The whine of the motor decreased as the car slowed down. The sign up ahead read, 21st St. Moving over into the left turning lane the car pulled up and stopped. Another car slowly made its way down the other lane of the street, then drove on past. Sitting there with the left turn signal light blinking the hospital lights could be seen two blocks away. Slowly the car moved across the other lane of the street and headed towards the lights.

It was 5:40 A.M. when they stopped at the stop sign. The Cardiologists Center building was off to the right with the hospital directly behind it. Crossing the intersection they drove up the street and turned into the parking garage. Inside the car twisted its way up to the third floor. There were hardly any cars parked there that early in the morning. Finding a parking place near the entrance Gwen got out and grabbed a plastic bag with her stuff in it. Rick got out, grabbed his jacket, and pushed the lock button on his door. Closing their doors they looked at the entrance doors to the cat-walk that ran across to the heart and hospital buildings. Gwen had a 6 A.M. appointment in the cardiac treatment building. They were 15 minutes early.

The two of them should have been relaxed, but they were not. Rising at 3:30 A.M., then leaving at 4:30 was stressful for them, then driving 60 miles had not helped. Gwen was scheduled to have an angiogram done today. Exactly when they didn’t know, but they both knew it would be a long day. Heading for the entrance Gwen grabbed Rick’s arm and held on. The unknown lay ahead of her that day. She tried not to show how nervous she was. A lot of people were praying for her.

The unknown is always scary up to a point. It is at this time that faith takes over and one relies on their Creator. Silently they walked up to the doors and Rick opened the one on the right and they went in. They made their way across the cat-walk and up to the waiting room. The waiting room would be where Rick would wait later that morning.

Passing on by the waiting room they turned the corner and stopped at the elevators. Rick pressed the up button, a bell sounded behind them and the elevator door opened. Inside they were soon at the fifth floor level. More paper work was done and 15 minutes later they were in room 568.

Gwen removed her clothes and put on the gown provided. Rick tied up the strings in back and she sat down on the side of the bed. The waiting game began. About a half hour later their pastor comes in. He’d gotten up early but said he was groggy and had a hard time getting started that morning. He arrived at 7:10 A.M. He had to have gotten up two hours earlier to be there.

Stories soon begin to flow from brother John. It was good to have him there. He dispelled any gloom that would have built up while they waited. The nurse comes in to prep Gwen for the operation. The pastor excuses himself as he has others to see over in the hospital. It takes her quite a while to get everything ready and put together for her operation. With the I.V. in and everything cleaned up she leaves.

Next to arrive are Billie and Jarvis, two close friends. Billie had heart problems with a pacemaker and defibrilator implanted in her. Gwen and Billie are close friends. This event drew them closer now that Gwen was having her heart checked. Their presence made her feel better just having them there. Knowing that someone really cared. Mrs. Leatherwood came in next and let Gwen know she cared for her and that she was praying for her. Her husband was over in the hospital. She was hoping he could go home that day.

After she left the four of them sat around and talked. Jarvis told some of his jokes, which were fair. People up and down the hall were being taken one by one down the hall to the operating room, Rick said he had hoped it wouldn’t be a long wait for them. Some had told him that they had waited until the afternoon. They sure didn’t want to have to do that.