Page 55 of Billionaire Retreat

Chapter 11

I awoke from a hard sleep when I heard someone pull the curtain back beside the hospital bed. I’d spent the night curled up in the chair next to the gigantic hospital bed and my body felt cramped, but I ignored the soreness of my body as I looked towards the person now peering at me. I’d spent most of the night worrying, pacing, praying, hoping for a miracle.

And this morning I’d gotten exactly the miracle I hoped for as I rubbed my eyes and saw him sitting up in bed.

“Hi, Dad. How are you feeling?”

“Felt better yesterday. I barely slept. You were snoring so loud I thought about having the nurses remove you.”

“I guess that means you’re feeling better.”

“I would if I could get this dang curtain down. Makes me feel dead having this curtain around me.”

“Wow, Dad. You just had a stroke, leave the curtain alone.”

“A stroke? I feel fine.”

“You might feel fine but the doctors want you to take it easy.”

“They’re trying to kill me.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re not.”

“You’re too trusting.”

“You’re too ornery.”

“I hate doctors.”

“Mom’s a doctor.”

“She’s the exception to the rule. Where is she by the way?”

I didn’t answer. I stood up and wrapped my arms around him. He sat stiffly before finally hugging me back.

I felt tears falling down my face and plopping on the top of his bald shiny head. “Are you crying or did the ceiling just spring a leak?”

“Both,” I teased. Reluctantly, I let him go.

“Stop the crying,” he said, looking around for a handkerchief. He always kept a handkerchief in his pocket. That was a difficult feat when wearing a hospital gown. I grossed him out by using the sleeve of my shirt.

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t see that,” he said, lying back down.

“But seriously, how are you feeling?”

“Just tired. Did they say when I can leave?”

“A few days, I think. They want to run some more tests.”

“That’s because I have insurance. The good kind. If I didn’t they would have just made sure I was alive and sent me on my way.”

Dad was such a cynic.

“I need to get home to Sadie, but I’ll be back. Mom should be on her way.”

“Who’s watching Sadie?” he asked, trying to sit up again.

I stopped him. “Relax, Dad. Kenny’s here.”