Chapter 17 - Stroke
Emma and Cat were walking through the store, picking up supplies for Cat's third birthday party. Cat was determined that everything had to be cat themed because she was a cat. So they had decorations with lions, tigers, and panthers on them.
The party was going to be at Ezra and Willow's house. They had invited their family, who Emma thought of as her family too. Cat ran to the bakery excitedly, where they picked up her cake. It said Happy Birthday Cat and had little wild cats all over it.
"Cat, do you like your cake?" Emma held it down for her to see, and she clapped her little hands.
"Yes, mommy. Maw maw and pap pap?" Cat looked up at her mom in question.
"We're going to their house as soon as we leave here so we can decorate for your party. Are you ready to go?" After Emma put the cake in the shopping cart, Cat stood behind the cart with her feet on the bottom and Emma's hands over her as she pushed.
Cat and Emma sang the A, B, C song over and over while they rode. When they pulled up to the house, there was a big banner that said Happy Birthday across the front porch. There were also balloons all over the porch railing, and they could see some more around the back of the house.
Emma shook her head as they made their way to the backyard, where they could hear people talking. She had told Ezra and Willow not to go over the top, but they didn't listen as usual.
In the backyard, there were multiple picnic tables decorated in cat themes. There was also a large bouncy house and blow-up slide.
"Pap pap, maw maw." Cat ran over to them, and Ezra scooped her up.
"Hey, little Cat, are you ready for your party?" Ezra kissed her cheek as she giggled.
"I told you guys not to go overboard; she's only three." Emma hugged Willow and then Ezra.
"You know we had to make it special now that she's big enough to actually enjoy it. Besides, after cake and ice cream, you're going to want her to burn off that sugary energy." Willow smiled at Emma as she tried to think of a good explanation for all the extravagance.
"I knew you wouldn't listen to me. How can I deny her, though? Look how much fun she's having." Emma and Willow laughed, watching Cat and Ezra bouncing in the bounce house. They couldn't tell who was having more fun.
"Alright, Cat, that's all this old man can do. How about we finish setting everything up before the family gets here?" Cat took Ezra's hand as they climbed out. She was so well behaved and never threw a fit which was why he and Willow loved to spoil her.
The three adults finished decorating and setting everything up while Cat supervised. As Willow and Ezra's grandchildren began to arrive, Cat started playing with them while the adults finished setting out the food.
Once everyone was there, they sang happy birthday to Cat and then ate cake and ice cream. Afterward, Cat opened the mountain of presents, half of which Emma was sure were just from Ezra and Willow.
Things started winding down as the sun began to set, and Emma helped Willow clean up. Cat was sitting on Ezra's lap as he read her a book; both of them looked pretty sleepy.
"I can't thank you two enough for everything you have done for us these last few years. I would have been lost without you." Emma hugged Willow just as Cat ran into the room, grabbing Willow's hand.
"Maw maw, pap pap sick." Willow and Emma looked at each other in concern as Cat pulled Willow to the other room.
Ezra was sitting in a chair; at first, he looked like he was asleep, but Emma noticed one side of his face was drooping, and he was drooling. She ran to his side, felt for a pulse, and then looked at Willow.
"Call 911 now." Emma yelled. She could feel a pulse, but it was weak. She could tell he was breathing, so he didn't need CPR.
"Emma, they're on their way." Willow was crying as she walked over to her husband and held his hand. Emma was crying, too; seeing Ezra in this condition was too much for her. Cat didn't know what was going on, but she started crying as she held on to her mother.
The ambulance was there in less than five minutes, and the EMTs quickly hooked Ezra up to different machines and took him to the hospital. Emma, Willow, and Cat followed in Emma's car while Willow called her children to tell them what was happening.
When they got to the hospital, Ezra was taken straight back while Cat and the women waited in the waiting room. Emma hugged Willow as she cried, and Cat held her hand. When the doctor finally came in, they all stood up.
"Doctor, how's my husband?" Willow asked through her tears.
"He's alive, but I'm afraid he has had a stroke. He wouldn't have made it if you had called the ambulance even a minute later. That being said, his recovery is going to be long, and he may never fully recover. He's going to be in the hospital for now. Based on how he does, we'll either send him home with Home Health, or we may suggest he be admitted to a skilled nursing facility for rehab. We're admitting him into the ICU so he can be closely monitored. Do you have any questions?"
Willow stared at the doctor in disbelief as she tried to process everything he had just said. Ezra was always the strong one and very health conscious. She realized if it hadn't been for Cat coming to get her when she did, he might have died. Willow picked Cat up and hugged her tightly.
"When can we see him?" Willow asked as she continued holding Cat.
"You can go back once we get him settled. I'm afraid we can't allow children in the ICU, but once he gets moved to a regular unit, she can see him." The doctor nodded toward Cat.
"Doctor, if it wasn't for this little girl, my husband would be dead. Can she just see him for a minute, please?" Willow knew even if Ezra wasn't awake, having Cat see him would mean the world to him. The doctor sighed.
"Alright, come with me now before he goes upstairs." The doctor led them back through the emergency department to a room with a curtain. When he opened it, Emma and Willow gasped.
Ezra was lying in bed with machines hooked up all over him. Including a tube going into his mouth and multiple monitors beeping and making other noises. Emma was concerned that it would scare Cat, as she looked at Ezra with big eyes.
"Pap pap, wake up." Cat said quietly. The nurse in the room got tears in her eyes, listening to the little girl tell him to wake up.
Cat had Willow put her down, and she walked over and held Ezra's hand. Every adult in the room cried as Cat started crying and talking to him.
"Cat love pap pap. Wake up pap pap." Emma reached down and picked Cat up.
"Cat, pap pap has to rest now. We'll come back and visit him when he feels better, okay?" Emma hugged Cat as she cried. She knew Cat didn't know what was going on, but she could tell Ezra wasn't himself.
"Okay, mommy." Emma hugged Willow, and she and Cat left. They both cried the entire way home.
Ezra spent two weeks in the hospital, and Willow picked up Cat every day to take her to the hospital with her. Emma was going to use the daycare at the district attorney's office, but Willow wouldn't hear of it. She said Ezra needed Cat there to help him recover.
Once Ezra started responding, he could open his eyes but couldn't talk. His eyes did light up when he saw Cat, though. Everyone in the hospital lit up when they saw the little girl. They assumed she was his granddaughter, and no one corrected them.
When Ezra was sent home, he needed round-the-clock care, so Willow hired caregivers to stay with them. Home health was ordered for a nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist to come to their home to work with him as well.
Over the weeks, he started getting better, but it was apparent that he would never be the same. After a lengthy discussion with their family, Willow and Ezra decided to move in with their daughter and son-in-law, that lived in Ohio.
Emma was heartbroken to lose the only family she and Cat had, but she understood. Their daughter was a nurse and could assist in his care.
The day they left, all of them cried. Willow knew it would be a long time before they saw Emma and Cat again, if ever. Cat cried, only understanding that she would no longer see maw maw and pap pap. Emma tried to explain it to Cat, but she still begged them to stay with her.
Ezra couldn't speak, but he had tears running down his face seeing Cat so upset. He didn't want to leave the little girl but knew he was too much of a burden for just his wife to care for him.
After Willow and Ezra left, Emma took Cat out for pizza, but Cat refused to eat. She was so upset that her surrogate grandparents left Emma, worried she would make herself sick. When they went to bed, Emma hugged Cat, whispering in her ear.
"It's just you and me, Cat, and that's all we need. I promise to take care of you." Emma kissed her daughter's forehead as they both cried themselves to sleep.