The Way of the Warrior-Wizard
Chapter 15: The Old Life-Pump

Duncan had barely slept over the last few days. Dean Andrews had asked Professor Donaldson to take the young man’s classes for the next few weeks, as Professor Harris had other commitments. His students and colleagues had all sent him a beautiful card expressing their support for him and his family; and to his surprise it was Professor Donaldson who had initiated the kind gesture, according to Dean Andrews. Duncan supposed that these kinds of crises often brought out the best qualities in people.

Hamish had remained weak but was still with them. The family was grateful for every day that they had with him, even if the children were not permitted to stay for long. Kyra had insisted that the children maintain their schedules and continue to go to school, to their consternation.

Duncan, because he was working at a job which would normally be done by an adult, was granted an exception. Kyra was worried that the strain of teaching and dealing with his father’s illness would prove too stressful for the boy. He therefore had spent the last few days attending to his mother’s needs by making sure she ate and drank regularly. He would stay with Hamish when Kyra needed to take a break and go out for a walk on her own, and he also coordinated his brothers’ and sisters’ short visits after school. His older brothers Sage and Glenlachlan were in charge of picking the children up from school and bringing them to the hospital and then back home again. Jack Kingston and his Aunt Luanne were staying at the MacGregor farm to help care for the children, and Luanne’s cousin Yvonne even traveled from Nova Scotia to lend a hand as well. Caleb, Cara, and Fiona were taking care of all the chores, designating some of the easier jobs to the younger ones. The family and its friends were working beautifully together during this time of uncertainty.

On the third day, Hamish was even well enough to go out for a stroll in his wheelchair on the hospital grounds. After the nurse had helped the elderly man into the wheelchair, Duncan had bundled him up and pushed the chair outside. The fresh air agreed with Hamish, who seemed happy to have left the hospital, even if only for fifteen minutes.

“I am very proud of you, Duncan,” he said to his son as the pair sat under a wooden gazebo, “You’ve been caring for your mother and siblings with the strength of your own fine, stout heart. You and the others have caused me deep pride.”

Duncan felt warmth emanating from his chest area. His father did not often praise his efforts, but when he did it was wonderful indeed. His eyes began welling up with tears.

“Now then, none of that, Laddie,” Hamish told him brusquely, “I’ve had a good life, and the family will carry on without me...unless of course the Lord spares me for yet another undeserved year of life.”

“No one deserves a long life more than you do, Father,” Duncan told him earnestly, “if you can just march on a wee bit longer, the doctors may decide to perform the heart operation on you.”

“Aye,” Hamish agreed, “I may be afforded a few years yet, the Doctor has informed me, if I undergo an operation to repair a couple of my heart valves; but even so, I’ll not be tossing the caber at the Highland Games any time soon. The operation won’t offer a complete cure...it will simply improve the competency of my Old Life-Pump. I fear being a burden to the family, my son.”

“Father, you’ve worked hard enough in your life, and you’ve won many battles. It’s time for us younger ones to take on more responsibility for the running of the farm, but you’ll still be necessary to us—your wisdom in our lives is irreplaceable. We still need your guidance...you know that very well.”

“It’s as the Lord wills it,” Hamish replied philosophically, “I’ll stay if I can. Your mother is in conversation with the doctor as to when they may schedule this surgery. At present, they’re trying to reduce the size of my heart as it has become enlarged...that’s because it’s having to work harder than ever to pump my blood. I’m taking some wee pills for it...in my day, of course, I’d simply have died.”

“In that case, we can be grateful for medical advances,” Duncan replied softly.

He left his father that afternoon feeling slightly more optimistic than he had been before.