Super Heroes Continued...

A couple hours later we received a phone call from my dad’s friend Dave who was at Lake Powell with him at the time of the stroke. The past few days that they had been in Lake Powell they had experienced horrible weather. It was so bad that they had to dock at a beach in a canyon for two days. On the day of my dad’s stroke, my dad’s friend Frank ended up taking a friend to the clinic at Lake Powell. They took the speed boat they had with them and made their way to the marina despite the fact it was dangerous. That morning my dad had woken up and went to use the restroom. It was at this time my dad had his stroke and collapsed. Dave and Lee, another friend, could hear my dad and found him on the bathroom floor. They picked him up and moved him to a near by bed. With the weather being so bad, and the speed boat gone, all they could do was radio for help. In the meantime, Frank was waiting at the clinic. As he was waiting he could hear Lee over the radio that was in the clinic. He heard that my dad had a stroke and that he needed to be flown to a hospital. It was at this time when Frank contacted my mom.

On that same day we received another informative phone; this time from my uncle. He called to tell us that he was on his way to Denver to come see my dad. After he spoke with my mom, he asked to speak with my dad. Due to my dad being hearing impaired, he cannot hear on cell phones. So my mom put the cell on speaker phone. My dad began to talk to my uncle. My uncle told him that he was on his way. My dad, still not understanding the severity of the situation, told my uncle that he would see him soon. My uncle told my dad that he loved him. As he told my dad this he began to cry, followed by my mom, ending with me. At this point I got up and left the room. I didn’t want to cry, least of all in front of people.

On my second full day in Denver, my uncle finally arrived. I was alone with my dad and my uncle in the hospital room, but it was as if it were just me and my uncle. My uncle begins to explain to me he had the week off for a vacation in Oregon. I felt bad because instead of being on his vacation, he was here. But my dad's stroke wasn't really why he didn't go to Oregon. The day before my dad had his stroke, my uncle's wife explained to him that she wanted a divorce. As if I did not have enough on my mind, I had to deal with my uncle's instable life. He also tells me that I am the first person he has told since it has happened. Within twenty four hours of his wife asking for a divorce he finds out his brother has had a stroke. He might as well have walked onto the highway in front of a full speed bus. It became awkward for me, I felt stuck, and I didn’t know what to say. Thankfully my mom and a nurse walked in. This gave me a moment to slide out.