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Why would he? There was nothing to be happy about today.
Chapter Eight
Penny still had Caleb’s hoodie. She didn’t realize it until she was sitting in the waiting room of the cardiac care unit.
The volunteer at the desk was a kind elderly woman wearing a red bib and a name tag that said “Joan.” She wasn’t allowed to tell Penny anything about George’s condition because she wasn’t family, although she’d been very apologetic about the need to protect patient privacy.
George’s son Mike was on his way though. Penny had gotten in touch with him at his office and explained what had happened. He’d called the hospital himself, then found a seat on a flight leaving in an hour, but he wouldn’t be here until three thirty. Penny had a long wait ahead of her.
She looked around the waiting room, which was half full of worried-looking friends and family. There was a water cooler and a coffee pod machine off to one side. A selection of herbal teas and granola bars. A small bowl of wrapped peppermints. A television was tuned to CNN, but the volume was turned down low, so it was just a dull murmur in the background instead of an insistent squawk. Penny had chosen a seat facing away from it. She didn’t need the news making her even more anxious. There was a fish tank across from where she sat. Angelfish and tetras swam in slow, peaceful circles.
The volunteer at the desk was reading a mystery novel. Every once in a while someone would come out of the doors leading to the cardiac care unit and speak to her in hushed tones. She’d point them to one of the waiting families. Sometimes they’d be led into the back, or sometimes the doctor or nurse would speak to them for a moment and then disappear again, leaving them to continue their vigil.
Penny wished she had her knitting with her so she’d have something to do that didn’t require concentration. She’d been trying to read Star Wars fanfic on her phone. Finn and Poe were handcuffed together and locked in a meat freezer, forced to huddle for life-saving warmth. It was one of her favorite tropes, but she kept reading the same paragraph over and over without digesting a word.
She swiped to her contacts and stared at Caleb’s name. She wanted to text him, but she didn’t have any news yet. He’d probably be worried though. He might appreciate an update, even if it was just to say there weren’t any updates yet.
She typed out a message. George’s son is on his way. They won’t tell me anything until he gets here.
Caleb’s reply came within seconds. Thanks for letting me know.
I’ve still got your hoodie, Penny typed. I’m sorry.
I’m glad you’ve got it. Hospitals are cold.
Penny was glad too. It made her feel less alone.
She’d been too upset to properly appreciate the hug Caleb had given her while it was happening. But she could still remember how it felt to have his arms around her. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel them again. The thick firmness of his muscles. The reassuring warmth of his body. The way he smelled: like coffee and something subtly spicy.
The same way his hoodie smelled. She pulled it up over her nose and inhaled. It was almost like having him with her.
Whenever the doors to the cardiac care unit opened, everyone in the waiting room would go silent for a moment, their heads all swiveling to see whose turn it was to be spoken to. Someone had just come out—a handsome Indian doctor wearing scrubs and tennis shoes. He consulted with the volunteer, and then came over to where Penny was sitting. “Are you here for George Simkin?”
Penny swallowed. “Yes.” The doctor was tall and lanky like a basketball player, and he towered over her.
He held out a hand. “I’m Doctor Ramesh.”
“Penny Popplestone.” He had soft hands, but a firm handshake. “I was at the coffee shop when George collapsed. We’re friends.”
Doctor Ramesh sat down in the chair beside her. “I understand his family lives out of town.”
She nodded. “I called his son. He’s flying down from San Jose, but he won’t be here for a few hours. Is George okay?”
The doctor gave her a reassuring smile. “He’s awake and stable. We’re about to take him into surgery.”
“Oh. Okay.” That felt like good news. At least it wasn’t bad news.
“The procedure should take about three hours, but sometimes it can take longer, so there’s no need to worry if it does. As soon as we’re done, I’ll come out with an update on his condition.” He spoke kindly, but with brisk efficiency, like he’d given this speech a thousand times before. “After surgery, he’ll go to recovery for a couple hours. Once he’s awake, he can have a family member come back and see him. Hopefully his son will be here by then.”
Penny nodded, feeling overwhelmed. Doctor Ramesh gave her an encouraging smile and got to his feet.
She watched him disappear through the double doors before she got out her phone and called George’s son. It went straight to voicemail, which hopefully meant he was on the plane already. She left a message repeating what the doctor had said.
When she was done she typed out a text to Caleb with the same information.
She stared at the screen as she waited for him to reply. And waited. And waited.
She was on the verge of giving up when the phone buzzed in her hand with an incoming call. From Caleb.
