An Unusual Christmas Story (Part 2)

 Small children cramped on a plane find it hard to stay still and quiet so the next little while I was busy offering them juice and snacks. Then I took them to the washroom to freshen them up. I wondered how I would carry on all by myself but vowed to myself that I must be brave and strong.
  The captain payed me a visit to inquire how I was and to informed me of his plan, prior to announcing it to the other passengers. He wanted to be sure I was okay with it.  He opted to land in Jedda, Saudi Arabia because he knew that there was a very new modern hospital with the latest intensive care facilities. And I was in agreement. So I prepared for the landing.
  Soon we were descending. The plane taxied to a halt. The hatch in the first class was to be our point of exit. A mobile elevator was lined up to it. Hubby was moved onto a stretcher and rolled into the lift and we escorted him with all our cabin bags in tow. The exit went smoothly. From the ground I glanced up at the huge aircraft that I was leaving behind and wondered when I would fly again. The ground transit rolled toward the terminal.  In the darkness of the night a veil of discomfort was unravelling itself over me.
  Things quickly changed in the holding area. Hubby was wheeled away through some automatic doors while I was left standing there all alone with three kids!! And I realized then that the strollers had remained on the plane. Thank goodness for the Snuggly carrier. Free to run, my three year old ADHD toddler did just that for some time. We were all alone so there was no one to disturb. She really needed to move.  Buddy was quiet. He sensed my dilemma. And he acted very responsibly.
  We remained in that holding area for several hours. No one came to talk to me, to let me know what was going on. The kids kept me busy and that was actually good for me. Eventually we were allowed through the automatic doors. I was not able to spot hubby anywhere. I made several attempts to inquire about him but was ignored. Buddy finally asked where his dad was and he got a reply. Dad was in the infirmary next door. Okay,  the first hurdle of being a woman in this muslim country was spotted; no communication with local men. The staff here was all male.
   Airline ground staff arrived to assist us. We had landed at an airport that was closed for the night to general traffic so there was only a skeleton staff to maintain the basic operations. People were awakened at their homes to come to this place to assist us. Hubby was to be transferred to the KIng Fahd Hospital as soon as our temporary visas were issued. Our passports were rendered to the airport administration and would remain with them until our departure. That was a standard practice in this country for all travellers in transit.
   An airline driver came to take us in a private airline vehicle. We were to follow the ambulance and meet up at the hospital. The driver knew some English so I asked him where we would be staying. He said the airline had arranged for us to reside in the same hotel as their staff.  Our ride from the airport was pretty much like that in any city at night. It was warm here so we did not need our winter jackets.
  At the hospital the driver stayed with the kids. To get into the building I had to clear a security check similar to that at airports.  After a body search someone looked at the temporary visa and permitted my entry into the room where hubby lay motionless on a stretcher in a holding area with a curtain slightly drawn. He was the only one in the triage area that didn't look modern or very new. No doctor just a male nurse was there. I was asked to remove hubby's valuables and bring them to a secure holding station where he could collect them upon discharge. I complied. When I was ready to leave I gave sleeping hubby a kiss. As I left him there I wondered if he would survive. Tears came and I strolled off to the car. I had landed in a very foreign environment. My level of anxiety was rising. I  was becoming extremely tired. Perhaps I was in shock?
  We pulled into the driveway of a beautiful Le Meridian Hotel. Inside a large Christmas tree  full of ornaments and lovely poinsettias decorated the main lobby. The familiar sight gave me some reassurance that I was in a place that knew a bit about our culture. The driver helped us and stayed with us until we were settled in our room, a junior studio with a king bed and a separate living area.  A playpen, that served as a cot as well, was brought for our littlest one. Now we were set. We had a place to rest. The driver left a phone number and said the airline would continue to keep me updated about hubby. I thanked him. Exhausted, I just wanted some rest. But my kids were not sleepy. They had dozed in the car and were ready for some fun so I decided to order some food to get them more settled. They didn't like the taste of the foreign bread, milk and juice. But they were more calm and  asleep shortly thereafter.
  Before I could put my own head on a pillow, I had to call hubby's brother to let him know what had happened. I dialed his number and tried to figure out what to say as the phone rang.
  "Hello. It's Heidi. We've been delayed," I said.
 "Yes we know. We were told at the airport the flight is delayed because of a sick passenger."
 "Yes," I replied," that the sick passenger is your brother."
There was a pause and then a quavering voice asked,
 "Is he okay? What happened?"
 "Heart attack," I answered.
 "Oh my. Where are you now? Where is he?"
 "We're in Jedda. I'm at Le Meridian Hotel and he's at King Fahd Hospital.  I'll call back when I know more about his condition and what will happen next." I heard his quiet sobs. We parted.
  This situation was grave.  I'd done my very best and I was on my own but I was not sobbing. I desperately needed some sleep. It had been hours since I had some. Soon I drifted off for an hour or so before the little one began to cry.  As I rocked her, I saw a lovely pink sky through the window. A new day had begun. It was December 5th. and we were miles away from our planned destination.