Page 89 of The Bitterroot Inn (Jamison Valley 5)
“Girl.”
I was thinking of another good hospital experience when my family in the waiting room spotted us. Mom jumped up from her seat and rushed right over, followed by Beau, Sabrina and Michael.
“Can you take her?” Hunter asked Beau.
Beau nodded as Hunter gently transferred me into my brother’s side. I loved Beau, but the minute Hunter’s touch was gone, my panic escalated. But as much as I wanted him to stay with me, it was better that he checked on Dad.
“Sit tight,” Hunter said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He squeezed my mom’s shoulder before jogging past the ER counter and disappearing toward the exam rooms.
“Come on, Maze,” Beau said softly.
I closed my eyes—blacking out the visual reminders of time spent flirting with Everett in the waiting room—and blindly let my brother lead me to a chair.
“I’m proud of you,” Mom said, sitting in the chair next to mine and grabbing my hand.
Proud of me? She had so much to worry about with Dad, she shouldn’t need to be proud of me. I should be here comforting her, not the other way around. I didn’t need people to be fussing over me when they should be focusing on Dad.
Shame replaced panic.
Everett had been dead for years but I had been letting him control my life. I’d let his memory taint this hospital. I’d avoided it at all costs, scared of what being inside these walls would do to my sanity.
I opened my eyes and looked around.
Instead of picturing Everett in this waiting room, I watched Beau and Sabrina comforting each other. I watched Michael tapping his foot as he checked his watch. Then watched Mom, who was pale and on the verge of more tears.
I blocked out Everett from the hospital and saw it just for what it was. A hospital. A building. A place with good memories and bad.
It was time to let go of some fears and focus on my family.
“What happened?” I asked Mom.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “We were just eating dinner. He got up from his chair to take his plate to the kitchen. He hasn’t cleared his own plate in years.”
This I knew. Mom waited on Dad. She liked doing it and he liked to let her.
“He came back from the kitchen and started rubbing his chest. The next thing I know he’s telling me to call 9-1-1 because he thinks he’s having a heart attack. So I ran to the bathroom and got him some aspirin. Then we sat together on the couch and prayed until the ambulance got there a few minutes later.?
?
“How long were you here before you called us?” Beau asked.
“Just a few minutes. They started Brock on some medicine in the ambulance and Dr. Peterson was only a minute behind us getting to the hospital. They started doing that EKG test thing and I stepped out to call you. When I got back, they told me I had to wait out here.”
She started weeping again so I bent to dig a lace handkerchief out of her purse.
She dabbed her eyes. “Thank you.”
Michael started rubbing her back. “It’s going to be okay, Mom.”
I prayed he was right.
We all sat quietly and stared down the hall where Hunter had disappeared, holding tight to one another. When Hunter emerged from the hall almost an hour later, we stood and grabbed for each other’s hands.
Hunter walked right to Mom and laid his hand on her shoulder. “He’s fine. He’ll be fine.”
We all sagged, then hugged closer to Mom.
“The heart attack wasn’t severe, and since you came in right away, Dr. Peterson was able to get the blocked artery opened back up. The anticoagulant medicine wasn’t working enough so Dr. Peterson put in a stent. We had to give Brock a mild sedative, so he’s groggy, but as soon as we get him settled into a room upstairs, you can see him.”
