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“Then you couldn’t have known anything would happen. He’s looked fine to me every time I’ve seen him too.”
“I know, but if I’d been here...” She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.
“If you’d been here, whatever happened could still have happened.” Jackson touched Eugene’s shoulder and gently jostled him. “Eugene, can you hear me? Eugene?” When the man still didn’t respond, Jackson said, “Let’s get him in a reclining position. He’s going to hurt his neck like that.”
Nodding, Isabel got to her feet and the two of them eased Eugene to his back on the couch.
“Now use those throw pillows to elevate his legs,” Jackson said as he made sure the collar of Eugene’s T-shirt was loose about his neck and the waist of his pants wasn’t constricting in any way. The man was definitely still breathing so Jackson didn’t think CPR was necessary.
“Did he just pass out?” Isabel asked after stuffing two pillows under Eugene’s legs, propping them up.
“Looks like it.” Jackson felt his pulse again. “His heartbeat is fast, but steady.” He pointed to the regular rise and fall of Eugene’s chest. “His breathing appears normal too.”
Isabel nodded, but Jackson could tell she wasn’t calmed by any of what he’d said.
“Help is on the way, Isabel. He’s going to be okay.”
She swiped at the tears still trickling down her cheeks. “I should have been paying closer attention to him.” She didn’t say it, but Jackson heard the instead of fooling around with you that was intended to be at the end of her sentence. If he’d monopolized her time and put Eugene’s health in jeopardy, he was truly sorry about that. He hadn’t meant to be so selfish, but finding Isabel again had been a surprise. A wonderful surprise and he couldn’t stop how much he wanted her. Eugene had encouraged them too. The old man would have told Isabel if he’d needed her.
Right?
Or had Eugene been pushing Isabel out of the house, telling her it was fine for her to spend time with Jackson because he didn’t want her seeing how not well he was? Jackson hated that thought. Her grandfather was the only family Isabel had.
He was also the reason Isabel was in Maplehaven. If Eugene passed, would Isabel leave sooner?
Jackson shook his head, ending this line of thinking. Here he was being selfish again. Worrying about how much he’d get to see Isabel when her grandfather was unconscious on the couch right now.
Ten minutes later, red lights flickered in the windows and Jackson went to the front door to let in the two EMTs who had hopped from the ambulance. He coaxed Isabel back and the EMTs descended upon Eugene. With his arms firmly around Isabel from behind, they watched the EMTs check her grandfather’s vitals. One of the EMTs went out to the ambulance and brought in an oxygen tank. They hooked up Eugene and in the next minute the man was awake.
Isabel tried to go to him, but Jackson tightened his hold on her.
“Let them help him,” he whispered, dropping a kiss on the rim of her ear.
But she wiggled free and rushed over. “Grandpa!” She leaned over the back of the couch and took his hand. Looking at the EMTs she asked, “Is he okay? What happened?”
“Looks as if his oxygen levels took a dip for some reason,” one of the EMTs said.
“He had a heart attack recently,” Isabel said, “but he appeared to be doing fine.”
The other EMT adjusted the oxygen tank. “His levels are returning to normal now.” She focused on Eugene. “Are you feeling dizzy, Mr. Perri?”
Eugene nodded, not able to talk with the oxygen mask over his mouth.
“Okay, let’s give him a few more minutes with the oxygen,” the first EMT said. “Then we’ll ask a few questions to determine whether to take him in for a more thorough examination or not.”
Isabel nodded and Jackson came around to join her at the back to the couch. He touched Eugene’s knee, giving it a little squeeze, and the man’s gaze met his. The light-heartedness that was usually in Eugene’s blue eyes wasn’t there, making Jackson believe Isabel’s grandfather had been doing a lot more pretending to be okay than actually being okay.
Something in the man’s gaze now said, Take care of Isabel.
Jackson looked away. Busied himself with petting Blaze who had come to sit by his leg.
“Do you think you can sit up, Mr. Perri?” the EMT asked.
Eugene brought his elbows underneath him and with an EMT on either side of him, he rose to sitting. Isabel rounded the couch to sit beside her grandfather. She took his hand, but in the next moment, the man passed out again.
“What’s happening to him?” Isabel asked around tears.
“A trip to the ER will tell us,” the EMT said, motioning for his partner to go out to the ambulance. “Because of the recent heart attack, I think it’s best to get him checked out.”
