Daniella’s mother was by her father’s side, his face contorted in pain.
Harper sent an encouraging smile to Owen as she kneeled beside their dad.“Hi, Mr. Judd. I bet you didn’t expect to see Daniella’s friend from Sapphire Bay Elementary here this morning.”
A weak smile pulled at the corners of her patient’s mouth. “Call me George.”
“Okay, George. I used to be a trauma nurse in New York City. Daniella called me to see if I could help. I’ll talk to the person your son’s on the phone with, then come back to you.”
While Harper spoke to the dispatcher, Daniella held her dad’s hand. “It’ll be okay, Dad. Harper knows what she’s doing.”
“It hurts to breathe,” he whispered.
“I know. The ambulance will be here soon, and you’ll go straight to the hospital.”
When Harper returned, she opened her first-aid kit. “Are you willing to take an aspirin, George?”
He nodded and Daniella’s mom hurried to the kitchen for a glass of water. By the time she returned, the aspirin was gone, and Harper was checking George’s pulse and blood pressure.
Daniella hovered nearby, feeling helpless as she watched Harper work. Her movements were sure and swift, providing comfort not just to her father but to the entire room.
“You’re doing great, George,” Harper said after what felt like an eternity, although the clock had barely moved. She looked at Daniella’s mom and sent her a reassuring smile. “George might have to stay in the hospital for a night or two. Would you like to pack some clothes for him?”
With a trembling hand, she wiped her eyes and nodded.
“I’ll give you a hand, Mom,” Owen said as he handed his phone to Daniella. “Hold onto this in case the dispatcher calls back.”
Daniella knelt beside her dad and held his hand. “You’re getting the five-star treatment, Dad.”
His weak smile made her heart ache. Her dad was only sixty-eight. He was fit, didn’t smoke, and wasn’t overweight. It didn’t make sense that he’d have a heart attack.
When the paramedics finally arrived, Harper talked to them before they loaded George onto a stretcher.
After her mom left with the ambulance, Daniella turned to Harper, her eyes brimming with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered, the words feeling inadequate for what Harper had done.
“I’m glad I could help.” Harper hugged her. “The hospital staff will look after your dad. Keep an eye on your mom. It’s a stressful time for everyone.”
Daniella nodded and said goodbye to her friend. Within minutes, she was sitting beside Owen as he drove to the hospital, ready to face whatever came next.
CHAPTER16
Daniella placed a mug of coffee on one of the cafeteria tables at the hospital in Polson and sat opposite Owen. It had been a long eight hours. Her dad was now settled into a room, his condition stable, but the worry hadn’t gone away. After spending time at the hospital with Marcus, it was a waiting game they were all too familiar with.
She glanced through the window, watching the people outside. Owen was sipping his coffee, lost in as many thoughts as she was. She didn’t know what was worse; the intense conversations they’d had with the doctors who’d seen her dad when they arrived or waiting to see how he responded to everything they’d done.
Setting the cup down, Owen looked at her with concern etched into his face. “Are you going to work today?”
She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. “Nothing’s booked until two-thirty. I’ll see how Dad’s doing and maybe go in for a couple of hours to help Rachel. She’s part-time, but she knows how to do everything.”
Owen nodded. “Makes sense. Do you think Mom’s okay? She seemed pretty shaken up.”
Daniella’s thoughts drifted to her mother. She was waiting with their dad, putting a brave face on what was happening. “You know, Mom. She won’t rest until Dad’s back on his feet. We might have to force her to take a break.”
They both knew their mother’s stubbornness was as much a comfort as it was a concern. She had a tendency to care for everyone else while neglecting her own needs.
“I’ll talk to her,” Owen offered. “Maybe I can get her to go for a walk. At least it might change the scenery for a bit.”
“Thanks. If that doesn’t work, I’ll call Aunt Eileen. She’ll make sure she has a break.”
Owen ran his hand across his jaw. The early morning stubble made him look even more like Long John Silver. “I called Uncle Doug while you were waiting for your coffee. He’ll call his side of the family. I told him Dad can’t see many visitors at the moment, so he’ll make sure everyone stays away until we know what’s happening.”
