AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It looks like he might have fainted or had a seizure, but it doesn’t appear to be another heart attack.” The man turned to Lanie. “Still, we should get him to the hospital so they can run some tests to rule out anything more serious.”
Steven squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to dwell on how much the incident would set him back. All those new clients Sandra had found weren’t going to make a lick of difference if he couldn’t perform the work for which they’d hired him.
“Sir? Are you still with me?”
Apparently, shutting one’s eyes and grimacing wasn’t the best choice of facial expressions after a possible seizure. Steven opened his eyes and faked a smile to put everyone in the room at ease. But inside, he was a mess.
After Steven arrived at the hospital, Dr. Myers had him admitted and started a series of tests, by the end of which Steven felt like a human pincushion. He winced as the orderlies rolled him into his room and bumped into the doorframe. When they left, he took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he struggled to turn his brain off.
A knock at the door startled him, and he braced for yet another test. Rose stood in the doorway—or “clung to it” would be more accurate. Her brown eyes were wide and wary, and she stared at him as if waiting for permission to enter.
“Rose.” For once, his voice didn’t sound like a croaking frog’s.
“Lanie called me,” she replied, and the coolness in her tone caught him off guard.
“I’m sorry we’re meeting like this again,” Steven said in a poor attempt at a joke. “They think I had a seizure and—”
She held up a hand. “I know. I spoke with Dr. Myers.”
“But I’m okay,” he hurried on. “I mean, at least it wasn’t another heart attack.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Her mouth twisted before it set in a grim line. She stepped into the room but only so far that she could lean back against the wall next to the door. She crossed her arms.
“Rose? What’s wrong?”
Her eyes flashed, and he shrank against his pillow. Maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words, but why is she mad at me? It wasn’t like he wanted to be back at the hospital.
“‘What’s wrong?’” Her voice was incredulous. “Are you kidding?”
“I mean, this looks bad, but—”
“No, Steven, it doesn’t just look bad. It is bad.” The rage simmered off her like steam from a pot that threatened to boil over. “I told you. I warned you.” Her eyes narrowed with barely repressed rage. “I said if you didn’t take care of yourself, you would end up back in the hospital.” She gestured wildly. “And I was right.”
“But it’s not as bad as last time,” he protested, though it sounded stupid and pathetic even before the words left his mouth.
“So? Does it matter what brought you here?”
“Dr. Myers said it’s common to have seizures after a heart attack.”
“And did he also tell you excess stress can induce seizures?”
“Not in so many words.” Dr. Myers had told him he needed to take it easy, multiple times, but doctors always said things like that. Besides, being a doctor was one of the most stressful jobs there was. If they can’t take their own advice, how can they expect their patients to?
Of course, Steven said none of those things out loud. One look at the murderous expression on Rose’s face convinced him to tread lightly.
“I’m sorry,” he said instead, though he imagined that to her, that phrase sounded repetitive and empty. “You were right. I should have taken more time for my health.”
She sighed. “At least that’s something, though it doesn’t change anything.”
The muscles along his spine spasmed as he sat up straighter. Something about her tone and the way she had dropped her gaze to the floor told him that whatever she meant by that statement couldn’t be good.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before she could respond, Dr. Myers came in.
“I suppose it’s good that you’re here, since it means I only have to say this once.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
