Page 62 of Surrender

My father was suffering from a blocked artery and a brain bleed from how hard he hit his head when he fell. He was in surgery and had been since we got to the hospital.

“Baby,” Jacob said, gently taking my arm. “Come sit down for a second.”

Reluctantly, I allowed him to lead me over to a chair. He took a seat beside me and wrapped his arms around me. I felt his lips at my temple as he gently rubbed my arms.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” he whispered.

“What if it’s not? What if he doesn’t make it out of surgery? What if… oh God, what if he dies, Jacob?”

I burst into tears all over again. Things couldn’t end like this. They just couldn’t.

The doors of the waiting room opened and in walked Jacob’s parents with Jessa and Myra in tow.

“You told them?” I asked, sniffling.

“I figured y’all could use all the support you could get. We’re family.”

“Is everything okay?” Mrs. Mitchell asked.

“He’s in surgery,” Jacob answered.

She nodded as she turned to my mother and stooped to hug her. They went down the line hugging us and offering words of encouragement. His parents hugged me a little longer, both of them kissing my temples. When they released me, Myra and Jessa embraced me tightly.

“We got you, boo,” Myra said. “He’s gonna be just fine.”

“How about a prayer?” Jacob offered.

No one was opposed to that. I went to my mother and helped her to stand. She’d just been sitting there looking distraught. She had been with my father for so long, I wasn’t sure how she would handle it if his eyes closed before hers.

We formed a circle and joined hands. As tears streamed down my face, I gripped Jacob’s hand. It fell quiet as he began to speak.

“Father God, we come to You in the midst of our sorrows asking that You keep Your hands on Mr. Lewis and Your arms around this family. We ask You to guide the skillful hands of those who work diligently to ensure his care and survival. As we pray for Mr. Lewis, we also pray for his wife and children. may their faith in you never waver during this trying time. God, we know that You alone have the final say and that You make no mistakes. We humbly ask for a miracle, and if a miracle isn’t possible, we ask for comfort. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

“Amen.”

Beside me, my mother lifted her head. She went to Jacob and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He didn’t say anything; he simply embraced her.

“Family of Maury Lewis?”

We looked up to see the doctor standing in the waiting room, looking around. My mother waved her over.

“How is he?” she asked.

“He’s stable. We were able to restore the blood flow to his heart and stop the bleeding in his brain. He has a long road ahead of him, but we expect him to make a full recovery.”

“Oh, thank God! Can we see him?”

“Give us a little bit to get him into recovery. I must warn you, we decided to sedate him for a few days to give him time to heal. We’ll slowly bring him out of it.”

My mother nodded.

“I’ll send a nurse to get you when he’s settled. You can go back two at a time. He needs his rest, so no more than ten minutes right now.”

“Thank you.”