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“What happened to June?”
“I don’t know. Judy just said she seemed to have been reacting to something.”
For the rest of the ride, I could barely say another word. My hands shook as I drove through the streets. We got to the hospital and met Judy at the reception.
“Where’s she?” I asked.
“The doctors are attending to her now. They instructed that we wait here at the reception,” Judy replied.
“What exactly happened to her?”
“I can’t even explain it. I noticed some swellings on her body, like tiny red rashes, right after breakfast this morning. Then she began to breathe funny. Her breathing was irregular and noisy, sounding like someone gasping for breath. I brought her to the hospital, not knowing what else to do.”
“Did the doctors say anything to you? Anything at all?”
“Not yet. They just asked that I wait here.”
This felt like a déjà vu moment. It took me back to when Olivia had her accident. I tried to shake off all of the negative thoughts that had begun to flood my head. I tried to stay calm, sitting on a chair in the reception and tapping my feet to a rhythmic pattern.
The doctor finally got out of the ER and walked toward us, reassuring us, “She’s going to be okay. She just had an allergic reaction.”
“Allergies? I wasn’t aware my daughter has allergies,” I replied.
“Well, apparently, she does. What did she have for breakfast this morning?” the doctor asked.
“Just some toast and peanut butter,” Judy answered.
“It was the peanut butter. She’s allergic to peanuts and anything made from it. You should watch out for that going forward,” the doctor advised.
Olivia was allergic to peanuts, too. I hadn’t gotten any in the house ever since I got married to her. I had adapted to alternatives instead. The doctor had left us shortly after and had asked the nurse accompanying him to show us the ward June had been moved into.
“I’m really sorry about this, Mr. Powell,” Judy said.
“Hey, come on. It’s fine. You couldn’t have possibly known that she’s got allergies. I didn’t give you any of that information because I didn’t even know myself.” I made the last statement in a hushed tone, like I was silently trying to scold myself. “Thank you for getting her to the hospital just in time. You can go on and enjoy the rest of your weekend now. We’ll take it up from here.”
Judy left shortly after. I was left alone with Madison in the ward. June had been put under a sedative so she could get enough rest.
“Did you know she’s got allergies? Or you were just as clueless as I was?” Madison turned to me and shook her head in answer to my question.
I continued, “I feel so irresponsible. How could I not know that my daughter had allergies?”
“You couldn’t have known. There wasn’t a trigger before now.”
“Or perhaps I had unconsciously missed out on a great chunk of her life without even knowing it.”
“A great chunk? For how long did she stay away from you again?”
“It wasn’t just then. Even while Olivia was alive, I worked a great deal. I didn’t get as much time with her as I should have.”
“Look, you’re not a terrible father, not in the least. It’s not what we did in the past that truly matters. It’s how we’re quick to realize where we have fallen short and the steps we take to make things right. I’ve seen how you love and protect her. We all see it. So don’t beat yourself up about this.” Madison reassured.
I inhaled deeply and drew closer to the bed. I smoothed her hair with my hand and kissed her on the forehead. “I want to go get her some food. She just might be hungry when she wakes up. Would you like anything?”
“Nah, I think I’m fine. Thank you,” she said.
“I’m getting you breakfast. We didn’t get to have any before leaving this morning.”
“All right then. You should get yourself something to eat as well.”
