Page 43 of Hearts of Wealth

Catherine

––––––––

ONCE AGAIN, MY KNEES buckled as the doctor spoke. I barely heard the words. I tuned out after he said my father was in recovery. Recovery. That was the word I hung on to. Recovery meant he was getting better. He was going to be okay.

“Catherine?” Timothy’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Yes? What?”

“Do you have any questions?”

I felt a little silly because I had a million questions. Questions the doctor had probably already answered while I was spacing out. “Can I see him?” I asked.

“It’ll be about twenty minutes. We’ll be moving him into his room. He’s likely to be asleep for a while, but that’s a good thing. We want him to rest.”

“But he’ll be okay?” I asked.

“The surgery went well,” the doctor assured us. “It wasn’t anything major, but he will need to remain in recovery for a while. He’s going to need to make some changes.”

“His diet?” I asked.

The doctor chuckled. “Among other things. He’ll need to follow up with his regular doctor more often. We need to keep an eye on things, but I don’t foresee any issues with his recovery.”

“Thank you,” I said with fresh tears streaming down my cheeks.

“You’re welcome. Sit tight. Someone will page you when you can see him.”

He turned and walked away, off to save another life. My shoulders dropped with the huge weight removed. Timothy hugged me once again. “He’s going to be okay. While we’re waiting, let’s get you something to drink. You should probably splash some water on your face. You don’t want your dad waking up and stressing out when he sees how stressed out you are.”

“Oh gosh,” I gasped. “You’re right. I wish I had brought my purse. I don’t have any makeup.”

“I’ll call Paisley,” he said. “They can stop at the store and pick up whatever you need.”

I quickly gave him a list of just some basic things. I was not going to contribute to my dad’s stress level. I had to look calm and chill. Fortunately, Paisley and Luke arrived a short time later. I put on a little makeup, doing my best to hide my puffy eyes and red nose.

Finally, after nearly an hour, I was finally given the all-clear to visit him. “Do you want me to come with you?” Timothy asked.

“I’ll be okay,” I said.

“We’ll be here,” he assured me. “Just text if you need anything.”

“Once he’s awake, I’ll see if he’s ready for visitors.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Luke said. “We just want to be here.”

I gave him a hug and then Paisley. Timothy walked me down the hall and then left me to see my father on my own. When I walked into the room, a nurse was moving around without making a sound. She smiled at me.

“Are you his daughter?”

“Yes. Catherine.”

“I’ll be checking on him frequently, but don’t worry. I’m just keeping an eye on things.”

“How is he?” I asked.

“He’s resting.” She smiled.

I sat at my dad’s bedside, watching over him as he lay unconscious. The doctor assured me he was going to be okay, but until he opened his eyes and talked to me, I was going to have a hard time believing it. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, of facing a future without his guidance and support. I had so much more to learn from him. I kicked myself for not spending more time with him. I’d never really thought this was something that could happen. Obviously, it was inevitable eventually, but I’d believed I had so much more time.