Getting Around To Things And Us

The list of possible things we could do in Tucson before leaving 'permanently' is long enough that we've started to ignore part of it. One of those things is placing a pin on the timeline of life with regard to 'the boys'.

In other words, having a good time with them in some meaningful way as a way of 'finding our way back' when we see them again.

(Metaphors seem to be the only way to say this.)

Theresa and I have vaguely tried to make plans, but something has interfered: Nick and Nariana coming for Sunday dinner, for example. So it has happened. Today provided the opportunity. I think it was a gift, of sorts.

What happened was that Gilbert, poor lad, collapsed and went into convulsions at church. He was 'guarding' the door during Sacrament, and suddenly went down. I, sitting toward the back and directly behind the Paulls where we usually sit, must have heard him going because I turned around just as he landed - hard - and started twitching.

Many people went to his aid. They called 911, who came discreetly. Mike went to be with him at the back of the chapel and was there when they got him up. They took him out and that's all we knew for a while. Then Mike came back in and got Theresa, who asked me to make sure the boys were behaving themselves.

They were. They were quite sobered. Eric wanted to know what was going on, Jose was crying, Keenan kept an eye on the door, Gabe, when he was finished passing Sacrament, sat down and looked sad. It was a tender moment. I told them what little I knew (minus the convulsions). Mike and Theresa didn't return. The boys remained exemplary.

After Sacrament Mtg we went out in the hall and saw Gilbert sitting, obviously sorely afflicted, in a classroom, with several attendants (but not the EMTs). Mike came out and told us he had knocked out 3 or 4 teeth when he went down, but otherwise he was ok. They were hoping to get to an oral surgeon to have the one intact one put back in. I asked about the convulsions. It turned out no one had seen those. So whoever was in attendance decided it would be a good idea for Gilbert to go to the hospital and get checked out. Mike handed me his Sunday School lesson (well prepared and as it turned out, very easy to use) and he and Theresa took Gilbert to the hospital. On their way out one of them asked us to bring the boys home.

When church was over, I collected the boys, who wanted to know what was going on. We didn't know much. Then Theresa called and told us that Gilbert had a lot of anti-anxiety meds being dripped into him, plus a fair amount of IV, and was having various analyses done. But despite the drug he was still convulsing intermittently. She told us that if we got the boys home, Mike would be at the house by the time they got there (since they can't be left alone). So we arranged for Bro and Sis Claridge to take Jose and Gabe, and we took Eric and Keenan.

That gave us time for some great conversation, which I thoroughly enjoyed. For one thing I found out that Keenan had gotten and tremendously enjoyed his special box from the Martells.

It took us a while to get to their house and Mike was there to meet them. A few minutes later the Claridges arrived with the other two. We spent a few minutes chatting and left for home. An hour or so after we arrived Mike called to say that Gilbert's tests were all negative and that he'd be coming home in an hour.

An hour later or so Theresa called to report that they were home. The Ritalin that Gilbert takes has a side effect of convulsions, and it had gotten too concentrated in his body because he had become dehydrated during his fast.

Because of the convulsions they were not able to put the 'good' tooth back in, so now he's ok from the fall but has to have 3 tooth implants. Poor kid!

There may be easier ways for us to find ourselves taking the time we need to get around to what should be done before we leave. As I looked across the lobby and saw the four lined up and waiting for us, I thought, these are my boys. I love them. They - and all the Paulls - are family. Maybe we will be separated but we need to take the time to link ourselves up for the gap in time when we won't be in physical proximity. I hope we can heed this lesson during these next couple of weeks.