Not Quite Forever
Page 83
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Yet even with his words, Dakota saw his eyes shift to the volunteer desk, the door to where his father was lying on a table.
She squeezed his hand, saying silently that she was right there with him. He kissed her fingertips and jumped when the door to the back opened.
“Stanley!”
They all stood only to have Dr. Altman wave them back into their seats. Dressed in scrubs from the top of his head to booties on his feet, Stanley Altman appeared just as stressed as they did.
He offered a smile and directed his attention to JoAnne. “He’s resting, JoAnne.”
“How is he?”
“He’s a tough bastard. He gave me a little trouble but came through just fine.”
Dakota felt tears in the back of her eyes as a collective sigh moved through all of them.
JoAnne grasped both of Stanley’s hands. “Thank you.”
“He’s in recovery right now, on a ventilator for a little while longer.” Dr. Altman ran through some of what Dakota thought were routine procedural steps Walt’s father was going to have to endure.
“When can I see him?” JoAnne asked.
“Let me get him off the vent first. Then you can see him. After that, I want you to go home. I’m sure your son has already explained that there’s nothing you can do. He’ll be up for visitors tomorrow, even more in a day or two.”
Walt shook Dr. Altman’s hand and pulled away with him to talk privately.
Brenda called her grandfather and another friend of the family who was in charge of informing the rest of their extended family.
Dakota attempted to text Mary, and noticed her battery dead on her phone. She placed her phone into her purse and waited for Walt to return so she could use his.
“We have at least an hour’s wait to see him,” Walt said when he left Dr. Altman’s side. “I could use some fresh air.”
They left the others in the lobby and took the elevator to the ground floor. Walt’s silence sparked her concern. “What’s wrong?”
He waited until they were out of the hospital, and walking around the cold sidewalk of the hospital grounds. “He’s doing all right, but not great. Stanley didn’t want to worry my mom. There was a little more bleeding than he would have liked, and a longer time on the bypass machine.”
“What does all that mean?”
“It means the next night is going to be touchy. More than normal.”
Not good. None of that sounded good.
“You should stay down here then. I’ll get your mom home.”
“She’ll figure out something’s wrong if I stay.”
“You’re a doctor. You can actually do something, where all we can do is stand by and worry. Your mom might actually like you staying back.”
“You have a point. We should know by midnight if he’s going to have any issues.”
Dakota shrugged. “So we make an excuse for you to stay behind a little longer, and work from there. I can endure another silent drive with JoAnne.”
Walt shook his head. “I owe you.”
“Big-time, buddy.” She winked. As they moved back into the hospital, she lifted her palm. “I need to use your phone to text Mary. Mine died.”
He handed it over, grinned. “You need me.”
“Yep, I do.”
“I know you’re hiding something from me,” JoAnne said ten minutes into their drive. They’d managed to crawl out of the city and were at the base of the mountain. It was past eight, black ice covered the road, and snow was going to be a factor if they didn’t make it to the Eddy home before nine. The streets were deserted and the glittering of Christmas lights lit up the homes, making the winter scene bearable.
“Why would I hide anything from you?” Dakota turned the radio down, the heat up. The windshield wipers whisked away the falling snow seconds after it hit.
“Why did Walt stay behind?”
Dakota gripped the wheel. “He told you. The snow might make it difficult to come down early in the morning. He wanted someone to stay and since he’s a doctor, he’s the most practical candidate. Besides, hospitals always have beds for the doctors to sleep in if they’re needed.”
Dakota feathered the brakes as she came to a stop at a light, felt the car slip, and eased off and back on. Driving in the snow wasn’t her strong point, but she’d grown more used to it since she’d arrived in Colorado. She couldn’t help but think this trip up the mountain was going to test all her reflexes.
The light turned, the wheels to the SUV gripped the pavement, giving Dakota some encouragement.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Oh? What don’t you believe? The part about your son being a doctor? I thought you knew that.” Dakota’s attempt to get JoAnne to smile failed.
“You think you’re funny.”
No, I know I’m funny.
Fifteen minutes later, they were only a couple of miles off the turnoff to the mountain road to the Eddy home. The road was in relatively good shape, but the snow was starting to pile over the tracks laid by other vehicles.
“Should we put on the chains?”
JoAnne rolled her eyes. “It isn’t that thick yet.”
Having never put on chains before, Dakota opted to go with JoAnne’s words and continued on. As luck would have it, the more snow that fell, the easier the car gripped the road. As long as she didn’t get in a hurry and hit the gas, she felt the car would eventually make it.
She squeezed his hand, saying silently that she was right there with him. He kissed her fingertips and jumped when the door to the back opened.
“Stanley!”
They all stood only to have Dr. Altman wave them back into their seats. Dressed in scrubs from the top of his head to booties on his feet, Stanley Altman appeared just as stressed as they did.
He offered a smile and directed his attention to JoAnne. “He’s resting, JoAnne.”
“How is he?”
“He’s a tough bastard. He gave me a little trouble but came through just fine.”
Dakota felt tears in the back of her eyes as a collective sigh moved through all of them.
JoAnne grasped both of Stanley’s hands. “Thank you.”
“He’s in recovery right now, on a ventilator for a little while longer.” Dr. Altman ran through some of what Dakota thought were routine procedural steps Walt’s father was going to have to endure.
“When can I see him?” JoAnne asked.
“Let me get him off the vent first. Then you can see him. After that, I want you to go home. I’m sure your son has already explained that there’s nothing you can do. He’ll be up for visitors tomorrow, even more in a day or two.”
Walt shook Dr. Altman’s hand and pulled away with him to talk privately.
Brenda called her grandfather and another friend of the family who was in charge of informing the rest of their extended family.
Dakota attempted to text Mary, and noticed her battery dead on her phone. She placed her phone into her purse and waited for Walt to return so she could use his.
“We have at least an hour’s wait to see him,” Walt said when he left Dr. Altman’s side. “I could use some fresh air.”
They left the others in the lobby and took the elevator to the ground floor. Walt’s silence sparked her concern. “What’s wrong?”
He waited until they were out of the hospital, and walking around the cold sidewalk of the hospital grounds. “He’s doing all right, but not great. Stanley didn’t want to worry my mom. There was a little more bleeding than he would have liked, and a longer time on the bypass machine.”
“What does all that mean?”
“It means the next night is going to be touchy. More than normal.”
Not good. None of that sounded good.
“You should stay down here then. I’ll get your mom home.”
“She’ll figure out something’s wrong if I stay.”
“You’re a doctor. You can actually do something, where all we can do is stand by and worry. Your mom might actually like you staying back.”
“You have a point. We should know by midnight if he’s going to have any issues.”
Dakota shrugged. “So we make an excuse for you to stay behind a little longer, and work from there. I can endure another silent drive with JoAnne.”
Walt shook his head. “I owe you.”
“Big-time, buddy.” She winked. As they moved back into the hospital, she lifted her palm. “I need to use your phone to text Mary. Mine died.”
He handed it over, grinned. “You need me.”
“Yep, I do.”
“I know you’re hiding something from me,” JoAnne said ten minutes into their drive. They’d managed to crawl out of the city and were at the base of the mountain. It was past eight, black ice covered the road, and snow was going to be a factor if they didn’t make it to the Eddy home before nine. The streets were deserted and the glittering of Christmas lights lit up the homes, making the winter scene bearable.
“Why would I hide anything from you?” Dakota turned the radio down, the heat up. The windshield wipers whisked away the falling snow seconds after it hit.
“Why did Walt stay behind?”
Dakota gripped the wheel. “He told you. The snow might make it difficult to come down early in the morning. He wanted someone to stay and since he’s a doctor, he’s the most practical candidate. Besides, hospitals always have beds for the doctors to sleep in if they’re needed.”
Dakota feathered the brakes as she came to a stop at a light, felt the car slip, and eased off and back on. Driving in the snow wasn’t her strong point, but she’d grown more used to it since she’d arrived in Colorado. She couldn’t help but think this trip up the mountain was going to test all her reflexes.
The light turned, the wheels to the SUV gripped the pavement, giving Dakota some encouragement.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Oh? What don’t you believe? The part about your son being a doctor? I thought you knew that.” Dakota’s attempt to get JoAnne to smile failed.
“You think you’re funny.”
No, I know I’m funny.
Fifteen minutes later, they were only a couple of miles off the turnoff to the mountain road to the Eddy home. The road was in relatively good shape, but the snow was starting to pile over the tracks laid by other vehicles.
“Should we put on the chains?”
JoAnne rolled her eyes. “It isn’t that thick yet.”
Having never put on chains before, Dakota opted to go with JoAnne’s words and continued on. As luck would have it, the more snow that fell, the easier the car gripped the road. As long as she didn’t get in a hurry and hit the gas, she felt the car would eventually make it.
