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‘Better. I promise. And relieved it wasn’t a heart attack, though now I’m a bit embarrassed for making such a fuss and worrying everyone.’
“Stop!” Mia vocalizes and signs, startling Quinn and me. ‘Sorry, but stop that. You did exactly what you should have, especially with your family history. And if it happens again, promise me you’ll come to the emergency room.’ She pins me with her gaze, waiting.
I must hesitate too long because Tadhg punches my arm. ‘Promise! And promise you’ll stop working so much. Come out with me and my friends some night when we play darts or pool or something. We don’t do anything crazy, and it’s a lot of fun. You’ll love them.’
‘Alright. I promise. Both of you. Though I have no idea why your friends would want to hang out with an old guy like me.’
Tadhg raises one eyebrow. ‘You’re not old. And you’ve hung out with me and Quinn and had fun. It’ll be the same with our friends.’
I hold up my hands in surrender. ‘I said alright. And I mean it.’ I turn to Mia. ‘And I promise if this happens again, I’ll come to the ER. Hopefully this is the only instance, though. I’m in the middle of difficult negotiations with an author who’s a bit of a jerk. Once that’s settled I’ll be back to my normal level of stress.’ I grin, trying to make it a joke, but three sets of eyes stare at me, none with humor in them. ‘Tough room.’
“Knock, knock.” The privacy curtain moves aside and a petite woman in blue scrubs walks in. “Hello. I’m Leah Zhang. I see we have a full house!” She glances around, a genuine smile on her face. “I’m the doctor on duty now, and I’d like to update you on what we know. Would you like your family to step outside?”
“No, they can stay. It’s fine.”
She moves toward my bed. “Well, Mr. McCarthy, over the past few hours we’ve run several tests, bloodwork, ECGs, and all came back clear for cardiac issues.” She notices Mia signing to Tadhg and her eyes widen. “Oh, excuse me.” She moves to the side so Mia has a clearer view of Tadhg, and my good feelings about this doctor increase dramatically. “Your temperature has been normal, and your chest sounds clear, so you most likely experienced stress-related chest pains. We’re going to give you something for anxiety, which should help the symptoms clear up, and we’d like to keep you for a few more hours of observation. But if everything stays the same, we’ll release you with some suggestions for avoiding a repeat of today’s event. How’s that sound?”
I sigh with relief. “Good. Really good.”
She smiles and nods. “Do you have any questions for me?”
I shake my head. Mia and Doctor Zhang have a quick conference in medicalese, which I don’t attempt to follow. Mia will translate for me once the doctor leaves. I turn to Tadhg and Quinn. ‘Thank you for coming. I’m sorry I worried you.’
Tadhg nods. ‘I’m serious about you coming out with us. You need something other than work, Blake.’
He’s not wrong, and I do know it. ‘Okay. I promise.’
Quinn squeezes Tadhg’s waist and gives him a nudge. ‘We should go and let you get some rest. If you need anything, call us. And we’re going to hold you to your word.’
I nod. ‘Yes. Fine.’ I squeeze Tadhg’s hand. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’ He leans over the bed and hugs me. I squeeze back, and it might be tighter than I normally would. When he stands up, his eyes are watery, and I blink away the prickling in my own. ‘We’ll be over to annoy you and watch movies this weekend. You better be home and not working.’
I grin and nod. ‘Deal.’
Doctor Zhang leaves, and Tadhg waves to get Mia’s attention. ‘Mom, we’re going. Call me when you leave, okay?’ I know what that’s about. The two of them will conspire ways to make me relax and not work so much. They do this periodically, and I love them for it. Mia nods, and there are hugs all around before Tadhg and Quinn leave.
Once they’re gone, Mia gives me a business card. I take it, unsure what I’m supposed to do with it. “You’re giving me your business card?”
“It’s not my card, silly. Once you’re home, I want you to contact this person. They’re a physiotherapist, but they also provide in-home meditation and stress reduction sessions. I’ve worked with them in the past and have sent several patients their way. They’re friendly, upbeat, and exactly what you need.”
I don’t roll my eyes at the woo-woo suggestion, but it’s a close thing. “Mia, I’ve tried meditation before. You know I have. You were the one who suggested it last time, too. It didn’t work then, so what makes you believe it’ll be any better this time?”
She gives me another of her stern looks. “Maybe because you’ve had a proper scare this time.” She points at the card. “Call them, Blake. And go out with Tadhg and his friends. Get out of the house. Get out of your office. Do something fun that doesn’t involve publishing. Do you even remember what fun is?”
I tuck the card into my pants pocket, though I probably won’t be making the call. “Yes, I remember what fun is.” At least I think I do. “And I’ll be better at relaxing.”
“Hello?” A large hand pulls the curtain aside. “I’m Tad, one of the nurses on duty. We’re going to give you something to help you relax.” Tad sets a tray down on the counter and takes out a filled syringe. “It should start working soon. You’ll be here for a few more hours, then we’ll let you go home. Do you have someone who can drive you?”
Mia nods. “That’d be me.”
“Great.” Tad injects the contents of the syringe into the port in my IV cannula. “Now take some easy breaths, and let the medicine do its job. I’ll check on you in a minute, but if you need anything, press the call button.” He picks it up from where it fell between the bed and the railing and sets it on the mattress beside me.
When he leaves, Mia kisses my cheeks, then points at the card in my pocket. “Call them. And come for dinner soon. I’ll make lasagna. I’ll have Tadhg and Quinn there too. Now, I’m going to go get a cup of the awful hospital coffee and let you get some rest. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Alright. And Mia?” She pauses as she reaches for the privacy curtain. “Thank you for being here.”
“Of course, love. You’re family. Where else would I be?” She blows me a kiss, grabs her purse, and ducks past the privacy curtain. I’m left alone with the heart monitor beeping like a metronome and the fading remnants of anxiety. I pull the card out of my pocket and stare at it, wondering if I’m ready to make a big change.
