Heart To Heart

I salam Dad, kissed his right cheek and waved goodbye.

As I left, I could see his hands waving back at me in the darkened room until after I turned the corner and out the door.

I was the last person to bid Dad goodbye. The rest of my siblings and Mom were already at the waiting area outside Ward 48, ready to go home to rest our minds after the shocking news.

Earlier, the admin process was done without a hitch. Dad, already changed and on the hospital bed and the doctor on duty had already came and examined him. Now it is up to the doctors to help make Dad better.

I sent an urgent SMS message to my boss, informing her of my urgent leave off work tomorrow to finalize the admin with the hospital's business office and to meet with the heart specialist in the afternoon.

"... Go ahead.... Take care." Was her accommodating reply.

Dad has been admitted to hospital due to a clot in his heart detected in the CT Scan. It was done on him only yesterday.

"Hello Imran, I'm Dr. Ong." the caller introduced himself from a number not familiar to me, "It's about your father...." My heart was racing. It should be something urgent to have called my cell phone instead of at the appointed consultation this Friday.

See the strange number 643681... I was ready to say "No thank you, I'm not interested." To whomever that was on that line asking me to buy an insurance of some sort because it is important for my future.

Instead I was listening to Dr. Ong explaining to me about what he and Dad's Oncologist Dr. Lo had found and what they wanted me to do promptly to not loose any more time...

"We detected a clot in his heart," Dr. Ong explained, "so your father needs to be admitted immediately for the heart specialist to help him."

The heart? We were concentrating on the tumors in his lungs. The tumor is suppose to at worst, stay the same size as the last scan or with prayers answered has shrunk! The heart?!

That explained the tingling feeling he had been having just after he started his 3rd Chemo cycle. He had that feeling consistently, varying in intensity, but at times too intense that he had to pound his left shoulder hard, Mom said.

Both Dr. Ong and Dr. Lo wanted to admit Dad immediately, so I was asked the ward class I wanted to put Dad in...

I had to call Wifey and Elder Sis to confirm that it was B2 Class - 6 bedded and without air-con. Yes, that was it, no air-con, Dad hates air-con and the fan too. He likes natural breeze just like when we were living in the kampong.

"I've left the Inpatient Admin form at the Nurse's Station," Dr. Ong called again after I confirmed with him the ward class, a speedy 5 minutes after, "I'll be here if you can bring you father early... you can get the form from the nurse and proceed to the business office to admit him without the hassle of going through A&E first."

Once my Elder Sis was told, she contacted the rest and quickly made arrangements for Second Sis' husband to get Dad off to the hospital. Promptly and efficiently done, as if like it was rehearsed before. I was proud of her.

I had the task to gently disclosing the bad news to my parents, knowing how Mom would over react and become upset and that would set Dad to be panicky and sad too.

"We have to think of what is best for Dad now." I explained to Mom with a firm voice over the phone, "He needs to be at the hospital as a precaution... the doctor knows what to do." I had to explain further because both my old folks hate hospitals, much less being warded.

Mom sobering over the phone and had calmed down somewhat. With a short pause and steady voice she asked, "What do you want us to do?" Good. That was the right question. She was cooperating so we could proceed to bring Dad to the hospital...

Look it that. A rainbow...

I saw a huge and beautiful rainbow while waiting for Dad to arrive at the hospital.

It must be a good sign from the heavens...