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“I’ll be doing everything I can to get out of here, bar for now, I need rest, so I’ll see you in the morning?” His voice ends on a high note.
“I want to see you tonight.”
“Babe. It was a rough night. Get some rest. Look after Rose. You could take my parents out to dinner.”
“They’re as concerned for you as I am.”
“There’s nothing you can do. I’m having never-ending tests. Fecal, urine, blood, nasal. Seriously, tomorrow will be a better day.”
I let out an exasperated breath. “Okay, but please message me regularly so I know you’re fine.”
“I’m fine. There’s a nurse in my room every ten minutes. I’m already wanting to come home for a rest because the monitors beep constantly throughout the night.”
His reassuring words fail to ease my concern.
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I end the call.
I find Samuel’s parents sitting on the balcony admiring the ocean view. If anywhere could alleviate worry, it’s this vista.
“How is Samuel?” Christopher asks.
“He’s okay, although he wants to rest tonight. We can see him tomorrow.”
I notice Caroline wipe a tear. I go to her and lay a hand on her shoulder. “He promised me everything will be fine. You know your son never breaks a promise.”
Caroline places her soft palm over my hand. “Thank you. For years I told myself he knew what he was doing and we shouldn’t interfere in his life. He’s an adult, and it’s no longer our responsibility to guide him. Yet I can no longer pretend everything is okay. It’s not, and I wish I did more to help him.”
His parents have surprised the hell out of me.
“The three of us love him unconditionally, and together, we’ll make sure he comes out of this with answers because he can’t go on without treatment.”
A single sob escapes Caroline’s throat.
Christopher places a gentle hand on her back. “I promise you both I have colleagues I can ask a favor of and have them help with his case. This isn’t a clear-cut diagnosis, so the more doctors to brainstorm, the quicker we’ll get answers.”
“Thank you, Christopher.” Caroline lifts her chin and wipes her eyes.
“Do you mind if I leave you for a bit unless you want to come for a stroll to my parents’ house so I can get Rose?”
“I’d love to join you,” Caroline says quickly.
“We could head out to dinner in Glenelg. It’s a short stroll, and Rose loves sitting outside at the restaurants.”
Christopher glances at his wife’s heels. “Best we change our shoes first. Maybe I could adapt to you Aussies wearing flip-flops all the time.”
Samuel’s parents’ visit to Australia may be the best thing to bring their family together.
* * *
The following morning, we drive to the hospital to see Samuel. After kissing him and letting Rose crawl over him for a couple of minutes, I sit back and try to amuse her while his parents sit and chat. There are times when I see them making ground and showing concern for their son. No longer is there a stiff upper lip and the posh attitude I first witnessed. I don’t want to let an opportunity pass, so I tell them I’m taking Rose out to the garden to buy her something from the café to allow them time to talk.
An hour later, I return to red eyes on all three of them. It’s not a bad thing to cry, and it doesn’t show any weakness if it’s not in anger and they have worked out their problems.
“When we leave, would you like us to take Rose home?” Caroline asks.
