The pain was excruciating.  Waves of nausea hit and there was no relief in sight.  With little persuasion, Walter was willing to go to emergency at the Chemainus Urgent Care Centre.
Our dear friend, Laurie - who is a nurse in the emergency there -  drove us very quickly from their home along the winding roads and hustled Walter in through the doors of the centre.  She escorted him to the curtained area and began paperwork to admit him.
   ****       ****
After such a lovely time in Campbell River, where we enjoyed Island hospitality with our fellow NAIM missionaries, we were able to make connection with my former youth leaders from Arcola Alliance Church.  Doug had just finished haying back home and had driven with his trusty pal, Rocky  (German Shepherd) through the mountains just a couple days before.  Laurie had been back to work a while after flying back from a visit to the farm in Saskatchewan.  So the timing of our visit worked out well.
We planned to spend a night, maybe two.  They fed us, toured us around Nanaimo's wharf area, down by the shore to watch the "wet sort" of logs by cool tug boat/jet ski type work vessels.  We spent the evening playing Monopoly with them and their 3 grandkids.
The pains started about 4:30 am and Walter was biding time until Laurie (and Doug) would be up to say "good-bye" to us as we had planned to catch the Nanaimo ferry at 8:30 that morning.  By the time they were up, Walter's attack was growing very severe.  Laurie's expertise was a gift from the Lord, as Walter was immediately able to get on IV, have some morphine and Gravol.  But despite the competent care, Walter's gall stone attack was a 12-hour ordeal, the worst the nurses there had ever seen!
I sat with Walter some of the time, left for a bite to eat when he was sleeping, and paced around the now fairly busy emergency ward.  I wandered down to a little used book store and found a crossword puzzle book to keep me occupied.  A lovely park by the ocean was just a block away, so I went down there to take a break, pray, and make a phone call.  It was Mark's birthday that day, September 1, and I was able to connect with him.
I reluctantly and yet determinedly went back to the Urgent Care Centre, wanting to be there when Walter was awake to see how he was doing.  On his 3rd dose of morphine and a stronger anti-nausea medication, he was dozing off again.  He told me to head back to Doug & Laurie's for supper as he was going to sleep.  Another gift from the Lord that day was the use of their friend's vehicle, a nice RAV 4.  So I found my way back the 20 minute drive to their acreage and they graciously fed me supper.  I was going to shower and then return to see how Walter was doing when he sent a text that he was discharged.  I had been mentally preparing that he may require emergency surgery, so this was tremendous relief!  We hustled to get back to Chemainus, taking their mini-van and the borrowed RAV 4.
Sitting on a bench outside the emergency entrance, Walter was dressed in regular clothing and playing on his I Phone.  He stood gingerly, still not 100%, but smiling.  I fairly jumped out of the vehicle and hugged him gently.  In his hands were some "barf bags" and an envelope of the medical documentation of the day's adventure.
Thankfully, Walter rested well with the help of meds and we were able to catch the ferry and head east towards home the next morning.  Only one day later than originally scheduled.  Our hopes were dashed for a leisurely trip back home, with time to explore the area, buy Okanagan orchard fruit and spend an extra night in Canmore.  Instead we had to motor our way home fairly directly.  We did connect with our friends at Sunnybrae campus of Millar College of the Bible near Salmon Arm.  We met folks and toured the Samaritan's Purse headquarters in Calgary, as well.
Not bad for a sick guy and his concerned and weary wife!
Home again.
(And a check up booked with Walter's doctor and a date for a surgeon's consult at the end of September.  Hoping this experience in B.C. will expedite treatment!)