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“Yes, yes, that’s me,” she replied, frantically looking up and down the corridor for the doctor.
“I’ll let the doctor know you’re here. Would you like to take a seat?” The receptionist was too calm. Lorena had to fight the urge to drag her over the counter and demand to know what was going on with her dad.
“Could you tell me what’s happened,please?” she asked with great restraint.
“You’ll have to talk to the doctor, I’m afraid,” the receptionist replied. Then she must have seen the look on Lorena’s face. “Look, all I know is there were some complications, and he’s back in the ICU. The doctors are with him now.”
Lorena turned and charged down the corridor toward the doors for the ICU. There was no way she was going to wait.
“Please, Miss D’Augustino, don’t go in there. The doctor said for you to wait here!” the receptionist called.
Lorena ignored her and marched straight into the ICU. She was instantly overwhelmed by the hive of activity around her father’s bed. There must have been five doctors and nurses all working frantically to try to stabilize him. She froze on the spot, staring.
All the tubes and wires were back in place. It was too much. But she couldn’t look away, even though the image before her was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.
Just then, the receptionist put an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, love,” she said kindly. “Come and sit down out here. You don’t want to watch all this. The doctors are doing what they can.”
Lorena allowed herself to be led away. She felt so impotent. They had to save him! She couldn’t go on without him. He was her world, her rock, her anchor. She couldn’t imagine life without him.
The receptionist sat her in one of the chairs that lined the hall. “Try not to worry,” she said. “Dr. Marilesse knows what he’s doing.”
“Do you know how long they’ll be?” she asked, desperate for information. The receptionist was right, of course. It was far more important that the doctors were looking after her dad in the ICU than out here, allaying her concerns.
“I don’t know, sorry. I’m sure he’ll be out to talk to you as soon as he can, though,” she said. “I’m just here if you need me,” the receptionist said, going back to her post.
Lorena put her head in her hands and sobbed. Seeing him like that was more than she could bear when she’d thought he was on the mend.
It seemed like an eternity before the door swung open, and the doctor walked out.
He must have seen the question in her eyes. “He’s still alive,” he said reassuringly.
“What happened? I thought he was getting better,” she asked.
“Yes, he was,” the doctor replied. “Unfortunately, the original damage was quite extensive, as you know. One of the clips we used in the surgery failed. The surrounding tissue was too damaged.”
“That’s awful.” She felt so useless. “What can you do?”
“He’s stable for now,” Dr. Marilesse said. “We’ve had to induce another coma to save as much of his brain as we can. He can’t stay like this indefinitely, however. His condition will deteriorate the longer we leave him in a coma. He will require additional surgery if he’s to recover. As you know, this kind of surgery isn’t cheap.”
“But,” she said. “I thought the initial surgery was going to cure him. I can’t afford another treatment.”
“Sadly, however, it’s the only thing that will save him.” Dr. Marilesse sounded compassionate enough. But compassion was not going to get her father the treatment he needed.
“You can go in and see him if you like,” he said.
“Okay, thank you, Doctor,” she replied. She felt weak and shaken. The doctor left, and she sat alone in the corridor, feeling numb and exhausted.
She didn’t know how long she sat there before she walked toward the doors into the ICU. She moved like she was in a dream. She was trapped in a nightmare, and there was no other solution than to throw herself at Sonny’s mercy.
She sat next to her father. “Oh, Papa. I thought you were getting better and that you’d be coming home soon.” Her heart was like lead. “I can’t believe you’re back here. You can’t die. I won’t allow you to die. I need you, Papa!”
Alfredo lay there, not responding. He looked like he was asleep. Well, he would have if it weren’t for all the tubes and wires keeping him alive.
She stood and kissed him on the forehead. “Hang in there, Papa. I’ll be back,” she said.
She was resolved to do what she had to do. Thomas had to go. He was the sacrifice. She had to toughen up, be ruthless. Do whatever it took to appease Sonny and secure more funding.
She checked the time on her phone. She didn’t want to be late for her meeting with him. If she missed him, he might decide she’d abandoned him and do something drastic. No, she needed him on her side.
