MARTY was taken out of the ambulance and wheeled into the lobby of the hospital on the way to the emergency room. At the same time the Parkers drove the McFlys to the hospital after hearing the news about Marty from the Browns. Doc and Calpurnia barely arrived when they both saw Lorraine in her husband’s arms crying.
“How’s Marty?” asked Doc.
“He’s in surgery now.” said George, “It could be hours before we find out.”
“Oh no, not Marty. Please God not Marty.”
The visitors turned around to see Jennifer in her hospital garb running down the hallway to the waiting room being pursued by a nurse.
“Miss Parker.” she said “Please return to your room.”
“Jennifer!” said Jerry.
“Please.” said Jennifer, “Tell me what’s going on? How’s Marty?”
“Ma’am.” insisted the nurse, “Will you please return to your room or the doctor will have to sedate you.”
Meanwhile, Calpurnia asked “Who’s is she?”
“That’s Jennifer Parker.” said Doc, “Marty’s girlfriend.”
The nurse was trying to drag Jennifer back to her room but Jennifer broke free only to run into Doc.
“Listen Jennifer.” said Doc, “Do what the nurse told you. Go back to your room.”
“No.” said Jennifer, “I want to know what happened to Marty.”
Doc whispered in her ear “It’s something that I don’t want his folks to know.”
Realizing that it had to do with time travel Jennifer asked “What did you tell them?”
“I told them that he was buying a costume for a party but decided to use a real sword instead of the plastic things.” said Doc, “Now go back to your room.”
“Dr. Brown.” said Calpurnia, “Let me talk to her.” Turning to Jennifer, she said “Jennifer. Do you know who I am?”
“No.” said Jennifer, “Who are you?”
“Jennifer my name is Calpurnia.”
Jennifer looked around. Then, she whispered “Aren’t you the one who was married to…”
“Yes.” hushed Calpurnia, “But not so loud. Come, I’ll tell you all about what Marty did but first go with the nurse back to your room.”
For the sake of satisfying her own curiosity, Jennifer did.
“Doctor Brown.” said Calpurnia, “If you could excuse me.”
“Alright.” said Doc, “But wait till Jennifer is tucked in her bed. Then, you could go. Meanwhile, why not meet the family.”
So she followed Doc back to the waiting room where the family sat.
Putting her hand on Lorraine’s shoulder she said “Mrs. McFly. My name is Calpurnia. I’m a cousin of Dr. Brown’s.”
Lorraine looked up. Despite her face being tear stained, she still bore the resemblance of her servant Lorrainia but she aged thirty years.
“Calpurnia.” said Lorraine, “I know you from somewhere but where?”
Realizing that they both met before in 1955, Calpurnia said “You met my mother before. She visited Hill Valley over thirty years ago.”
“Yes.” said Lorraine, “I remember. My God, you look some much like her. And you’re related to Calvin Klein.” Turning to George, she said “You remember Calvin Klein don’t you?”
“Of course, Lorraine.” said George.
“He looked so much like Marty.” said Lorraine. And then, she began to cry again.
Calpurnia comforted her saying “I lost someone recently.”
“Did you?” asked Lorraine.
“Yes.” said Calpurnia, “He was my husband. One night I had this dream about him being murdered somewhere and told him not to go there. But he didn’t listen and he was murdered.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” said Lorraine.
Then, the nurse came back asking “Is the a Calpurnia somebody here?”
Calpurnia got up and said “Yes, that’s me.”
“Miss Parker wants to talk to you.”
“Miss…?”
“That’s Jennifer.” said Doc whispered to Calpurnia.
“Alright.” said Calpurnia. She got up and was escorted to Jennifer’s room.
Upon arriving, Jennifer was tucked in her bed. But she was crying and was worried about what was to happen next to Marty.
Calpurnia knocked on the door and said “Jennifer.”
“Calpurnia.” asked Jennifer, “Any word about Marty yet?”
“Not yet.” said Calpurnia, “Listen about Marty. He went back in time to my year to buy you a get well gift. He said he learned this idea in class and remembered what he saw his first time here. I ran into him in the jeweler’s store and told him that it could be the last one and put a new one on order. The jeweler said it would take a week which would be no problem for Marty knowing that he had a time machine and all he had to do was to jump one week ahead in time. But Dr. Brown’s two sons came along and I saw them and wanted them to spend the week there knowing that I had only one chance to play mother. But one of the house servants turned out to be working for the conspirators who murdered my husband and informed them about the two boys. Before I knew it, I was kidnapped along with those two boys and Marty had to come along and rescue them. He got into a fight with Brutus and was wounded. We tried to escape with Marty but someone shot the time chariot with an arrow and it was only capable for one usage and that was for the trip back to this time. Oh the gods, if only I allowed Marty to jump ahead to that one week in time to get that gift this wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn‘t been stranded here in this time.”
“All of this because of my eating disorder.” said Jennifer, “My God, what have I done?”
“Jennifer.” said Calpurnia, “Everything’s going to be alright.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I want to be there when he comes out of the operating room and taken to his room.”
“We’ll have to take it up with your doctor. Now get some rest.”
She kissed Jennifer on the forehead.
++++++
When she returned, Doc said “We’d better go. It’s going to be dinner soon.”
“I would like to stay here.” said Calpurnia.
“No.” said Doc, “We’ll come back later. There should be some progress on Marty by then.”
After that, Calpurnia agreed.
++++++
It was after dinner when Doc returned with Calpurnia to the hospital. The McFly’s were still there.
Doc asked George “Is there any progress on Marty?”
“Not did I know of.” said George, “He’s still in surgery.”
Then someone dressed in a surgical gown came out.
“We’ve got the sword out.” he said “Marty’s going to be fine.”
“Thank God.” said Lorraine.
“How soon until we see him?” asked George.
“He’s being wheeled into his room right now.” said the doctor, “Listen to me. He has lost a lot of blood. Despite all the transfusion he’s been given, he’s going to be out for a while. We don’t know when he’s going to remain conscious. In fact we don’t know if he will ever regain conscious.”
“You mean…?” asked George.
“Mr. McFly.” the doctor went onto say, “We’re not saying that he’s going to be a vegetable. In fact, there are people who spent years in comas who miraculously wake up and are able to talk and think after all those years. Now, there’s no brain damage but like I said he’s lost a lot of blood. Only time will tell.”
Time. said Doc to himself, What a great irony. Marty got hurt in the past. Well, time will tell alright. If only I could t ravel into the future and find out…no I can’t. If I find out that Marty will never get out of his coma, I might be forced into doing something that will prevent what happened here today. It’s too dangerous.
Doc never felt so helpless in his life.
++++++
After Marty was ready, his family was admitted in for a only few minutes. There he was with tubes sticking out all over and an I.V. containing blood pumping into his veins. On his face was a respirator mask. The was a machine monitoring his heart rate. It was a sad sight to behold.
“Oh my poor Marty,” said Lorraine, “How could this happen to you? I thought you were careful.”
Just then, Jennifer was wheeled into the room in a wheelchair. She was wearing a bathrobe.
“Marty.” she said.
Then, another nurse walked in saying “The doctor said that there’s nothing for any of you to do so you all should go home.”
There was a silent pause. And then, George said “I guess the doctor’s right. Everybody ready to go?”
Lorraine nodded in agreement as well as Dave and Linda.
Before the Parkers left, Prudence kissed her daughter saying “Good night, my baby.”
“Goodnight, Mom and Dad.” said Jennifer.
“Take care, Jennifer.” said Jerry.
After that, they too left. Doc and Calpurnia lingered behind but was also told by the nurse to leave.
“If you please.” said Jennifer, “I would like to stay with Marty.”
“Only for a few minutes.” said the nurse.
After the nurse left, Jennifer turned to Doc and Calpurnia saying “I like to thank you both for talking the doctors into letting me see him.”
“It’s only fitting that loved ones need each other in this dark time.” said Doc, “But we’ve got to go.”
“Alright you two.” said Jennifer, “Doctor Brown. Sell hello to Clara for me.”
“I will.” said Doc, “Good night, Jennifer.”
“Good night, Doctor Brown and Calpurnia.”
“Good night, Jennifer.” said Calpurnia, “Take care.”
“I will.” said Jennifer.
After that, the two left.
Jennifer turned to Marty and said “Please, Marty. Get better. I can’t live without you.”
From her wheelchair she put her head on the bar attached to the bed and started to cry.
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