“Let’s go and celebrate this news,” Greg said. “What do you guys say? Come on; we need to eat first. How about it? I also need a hell of a cup of strong coffee to wake me up.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” I said with a smile. “I will pick up something for the kids.”
Greg and I went to Dunkin’ Donuts, which was open all night. After we all got large coffees—and I got some doughnuts for the kids—we headed back.
“Thanks, guys, for my coffee and breakfast. I have to get my kids ready for school, so I’m going back home. See you all later!” I waved good-bye.
“Michael,” I heard Greg whisper, “I’m worried about Viktoria. I sense or have a bad feeling that something is following her. Also that something is draining her energy.”
“Do you think so? I thought it was just that she is tired.”
“I’ve known Viktoria for a long time, and this is not her. She’s usually very hyperactive.”
“This case has worn her out; we should keep an eye on her.”
“Michael, you also could use a siege in your house. Carry this holy water with you at all times. You might need it, because you also got involved with this entity.”
“Thanks, Greg. I will do that siege and holy water thing. I’ll see you later then.”
Chapter 6
Grandma Nelly
Thank God I’m home! I thought to myself as I closed the front door to my house. Everyone is sleeping; I should get myself into bed also.
“Oh my, dear, do you always work this late?” I heard someone ask as I was about to go up the stairs.
I turned around and walked to the kitchen where I saw Grandma Nelly sitting with a cup of something steaming in front of her. “I didn’t know you were up, Nelly. I’m so sorry if I woke you.”
“No, honey,” she said with a shake of her head. “Just couldn’t sleep for some reason. I also wanted to talk to you; I’ve wanted to do this for the longest time, but I was not brave enough. I didn’t know how you would react.”
“What do you mean, how I would react?” I asked, sitting down across from her.
“You don’t look well; let me make you a cup of hot chocolate, then we can talk about this.” She put some water on to boil and grabbed a mug. “It started to worry me a while ago … something I overheard. At first, I could not believe it, and then I started to look for evidence. I searched, and I found out it’s true.”
“Is everything all right, Nelly? Did something happen?”
“Everything’s okay; nothing happened. The kids are fine. I wanted to tell you what I know; it’s very important, and I cannot keep it secret anymore.”
“What is it? What did you overhear that has been bothering you this much? I have never seen you this upset, Nelly. You look like you’re shaking. Are you all right? You don’t look well.”
She closed her eyes and clutched her chest. “Viktoria, my heart medicine … get it! It’s in my bag!”
I ran to her bag and almost ripped it open. I found the pills and ran back to her; I put two in her hand and said, “Okay, right now, take this and the water. I’m calling an ambulance.”
My hands shook as I dialed the number, but finally I got through. After the operator asked how he could help me, I said, “I need an ambulance! My mother-in-law might be having a heart attack!”
The person asked for my address, which I gave, and said an ambulance would be there as quickly as possible.
I went back to my mother-in-law. “How do you feel now, Nelly?” I asked as I took her hand.
“Viktoria, I have to tell you something. I can’t keep it to myself anymore. It’s about what I know about the twins.”
“Not now, Nelly,” I said as my face became covered in blue and red lights. “Don’t talk; you need rest. Look, the ambulance is here.”
“We’re taking her to Long Island General Hospital,” one EMT told me as they loaded her into the van.
“I’ll follow you.”
“Mom,” I saw Melisa come out. “What is … what is wrong? What happened to Grandma Nelly?”
“Melisa, Grandma Nelly had a heart attack. She’ll be okay. They’re taking her to the hospital now. No one is going to school. Today, stay home and watch your siblings. I’ll call you when I have more information.”
“How about Dad?” she asked as I grabbed my purse and keys. “Is he coming back?”
“I’ll call your father. If he calls before that, ask him to call me. Don’t tell him anything.”
Oh my god, what a night! I couldn’t help but think as I got into the car and drove to the hospital. I hoped she would be all right. “Please, God, let her be all right.”
I needed to call Brandon and tell him about his mom. I dialed the number and hooked up my hands-free set. “Brandon,” I said after he picked up, “you have to come back as soon as possible. It’s your mom.”
“What happened to Mom?” he asked, frightened.
“She had a heart attack. An ambulance took her to Long Island General Hospital; I’m following them. You need to be there.”
“Did she have any problems with her heart before?”
“She must have, because she asked for her medicine from her bag.”
“Look, Viktoria, I’m on my way. I have a friend who is a doctor in that hospital; I will ask him to go over there and take care of her. Don’t worry.”
“Who is the doctor?”
“I don’t know if you remember Doctor Justin; he is the best in the field.”
“Yes, I do, I do remember him. His daughter went missing, right?”
“Yes. Viktoria, when you get there, ask for him. He will help you with Mom. Call me back.”
I hope she’s okay, I thought as I pulled into the parking lot. God, I feel so bad! She wanted to talk to me and say something. It seemed important to her. Please, God, let her be okay!
“Melisa,” I said into the phone as I sat in the car. I had decided to call home before going into the hospital; they probably wouldn’t tell me anything new for hours anyway. “Hi, baby. Just called to say we’re here now. They took her in, so I don’t know what’s going on. I’m going to shut off my phone, so please call your dad and tell him they took Grandma Nelly inside to do an operation on her.”
“Mom, she’s all right, right? She will make it, right?”
“I hope so, baby. Let’s all pray for her; that will help her.”
“Okay, Mom. Bye for now.”
“I will call you if there are changes. Don’t forget to call your father.”
I hung up and walked into the lobby. I walked over to the desk and asked, “Excuse me, is Doctor Justin here? I have to see him.”
“He’s here, but he went into an emergency operation.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay then. My name is Viktoria. I am the patient’s daughter-in-law. I will be waiting for him here.”
“Sure, I’ll tell him,” the nurse said. I smiled before going to sit on one of the hard chairs.
It was cold in the waiting room. I’d never liked them much—the walls were painted white with a strip of color here and there, and people were just sitting there on cold plastic chairs with worried faces waiting for loved ones. It was going to be a long day.
“Hi, Lacey,” I said into my phone an hour later. They were still in the operating room. “Is that you?”
“Yes, Mom. How is Grandma Nelly doing? Is she okay now?”
“I don’t know. It’s been an hour since they took her into the operating room, and she’s not out yet. Did your dad call?”
“Yes, Mom. He said he’s just getting his car from the parking lot and should be there soon.”
“How are Cameron and Melisa? What are they doing?”
“They’re fine. Mom, Michael is on the other line. Let me answer the phone.”
“Go ahead, honey.
Tell him what happened. I have to hang up now too. I’m going inside; I’ll call you back in an hour.”
***
“Michael, Mom is not here. Grandma Nelly had a heart attack, and they took her to the hospital in an ambulance.”
“Yes, I know. I have spoken to your mom already. Are you guys okay?”
“Mom said they are operating on her now.”
“Then call me if you need anything, Lacey.”
“Michael, are you going to the hospital?”
“Yes. Do you kids want to come with me?”
“Thanks, but we have to stay here.”
Michael hung up and leaned back in his chair. Why didn’t she mention the twins? he wondered. I cannot get that out of my mind. She looked so hurt—and scared. It keeps playing in my head. He tapped his foot. Sitting and waiting in suspense is killing me. I’m so worried about her mother-in-law, Nelly. I hope Brandon gets there in time.
***
Back in the hospital, I waited with my hands clasped tightly together on my lap. What would I say if he asked me how this happened? I couldn’t help but think. What would I say? I could not mention the twins to him; he would get angry. I knew it hurt him so much every time someone mentioned them.
Out of nowhere, I heard Azalea. “Viktoria, don’t worry. She’s okay. Look, her doctor is coming over to you now.”
I looked up, and sure enough, the doctor was right there. “Doctor Justin, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m happy to help. As soon as Brandon told me what had happened, I told him not to worry, and I came here.”
“How is Nelly?”
“She’s fine. Her heart is doing well, except …” His voice trailed off.
“What happened?”
“She had a stroke during the operation; she might have some speech problems and little to no vision in her left eye. We can’t do much until she comes to. She’s in recovery now.”
“We all love Grandma Nelly,” I said, terrified and relieved at the same time. I started babbling, since I didn’t know what else to do. “She is like a mother to me; we called her an archangel without wings. She was always very helpful to everyone; she was always there for us. Thank God she’s okay!”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine; we’ll take good care of her.”
I saw the doctor look over my shoulder. I turned around, wondering what he was looking at, and noticed my husband. “Brandon! I’m glad you’re here; Doctor Justin was just telling me about the operation.”
“How did the operation go, Justin? How is she doing?”
“As I was just telling Viktoria, your mom is fine. However, during the operation, she had a stroke, so we don’t know how that affected her. She may have a speech problem, or she may not feel her left side. She might need another operation later. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Can we see her?”
“Not yet; she’s in the recovery room. Don’t worry; when she goes to her room, I will call you.”
“Thanks so much for your help,” Brandon said before shaking the doctor’s hand. Doctor Justin nodded and walked away.
“Brandon, it was so strange. There was nothing wrong with her; it was early in the morning. I had just come from the office.”
“What were you doing so late in the office?”
“What happened was, after everyone went to bed, I decided to go over the files to see if I could see something that we might have missed before. Then I called Michael, so we met in the office to go over the files more carefully.
“When I came home, she was up, waiting. I asked her if she was okay, and she said that she was. Then she said we needed to talk, and she wanted to talk to me about something that had happened a long time ago. Then her face started changing color, and she asked me to get her heart medication from her bag. Then I called the ambulance.”
“What would be so important that she wanted to talk to you so badly about it? Did she say anything?”
“The only thing she mentioned is that there was something she overheard and I needed to know. Whatever it is, we’ll find out when she gets better; I’m sure she will tell us.”
“Main thing is her getting better. She has the best doctors in the world.”
I nodded in agreement. “I’m going outside to call the kids. They must be worried. I’ll meet you upstairs.”
He nodded and headed for the elevators as I went outside. I dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.
“Mom,” Melisa asked, breathless. “How is Grandma Nelly doing? Is she still in the operation?”
“She’s fine; the operation went well. Don’t worry. Your dad is here too. I should be home this afternoon. Dad sends his love. Please take care of your brother and sister.”
She told me that she would before hanging up. I was about to go inside when I heard, “Viktoria, wait for me!”
I turned around. “I cannot believe you, Michael! What are you doing here? I would have called you!”
“I know that, but I didn’t want to leave you and Brandon alone at a time like this.”
“Thank you for your concern; you’re a good friend. Michael, if you want to go see Brandon, he’s upstairs in the waiting room. I’ll join you as soon as I call Greg and tell him what’s going on.”
“You don’t need to call him.”
“You told him, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “He said he would stop by your house and drop off breakfast for the kids. Then he would come here.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “What would we do without you both?”
Michael and I decided to wait for Greg. Once he showed up, we went upstairs. “Honey,” I said when we got upstairs, “look at who I found! These two guys downstairs were looking for us.” Brandon greeted the two guys. “Any news on Grandma Nelly?”
“No, not yet. The nurse came in and said that she’s still in the recovery room. As soon as she wakes up, the nurse will call us.”
“Look,” I said glancing out the door. “Doctor Justin is coming with someone. I hope it’s not bad news.”
“Don’t panic!” the doctor greeted us with a smile. “This is not bad news. We took her to her room; you can see her in twenty minutes. I just wanted to introduce you to my assistant, Doctor Damien Amore. He’s the best assistant, in case Nelly needs a second operation.”
“Thank you, Lord,” I said to the ceiling before looking back at the doctors. “I am so relived that she’s okay. Did she wake up yet?”
“Not yet. When you go inside, don’t let her talk—even if she tries to. We don’t want her to tire herself out. Also try not to look worried; it might upset her more.”
“Whatever you say, Justin,” Brandon said. “Long as Mom is okay. By the way, it was nice to meet you, Doctor Damien. I’m happy to see that my mother is in safe hands.”
“Please, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I will be happy to answer any for you.”
“Thank you for your great care, Doctor Damien,” I said. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“I suppose you can go to see Nelly now for a few minutes,” said Doctor Justin.
“I don’t know what to expect,” I said when the doctors left. “I hope with all my heart that she is okay.”
We went to her room and saw her lying there so peacefully. I wished I had a magic wand so that I could make her better. It hurt me to see her like that.
“Brandon,” I said, trying to look at him, but losing that battle. “I need to go out. I don’t feel good. I have never seen her like this; I cannot stay. I’ll be back.”
I walked out the door and saw Michael and Greg standing there. “Viktoria, how is Nelly doing?”
“She is sleeping like an angel. I hope she’s not in pain.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Greg said. “Don’t worry; she’s a strong woman
. She’ll be just fine.”
“I don’t know what I would tell the kids if anything happened to her. They’d be so badly hurt. They love their grandma Nelly.”
“Doctor Damien is coming,” Michael said. “Maybe he has some good news.”
“Doctor Damien,” I said when he was close enough to us, “I’m praying for good news, hoping that she will be okay.”
“I am here to tell you that there was nothing but good news on all the tests. She will not need an operation after all. She will just need a little speech therapy.”
“Thank God! That is wonderful news! I have to go to upstairs to tell Brandon right away!”
“Okay then, let’s go. We can tell him the good news together. I believe Doctor Justin will be joining us in a few minutes.”
“There’s Brandon over there. And Doctor Justin too.”
“Hi, Damien. I suppose you already told them.”
“Yes, I told Viktoria but not her husband yet. We thought we would tell him together.”
“Nelly is doing better than we expected.” Brandon and I looked at each other, and we couldn’t stop the smiles from growing. “I heard so much about her from Doctor Justin. He told me that she is a wonderful person. I have to go now, but I wish the family good luck.”
“Brandon, are you okay? Your face looks white, like you have seen a ghost.”
“Viktoria, does Doctor Damien look familiar to you? I feel that we have seen him somewhere before, but I cannot not put my finger on where.”
“I don’t know. I don’t see anyone except Grandma Nelly. I need a couple of days to relax. I need to get Nelly’s room ready at home for when she’s out of the hospital. We can’t leave her by herself. She needs to be taken care of.”
“Sure, Viktoria,” Michael said. “Take off as much time as you need. Greg and I will work on the case to see what else we can find out. We’re leaving now, but call us if we are needed. Give our love to Grandma Nelly; we are praying for her.”
“I don’t know how to express gratitude to you guys for your help. I’m glad you both were here with us.” I kissed them both on the cheek before leaning back. “I’m going upstairs to see Nelly. See you both later. Bye.”
Lilith's Awakening Page 9