“Okay. Take a deep breath. You have time. I’ve already cleared it with my charge nurse. I have a chair in the room for you.”
Brooke grabbed the pants she’d worn during the day and was shoving her legs inside. “Thank you.”
“Stay calm.”
“I will. I’m okay.”
“Okay.”
Brooke disconnected the call, threw her clothes on, slipped into a pair of flip-flops, and ran out the door. Once in the car, she realized she’d left her cell phone on the bed. She gripped the steering wheel and took a deep breath.
Back in the condo she retrieved her phone and a power cord. Then, she walked into her father’s bedroom and found a rosary he had sitting on his nightstand. The symbol meant nothing to her, but everything to him. The back of her throat filled with emotion so strong she choked. The sound that came out of her resembled a wounded animal.
“Take a deep breath,” she told herself.
She retraced her steps to the car and pulled out of the driveway.
Hospitals changed in the middle of the night, and yet the ICU did not. Yes, a few of the lights in rooms were dimmed, but most were on, curtains pulled back so the nurses could see the patients without having to walk inside. Privacy wasn’t a priority for the critically ill.
Brooke stood at the open door of her father’s room.
Unlike a few hours before, this time her dad had half a dozen more IV bags and pumps and machines hooked up to him. Looking at him, she didn’t notice much of a difference. He was still on the ventilator, his eyes closed. His arms were loosely tied to the sides of the bed.
“You must be Joe’s daughter,” the nurse said when she noticed Brooke standing there.
She didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she nodded.
“I’m Lily.”
“Everything was okay earlier. How did this . . .”
“His blood is infected. Bacteria in the bloodstream is never good.” Lily waved her hand at the montage of medication being pumped into her father. “We’re doing everything we can to reverse it. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours will tell.”
Brooke approached the bed, reached for her father’s hand. The swelling in his fingers seemed to have doubled. “Why is he tied down?”
“We eased up on the sedation since his blood pressure is low. Sometimes he reaches for the tubes.”
That wouldn’t be good. “Can he hear me?”
Lily offered a smile. “He can. But don’t expect much.”
Brooke leaned close to her father’s ear. “Daddy? Can you hear me? It’s Brooke. I’m here.”
His head moved, slightly. Even that brought the tears that she wanted so desperately to hold in. “I love you, Daddy. You need to fight, okay.” She squeezed his hand, felt a twitch of his fingers.
She brushed away a tear with her shoulder.
“I’m not leaving until you get better, and you know how cranky I get without any sleep.”
Her dad didn’t budge this time.
Brooke shivered and stood tall.
“I’ll get you a blanket and some water. Do you want coffee?” Lily asked.
“You don’t have to—”
“It’s not a problem. We keep it cool and I’m guessing you left without a sweater.”
Brooke nodded.
Lily pointed to a chair. “That reclines. Makes for a crappy night’s sleep, but you might manage some.”
One look and Brooke shook her head. She’d spent a couple of nights in one of them when her father had his stroke. “I’ll take some coffee.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.”
Lily left the room and Brooke turned back to her father. “C’mon, Dad. You got this.”
“I’m flying down.”
Brooke ran a tired hand through her hair. She needed a shower and a few hours of sleep. “Carmen, no. Please. There’s no point. Not yet.”
“Brooke—”
“Listen. They’re only allowing me in the room and that’s where I’m staying until he either gets better or he . . .” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word dies.
“That’s exactly why I need to be there.”
“Carmen, please. If you’re here, I’ll just worry that I’m putting you out. And if it is my father’s time, I’m going to need you after. Right now, this is what I need. To pick up the phone and talk to you.”
“Damn it, Brooke. You did this the last time.”
“And I told you when I needed you and you came and I’m so grateful. This time is no different. Trust me. There is nothing for you to do. You’d be sitting in a parking lot, or at my dad’s condo hating it. When he makes it out of this, I really need to talk him into moving somewhere with a better climate.” She froze her ass off all night and now she was hot as hell standing outside the hospital taking a breather.
“You’re a stubborn bitch, you know that, right?”
“You love me anyway.”
“Yeah, I do.”
Brooke looked up as a couple walked past where she was leaning against her rental car. “I need to talk to Marshall.”
“You haven’t done that yet?”
“I keep putting it off. He leaves for Florida day after tomorrow.”
“He should be in California with you. If he cared.”
Brooke twisted a finger in her hair. “I’m glad he isn’t here. Relieved, really. I had a lot of time to think last night. And you know what I didn’t think about?”
“No.”
“Missing him. Wanting him here. Feeling like a piece of me was empty without him by my side. When Dad had the stroke, those emotions flooded my mind, my heart. Now I’m just relieved I don’t have to juggle Marshall’s feelings and directions on what he thinks I should be doing or not doing. Here I am half expecting my dad to die, and I don’t want the man I’m committed to to be by my side. That’s saying something pretty loud and clear, don’t you think?”
“I think your emotions are really off the charts right now,” Carmen said, her voice low.
“You think I’m wrong?”
“That’s not what I said. As your best friend, I’m going to suggest you get through this crisis with your dad, at least within the next few days. See what happens, before making any big moves.”
Brooke released her hair, forced her hand to her side. “You’re right. I’ll keep it short and civil. We’ll know in the next couple of days if my dad is going to pull through.”
“And if he does?”
“I don’t know. No one has even addressed that.” Which made her believe they didn’t expect him to make it.
Brooke was too afraid to ask.
“Okay. I’m texting you every hour. If you change your mind, I’ll be on the first flight I can.”
“Thank you.”
“Love you, girl.”
“Love you, too.”
Brooke disconnected the call and stared at her phone.
She’d been outside for twenty minutes and felt the pressing need to get back to her father’s side. Her rush would be the excuse to get off the phone quickly if Marshall picked up. With her exit in sight, Brooke dialed his cell phone.