Cash's Journey : Episode 2 - Hospital visits, not asking the right questions

Long Days at the Clinic

I spent countless hours at the clinic with Cash over the next few days. My son, Aleks, joined me so he could see his buddy and cheer him up. Cash was still up on the emergency table, hooked up to IV fluids, anti-inflammatory medications, and painkillers. We brought him a blanket from home—something familiar, something that smelled like us—so he knew we were there. All we could do was sit with him, pet him, massage him, and talk to him, hoping to ease his fear and remind him he wasn’t alone.

A Silent Battle

Despite the medications, Cash wasn’t himself. He was unresponsive, his eyes stayed closed most of the time, and when they did open, one eye looked right while the other looked left, his pupils uneven in size. He was still, too still. It was clear he had a concussion—he probably felt like he had the worst headache of his life. And yet, the most frustrating part was the uncertainty.

Conversations with the Vet

Talking to the doctors was difficult. They were busy with other patients, and updates were brief—Cash was on meds to bring down swelling and keep him comfortable. X-rays confirmed no broken bones, which was a relief, but they couldn’t show the extent of the damage to his spinal column or nervous system. Answers were vague. "He needs time," they said. But how much time? And would it be enough?

The Questions I Didn’t Ask

If I had been thinking more practically, I would have asked the hard questions. Will Cash recover? What’s his prognosis? Maybe I didn’t ask because I was afraid of the answers. Maybe I wasn’t ready to hear them. My heart told me to focus on his comfort, on being there for him, on hoping for the best. But the weight of the unknown sat heavy on my chest.

Holding Onto Hope

Despite everything, I refused to let fear take over. I clung to the small things—the familiar blanket, the gentle touches, the whispered reassurances. If time was what Cash needed, then time was what we would give him. Because no matter what the future held, one thing was certain: he wouldn’t go through it alone.