Cato’s Heart

by Daniels, Phoenix

  “I’m gonna be late getting back. I gotta go.” She placed the money on the table.

  “Put that away, lady. Lunch is on me.”

  Rebecca retrieved the money from the table and put it back in her purse. “You ain’t gotta tell me twice,” she said with a chuckle.

  Paula forked the last bite of her salad and then used a napkin to wipe her mouth. She dug inside her purse and pulled out a few bills. She put the money on the table and stood. “Come on. I know you can’t stand being late.”

  Rebecca grinned and got up to follow her friend out of the restaurant. She pulled out her phone to request an Uber, but she was late and didn’t have time to wait for one to arrive. She decided to take a taxi instead. Since they were downtown, taxis were everywhere. So, when one rode by, she waved it down. The driver didn’t see her right away, so he pulled over near the corner.

  Rebecca hugged Paula and promised to call her later before taking off in a jog toward the taxi. But before she could reach the car, she was struck with a wicked bout of nausea that stopped her in her tracks. Her vision blurred, and her heart was racing out of control. All of a sudden, she could feel herself falling. She reached out for something, anything, to grab a hold of, but there was nothing. She hit the ground, hard, and clutched her chest. The pain was so sharp that if she could’ve screamed, she would have.

  Paula suddenly appeared over her. “Call 911!” she screamed.

  It had become clear. She was having another heart attack. And it had also become clear that the attack was like no other she’d had before. She was in so much pain that if she could’ve reached in and snatched the sick organ from her body, she would have done so immediately.

  “Call 911!”

  Paula was inconsolable, crying and screaming for help. Rebecca reached for her. Something in her needed to comfort her hysterical friend. She wanted to tell her that all would be okay, but she couldn’t speak.

  “Stay with me, Rebecca! Do you hear me? Stay with me!”

  That was the last thing Rebecca heard before losing the battle to stay conscious, but the last thing she saw before the world went dark was Nick Cato’s beautiful face.

  CATO

  It had only been an hour, but to Nick, it felt like a lifetime. He was staring at the stale beige walls of the hospital waiting room while pacing back and forth.

  “Hey, brother,” Vince called softly, placing his hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Why don’t you let me take over? I’m sure I can wear down the floor tiles just as good as you.” He urged him to the chair he’d abandoned twenty minutes ago. “Come on. Take a seat.”

  Nick wanted to resist, but he didn’t because he knew Vince was just as anxious.

  He took a seat and stared down at his feet since there was nothing new on the dreary wall for him to see. He’d been staring so long that he knew every crack, every speck of dirt, and every paint chip.

  “Can I get you guys some coffee, a snack, or something?” Tanya asked.

  Vince walked over to his wife and kissed her forehead, and Nick couldn’t help the feeling of envy that warmed his face.

  “No. I’m fine, sweetheart.”

  “Nick?”

  “No, thank you, Tanya. I’m okay.”

  She turned to leave just as Dr. Han, the obstetrician, entered the waiting room. Nick stood on shaky legs and waited for news on his family.

  Dr. Han pulled her surgical cap from her head and smiled, but Nick couldn’t allow himself to relax until she was actually speaking good news.

  “Would you like to meet your son, Mr. Cato?”

  Nick inhaled a sharp breath. His heart skipped a beat. “My son?” He’d heard her. He simply wanted her to repeat what she’d just said.

  “Yep. Your son,” she repeated with a smile.

  Nick turned to Vince and Tanya. “I told you it was a boy!” he shouted in celebration.

  He turned back to the doctor. “My wife?” The miracle of his son’s birth had him hoping for another one.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Cato. Your wife’s condition has not changed, but your son is very healthy.”

  Nick sighed. He knew the day would come when he’d have to let his wife go, but he wasn’t sure he could.

  Dr. Han gestured toward a set of double doors. “If you come with me, a nurse will get you prepped for a visit.”

  The thought of holding his son was comforting. “Yes, of course.”

  He followed the doctor through the doors, anxious to meet his baby boy.

  16

  CATO

  Nick laughed out loud when he pulled the bottle from his son’s mouth and his little lips kept smacking. I guess he figured if he kept sucking, another milk-filled nipple would magically appear.

  He rubbed his soft, dark hair and whispered, “You are just too perfect.”

  “Have you come up with a name for Baby Cato?” asked one of the younger nurses.

  “Yep. He’s a junior,” he responded with a grin.

  He placed the bottle on a table and raised his son to his shoulder. He was thankful the nurses were nearby as he attempted to get a burp out of him. While gently patting his back, he swallowed the sadness of knowing Vera would never hold their son, and he would never know his mother. Mercifully, sadness turned to pride when the burp that escaped his son sounded like it could’ve come from a much bigger person.

  “That’s my boy,” he congratulated.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Cato. They’re ready for you to sign the papers,” the nurse informed with her arms outstretched for his son.

  He didn’t want to let him go, but he knew he had more unpleasant business to deal with. Now that Nick Junior had entered the world, it was time for him to say goodbye to his wife. But before he signed papers, consenting to take his wife off life support, he would make sure that Little Nick got a chance to bond with her. The nurses would lay him against her bare skin. His son would hear his mother’s heart beating before it stopped.

  Nick kissed the side of the baby’s face and handed him over to the nurse.

  “I’m just gonna give him a quick change,” she told him. “I’ll have him ready in a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled off the hospital gown and tossed it into the designated basket. When he walked out of the nursery, Dr. Thantos was waiting.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I’ve never been so happy and so sad in my life,” Nick admitted.

  “I understand.”

  Nick shook his head. “I don’t think you do,” he disputed while fighting back tears. “My son’s birth means the end of my wife’s life.”

  “I know.” The doctor’s voice was soft, and his tone was sympathetic, which only made Nick sadder.

  “My wife will never know her son, and my son will never…” Nick sobbed, unable to finish his thought.

  He inhaled a sharp breath and fell against the nursery window. He covered his face and wept into his hands. Dr. Thantos grasped his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Without an ounce of shame, he cried like a little boy in the man’s arms.

  Nick took a deep breath, trying his best to regain his composure. He gave the doctor a pat on the arm and took a step back. He used the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the tears from his face.

  “I’m sorry, Doc.”

  “Please don’t apologize for grieving. In fact, I must apologize in advance for being the one to deliver more bad news.”

  Nick’s heart sank. More bad news just might kill him. “What is it?” he asked with reluctance.

  Dr. Thantos placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed. “It’s Rebecca.”

  Nick was instantly smacked by a rush of panic. “What about Rebecca? What happened?”

  “She’s here. Nick, she had another heart attack and she doesn’t have much time.”

  “Oh, God! Where is she?” He took off down the hall toward the elevator.

  “Wait!” Dr. Thantos took off after him and grabbed him by the arm.

  “What is it?” he snapped.r />
  “There’s something else… something you need to know.”

  KING

  As soon as Rebecca opened her eyes, she regretted it. The bright light felt like an ice pick piercing her brain. She tried to sit up, but she couldn’t move. She tried to speak, but couldn’t. She had a horrible sore throat and felt as if she were choking.

  A face appeared above. It was Dr. Bettis, her cardiologist.

  “Rebecca, dear, you had another heart attack. We lost you for a minute, but you’re a fighter.”

  She smiled and Rebecca could feel a hand on hers.

  “You can’t speak because we had to intubate. The respirator is helping you breathe. I’m sorry, Rebecca. At this point, without a heart, I’m afraid…”

  Her doctor’s voice was fading just like the time she had left. But she didn’t need to hear what the doctor was saying. Rebecca knew her time in this world was coming to an end.

  Nick!

  17

  KING

  “Rebecca, can you hear me?”

  She couldn’t make out the voice, but whoever it was, she heard them. She felt a cold hand slip underneath hers.

  “Rebecca, it’s Dr. Bettis. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.”

  Per the doctor’s instruction, she squeezed.

  “Good… good! Can you open your eyes?”

  Rebecca worked to part her lids, blinking until she could see her cardiologist’s brown eyes and wide smile.

  “Very good. You’re doing good. Since you’ve been breathing on your own for a while now, I’m going to remove the respirator. When I say so, I want you to take a deep breath and when you feel the pull, exhale out of your mouth. Do you understand?”

  Rebecca confirmed with a weak nod.

  She twisted a few caps, unsnapped a few tabs, and asked, “Are you ready?”

  After another nod, the doctor wrapped her fingers around the tube. Rebecca inhaled in her nose and then exhaled as the doctor gently pulled the hose from her throat. She fought the urge to vomit the entire time it took to remove the hose. Once it was out, the choking sensation caused her to cough. Rebecca had never experienced pain so devastating in her entire existence. She went to grab her chest, but a nurse grabbed her hand.

  “No, no, Miss King. You’ll tear a stitch,” she warned.

  Rebecca’s face twisted with confusion. Why did she have stitches? She wanted to ask, but the pain in her chest was unbearable. She could feel a warm tear run down the side of her face.

  “I know you’re in pain, Rebecca. But I want to monitor your heart rate and blood pressure for a bit before introducing pain meds.”

  Dr. Bettis must have read the confusion in her expression.

  “I know you want answers, and you’ll have them soon. Right now, I need you to rest.”

  Rebelling wasn’t an option, because Rebecca was totally exhausted. Her overworked heart must’ve been putting in overtime to keep her alive. Since she couldn’t argue, even if she wanted to, she allowed her eyes to close.

  Three days later…

  Rebecca’s eyes blinked open. The hospital bed was partially raised so she was better able to take in her environment. The olive-green room was dimly lit, but there was enough light for her to see that she didn’t have a roommate. She looked down, and lying on her chest was a red pillow in the shape of a heart.

  “Welcome back, beautiful.” The voice came from the doorway.

  It was Nick. He was smiling and holding a cup of what she assumed was coffee.

  “Nick.” Her voice came out in a whisper, because that was all she could manage. Her throat was still sore from the respirator.

  He placed the cup on the tray and walked over to the bed. He was so very handsome, even though he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

  “It’s good to see you awake.”

  “W-what… what—”

  “Shhhh.”

  He picked up her hand and lifted it to his lips. After a sweet kiss, he said, “Wait for the doctor.”

  When Nick turned around, Rebecca could see Dr. Bettis entering the room.

  “It’s good to see you so alert. You’re doing very well,” she praised with a wide grin.

  “I- I had a heart attack, right?” Her voice was hoarse.

  “You did,” the doctor confirmed. “You died for a few minutes, but we got you back.”

  Rebecca inhaled a painful breath at the news that she’d had to be resuscitated. Dr. Bettis moved closer and began to check the monitors next to her bed. She pulled her stethoscope from around her neck and smiled.

  “You survived, but that old heart of yours didn’t.”

  Rebecca was confused as she glared up at her doctor with knitted brows. She wasn’t making sense. How could she have survived without her heart?

  She couldn’t unless…

  “Let’s see how this new one is doing,” the doctor said, sticking the ear tips of the stethoscope in her ears.

  Rebecca gasped. Had she heard her correctly? Had Nick heard her? Her eyes flew to him. His broad smile told her he had. She turned back to Dr. Bettis.

  “I-I… H… How?” she croaked.

  The doctor nodded her head toward Nick. “Why don’t I let Mr. Cato explain?”

  Rebecca wondered why her doctor would allow someone other than her to explain medical procedures. She looked at Nick and saw a flash of sadness in his eyes. But he smiled, and it was gone just as quickly as it had come. When she studied him through narrowed eyes, he lowered his gaze.

  “Dr. Bettis,” she called without taking her eyes off him. “Where did this—”

  “Rebecca,” Nick interrupted. He smiled, but it was tense. He was nervous. “I have a son,” he whispered.

  Rebecca instantly understood. Her eyes welled with tears...tears for him. “Oh, Nick…” She breathed.

  The tears swimming in her eyes trickled down her cheeks. The truth hit her like a ton of bricks. Inside her chest was his wife’s beating heart.

  CATO

  By her falling tears, it was obvious that she was devastated. But when Dr. Thantos told him that Vera had the same rare blood type as Rebecca, and she would not survive the night without a heart, there was no other choice to be made.

  “Rebecca, I need you to understand.”

  “Understand what?” she snapped. “How you thought I could possibly live with this?”

  He wanted to explain to her that there was nothing else he could have done. He needed her to know that he could not have lost his wife and her on the same day. She needed to know the type of woman Vera was. She would never have allowed anyone to die if she could’ve prevented it. She needed to know how much losing her would hurt. But making her understand everything she needed to know would have to wait until she was stronger.

  “Please don’t upset yourself.” He released her hand and took a step away from the bed. “You need your rest. I’ll check on you later.”

  “Nick,” she called out when he turned to leave.

  When he turned to look at her, the sadness in her eyes nearly broke his heart. She reached out for him.

  “Please… please, come back.”

  Unable to refuse her anything, he returned to her bedside. He leaned over, closing the distance between them. He was hit by a bolt of emotion when she ran her soft hand over his unshaven jaw.

  “I am sooo sorry,” she whispered with tears trickling down her face. “I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

  He swiped a tear from his own cheek and covered her warm hand with his. “I know you are, sweetheart. Thank you.”

  She shook her head slightly and gazed up at him with sad, brown eyes. “Oh, God, no. I thank you.”

  18

  KING

  Rebecca was eating the nastiest green beans ever when Nick popped his head in her room.

  “How’s our patient today?”

  She shoved a green bean in her mouth and responded with, “Highly disappointed.”

  He laughed and
entered the room. “Can’t be that bad.”

  “Hmph! It’s that bad,” she retorted, patting the edge of the bed. “Come. Sit by me.”

  “Actually, I was wondering if you were up for some company?”

  Rebecca looked up. He sounded strange. For the past week when he visited, he’d normally walk right over and give her a kiss. But instead of his usual greeting, he was standing by the door, looking very nervous.

  “What’s wrong, Nick?”

  “Nothing is wrong. You have a visitor. That’s all.”

  “O- kay…”

  He held the door open a bit wider and in stepped a tall white man with ink-black hair and a matching beard. He was well dressed in a blue shirt and black slacks.

  “Rebecca, I’d like you to meet Vincent Crane.”

  “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She chuckled, pushing her wild hair from her face. “Nick could’ve warned me he was bringing someone by.”

  Nick moved close to the bed and took her by the hand. “Rebecca, Vince is Vera’s brother. He wanted to meet you.”

  Rebecca inhaled a breath and pulled her hand from Nick’s. “Oh, my God.”

  She clutched her chest. It could’ve been because of the shock of having Vera’s brother standing less than ten feet away or she could have been subconsciously protecting her heart. “Hi, Vince. I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you. I hear there’s no one more worthy than you to be walking around with my sister’s heart.”

  Rebecca smiled at Nick. “He may be a bit biased.”

  “Well, he’s not the only one. Dr. Thantos speaks very highly of you too.”