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“This is not bad news,” Dr. Alonso says.
I nod. “Thank you, Doctor.” I sit back down.
“I need to get back to the OR. I’ll update you again as soon as I can.” Dr. Alonso leaves.
“She was just a breath of fresh air, wasn’t she?” Jesse says dryly.
“She needs a few lessons in bedside manner,” I agree.
“She’s a resident,” Callie says. “Probably first or second year. She doesn’t know any better.”
“Well, she should,” I say. “Especially when a person’s husband and a person’s father has his chest open on a table.”
“Rory…”
“I mean it, Callie. Maybe you can compartmentalize, but I can’t. I’m worried about this and about so many other things. The least that woman could’ve done is come out here and smile.”
“I agree,” Jesse says. “She was awful.”
“I agree too.” From Maddie. “I don’t want her touching our father.”
“You guys,” Callie says, “she’s probably very qualified. I mean, come on. Do you want the most qualified doctor? Or do you want the doctor who’s the nicest?”
Classic Callie.
“Fine,” Jesse says. “She’d better be damned good.”
I say nothing.
I sit in my chair, watch my sister drink her lukewarm Diet Coke, and try not to let my mind wander.
Which is a surefire recipe for it to do just that.
It wanders first, of course, to my father—who I love, who understands me more than anyone—lying on a table with his chest wide open and his heart stopped.
It wanders to Brock, who I also love, and who’s probably still out in the ER waiting area. Or maybe he and Donny left, or maybe—
My mind wanders then to Pat Lamone, who’s somewhere in this hospital. Brock and Donny are probably investigating, and—
My mind wanders to the trouble they could be getting into. I don’t trust Pat Lamone, and the hospital has security.
Next my mind wanders to everything else going on with my family and with Brock’s family. It’s all too much.
And then it wanders to where I was only hours ago, on the side of the road, sobbing my heart out over a baby that never even existed.
That seems so ridiculous now when my father’s life is at stake.
It was always ridiculous, with everything else that’s going on.
I close my eyes, try to concentrate. My family’s not religious, but I feel like I should be praying or asking the universe to protect my father.
I need him so much. Someone in the room who understands me.
Thank you. Thank you for Brock. Thank you for everything you’ve given me in this life.
But you’ve taken a lot from us too, so please… Please don’t take away my father.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
