Thomopolous families, went there separate ways, determined for a happy outcome but preparing themselves for the worst,