To My Dearest Roseanne- Chapter 15
The spokesman of the Power Grid Company Ltd. Tony V. Butko has recently stated that the internal investigation into the incident concerning the explosion of a supply line in Mierzwin is still ongoing and, thus far, inconclusive. For the time being, the supply line is going to be temporarily shut down. Yet again, the spokesman stressed that there will not be any power outages across the grid from Bydgoszcz to Konin, but the citizens should expect brief brownouts. The company shall reopen the supply line as soon as possible.
Comments under the online article weren't filled with hope and trust in the authority:
"Something like that could happen only in the Land of Po."
"Japanese aspirations, African outcomes."
"Should I stock up on torches and candles?"
"You maniacs!!! You blew it up! God damn you! God damn you all to hell!"
***
Cho stopped flicking through the news updates on her phone. She wanted to find out more about the incident of her arrival, but she knew it wasn't a primary concern right now. It was early morning and she woke up Roseanne.
The girl opened her bloodshot eyes and barely managed to get up. Enzo began pulling her shirt, so she wouldn't fall over, whereas Cho brought over a cup of tea and a bowl of steaming rice.
"I know it may not be proper breakfast. But I made this yesterday and it would be a shame to throw it away," she said.
Roseanne barely had contact with reality.
"Look! You haven't eaten anything for two days! Eat something because you need to be strong for today," Cho said and started forcefully spoon-feeding Roseanne.
"Now get yourself ready. We're going!"
***
The bus was slugging for an hour until it reached the regional hospital. Cho made sure to remember the route in case she would have to get there without Roseanne.
The medical facility itself seemed more dilapidated than the county hospital. It was located in the suburbs with one block of flats and a firehouse in the vicinity. There was a massive lawn in front of the building with benches for patients and visitors. The backyard, on the other hand, functioned as a landing pad for helicopters (though it hasn't served its purpose for decades).
Cho went inside, supporting Roseanne who swayed on her knees. With the elevator, they reached the top floor, passed the ophthalmology department, and entered the general ward.
The rooms in such establishments were usually occupied by more than one patient. Liz was lying unconscious in the middle of her room, bundled up by "neighbours" on her left-hand and right-hand side.
"Oh, twins! What a surprise" said the lady neighbour who was lying on the left-hand side under a window.
"Hello," said Cho.
Roseanne said nothing. She rushed to Liz and grabbed her hand.
"Is this your mother? They brought her in yesterday. Doc told them to clean her up and all," the neighbour explained.
"Is that so?"
Cho just stood at the foot of the hospital bed and observed the scene of her alternate self tending to her mother. Cho didn't dare to approach Liz closer, even though the woman was asleep. She just stood there frozen, not really knowing what to do. She felt elation and sadness at the same time. Elation because it was a dream come true for her to see Liz. Sadness because the parent was gravely ill.
"Her skin colour is better and her hand feels warm again," declared Roseanne. Those were the first words she had spoken that morning.
"They gave your mom some meds in the middle of the night. That must be it," said the neighbour.
"We need to find a doctor right now," ordered Roseanne.
However, before Roseanne and Cho managed to leave the room, they got cornered by the hospital chaplain and his minions. Each morning, the priest was making his rounds, visiting the patients.
"Praised be the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." The priest greeted everyone.
"Amen," they responded conventionally, apart from Cho who awkwardly lowered her head and stared at the floor.
"Are you feeling better, son?" the priest asked the right-hand side neighbour.
"Of course, father,"
"Alcoholism kills, remember that."
Then, he turned to Roseanne and Cho.
"Would you like me to give last rites to the patient?"
"With all due respect, my mother doesn't need last rites at this moment," Roseanne said firmly.
Undiscouraged, the priest came up to the left-hand side neighbour.
"And how about you? Do you want last rites?"
"Father, last rites won't do me any good," the lady said.
"Why is that so?"
"You see, I was picking cherries in a field and a harvester ran me over."
The priest burst into incessant laughter.
"You must be joking," he said laughing. "Now, tell me what really happened."
"A harvester ran me over."
"Stop joking!"
"I'm not joking. I'm serious."
"Wait, seriously?"
***
It was difficult to call Doctor Fisher Michalski a real doctor because he looked more like a tourist. He never wore a medical gown; instead, he opted for a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and some fairly comfortable Air Jordans. Michalski was a man small in stature, but he was also quite fluffy around the edges. As a result, the short height and obesity created a comical effect: Michalski looked like the live-action version of the Michelin Tyre Man, but the doctor didn't mind his appearance. In fact, he had little to worry about. Having a decent lunch was the basis of getting through a workday unscathed.
It took Roseanne and Cho a good chunk of time going back and forth along the ward and asking a lot of nurses to realise that Doctor Michalski is actually Doctor Michalski, and he is an attending physician in charge of Liz's case.
Contrary to the slob of the previous hospital, he wasn't hiding in the comfort of his office. He sat with the girls in the corridor of the ward and explained the situation.
"Well, as soon as I looked at the blood results, I thought that the previous doctor mistook the effect for a cause," he said.
Roseanne looked at Michalski closely and listened to his rapper-like voice. It was difficult for her to believe this man had a medical licence.
"Yeah, malnutrition is there, and I get it that the previous team tried to treat it, but they did nothing about the cause of malnutrition." Michalski drew in the air the shape of the stomach with his hands. "The real culprit is digestion and absorption disorder."
"Oh my God!" Cho screamed.
"This is not necessarily a bad thing," Michalski said with reassurance. "I did an endoscopic exam already and it revealed an inflammation of the stomach lining. We have given your mom meds to control the acid in the stomach, and we are going to do more detailed tests. I can't make any promises, but the patient responded well to the initial treatment. We should manage the condition with medication only."
"So you think no surgery is needed?" Roseanne asked.
"At this point, there is nothing to be operated on in the stomach. I assume the patient should get better within a day."
"That's what idiots at the other hospital told me. I got played like a fool. Mom is still unconscious!"
"To tell the truth, we had to really put her under for an endoscopy. It's an invasive diagnostic measure, and we didn't want your mom to wake up in the middle of it and start choking."
"How invasive is the procedure?"
"Well, in perfect conditions, a patient should be conscious. We put a super long tube with a camera at the end of it down the throat and into the stomach to see what's inside. Some patients have no problems with that, but others, in fact, a whole lot of others gag worse than Jim Carrey."
"Jeez!" Roseanne jumped on her seat. Upon hearing this, she felt a dizzy spell kicking in and vomit creeping up her throat as well.
"Calm down, Roseanne," said Cho. "From what the doctor says, things aren't that bad."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Roseanne stormed out of the corridor and disappeared into Liz's room. Cho stayed on and reached out her hand to Michalski. "If I may, I would like to thank you for your honesty and for taking the time to talk with us. It's a rarity in your posh profession."
"Hah, I don't step on the tails of my colleagues, but you can say it's a posh profession." Michalski shook Cho's hand. "By the way, your mom must be proud of you two. You are beautiful twins."
"Oh, thank you. I'm still getting used to that!" Cho said before realising what escaped her mouth.
Michalski gave the girl a puzzled look and walked away.
Slowly toddling into the rays of sunlight, Cho went back to the patients' room. The alcoholic neighbour and a harvester victim went to watch some TV in a canteen. Roseanne was sitting alone by her mother's bedside.
"Come... Come on in!" Roseanne urged her with a hand gesture.
Cho made a step forward.
"Listen, it's still beyond me that you're here and you're real, but I wanted to say thanks. You got me through the last two days."
"It's not a problem, really. What matters is your mom's health," Cho said.
Roseanne gave Cho a long stare and eventually asked, "Are you a fairy?"
"Excuse me?"
"You came out of nowhere when I was alone, and I'm afraid you'll be gone by the time things get back to normal."
"Most certainly, I am not a fantastical being. I am very much my own me, Rose Ann Cho. I have my own life, passions, and dreams, but... it's difficult to describe... I came here out of my own volition. I went into the magical tornado for lack of a better word. But I don't know how, when or if ever I'll be able to get back... For the time being, I'd love to stay with you if you allow me."
Roseanne stood up, spread her arms, and hugged Cho tightly. The girl from another universe did not see that coming.
"The twin sister I've never had... Cho Juzynski," Roseanne turned to the sleeping Liz. "Can you believe it, Ma? I have a sibling."
Liz was breathing steadily and peacefully.
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