Narrative: What If You Mean A Nursing Home

For Roy, the next three days past by almost too quickly, while at the same time, seemed to crawl past. So many questions were racing through his mind, though he didn't voice them out loud in fear of causing Jo more worry. What he didn't realize was that Joanne was thinking many of the same thoughts. Johnny was such a huge part of their family for both them and their children.
All Roy could do was think of the same questions, over and over: What if Johnny didn't recover? What if something happened and the worse came to worse, how would they all deal with it? What would happen if he didn’t wake up? What if Johnny was stuck in his past forever? Where would he go? How would the kids react? How would Johnny react if he did recover, but only partly? What if Johnny couldn't be part of the paramedics anymore and realized it?
Joanne had many of the same questions Roy had and her mind kept wandering back to the first days when she met John. Even though Johnny had avoided coming home with Roy for a while, after finding out that Roy had chosen him for a
partner, she had insisted on meeting him. According to Roy, it was a tough sell because he didn't want to bother her considering the fact Jennifer had just been born.
Joanne still wished she could have a do-over with their first meeting. Roy had never told her how old Johnny was and the fact that he had finished near the top of his paramedic class didn't factor into her opinion. Jo had actually asked him how old he was and was surprised that he was just four years younger than Roy at 21 years of age. Unlike Roy, he had entered into the fire service at 18 whereas Roy had spent 2 years in the military before joining.
However, despite her somewhat snobbish attitude towards him, he was unfailing polite. Johnny did seem uncomfortable with the kids and Chris wasn't too sure what to make of him either. When Roy placed Jenny in his arms, claiming he needed 'field practice', she almost scolded the both of them, but was too stunned that her daughter didn't start yelling. Instead, Jenny simply stared at him, almost daring him to move. She watched as he just stared back and something inside of him seemed to unlock a bit as he smiled at Jenny.
If he and Jenny had a bonding moment, that would have surely been it since she grabbed his finger as best as she could and didn't want to let go, Joanne smiled at the mental picture. Even Chris seemed to sense the change. It still was a while until Johnny felt comfortable around us, but if anything, he came to their house for the kids.
In the end, the memories of the last decade of their lives with Johnny had both Roy and Joanne coming to the same conclusion: Some way, somehow, they would do their best to help Johnny live the best possible life as long as Chris and Jenny could handle it. Neither one could foresee a life where Johnny wasn't in it in some way.
The second day into Johnny’s drug induced coma, Joanne and Roy had a break from their continuous thoughts when Joe Early stopped by to talk to them. Any free time Joe had had over the last couple days, he had devoted to researching possible options and ways of helping Johnny. When he determined what he felt was the best plan of action, Joe decided it might be best to meet with the couple at their house, knowing his suggestion wouldn’t go over well. Ringing the doorbell, he braced himself.
“Hi, doc,” Roy greeted. “Come on in and make yourself comfortable. Jo is getting us some coffee.”
“Thanks for letting me come here,” he said gratefully.
“No problem. We do admit we are curious,” Jo told him as she entered carrying a tray of coffee.
“Well, as I told you, Johnny is still doing fine,” assured Dr. Early while he fixed himself a cup. “I do have a place in mind that I’d like you check out if things don’t go the way we hope.”
“You mean a nursing home,” Roy said flatly.
“An adult care home, actually,” he corrected. “It’s similar to a nursing home, but it’s for younger adults with special needs. They are designed for people with injuries like Johnny and can provide the care he may need. It can be on a short-term or a long-term bases.”
“So, in other words, an adult nursing home,” Roy raised his voice slightly as he grew angry.
“I understand that it is not an ideal solution, but it is a realistic one,” Joe sighed. “And right now, we aren’t even sure this is something that will be needed, but it is something you and Joanne should look into.”
“Doctor Early, no offense, but the way you are making it sound is that you don’t have much hope that this…issue, or whatever,” Jo waved her hand around, almost spilling her coffee. “Will go away.”
“No, I don’t,” Joe admitted softly. “At least not until John’s brain is fully healed and at best, that could take
months.”
“He belongs with us, his family who loves and cares about him. Not with some strangers that never knew him. Both Roy and I talked to Chris and Jenny about what happened and what could happen. When they found out that it was possible he may never regain his memories and that it was mentioned that it might be best if he was put into a nursing home, they begged us to make sure it didn’t happen.” Joanne’s voice took on a fierce tone, “We all love him way too much for that to happen. He needs to be with family. The kids know it will mean things will be different, that they will have to be an older sibling to him, but as both stated, they have always wanted a younger sibling so might as well be one who they already love.”
“Jo, are you sure? I mean, how would you handle basically three kids?” Joe was amazed at his family and the love they shared for one another.
“Well, I have already raised two six year olds, at least this time, I’d know what to expect. If he never changes, I will love him just how he is. It is simple as that. He will have to follow the basic family rules, but I really believe it could work.”
“Well, doc, I think you heard my wife,” Roy smiled smugly.
“It will be a lot of responsibility, Joanne.”