“C’mon,” Kamila said, motioning for Jana to join her.
The nurse pointed them to a Black woman in scrubs.
“I’m Doctor Matheson,” she said. “Are you Mr. Hussein’s daughters?”
“Yes. I mean, I am,” Kamila said. “She’s my…friend.” Did she just call Jana her friend?
The doctor looked at Kamila. “Okay. First of all, your father didn’t have a heart attack.”
Kamila exhaled as Jana took her hand and squeezed it.
“I think the chest pains started as heartburn. He told me he’s been eating well lately but fell off the wagon today and had taco samosas.”
Kamila frowned. “Taco samosas?”
Jana winced. “I got my mom a Mexican cookbook for her birthday. She’s been putting garam masala in her picadillo. Sorry.”
“The chest pain seems to have triggered a significant panic attack,” the doctor said. “I understand his wife passed from a heart attack?”
“And his best friend died of heart failure,” Jana said.
“Ah. The poor man. His blood pressure is very high. I’m worried. I’ve given him a strong antacid and am running some blood work. Can you tell me all the medications he’s on?”
Kamila listed his blood pressure and cholesterol meds, then looked at Jana. It was one thing to admit to Dad’s panic disorder but another to mention the drugs he took. But screw it—why should she keep hiding this? “Plus, antidepressants. He has clinical depression and anxiety.” She listed the specific meds.
The doctor nodded. “Yeah, those he didnottell me about. We’ve given him something to calm him, so he’s pretty relaxed now. I’d like to keep him overnight so I can see the test results. He didn’t have a heart episode today, but his heart isstressed. We’re getting him moved to a room. Then you can go in to see him for a little while, but let’s see if he can get some sleep after that. I’ll tell the nurse to let you know when he’s been moved. And…” The doctor smiled. “He’ll be fine. I’m being extra cautious here. You have a lovely father. He reminds me of my own…and now I want to call him.”
Kamila’s eyes welled with tears, overcome with emotions. Worry, fear.Relief. She took in a shaky breath and felt Jana squeeze her hand again.
“He’s okay, Kamila,” Jana said.
Kamila nodded and pulled her phone out. “I guess I have calls to make.”
She headed back to the waiting room and phoned her sister first, telling her everything the doctor had said. Shelina was relieved and told Kamila to let her know when she could call Dad. Kamila texted Rohan next.
Kamila:It wasn’t his heart—he had bad heartburn from Rashida’s desi taco experiment.
Kamila frowned. Saying it like that kind of diminished the issue here.
Rohan:Oh thank god it’s nothing. I’ll pick you and him up.
Kamila:It’s not nothing. The chest pains triggered a panic attack, which has put stress on his heart. His blood pressure is very high. They are running a bunch of tests and gave him a sedative. They want to keep him overnight. Jana can bring me home.
Rohan:I only had two glasses of wine, and that was hours ago. I’m coming.
She didn’t want him coming to get her. She wasn’t over their argument and felt this fragile support she was getting from Jana would shatter if she brought anyone else into their fold. Especially Rohan.
Kamila:It’s fine. We’ll see Dad for five minutes, and then she’ll drive me home. I’ll talk to you later.
Dad was almost asleep when Kamila and Jana were finally allowed to see him. He mumbled twice about missing his cooking show, called Jana Shelina, then fell asleep. But he looked well. Alive. Kamila kissed his forehead before they left.
The ride home with Jana was understandably pretty quiet. They’d never been friends, but Kamila liked to think they’d reached some sort of truce tonight. She didn’t expect it to last—in fact, she fully expected Jana would do something so nauseatingly perfect or condescending tomorrow that it would bring her right back to her previously held spot as secret nemesis in Kamila’s life. Only not really a secret anymore.
“I know it’s a weird thing to say, but I’m glad you left the party so you could be there for Dad. Thanks,” Kamila said.
“Thanking me is not necessary. You would have done the same for my family.” Jana’s voice was clipped. It seemed she was back to being annoyed and irritated with Kamila.
Ah well. Perhaps it was better to stay on familiar ground. “Well, I know you’re quite busy with that company you’re starting, and all thosepersonaltalks with Rohan—”
