Page 89 of Lost Cause
“How is he?” Burke asked, before the woman could introduce herself.
She cleared her throat. “He has indeed suffered an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot. We were able to successfully remove the clot, and his prognosis is good.”
Thankfully the woman whose hospital badge identified her as a doctor didn’t ask their relationship to Victor or she might not be willing to share confidential information with them.
“Is he awake?” Abby asked.
She shook her head. “He still has altered levels of consciousness without resulting in a full coma. This isn’t uncommon for elderly patients. They can be drowsy or confused shortly after a stroke. They’ll drift in and out of consciousness, especially if there’s brain swelling or metabolic imbalance, which he suffered. But he’ll have brief moments of lucidity.”
“And long-term?” Abby asked.
The doctor’s mouth tightened. “The stroke could affect the right hemisphere, causing left-side weakness. His speech should be spared. He’s right-handed and it’s typically left-brain controlled. Once the inflammation has receded, he should regain full use of his left side.” She tilted her head just a bit. “In fact, he woke several times and kept saying, ‘The crown is not the treasure.’ I imagine you know what he means.”
Burke nodded even though after a lengthy discussion with Abby on the ride over here neither had a clue. “Can we see him?”
“He’s being transferred to a room. We’ll get the number to you as soon as we have it, and you can meet him there.”
“Thank you,” Abby said.
“He’s lucky you recognized stroke signs and got immediate care. You certainly minimized the ongoing damage by getting him here so quickly.”
“One question,” Abby said. “Could sharing upsetting news with him have caused the stroke?”
“Short answer is yes. A physiological response to acute emotional stress can trigger the fight or flight response and cause a surge of stress hormones. That can increase heart rate and blood pressure, putting a strain on blood vessels. It can also increase blood clotting, affecting platelet function and making blood more susceptible to clotting.”
Abby frowned. “If we were to share additional troubling news with him, could it cause another stroke?”
“It’s hard to say, but we didn’t find any evidence of additional blood clots. So he might be fine, or another clot could form.” The doctor nodded her goodbye and used a key card to return through the same door.
Abby let out a long breath. “Thank goodness he’s going to be okay, but I feel like we’re the reason he’s here.”
“You can’t think that way. The doctor said it could’ve happened at any point. You were sympathetic when you broke the news to him, and as the homeowner, he needed to know what happened on his property.”
“I guess.” She chewed on her cheek. “But I don’t like it.”
“I don’t either, but the best thing we can do now is let it go and update his son.”
“And stay with him until his family arrives.” Staring out the window, Abby got out her phone and updated Vidal on his father’s condition.
She’d just completed her call, and a nurse approached. “Mr. Lemoine is in room 321. You’re welcome to visit him there.”
“Thank you,” Abby smiled, but she weaved like she might fall down.
Burke looked her in the face. “You okay to go up there now?”
“Fine.” She started for the elevator.
She still seemed unsteady. No way he’d risk her falling. He took her arm and got her aboard the elevator. She didn’t argue. Surprising. Even more surprising, she leaned on him, reinforcing his impression of her state of being. He continued holding her arm until he settled her in a chair in Victor’s room and sat next to her.
Victor looked pale and vulnerable in the bed. Wires and tubes led from his body to various machines. The constant beep reflected his heartbeat, straining the silence.
“I don’t know why I felt so woozy.” Abby gave Burke a wobbly smile. “Doesn’t make sense. Hospitals don’t bother me. Sick people don’t bother me. I’ve even seen terrible accident victims on the job. This has never happened.”
“Maybe you’ve come to care for him and this has become personal for you.”
“You could be right, even though I try to be sure that doesn’t happen on the job.” Frowning, she sat in silence for a long moment before her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “It’s Kelsey.”
She answered and greeted Kelsey, then listened intently, her foot tapping urgently on the floor.
