A Bit Worried

My cell phone rang at 6:40 this morning. When I saw it was from my father's cell, my stomach clenched as I answered it. It was my mom, sounding chipper and in control but in a very forced way. Not a good sign.

"We're at the hospital. Your father started having severe abdominal pain last night so we took him to the ER."

To be honest, I was still in bed when she called (having already decided to take the late train) and wasn't entirely awake. I think I managed to blurt out "what?" but she just kept going.

"The doctors don't know what's wrong with him. They did a CAT scan and his appendix is fine. He doesn't have diverticulus. They have him on antibiotics and morphine. I don't know, I think I'm going to go home and get some sleep for a bit. Plus Braddie [their cat] is locked in the house and needs to be let out. Anyway, I'm just letting everyone know what's going on. Are you on the quiet car?"

"What? No, I'm en route to the train station."

To my father: "What is that beeping sound? Why did that just start beeping? I think we need to call a nurse. Deirdre, I have to go." Click.

Ugh.

I'm at work but I'm not really getting much done. And I need to stop googling "severe abdominal pain" because it's starting to freak me out.

I called my brother Dan a little while ago (because he is the calm one in the family)--he'd spoken with Colin, my other brother, who was at the hospital but didn't have much new information. The doctors were talking about exploratory surgery but they've tabled that for now.

Double ugh.