Page 1 of Beating Heart
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. . .
Nash
“I feel fine, Pops. I don’t know why we have to go back to see Doc Dolby,” Cutler said, as I pulled my truck into the parking space in front of his pediatrician’s office.
“It’s just a follow-up, buddy. And then I’ll drop you at camp. I want to make sure your breathing is back to normal this morning.”
My son had been rushed to the hospital after his baseball game this past weekend when he’d had the worst asthma attack he’d had to date. It had scared the shit out of me, and I was trying hard to keep it together so I didn’t scare him.
“But I am back to normal. And that was the best game ever, wasn’t it?”
I put the truck in park and came around to help him out of his booster seat. “Yeah. You killed it. That was an amazing hit.”
“And I still can’t believe the Ducks won the championship.” I took his hand in mine and led him to the entrance.
I had zero excitement about the Ducks winning the fucking championship because I’d watched my boy struggle for air, unable to speak after the game.
I’d never get that image out of my head.
I hadn’t slept much the last two nights because we’d spent the first night in the hospital as a safety precaution. Last night we’d come home, but I’d decided to sleep on the chair in Cutler’s bedroom to make sure nothing happened while he slept.
“It was a great game. You should be very proud of yourself. You worked hard this season, and you hit a home run in your final game. That’s something special,” I said, as I pulled the door open, and we stepped inside.
I’d been coming to Doc Dolby’s office since I was a kid, and not much had changed, aside from the few updates his wife, Rose, had made to the front office. There was a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and she’d traded out the toys over the years that were here for patients to play with while they waited.
“Hey there, Cutler. How are you feeling?” Lana asked as she smiled at my son.
“Hi, Miss Lana. I’m feeling all better. I told Pops I don’t know why we’re bugging Doc Dolby today.”
She chuckled and turned to look at me, and she had all the empathy in the world when her gaze met mine. “Hey, Nash.”
I nodded as I signed Cutler in on the clipboard. “Morning.”
“I’m sure your daddy is just wanting to be safe. You gave us all a big scare this weekend. But I heard you hit a home run,” she said, as she handed the file to Petra, the nurse.
“I did. I hit it out of the park.” Cutler waved his hands around, proud as hell.
My chest puffed up with pride because my boy was a rock star. But right now, none of that really mattered. We needed to figure out his breathing issues so that it didn’t happen again.
I’d thought about all the scenarios that could have happened last night while I sat in that chair, dozing in and out of consciousness.
What if I hadn’t been there when it happened?
What if he’d been at camp and they hadn’t reacted quick enough?
These are the thoughts that haunt me now.
“Come on, Superstar. Let’s get you in the back. Dr. Chadwick is almost ready to see you,” Petra said, and my shoulders stiffened because I didn’t recognize the name she’d used.
“Dr. Chadwick? What are you talking about? We’re here for Doc Dolby.” My words had a lot more bite than I’d intended.
“Oh. Oh, my. I’m sorry. I thought Doc had already spoken to you because I knew he’d come to see you this weekend. Um, he’ll be right in to explain.” She fumbled over her words.
My gaze narrowed when I took the seat beside Cutler, and Petra looked away from me.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. I was exhausted and knew I was being a dick. I had a full day of work ahead of me, and acting like an asshole wasn’t going to help things.
