Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 40. Chapter 40 S2

Chapter 40 – How Will it Turn Out?

I tailgated behind the ambulance all the way to the hospital and drew more than a few nasty stares and hand gestures from the other drivers as I passed by. I also heard a few people blast their horns at me along the way, but I didn’t let any of that bother me. I was worried about Devin and wanted to stay close to him, but as I pulled in behind the ambulance as the EMTs were getting ready to unload Devin’s gurney, I received a very gruff order.

“You can’t park here. This area is for emergency vehicles only,” one of the male nurses said as he was coming out to assist the EMTs. “You have to move your vehicle and park it in the emergency room parking lot.”

Frustrated, because it was going to delay my being with Devin, I got back in the SUV and did as I was instructed. As soon as I pulled into a parking space, I got out of the SUV and raced toward the entrance hoping I would soon find out about Devin’s condition. As I passed through the automatic doors, I was quickly directed to go to one of the intake clerks, who were sitting behind a counter and a glass shields, so I could answer a few questions about Devin first.

“Can’t we do this later?” I pleaded.

“No! I need you to give me some information about the young man that was just brought in here, since I assume he’s the reason you followed the ambulance here,” the clerk responded.

“Yes, the person in the ambulance is my best friend and fiancé, and I’ll answer all of the questions for you, but I want to see him and talk to the doctor about his condition first. I need to find out if he’s going to be all right.”

“The doctor and nurses are in with him at the moment and you won’t be allowed in there until they’ve finished assessing his situation and stabilizing his condition. Seeing you won’t be able to do as you wish, please use the time to give me the information I need.”

I wasn’t happy about having to do this now, because I wanted to be with Devin so I could discover how badly he was injured and if he was going to be all right, but I relented.

“What’s the patient’s name?”

“Devin Aaron McCaskill.” I also spelled out his surname.

“What is your relationship to him?”

“Like I said previously, he’s my best friend and fiancé.”

“Can you tell me the reason why he was brought here?”

“Yes, we were at the dog park when a tree limb cracked under the weight of the accumulation of snow and it struck his head and shoulder before it reached the ground.”

“Does he live locally?”

“Yes, he does. We’re both students at CSU and we’re currently living in his grandfather’s house in Fort Collins.” I then gave her the address.

“How old is he?”

“He’s twenty.”

“Do you know if he has health insurance?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Can you tell us how we can contact his parents?”

“If you bring me his phone, I can tell you his dad’s work phone number.”

“Does his family have a home phone number as well?”

“No, they live in a cabin in a fairly remote area in the woods and there’s no phone reception there.”

“And they don’t have a landline?”

“No, they don’t, because they live so far out in the woods that the phone company isn’t willing to run a land line there unless they’re willing to pay for it to be installed. That would be expensive, since they insist it must be done underground. The same goes for cable and internet service.”

“Does he have any other family living in the same area that we can list as contacts, if we can’t reach his father at work? I know you said something about living in his grandfather’s house.”

“Again, I’d need his phone in order to give you that information.”

“So you don’t have that information if something happens at the house you’re currently residing in?”

“No, Devin has that information. The house we’re staying at has been in his family for many years and his grandfather inherited it. He stays there on various occasions, when he’s in the area, but he mostly has a caretaker who maintains the property.” I then told her where his parents and grandfather currently reside.

“Do you know if he has any medical conditions or issues?”

“There are none to my knowledge.”

“If I get your friend’s phone for you, are you positive that you can get the information for me?”

“Yes, I know his password.”

“Ok, then I think I have enough information for now and I’ll try to get his phone for you. In the meantime, I suggest you take a seat in the waiting area until someone contacts you. We’ll also be in touch if we need any additional information or if they can share any details about his prognosis with you. However, I doubt they’ll be able to tell you very much, since you’re not related.”

“But he’s my fiancé.”

“I’m afraid that doesn’t carry any weight when it comes to making medical decisions or receiving information about his condition, unless he has made you his medical proxy. Do you know if he’s filled out a ‘Living Will’?”

“No! I’ve heard that term before, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

“It’s to assign a person the status of being a medical proxy, so they can make decisions for you if you aren’t capable of doing it yourself. If he hasn’t filled one out and named you as his medical proxy, then I’ll have to speak with one of his parents or another close relative.”

I was frustrated again, but I tried to figure out a way to honor her request. I hoped they would bring me his phone soon, so I could do that.

It took about ten more minutes before an orderly brought me Devin’s phone, and I quickly punched in his password, and then I began to scroll through his contact list. I didn’t realize it at first, but he had his dad and grandfather listed by their first names, which I guess is a kind of security precaution, in case someone else got ahold of his phone. By listing them that way, the person wouldn’t know if the name listed was a relative, friend, or merely a classmate. I quickly scrolled back to ‘Aaron’ and pressed the button to call his dad’s cell phone number at work.

There was no answer and the call was sent to voicemail, so he must be with a client, or possibly he’s still at the cabin. I left a message for him to call me, as soon as possible, saying it was urgent, although I didn’t provide any specifics. I didn’t believe I should tell him that information using voicemail, because I wanted to be able to tell him what happened and answer his follow-up questions, even if I had to do it over the phone.

Since Pa hadn’t answered, I now looked for the name ‘Doris’. I didn’t find it in Devin’s contact list, so calling her wasn’t an option. I wasn’t even sure if his mother had a phone, although I knew she had a job, but maybe she wasn’t permitted to receive personal calls there.

I went back to Devin’s contact list and scrolled down until I came to the name, ‘Jacob’. I hoped he and Pa might be together at the moment and he would answer, but that didn’t happen. Instead, I left a message for him to either have Pa call me back or to call me himself, and once again I didn’t offer any details.

After I left that message, I looked in Devin’s contact list again and scrolled down to the name ‘Isaac’. I called that number next, but he didn’t answer either and the call went to voicemail as well, the same as with the others. Maybe they were all in a group meeting, possibly with a client, since Pa was also involved in their business.

Out of options, I went back to the intake clerk and told her that I’d called all three and none of them answered, so I left a message for each one to call me back. Now that she was satisfied, I went out and sat in the waiting room again hoping that Pa, Gramps, or Pops would return my call soon. I was also hoping the doctor would come out and let me know how Devin was doing.

I waited nearly another half-hour before anyone contacted me, and it happened to be the doctor who’d been in with Devin.

“Are you the person who called 9-1-1 about the young man I’m currently treating?”

“Yes, I am. How is he?”

“Are you related to him?”

“He’s my college roommate, my best friend, and my fiancé.”

“In that case, all I can tell you is that he’s stable at the moment.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“It means that I’ve seen and treated him and he’s no longer in serious trouble.”

“That’s a big help, because it doesn’t tell me how bad his situation is, or was, or if he’s conscious. Can I see him? Is he going to be all right?”

“Unfortunately, you can’t see him, since you’re not related, and like I said, all I can tell you is that he’s stable.”

“Then I don’t know any more now, than I knew when the ambulance arrived at the dog park and transported him here, except that he’s ok for now. What am I going to tell his dad when he calls me back?”

“Did you speak with him already?”

“No, I left a voicemail for him to call me.”

“Then I suggest when he calls you back that you let him speak with one of the intake clerks, because they’ll be able to get the information we need and they can tell him how his son is doing.”

“I planned on doing that already.”

“Good, then I need to go back and check on him again.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked away, so I sat down again, even more frustrated than before and still in the dark about the details of Devin’s condition. I got up a short time later to get a drink from a vending machine, because my mouth and throat were very dry, and then I sat down and waited for someone to call me back. It wasn’t until noon before I received a call, and it was from Gramps.

“Mac, I just got your message. What’s going on?” I told him the story. “I just came from the cabin, because Aaron didn’t come into work today, due to the holiday, and I needed him to clarify something for me, but I’ll go back there to fill him in and have him call you.”

“Thank you, because they won’t let me see Devin or tell me how he’s doing, other than that he’s stable.”

It was about forty minutes later before I received another phone call, and this time it was from Pa.

“My dad explained the situation to me, so what can I do before Doris and I drive there to be with him?”

“The intake clerk wants to speak with you so you can answer some more questions, and I hope they’ll also tell you how he’s doing, because then you can tell me that information.”

“Ok, give the phone to whomever I need to speak with.”

I walked back to the intake counter, but the person I had spoken with earlier was currently working with another person, so I had to wait. In the meantime, I explained the situation to Pa, and as soon as she was free, I walked up and handed her the phone.

“It’s Devin’s dad and he wants to speak with you.”

She took Devin’s phone and spoke with Pa for quite a few minutes. After asking about Devin’s medical insurance and a few other items, I overheard her telling Pa some information about Devin’s condition. She said that Devin had suffered a grade 3 concussion, which she explained meant that he’d lost consciousness for longer than five minutes. She also told him the contact with the limb hadn’t fractured his cranium, which is the medical term for the skull, so it must have been a glancing blow.

She then explained that Devin had suffered severe lacerations to the scalp and lost a substantial amount of blood, since those types of injuries generally bleed profusely. That happens because all of the blood vessels are so close to the surface and there’s a minimal amount of flesh covering the cranium.

She also informed Pa that Devin had a fractured left clavicle, or what we call the collarbone, and a fractured left scapula, or shoulder blade. Apparently, those areas had received most of the impact from the falling tree limb. Once she finished telling Pa about Devin’s injuries, she handed the phone back to me.

“He wants to speak with you.”

“Pa, its Mac.”

“Look, I’m having the woman send me a copy of a Living Will, and then I’ll take it to work so I can print it out. Once I’ve done that, I’ll fill it out and list you as Devin’s medical proxy for when Doris and I can’t be reached. That way you can get in to see him and you’ll be able to make any necessary decisions until Doris and I arrive. We trust you completely and know that you’ll do whatever is best for our son.”

“Thank you and I’ll always do whatever is best for Devin. Now, I can hardly wait until I’m able to see him.”

We then ended the call and I went back to take my seat in the waiting area again. I sat there for nearly another half hour before I heard my name being paged.

“Michael MacPherson, will you please return to the intake counter,” a disembodied voice stated. It was the intake clerk that I’d spoken with earlier and who had spoken with Pa. I walked back to the counter, stared at her, and spoke.

“How did you know my name? I only gave you Devin’s name, not mine.”

“It’s on the form the patient’s father sent back naming you as Devin’s temporary medical proxy. It means you’ll be able to see your fiancé eventually and I can tell you about his condition. I’ve also made a copy of the proxy form so you can keep the original. You should also have your fiancé sign his name above his father’s signature, to make it official. After he does that, you should take a photo of it with your phone and then keep the original form in a safe place. A hospital may accept the photo temporarily, but you may be requested to bring in the original so they can make a copy of it.”

“Thank you and I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Good, because that way you’ll be able to prove your status as your fiancé’s medical proxy in the future, and I’m also giving you an additional form so you can list him as your medical proxy. Then, he’ll be able to use it in case of a future emergency where you are the injured party.”

“Thank you and I’ll make sure to do all of those things.”

“When the patient’s father called, I believe you overheard me telling him about his son’s injuries, but now we’ll need your approval for the next step. After the doctor on duty studied the x-rays, he decided to do an MRI on the injuries to the patient’s shoulder and concluded that he needed to call in a surgeon. The surgeon wants me to send you back to your fiancé’s cubicle so he can explain the situation to you.”

She then explained how I could get there, and I was excited that I was finally going to see Devin. Unfortunately, all I could do was to barely see him, because he was out cold and had bandages wrapped around his head. As soon as I entered the cubicle, I asked the doctor about his situation.

“His current condition isn’t due to his injuries, but rather to the fact that we’ve given him anti-inflammatory painkillers and sedatives to make him more comfortable,” the doctor explained. “Now that you know this, I’ll inform you about the situation in more detail so you can make a decision about the next step I believe we should take.”

He then showed me the images from the MRI and explained what it meant, and then he told me that he needed my permission to do what he would recommend should happen next.

“I’ve studied the MRI and noted the damage to both his clavicle and scapula, and each one has been fractured.”

“His what?” I asked, since I didn’t understand.

“His clavicle, or collar bone, and his scapula, or shoulder blade, have both been fractured. I understand it occurred when the patient was struck by a falling tree limb. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Thank you for confirming that information for me. In order to mend the damage I’ll need to operate and use a plate and screws on each location area to ensure that the fractures mend properly. Once those issues have been taken care of, your friend will be required to use a shoulder immobilizer to make certain that he doesn’t aggravate those injuries further while they are healing.”

I immediately wondered if using the plates and screws would have an effect on his ability to transition later, but what else could I do? I couldn’t ask the doctor about it, and Pa wasn’t here yet, and the doctor obviously felt it was necessary to do this, so I gave him permission to operate.

Before he did the operation, however, the doctor showed me a series of photos of a shoulder immobilizer. It appeared to be a fancy type of sling that not only had a strap that went over the patient’s opposite shoulder, but it had a second strap as well. That strap went around the chest, on the outside of the sling and above the forearm. It then extended around the arm, above the elbow, in order to keep the arm from moving up and down.

“Since you’re listed as his medical proxy,” the surgeon stated, “I’ll require your signature to confirm that you’re giving me permission to operate on him.”

“Yes, of course, but I have a few questions first. How long will he be in the hospital and how long before his injuries heal so he’ll be back to normal?”

“It depends on how he responds to the surgery, but if everything goes well then we’ll probably only have to keep him here for 24 hours, maybe slightly longer. It will then take from six to twelve weeks before he’s completely healed, but it will most likely take six months until he has full use of that arm again.”

“Damn, it means he’ll pretty much be out of commission for the entire semester. He’s taking a dual major in mechanical and aerospace engineering, so I hope he’s able to keep up with his classes and doesn’t have to take the semester off.”

“You’ll have to speak with his professors about that, because I’m not sure if his majors require a great deal of physical exertion. He’ll also have to avoid direct contact to that shoulder, such as bumping into someone or an object. Am I correct that you’re also his fiancé?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then before I leave, I’ll ask one of the nurses to show you some videos about how you can help him. One will demonstrate how to help him put the shoulder immobilizer on, as well as how to take it off, and another will also show you how to assist him to safely undress and shower. There will be another video on how to make him comfortable when sleeping in a bed. If you sleep together, then he’ll have to be on the left side of the bed so you won’t accidentally bump into his injured shoulder during the night.”

“Ok, I think I can handle helping him with each of those things. Do you have any idea about how long the surgery will take?”

“Yes, the surgery itself will take approximately an hour and a half to two hours, depending on whether I encounter any complications. As I’ve already mentioned, I’ll have to use a titanium plate and screws on his clavicle and the scapula may require two plates to make certain it heals correctly. However, once I add in the preoperative preparation time and the postoperative recovery period, it could easily double the amount of time it will take before you’ll be able to see him.”

“So, you’re telling me it will take anywhere between three to four hours in total?”

“Yes, that’s how long it will be before he’s moved out of recovery and taken to his own room, and once he’s there you’ll be able to visit him.”

“I just hope I can wait that long. His parents should be here before then, so they’ll be able to help keep me company until we can see him.”

“I’m sure that will help. Please remain here while I inform the nurse about what I want her to do and which videos she’s to show you, and then she’ll come back here to get you.”

“Before you leave, doctor, I have one more question. With all of that metal you’re using to make sure his injuries heal correctly, will he set off any metal detectors when he goes through them?”

“No, and it’s why we use items made of titanium. It’s a non-ferrous metal, or non-iron based, and it has an extremely low magnetic field. In fact, its magnetic field is so minute that titanium is considered to be a non-magnetic metal and is unlikely to set off any metal detectors.”

“Oh, ok and thank you, doctor. I appreciate all of the information that you’ve given me and that you’re making sure I know how to take care of Devin once he’s released.”

“You’re very welcome and I wish you the very best while dealing with everything.”

A short time after the doctor left, a nurse came into Devin’s cubicle and asked me to follow her. She led me out of the emergency room and took me to an office with a computer. She then pulled up the first video the doctor wanted me to watch and started it. When that one ended, she loaded the next video, and then a third and a fourth until I’d watched each of them. She then asked if I had any questions about anything I’d seen and answered all of my questions. Once that had been taken care of, she led me to the surgical waiting area.

Seeing it had been so long since I’d eaten breakfast, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to see Devin for another hour or two and his parents probably wouldn’t arrive for a another half hour or more as well, I decided to go to the cafeteria to get something to eat. I only ate in order to stop the rumbling in my stomach and couldn’t even recall what I’d eaten or how it had tasted by the time I’d returned to the emergency department’s waiting room.

About 15 minutes later, I saw Ma and Pa entering the waiting room, and when they saw me, they rushed over to find out if I’d heard anything more. They both looked flushed from worrying about their son and appeared to be extremely eager to talk to me.

“How is he?” Ma asked even before she came to a stop.

I told her everything the doctor had explained to me concerning the operation and about the stipulations Devin would have to follow while he was healing. I then went into more details about the immobilizer, and when I finished, Ma asked another question.

“How much longer do you think it will be before they complete the operation?”

“I’m not sure, but the operation is probably over by now, but it will probably be another hour or two before he’ll be taken out of the recovery area and moved to his own room. That’s when we’ll be able to go in and see him.”

“Let’s hope it won’t take much longer before we can see him,” she sighed.

“Yes, I agree.”

“I’m so glad you were with him when it happened,” Ma stated as she gave me a hug.

“We’re always together when we’re here, except for when we’re in one of our classes, since we don’t have the same majors. I’m just glad that you were able to get here so quickly so you can be with him as well.”

“I’m surprised I didn’t get a speeding ticket along the way,” Pa chimed in, “but I really didn’t care if I did. We just needed to get here for Devin, so I drove as fast as the conditions allowed.”

“Were the roads slippery?”

“The main roads were pretty clear, but there were a few icy patches. It’s after we got off the highway that it got a little tricky.”

“I’m glad you got here safely and I’m sure Devin will be happy to see you, once the effects of the anesthesia wears off.”

We continued to chat until the doctor came out to speak with me again, and before he said anything, I introduced him to Devin’s parents.

“It’s nice to meet both of you, although I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances. The operation was slightly more complicated than I initially thought, but it went very well and Devin is currently in the recovery area. It will be approximately another hour before he’ll be moved to his own room, and I’ll be keeping an eye on him during that time. I’ll come out to speak with you again, once you’ll be able to be with him.”

“Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for our son,” Pa responded.

“AND me too,” I added.

After the doctor left, we all went to get a cup of coffee from a vending machine, and then we got as comfortable as possible as we sipped our drinks and talked. It was a little over an hour before the doctor returned to update us.

“Your son, and your fiancé, is being moved out of recovery and into his own room at this very moment, so someone should be coming to let you know what room he’s in. He may still be a little groggy from the effects of the anesthesia, but I expect you’ll be able to speak with him. I also expect that he’ll heal nicely, as long as he follows my instructions, and I’ve shared that information with this young man as well.”

“Yes, he told us everything,” Ma stated, “and thank you for all you’ve done for our son.”

“I’m glad I was able to help.”

The doctor then left and Devin’s parents began asking what kind of things Devin would have to do during his recovery period and what things I’d have to help him with. After I explained each of those items, they asked another question.

“Will he have to drop out of school for a semester?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to check with his academic advisor and have him ask Devin’s professors about that, and I’ll do that tomorrow.”

“It’s actually a good thing the tree limb landed on his left side,” Pa stated, “because he’s right-handed. That might make a huge difference when his professors consider whether he’ll be able to stay in school. It will also make a difference with how much he’ll be able to do in order to keep up with his classes and also take care of himself.”

“And I’ll help him with whatever he can’t do.”

“We know you will.”

When the orderly showed up to take us to Devin’s room, we were in very high spirits as we followed him there. He stopped us at the door and spoke.

“I’m only supposed to allow two of you to go in at a time, but if you’ll promise that you won’t get the patient excited, then I’ll allow all of you to go in to see him.”

We promised, but I still grabbed Pa’s arm and held him back after we entered the room, while Ma headed directly to Devin’s bedside. I’d stopped Pa because I wanted to ask him something in private; so as soon as the door had closed, I began to address him in a hushed voice.

“I wasn’t sure if I should allow the doctor to use the titanium plates and screws on both areas, because I wasn’t sure if it would have an adverse effect on his ability to transition. I couldn’t very well ask the doctor about that, and he seemed to feel that using those things was absolutely necessary, so I gave him permission to do what he thought was best. Do you think it will bother Devin when he tries to transition from now on?”

“I don’t believe it will have any effect if he’s transitioning into another person or a large animal. It may, however, limit his ability to transition into smaller animals or even birds, since I don’t know how much the plates weigh. Knowing Devin, though, I’m sure he’ll find a way to adjust so it will be just fine. Thank you for worrying about it, though.”

Relieved, I followed Pa as we went over to visit with Devin. I think we all hoped that he was doing ok and not feeling too badly, since he’d just been operated on, but he looked awful. He had bandages wrapped around his head, and there were even more bandages wrapped around his shoulder, and his arm was in the shoulder immobilizer. The upper half of his bed had been raised so he was in a quasi-sitting position, so he was leaning back slightly and there was a pillow behind his back.

Devin also had tubes sticking into his hand that was in the shoulder immobilizer, and they led to an IV bag hanging from an intravenous pole. There were wires hooked up to patches that were attached to his chest, and the other end was hooked up to a monitor that was recording his vital signs.

“I bet you wish we hadn’t gone over to check out the dog park this morning,” I said.

“You’ve got that right,” he agreed in a slightly hoarse voice. “Will I have to drop out of college this semester?”

“I’ll have to speak with your academic advisor and have him contact your professors about that before I can answer your question. When you’re ready, you’ll need to give me your academic advisor’s name and tell me which building he’s located in and the room number of his office. I’ll go speak with him about it tomorrow, and hopefully he’ll be able to help me so I won’t have to speak with each of your professors individually.”

“That’s a good idea,” he said before giving me the information I needed.

I also told him what his injuries were and what the surgeon had done to fix those problems. He then asked me a series of questions about how much he’d be able to do and how he’d be able to function in the shoulder immobilizer, and I told him what I could. After I answered those questions, he wanted to know about the more personal issues, such as how he’d be able to shower and go to the toilet, so I told him we’d work on those issues once he was back at the house. He then looked at his parents and spoke.

“I appreciate that you guys came here, but it really wasn’t necessary. Mac could have handled all of this.”

“Not at first I couldn’t. The hospital would only work with one of your relatives, and being your fiancé didn’t count. I’m not sure if that’s a state law or just a hospital policy, but your dad had to sign a form to make me your medical proxy so the hospital would let me be involved with any of this. I have it here in my pocket and I was told to have you sign it above your dad’s name to make it totally legal, and then I’ll be able to deal with any medical problems that might arise in the future.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope there aren’t any more medical problems like this in the future.”

“Oh, I understand, because I’m hoping the same thing.”

I then let Devin and his parents talk and I merely sat and listened. They asked Devin what we were doing when this happened, and his mom made a face when he told them.

“No matter how old you two get, you’re still little boys at heart,” she said sarcastically.

“Yeah, maybe, and even though we can’t be Peter Pan, we can still harbor a little Peter Pan inside of us,” Devin countered. “Even dad does it sometimes.”

“I know, and you didn’t have to tell me about that!”

“Hey, you women do the same types of things,” Pa responded. “You still play dress up, but now you do it for real, and you deal with babies like you’re playing with dolls. And don’t forget about the romance novels and rom coms (romantic comedies), because they’re just your substitutes to replace the fairy tales about princesses.”

“Let’s just agree to disagree for now,” Ma responded, “because we need to focus on our son.”

Devin chuckled when his dad got even with his mom about this, but now he had a straight face again as he asked them a question.

“How long are you staying here?”

“At least overnight, and we’ll stay with Mac at the house. We’ll come back here again tomorrow morning to see you again, and we’ll probably stay until you’re released from here. We want to make certain that Mac is able to handle everything first and then we’ll return home. That means we might be here for a day or two, possibly even longer.”

“Oh, ok, but I’m sure Mac will be able to take good care of me. He always does.”

“We know, but we want to be certain in this case.”

We stayed with Devin until he began to tire, and then we told him to get some rest and we’d return later. He was fine with that, so we said goodbye and left his room.

“What do you want to do now?” I asked Ma and Pa.

“Let’s go to the house first, so we can get settled in and freshen up a bit, and then we’ll take you out to eat before we come back to the hospital.”

“Ok, that sounds good to me. I’ve got Devin’s SUV, so I’ll meet you at the house.”

“Are you parked in the emergency room parking lot?” Pa asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“So are we, so we’ll follow you back to the house,” he replied, and then we walked out to the parking lot together.