"Please, call me Tony." I stood and shook his hand. "Is she going to be okay?"
"It's too early for me to give you any guarantees, but the doctors are in with her now." He motioned for me to follow him, so I did. I'd have done just about anything he asked if it meant getting to see Mama. I didn't want her to be alone right now. "The doctor asked me to come and get you because they have some questions they need answered. I'll warn you now, you mother's experiencing difficulty communicating with us and seems confused."
"And what does that mean?" I asked, trying to think of how Frankie would handle the situation if he were here. He and Freddie were the two we all turned to when shit hit the fan, but neither of them were here, which placed the burden on me. They'd all be looking to me for answers, and I wasn't going to let them down.
"Like I said, it's too early to definitively say, and I'm not a doctor." He stepped aside to swipe his card, then stood back as the doors automatically swung open. "But I know it can be disconcerting to walk into the room of someone you love and see them struggling through the most basic tasks. The good news, such as it is, is she's awake and fighting whatever's going on."
"That's no surprise," I scoffed. Mama was a fiercely independent woman, and it probably pissed her off she was confined to a bed. The nurse simply shrugged and offered me a pitying smile. I couldn't help but wonder if that was something they taught in nursing school. While I knew he was only trying to be nice, the gesture came across just short of patronizing.
He led me into Mama's room, and despite the warning he'd given, I choked back a sob when I saw Mama in bed, looking more frail than I'd ever seen her. Maybe it was the bright white overhead lights, but she seemed pale. When she turned her head toward the sound of my voice, it was as though she looked right through me. My heart clenched because there seemed to be zero recognition of who I was. I folded myself into a folding chair the nurse had pulled out when my knees began to shake.
"Mister Marino, I'm Doctor Troy," the doctor introduced himself as he continued scrolling through Mama's chart on the computer. "I'm trying to get a clearer picture of what's going on with your mother, and I'm hoping you can help me."
"I'll do my best," I assured him, voice shaking as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the frigid blast of air coming through the vents.
"Do you know when your mother's symptoms started?"
"She seemed a little spacey after the lunch rush, but I figured she was just tired," I admitted, kicking myself because I should've known then something was wrong. Mama wasn't a stranger to jumping in to help wherever she could when we were busy, but she'd never struggled the way she had today. I should've told her to sit down or sent her home.
Yeah, as if she'd listen,I chastised myself.She'd have told you off for trying to treat her like an old woman.
"And what happened that made you call 9-1-1?" he asked, making notes in the computer as I spoke.
"I already told the paramedics she collapsed in the dining room," I answered, letting out a huff because there wasn't time for me to go through the whole damn story again. He needed to quit talking and start fixing her.
"Do you know what she was doing at the time?"
"She was talking to people," I responded, breathing slowly and methodically to keep from lunging over the bed to strangle this doctor who seemed completely unaffected by the fact Mama looked weaker with every minute.
"Has anything like this happened to your mother before?"
"No. Now, do you think you could quit with the twenty questions until you figure out what's going on with Mama?" I snapped. Mama's head lolled to the side, a flash of panic and confusion crossing her eyes before she placed her hand on top of my arm. I couldn't help but flinch at how cold and weak she felt.
"I understand you're scared," the doctor said in a well-rehearsed placating tone, "But please know we're doing everything we can to confirm a diagnosis and decide on a treatment plan for your mother."
"So that means you know what's going on?" I pressed. Logically, I understood why the doctor wasn't throwing out his assumptions, but if he knew what was going on, he'd damn well better start talking. When he didn't answer me, I decided to drop the attitude and try a different tactic. "Listen, I'm not looking for definitive answers here, but when my family gets here, they're going to ask me questions and 'I don't know' isn't a valid answer to them. I just want to know you have some idea of what's happening."
The doctor looked skyward briefly, as if trying to find a thread of patience, then let out a slow, steady breath. "Based on your mother's symptoms and what you've told me, the most likely cause is a stroke. I've already ordered a CT scan for her, and they will come and get her for that as soon as they can. Once we're able to confirm the diagnosis and gather information on specifically what's happening, we'll be able to choose the right treatment. Please don't think we're dragging our feet, because we're not. We understand better than anyone time is of the essence in cases like this."
"Okay." I kept waiting to lose my shit, but somehow, I remained calm. I had to believe this doctor wouldn't lie to me.
There was a knock on the door, and a young woman in scrubs stepped into the room. "Doctor Troy, they're ready for Mrs. Marino."
As I watched her unlock the wheels on Mama's bed, I let out a sigh of relief.Finally, someone was doing something to help her. When the orderly pushed Mama's bed into the hall, I choked back a sob and offered up a quick prayer that she'd be okay.
"She's in good hands." I startled at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder, looking up to see the nurse who'd brought me back here standing beside me, a kind smile on his face. "Why don't we go out and see if your family is here yet? You can update them, and that way you're not sitting in here alone thinking of all the worst-case scenarios. Believe me, I know how frustrating it is to put your loved one's care in someone else's hands, but Doctor Lawry is one of the best we've got. He'll move heaven and earth to get your mother the care she needs as quickly as possible."
"Thank you." Somewhere between Mama's room and the waiting area, I felt the adrenaline crash begin. I'd been running on auto-pilot since Mama collapsed, but knowing I wouldn't have to do this alone once I walked through those double doors had my body ready to shut down. I wanted to curl up in bed with Max on one side of me and Enzo on the other, their warmth a better blanket than any piece of fabric.
I momentarily regretted my wish for my family to arrive when I was swarmed the second Teo noticed me. He rushed to my side, and the rest of the guys were close behind. Questions flew at me from every direction, everyone desperate for an update. When Max pushed his way past my brothers to my side, I sagged against his chest as he held me tightly. "Guys, let him sit down, and I'm sure he'll tell you what he knows so far."
Teo and Enzo backed off immediately, but Frankie narrowed his eyes. Enzo tugged on Frankie's shirt sleeve, a scowl on his face as he shook his head. I vaguely recalled Enzo being freaked about something when I'd called to let him know about Mama and wished I'd taken a few seconds to find out what in the hell had been going on at home. Whatever was going on between them, the moment passed quickly enough, and Frankie backed down.
Max took my arm, leading me to a small couch in the corner of the room. We must've been quite the sight with my brothers following his lead like ducklings in a row. After tugging Max to the cushion beside me, I reached for the other third of my heart. I needed both of them close to get through today after having had time to think about how close we'd come to losing Mama. If she hadn't been at Marino's when it happened... If she'd been sitting at the bar watching people pass by and Tabitha had been in the cellar pulling inventory to restock... If she'd been home alone since all of us had moved out...
"Hey, whatever's running through your head, stop," Max whispered, pressing his lips to my temple and holding them there until my breathing steadied. When Enzo started rubbing his hand up and down my spine, I closed my eyes, not caring what anyone thought about the comfort I was receiving from both of my men. "You did everything you could."
"I can't help feeling like I should've noticed something sooner," I admitted. Every question the doctor asked about how Mama seemed this morning had me recalling the day, trying to find signs something was wrong. Therehadto be something I was missing. Something that'd come to light in the future, leaving my brothers blaming me for not realizing what was happening.
