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“I’ll stay with you until they arrive.” Marie grasped Rose’s hand again and gave it a squeeze.
Part of Rose wanted to protest, as she imagined Marie had a million other things to do, but she didn’t want to be alone. Her stomach was already in knots, and she feared she would fall to pieces by the time Lanie arrived.
The sounds of machines beeping, muffled footsteps, and whispered prayers wafted into the room as they sat in silence. Rose was literally on the edge of her seat. Her feet ached to move, but her head was spinning, and she feared she would pass out if she tried to stand. With her free hand, she gripped the arm of the chair and stared at the office door, willing it to open with Lanie or Dr. Myers. Though if the latter came right then, it wouldn’t mean good news. Not enough time had passed for Dr. Myers to have completed his assessment of Steven. He would run an EKG and assess for internal bleeding as well as broken bones. It was going to be a long night.
Time stood still, and Rose silently prayed for Steven to be spared. If—no, when—he survived, he would have to take better care of himself. She wouldn’t give him a choice in the matter. Not after that.
Of course, that would all take time, and she hoped she could enlist Lanie and Steven’s staff in determining what needed to be taken care of immediately at the law firm. She wouldn’t allow him to stress over it, not while his health hung in the balance. They would figure things out. After all, they had the rest of their lives to do so. She refused to give in to despair. Steven would live, and they would have a life together. She had to have faith.
A knock sounded at the door, and Rose braced herself, but it was only one of the other nurses leading Lanie and Max into the room. When Rose jumped up to embrace them, Marie slipped quietly from the room.
“You made good time,” Rose said, fighting back tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.
“We broke several laws getting here, but we didn’t get caught.” Lanie cupped Rose’s cheek. “How are you?”
Rose blinked. The fact that Lanie’s first question had been about her and not Steven caught her off guard. Her face likely betrayed how she felt, but she forced herself to respond.
“Trying to stay positive.” She gestured to the door. “There’s no news, but I didn’t expect there to be.”
“He’ll pull through,” Max said, though it sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. “He’s made of stern stuff.”
“And he’s in good hands.” Lanie smiled, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
The same nurse who had brought them to the office returned with two chairs, which she set up in front of the bookshelves. With Marie gone, the chairs weren’t necessary, but Rose appreciated her thoughtfulness. When they were alone again, Max collapsed into one of them. Lanie took the seat closest to Rose.
“Do you have any more details about the accident?” Lanie asked.
“They think he had a medical emergency before he lost control of the car.”
Lanie frowned. “What kind of medical emergency?”
After taking a deep breath, Rose told them everything she knew, which admittedly wasn’t much. And when she mentioned the possible heart attack, their reactions matched her own.
“But he’s not even thirty!” Max leaned forward, disbelief blazing from his eyes.
“Stress can cause a lot of health issues, Dad,” Lanie said, her tone gentle.
But Max just scowled and faced the wall. Rose opened her mouth to respond, but Lanie shook her head, her message clear. Berating him with medical knowledge would be of little use, especially at that moment.
“What are they doing to him?” Lanie asked.
Rose shrugged. “Dr. Myers is a cardiologist. He’s running tests to determine what happened and what damage was done.”
Max stood suddenly and walked toward the door. When he reached it, he turned back, his expression blank.
“I can’t stand all this waiting. I’m going to grab a coffee. Anyone want anything?”
“Sure, I’ll take one,” Lanie said, her eyes wide. Rose assumed she was puzzled by her father’s erratic behavior. “Rose?”
Instead of responding, Rose gestured to the coffee Marie had brought, not trusting herself to speak. Max closed the door behind him, and she couldn’t help the relief that coursed through her at his absence. While he had always been kind to her, something about him intimidated her. She suspected his perpetual bad mood was the cause of her unease.
“He never could handle hospitals,” Lanie murmured, her eyes on the door. When she glanced at Rose, she forced a smile. “But he’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
“I’m sorry to have dragged you both here. Maybe I should have waited until I knew more.”
“Nonsense.” Lanie shook her head. “We want to be here. Besides, you shouldn’t have to go through this alone, not when you’ve got family to help you through it.”
Family. Sometimes Rose forgot what that was like. It had been lonely since her parents moved back to South Korea. But the promise of a future family with Steven had eased the pang. And that was currently in jeopardy. Oh God, what if he doesn’t make it? What will I do without him?
