50. The Waiting is the Hardest Part
“Well, he’s still alive,” the surgeon told the assembled group of Dan’s family and friends who were waiting anxiously for any news. “He has survived the surgery. We’ve repaired the damage from the bullet, but he is still in critical condition. We’ve induced a coma. The next 48 hours are crucial. He’s young. He’s healthy. He’s got a good chance of surviving,” the doctor finished on an optimistic note before rushing off to his next task.
Dan’s entire family had been notified and had been visiting in shifts because the ICU only permitted one visitor at a time. Mrs. Canavan refused to leave Dan’s side, except to let other people who she deemed suitable, visit, and then she insisted that they promise to get her immediately if there were any changes in his condition.
Audrey had returned from Texas. What should have been a wonderful family reunion on the occasion of the baby’s birth had become a somber wait.
Rita Jane made a detour along the way to the small chapel before returning to Claudia’s room. Since the shooting, she had been lighting candles daily to the Virgin Mary, praying for Dan’s recovery. The small chapel smelled of cheap incense, but at least she had the place to herself. She knelt down at the front pew and dutifully folded her hands and bowed her head. “Dear God,” she prayed silently. “I can’t believe you are letting this happen. Things were finally going well. Claudia’s case was dismissed. Dan found a great boyfriend. My parents were coming around to the baby idea and now this. How could you let this horrible homophobic lunatic ruin our lives?” Tears were stuck in her throat and her breathing was shallow and labored.
“I know it’s not your fault. I know I should be grateful that he’s still alive. At least there’s hope, but I just don’t understand why someone would want to kill Dan. He’s the nicest guy. He’s so caring and loving. Why is there so much hate in the world?”
She waited for an answer, but none came. Instead she cried out her rage and pain and fear. How could she live without Dan who had been the one person, above all others, who had always listened to her, loved her, encouraged her, cherished her and just been there for her?
Back at Claudia’s room, all the networks were carrying around-the-clock coverage of the shocking story. First, the revelations that Dan had fathered a child with a lesbian, who had been charged with providing material support to her terrorist client, and then the news that he had been shot during a recess from the hearing where these revelations had been made. It was such a wonderful combination of drama, intrigue, and passion that the media outlets would keep the story running for days. The shooter had calmly turned himself in to Capitol Police saying that he had done his duty and rid the world of a homosexual sinner. No charges had been brought yet while police waited to see whether Dan would live.
When they couldn’t stand the television anymore, they turned it off. They both dozed a while, Rita Jane sitting beside Claudia in the Naugahyde chair, holding her hand.
She heard her mother’s voice calling her name and thought she must be dreaming, but when she opened her eyes her parents were there, carrying a large arrangement of plants and cut flowers, arranged in a beautiful bowl. She started crying.
“What’re you doing here?” Rita Jane asked.
“Claudia called and told us what has been going on. We wanted to come by and offer our support.”
Rita Jane couldn’t stop crying, it was as though all of the pain, disappointment, joy, fear, love, beauty and ugliness that had been trapped inside her now had to be released.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. She found that she meant it.