September 17, 2012
Hoyt Fortenberry gripped Amy's hand as he rushed down a corridor of the hospital corridor, his hand gripping tightly around Amy's. A thin beading of sweat had formed on his brow as he searched every room as he rushed down the corridor. Coming upon a reception, he stopped immediately.
"Ex-Excuse me, I am looking for a George Hamilton. He was brought in earlier?" Hoyt's voice managed to force out the words.
"One moment sir" the receptionist tapped rapidly on her computer and waited for a moment.
"Yes, George Hamilton, ICU. Down the hall and to the right" she smiled softly.
"Thank you" Hoyt nodded and proceeded to run down the corridor with Amy in tow, running past a few nurses, he and Amy ran into a waiting, scanning the room he found Betty huddled in a corner by the water fountain.
"Betty!" Hoyt offered a small smile as he dropped Amy's hand, as he rushed over to Betty and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Hoyt dear, I am so glad your hear" she smiled back, her cheeks still heavily wet, her eyelashes glistening from her tears.
"Have the doctors said anything?" Amy asked, trying to get her breath back from the running.
"No,nothing. They took him through. George has not been well for weeks. I told him to go to the doctor, but would he listen to me? No. He's a stubborn old fool, now I know where Daryl got it from" forcing a smile across her face.
"He will be alright Betty" Hoyt offered a reassuring smile, hoping to comfort her.
Betty nodded silently as they sat in silence for a moment, when they were disturbed by a Doctor walking towards them, jolting out of their silence, Hoyt stood from his chair, but kept a firm hand in Betty's.
"Doctor? Is George alright?" he jumped in.
The Doctor paused for a moment as he held a clipboard in his hand, scanning through the pages on it, he lifted his head to look at them all. He was a young Doctor, tussled brown hair and stubble on his chin.
"Mrs Hamilton?" he looked directly at Betty.
"Y-Yes" she stood from her chair, latching onto Hoyt's arm.
"We should take this in my office" he said quietly.
"No, here is fine. Is George going to be alright?" she said sternly to the Doctor whose name ended in Wilson.
"Mrs Hamilton, I am afraid your husband's cancer has returned, it has spread to his liver, lungs and his lymphatic system *they all look on confusingly* His bloodstream" he finished.
Betty's mouth was gaped open, her hand caressing her cheek as she sat back down in her chair. Hoyt's hands ran through his hair, Amy had moved to sit by Betty and took her free hand into her own.
"How long does he have Doctor?" Hoyt asked, afraid of what the Doctor would say.
"In cases such as George's, its impossible to tell. It could be days, it could be weeks. But that is my professional opinion" the Doctor replied.
"In your professional opinion?" Hoyt's heart felt like it had jumped into his throat, blinding him unable to speak.
"Some cases may be different, but from George's results. It could be hours. The cancer is very advanced for his age. The only thing we can do is make him as comfortable as possible. We have sedated him to make him comfortable, he will feel no pain" the Doctor nodded to them all.
"C-Can we see him?" Amy asked, both Amy and Hoyt had become very close to both George and Betty, Hoyt more, he had grown to see George as a father that he never had and had always wanted.
"He is heavily sedated, but yes. But one at a time" the Doctor replied.
Betty stood from her chair, her legs had become very unstable. The Doctor had extended his arm and Betty had latched onto it, gripping his forearm tight in her hand as she took small steps as the Doctor led her through a set of double doors to her husband George.
Hoyt felt his body become heavy as though someone had struck him in the chest, his body paralyzed with fear as he collapsed onto the chair that Betty had been sitting in. His hand sought out Amy's and she gripped his hand tight and caressed his hand with her thumb. Hoyt's eyes had already begun to fill up with tears, forcing them, fighting them to stop from falling. He couldn't break down now, he had Betty to think of, she needed him to be strong.
"H-Hoyt, I am so sorry" her words barely a whisper.
"I never had a father...I never knew my biological father. George is all I have Amy. And now I am loosing him too" his words blubbered
"I know, but, but at least he won't be in anymore pain" trying to reassure him, but Hoyt knew there was nothing that she could say to comfort him.
Hoyt remained sitting in silence, when they were disturbed by the same Doctor that had delivered the fatal news about George.
"Mr Fortenberry, Ms Williams? *Hoyt raised his head, his eyes puffed red and bloodshot* George would like to see you both"
"I thought it was one person at a time?" Amy quizzed.
"I can make this one exception" he offered a small smile.
Hoyt nodded gently and took Amy's hand and followed the Doctor to the room that George and Betty were in, silently thanking the Doctor that he had his own room, but feeling defeated knowing that this is what happened when the patients didn't have very long to live, he suddenly felt like a broken man. Doctor Wilson stopped ahead of the door and indicated to Hoyt and Amy as they entered the room. Betty was sat next to George's bed, his hand grasped tightly in her husband's. His words slurring quietly from his lips as an oxygen mask covered his face. George's eyes brightened as Hoyt entered the room, letting go of Amy's hand he moved to the free side of the bed and took George's free hand into his own.
"Hey old man, you got us all worried there" Hoyt forced a smile onto his face, his eyes dripping fiercely with tears.
"T-T-They....t-they said that i-i don't have much......time" gasping for breath as he forced the words out before taking another large breath of oxygen from the mask.
"You know these doctor's, they sometimes get it all wrong, they make mistakes. You see it on the TV all the time" he smirked.
"Don't you back talk me boy..I-I-I may be ole, but i ain't...stupid" he smiled softly as he was overcome with a coughing fit.
Betty sat opposite Hoyt, attempting to smile, but failing as she dabbed away at her free falling tears with her handkerchief.
"H-Hoyt, I need you to promise me something" George whispered.
"Anything!" the words flew out of Hoyt's mouth quicker than he expected.
"Y-Your a good boy Hoyt...I have been glad to call you my son. I-I need you to look after Betty for me. She needs youuu" the words barely a hushed whisper as he took another gasp from his mask.
"Oh George" Betty's words fell into a silent cry as her tears fell more freely now.
"I-I promise George" Hoyt had to fight to keep himself from breaking down on the spot, this was happening.
"Look, Look after my boy Amy" he smiled at Amy.
"Always" she rested her hand on Hoyt's shoulder.
"Let me go, now. Let me go" he said, his voice becoming more quiet as he let her mask slide back onto his face.
"Daddy's coming home Daryl" his words faded into a silence, as his eyes gently closed, his chest rising and falling shallowly as he took his last breath and then stopped. All that filled the silence was the sound of the heart monitor as it faded into a flat line on the screen. Then all barriers broke free, Betty's slowly raised from her chair, her hand still clasping her husband as she laid over and gently kissed his cheek.
"Rest now my love" she smiled softly as her tears trickled down her cheeks, seeing this only encouraged Hoyt to stop fighting his tears as they flowed from his puffed red eyes.
"Bye George" his words an almost silent whisper as he laid his head on the bed, his hand around George's.
Remembering George's last words.
Daddy's coming home Daryl
Hoyt Fortenberry gripped Amy's hand as he rushed down a corridor of the hospital corridor, his hand gripping tightly around Amy's. A thin beading of sweat had formed on his brow as he searched every room as he rushed down the corridor. Coming upon a reception, he stopped immediately.
"Ex-Excuse me, I am looking for a George Hamilton. He was brought in earlier?" Hoyt's voice managed to force out the words.
"One moment sir" the receptionist tapped rapidly on her computer and waited for a moment.
"Yes, George Hamilton, ICU. Down the hall and to the right" she smiled softly.
"Thank you" Hoyt nodded and proceeded to run down the corridor with Amy in tow, running past a few nurses, he and Amy ran into a waiting, scanning the room he found Betty huddled in a corner by the water fountain.
"Betty!" Hoyt offered a small smile as he dropped Amy's hand, as he rushed over to Betty and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Hoyt dear, I am so glad your hear" she smiled back, her cheeks still heavily wet, her eyelashes glistening from her tears.
"Have the doctors said anything?" Amy asked, trying to get her breath back from the running.
"No,nothing. They took him through. George has not been well for weeks. I told him to go to the doctor, but would he listen to me? No. He's a stubborn old fool, now I know where Daryl got it from" forcing a smile across her face.
"He will be alright Betty" Hoyt offered a reassuring smile, hoping to comfort her.
Betty nodded silently as they sat in silence for a moment, when they were disturbed by a Doctor walking towards them, jolting out of their silence, Hoyt stood from his chair, but kept a firm hand in Betty's.
"Doctor? Is George alright?" he jumped in.
The Doctor paused for a moment as he held a clipboard in his hand, scanning through the pages on it, he lifted his head to look at them all. He was a young Doctor, tussled brown hair and stubble on his chin.
"Mrs Hamilton?" he looked directly at Betty.
"Y-Yes" she stood from her chair, latching onto Hoyt's arm.
"We should take this in my office" he said quietly.
"No, here is fine. Is George going to be alright?" she said sternly to the Doctor whose name ended in Wilson.
"Mrs Hamilton, I am afraid your husband's cancer has returned, it has spread to his liver, lungs and his lymphatic system *they all look on confusingly* His bloodstream" he finished.
Betty's mouth was gaped open, her hand caressing her cheek as she sat back down in her chair. Hoyt's hands ran through his hair, Amy had moved to sit by Betty and took her free hand into her own.
"How long does he have Doctor?" Hoyt asked, afraid of what the Doctor would say.
"In cases such as George's, its impossible to tell. It could be days, it could be weeks. But that is my professional opinion" the Doctor replied.
"In your professional opinion?" Hoyt's heart felt like it had jumped into his throat, blinding him unable to speak.
"Some cases may be different, but from George's results. It could be hours. The cancer is very advanced for his age. The only thing we can do is make him as comfortable as possible. We have sedated him to make him comfortable, he will feel no pain" the Doctor nodded to them all.
"C-Can we see him?" Amy asked, both Amy and Hoyt had become very close to both George and Betty, Hoyt more, he had grown to see George as a father that he never had and had always wanted.
"He is heavily sedated, but yes. But one at a time" the Doctor replied.
Betty stood from her chair, her legs had become very unstable. The Doctor had extended his arm and Betty had latched onto it, gripping his forearm tight in her hand as she took small steps as the Doctor led her through a set of double doors to her husband George.
Hoyt felt his body become heavy as though someone had struck him in the chest, his body paralyzed with fear as he collapsed onto the chair that Betty had been sitting in. His hand sought out Amy's and she gripped his hand tight and caressed his hand with her thumb. Hoyt's eyes had already begun to fill up with tears, forcing them, fighting them to stop from falling. He couldn't break down now, he had Betty to think of, she needed him to be strong.
"H-Hoyt, I am so sorry" her words barely a whisper.
"I never had a father...I never knew my biological father. George is all I have Amy. And now I am loosing him too" his words blubbered
"I know, but, but at least he won't be in anymore pain" trying to reassure him, but Hoyt knew there was nothing that she could say to comfort him.
Hoyt remained sitting in silence, when they were disturbed by the same Doctor that had delivered the fatal news about George.
"Mr Fortenberry, Ms Williams? *Hoyt raised his head, his eyes puffed red and bloodshot* George would like to see you both"
"I thought it was one person at a time?" Amy quizzed.
"I can make this one exception" he offered a small smile.
Hoyt nodded gently and took Amy's hand and followed the Doctor to the room that George and Betty were in, silently thanking the Doctor that he had his own room, but feeling defeated knowing that this is what happened when the patients didn't have very long to live, he suddenly felt like a broken man. Doctor Wilson stopped ahead of the door and indicated to Hoyt and Amy as they entered the room. Betty was sat next to George's bed, his hand grasped tightly in her husband's. His words slurring quietly from his lips as an oxygen mask covered his face. George's eyes brightened as Hoyt entered the room, letting go of Amy's hand he moved to the free side of the bed and took George's free hand into his own.
"Hey old man, you got us all worried there" Hoyt forced a smile onto his face, his eyes dripping fiercely with tears.
"T-T-They....t-they said that i-i don't have much......time" gasping for breath as he forced the words out before taking another large breath of oxygen from the mask.
"You know these doctor's, they sometimes get it all wrong, they make mistakes. You see it on the TV all the time" he smirked.
"Don't you back talk me boy..I-I-I may be ole, but i ain't...stupid" he smiled softly as he was overcome with a coughing fit.
Betty sat opposite Hoyt, attempting to smile, but failing as she dabbed away at her free falling tears with her handkerchief.
"H-Hoyt, I need you to promise me something" George whispered.
"Anything!" the words flew out of Hoyt's mouth quicker than he expected.
"Y-Your a good boy Hoyt...I have been glad to call you my son. I-I need you to look after Betty for me. She needs youuu" the words barely a hushed whisper as he took another gasp from his mask.
"Oh George" Betty's words fell into a silent cry as her tears fell more freely now.
"I-I promise George" Hoyt had to fight to keep himself from breaking down on the spot, this was happening.
"Look, Look after my boy Amy" he smiled at Amy.
"Always" she rested her hand on Hoyt's shoulder.
"Let me go, now. Let me go" he said, his voice becoming more quiet as he let her mask slide back onto his face.
"Daddy's coming home Daryl" his words faded into a silence, as his eyes gently closed, his chest rising and falling shallowly as he took his last breath and then stopped. All that filled the silence was the sound of the heart monitor as it faded into a flat line on the screen. Then all barriers broke free, Betty's slowly raised from her chair, her hand still clasping her husband as she laid over and gently kissed his cheek.
"Rest now my love" she smiled softly as her tears trickled down her cheeks, seeing this only encouraged Hoyt to stop fighting his tears as they flowed from his puffed red eyes.
"Bye George" his words an almost silent whisper as he laid his head on the bed, his hand around George's.
Remembering George's last words.
Daddy's coming home Daryl
