11 The Demon
Kate crawling out of bed woke me. I sat up feeling better than I had in a long time. She grabbed my chin and kissed me. “Morning.”
I kept up as best I could when she started her yoga routine. But she wasn’t satisfied until I had worked out with the dumbbells. Then we showered.
Exercise, breakfast, and plans for the day over coffee. A quick look at Spirit Mound using Google Maps was enough to kill my hopes for the day. Meriwether Lewis and some companions trekked 14 miles in blistering heat to reach the summit. We would drive to a small parking lot at the base of the hill and walk the last mile.
The vast herds of buffalo had disappeared long ago. The legendary wee demons that attacked Native Americans but ignored Europeans wouldn’t bother us.
Kate wanted to pick our next book before we took off. After looking through the options, we settled on Louis Lamoure. I pointed to Hondo. “That’ll do.”
##
The visit to Spirit Mound began well. The day was sunny and mild. We followed a winding path lined with flowers and native plants to the top of the hill. From that vantage point, we could see what the scene might have looked like to the Discovery Corps team, except for the buffalo. And signs of creeping civilization spreading over the natural world as it metastasizes.
We left Spirit Mound for Yankton, a port city on the Missouri a half-hour west of Vermillion. The city is named for the Dakota Sioux tribe living in the area when Lewis and Clark passed through. Their Chief signed a treaty ceding tribal lands to the US government in 1858 rather than fight a no-win war. In 1861, President Buchanan issued the executive order that created the Dakota Territory and made Yankton its capital. The city has survived as a river port and as an important source of natural resources.
Yankton had nothing to offer us. We continued west toward the site where the Lewis and Clark met with the Tetons or Lakota Sioux. Our route along state highways followed the Missouri through rolling countryside. We saw small towns, farms, and ranches, but no cities.
Around noon I turned onto I90. We were about ten miles from Chamberlain. The glare of the midday sun was starting to bother me. My head had been throbbing most of the morning. The story of Hondo Lane, Angie Lowe, Chief Vittorio and his Apaches, and the pony soldiers was getting me through the drive.
When my ears began to burn, and a loud buzz made it hard to follow the narrative, I turned to Kate. The terrified look on her face told me we were in trouble. I tried to say something, but I couldn’t put the words together. My arms went limp. My hands dropped from the steering wheel. I blacked out as my head slumped forward.
##
I knew I had to get back in control before we crashed. As I fought through the fog, I became aware of Kate struggling to get me to my feet. I managed to stand even though I felt weak and unsteady. It took some time for me to figure out that we were parked on the shoulder. “What happened?” My voice sounded strange and distant.
“You had a seizure. I want you to go lie down so I can get you to a doctor.”
“I’m fine.” My mouth seemed to be full of cotton. The words weren’t coming out right.
Kate pushed me toward the back. “You’re not fine.”
My legs felt like cement blocks. I didn’t move. “I don’t need to lie down.”
“At least sit in the passenger’s seat so I can get us back on the road.”
“Where are we going?”
“Chamberlain. If I can locate a hospital. Or Pierre.”
That rang a bell. We were on our way to Chamberlain to visit the museum. I started for the Captain’s chair. Kate jerked me back into the passenger seat. “You can’t drive, Mac. I have to get you to a hospital. Just sit there. It shouldn’t take long.”
Someone was banging on the side of our RV. Kate yelled, “Just a second.” She fastened my seat belt and went to the door.
A deep male voice asked, “Is everything okay?”
“I have to get my friend to a hospital. He’s had a seizure.”
After some back and forth, the man came into the cabin and stood over me. He was a big guy with red hair and the kind of skin that never tans. “Are you okay, sir?”
I said, “Yeah. I’m fine.” But the words didn’t sound right.
He turned to Kate. “Follow me.”
We took off at top speed, a siren wailing just ahead of us.
Kate brought us to a stop at the Emergency room entrance of the Sanford Chamberlain Medical Center. People charged into the RV and lifted me out onto a gurney. They wheeled me into an ER where the examinations began.
Four doctors and two hours later, the decision was to keep me overnight for observation. Dr. Yang came into the room. He wanted to operate. “You are going to die very soon unless something is done about that tumor.”
“I want Nurse Graham in here for this discussion.”
“She’s not a nurse. She’s a nursing assistant.”
“She is legally responsible for my care,” I snapped.
“She can’t help you in this situation,” Yang countered.
“If I don’t leave here alive, she will contact my attorney, who will sue you and this facility for medical malpractice on behalf of my family.”
He stepped out of the room and returned with Kate in tow. She took a seat next to my bed. The doctor folded his arms across his chest. “Will you please explain to your client that he needs immediate brain surgery?”
She studied him. Turned to me. Turned back to him. “I’m sure you have already explained the situation to him.”
“He wants to hear it from you.”
She turned back to me. “Mac, do you need to hear it from me?”
“No,” I managed. My mouth felt like rubber, but it was beginning to work.
“Then why is she here?” Yang demanded.
“To be my witness.”
“Every minute you delay this surgery,” the doctor said in a low, threatening voice, “hurts your chances of survival.”
“What are my chances of survival?” I slurred.
“I believe you have several months or even a year if we can remove that tumor.”
“But the surgery could kill me.”
“That is highly unlikely.”
“In other words, I’ll probably leave here alive whether I let you operate or not.” Trying to debate when I couldn’t make the words come out was frustrating.
“Without the surgery, you will die in a matter of days.”
“If you put me under, my chances of dying right here and now shoot way up.”
Yang threw up his hands. “Surgery is always risky.”
“I’m not willing to take that risk. You can go ahead and discharge me.”
“You’re in no condition to leave. You need care.”
“That’s Nurse Graham’s job.”
He looked at Kate and shook his head. “I’m keeping you overnight for observation. I’ll make a decision about discharging you after I make my rounds.”
With that, he stalked out. Kate raced after him. When she returned, she sat on the bed next to me and kissed me. “Get some rest. I’ll get you out of here in the morning.”