She never liked to bother him when he was watching television.
She’d been feeling chest pains on and off for weeks, but never said anything. She didn’t want to make a fuss. That night, when the pains came on as she stood peeling potatoes, she thought about letting him know. After a while it eased and she was pleased that she didn’t have to worry him. She was pleased because she didn’t want to bother him, especially when he was watching television. He loved his television. Any way, it was probably nothing.
It was her daughter who found her lying unconscious on the kitchen floor when she got home from work. She rang for an ambulance immediately. She called out to him. The television was very loud. He didn’t respond, but she figured it was better to stay with her mother until the medics arrived.
The yelping siren of the vehicle as it pulled up was particularly annoying and he had to reach for the control to increase the volume. Then, when it stopped abruptly, he had to adjust the sound again. He found it annoying. The ambulance officers were very efficient and in no time had her on a stretcher and into the vehicle, while her daughter quickly updated her father with what was going on. He hit the pause button. Quite naturally, he was gobsmacked.
In a panic, she said she couldn’t stop to tell him more because she wanted to ride in the ambulance with her mother. He sat listening to the ambulance’s wail as it grew quieter. A short spell of self-reflection told him that watching television was something of an obsession.
He felt obliged to follow the ambulance to the hospital.
He would do that, as soon as the episode was finished.