AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I might already be too late.
32
Angel
“Doctor, I wanted to thank you for everything. Your,” I bent two fingers, “‘American donation’ idea was amazing, inspired.”
“I’m just grateful Mr. Tate is getting the care he needs. If you’d waited a day longer it would have been too late.”
“That thought keeps me up at night.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “He’ll be fine. I made a call to my old friend who works in that department. Your dad will have the best care.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“No problem.” He glanced around the busy hallway. “Did you come back to the hospital just to speak to me?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t mean to stay long. I know you’re busy.”
He offered his hand. “Angel, I’ll keep you updated.”
“Appreciate it, Doctor.”
He trotted away like a man on a mission while I pulled out my phone.
I’d gotten a text from Mom.
MOM: Love you. We’ll be back soon.
Under the text, she’d attached a picture of my dad in the medical aircraft. He held his fist in a strong thumbs-up.
I pressed the phone to my chest and breathed in relief. My worries about Dad were gone, banished. After all the tears, the pain and the uncertainty, my father would receive chemo.
No matter what my personal feelings, I owed Deacon for that.
He’d saved my family.
“Angel?”
My head whipped up. I saw a scrawny man in a T-shirt and khakis shuffling toward me.
At first, I couldn’t place him, but the moment our eyes met the memories snapped through my brain, all at once. An upended bicycle. A grieving husband. Deacon’s punch to the neck and a body flopping into sand.
“Peter!” I gasped.
“I thought it was you!” He laughed and closed the distance between us. Unlike the last time I’d seen him, his rashes had cleared up and his skin looked smooth and alabaster white. Blue eyes brightened and his pink lips curled up. “How have you been?”
“I’m fine. Great. What about you?” I touched his wrist and leaned closer, my heart pounding in concern. “How’s your wife?”
“She’s good. She’s here, actually.”
“You’re kidding?” I glanced around as if I had laser vision and could see through the thick walls.
“She heard about what happened that day—how you saved the little baby and how you lent me money to catch a boat and meet her at the hospital.”
“It was nothing.”
“It meant everything to us.” His eyes teared up. “You have no idea what it means that she’s here and breathing. She’s my world.”
