Christmas Nerves

Elvie and Meredith are shaky about Christmas. They visited Lyle in hospital on the weekend, separately, Elvie first. Roger took her down. She said she found him a bit strange. When I asked what she meant she said he said he was coming home tomorrow, when it was obvious this wasn't the case, and that it was difficult to have a meaningful conversation with him. He'd had the operation to remove blood from his brain only a day earlier so it may take a while to recover, we concluded.
Meredith went down on Sunday evening. She said he looked terrible. His head was shaved with a big bandage on one side, bloody, there was also blood on the bed, and the whole scene was too much for her. She nearly freaked out and couldn't wait to leave. It was a bit like visiting R.P McMurphy late in the film were her words, adding that she did not mean that badly, she was just trying to give me the picture.
When Elvie rang through Foxy's order yesterday, I asked had she heard any more on Lyle. She said yes, he'd been on the phone saying he wanted to come home for Christmas day, even if he had to go back to the hospital afterwards, and that he wanted his teeth fixed by Christmas. I asked what's wrong with his teeth and she said they keep falling out of his mouth and onto the floor. She said his gums must have shrunk, she had rung around everywhere and it'll take months to get new/altered teeth.
"What do we do then."
"I don't know, and I don't think I can handle looking after him on Christmas day either." She added that he'll be back in the specialist geriatric ward soon and we'll be guided by the staff.
Christmas lunch was to be at the farm, just light and simple. Lib is probably filling in at work on the early shift and her family's coming to our house for the evening meal, including her mum who has to be lifted up and down our steps which is a worry as her bones are like chalk. I offered to pick up Lyle from the hospital and take him back if necessary but only if he's well enough. I don't know how this one will end up. All we want really, all of us, is a rest.