"I—I don't want this. I don't want any of this. She shouldn't touch this family; you all are good people; kind. I don't want to bring anyone like her to our doorstep. Please, just take all this away." She shoved the papers away from her and stood up, pacing a few feet away to look out the window.
"Maisie, your mom is right. Whatever you decide, we're behind you. But don't make a snap decision based on your reaction to this new information. Take some time and think about it. Nothing has to be decided tonight." Her dad was a smart man, always offering sound advice whenever the situation called for it.
"You're right, Dad. I'll think it over. Thanks, guys. If it's okay, I'm just going to go back upstairs for awhile." She gave them both a kiss and retreated. She needed time to process, although she knew her answer would never change. Never would she let Allison come back into her life and taint the home of these kind people. She'd rather be left on her own than let that happen. Flopping back on her bed, she stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before closing her eyes. Toxic people like Allison were best forgotten and that was exactly what she was going to do.
Present Day
The phone rang at two p.m. the day after Maisie had her epiphany and she stared at it in confusion. No one called anyone anymore, everyone she knew sent text messages or emails. The persistent ringing filled her with a feeling of dread. Something was wrong, she could feel it.
"Hello?"
"Maisie." It was her father, the sick feeling of doom increased. "I need you to come to the house right away, your mom isn't feeling well and we're going to take her to the hospital."
"I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up without another word, grabbed her purse and dashed out the door. Oh, God. What was wrong with her mom? She knew she hadn't looked all that well the day prior, she should have spoken up, said something to someone. Told her dad, Blake. But no, she was too selfish and wrapped up in her own life to take notice that her mom was sick. Now they had to rush her to the hospital and it was all her fault.
Tears poured down her face as she broke every speed limit on the drive to her parents' house. Pulling to a stop, she left the car running and ran inside. Her mom and dad were in the doorway, her mom doubled over in obvious pain, while her dad held her right arm and guided her towards the door.
"What's wrong? What happened?" she burst out, darting forward to take her mom's other arm. Once on the porch, she locked the front door and the three of them started down the driveway to Maisie's waiting car.
"She just woke up like this, intense pain in her stomach. Not sure what's going on, but she wouldn't let me call an ambulance. She's pretty angry at me right now for calling you and Blake—" Tires screeched and like she'd been announced, Blake's car pulled to an abrupt stop.
Leaping from her car, Blake ran to them and took over helping their mom into the front seat, before climbing in the back with her dad. Maisie started the car and in seconds, they were on their way.
"You're bloody well right I'm angry with you, Neil. Bothering the girls with this. We could have just went ourselves and filled them in when I got home," her mom snapped.
"No way," Maisie and Blake said in unison.
"I would have been pissed if you did that, Mom," Blake said, never one to pull any punches.
"I did it to protect myself from their wrath," her dad admitted and Maisie smiled. Her mom huffed and then laid her head back to rest on the seat. She was pale and looked much wearier than the day before.
"When did this start?" Blake asked, leaning between the opening of the seats.
"It's been for quite awhile now, it started as just a dull ache, but it grew to an annoyance and now I just can't seem to bear it. I'm sure the doctor will just give me some pain meds and send us on our way," Caroline explained.
"A few months?! Why haven't you said anything?" Maisie demanded, in shock that she would suffer all that time and not let them help her.
"I didn't need any of you worrying over me. I'm sure its nothing."
Maisie didn't agree, but kept silent. The dread she felt in the pit of her own stomach was growing every second. Something was very wrong and the fear for her mom's well-being was starting to eat her alive.
They pulled up outside the Emergency room and Blake jumped out to get their mom a wheelchair. She fussed for a few minutes, insisting she could walk, but in the end, they won and she gave in. Neil went ahead to get them pre-registered, Blake following behind pushing their mom while Maisie found a place to park. On the short walk back to the ER, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Brant, letting him know what was going on before putting it on silent and slipping it back in her purse.
The waiting room was quiet, which surprised Maisie when she walked in. Not seeing her family, she headed to the receptionist and tried to wait patiently while she chatted with one of the other nurses, ignoring her. After a few minutes, she tapped on the window, out of patience.
The lady, who had her black hair pulled back in a severe bun, shot her a look to say that she wasn't impressed with being interrupted.
"I'm looking for my mother, Caroline Pierce. She was just brought in here with my dad and sister."
She huffed and then glanced down at a clipboard. "Room 3A. But you'll have to switch out with someone, only two allowed in a room!" she called after Maisie, who had darted away as soon as she got the room number. When she found the room, she pushed open the door and entered. Her mom was laying on a stretcher, her dad holding her hand and Blake pacing nearby. A nurse was in the room, taking vitals.
"What's happening?" she asked, needing an update. Seeing her mom laying there, already changed into a hospital gown and turned under a crisp white sheet, was a shock to the system. She looked so small, so fragile, and suddenly much, much older. If something happened to her, she didn't know if she'd ever recover.
"I've given your mom some medication for the pain and I'm just doing a set of vitals on your mom, checking her blood pressure, temperature, that sort of thing. The resident will be in to see her shortly and then we'll get to the bottom of what's causing that stomach pain, okay, Mrs. Pierce?" the young blonde nurse was kind, and smiled at all of them after filling them in. "I'm going to tug the door closed, so no one gives you any hassle about having extra visitors," she told them with a wink.
"How are you feeling now, Mom?" Maisie asked, moving to the other side of the bed and taking her hand.
"A little better," she said, trying to sit up. She winced a little at the movement, and Maisie quickly moved the pillows up farther for her to lean back against them.
"I'm going to get us some coffees," Blake announced. She too looked pale and frightened, and Maisie's heart broke a little more. "Mom, what would you like? A latte?"
"I think just some ice water would be fine, dear, thank you."
Her dad drew his wallet out of his pocket and handed Maisie some bills. "Go with your sister," he told her. A silent moment passed between them and she understood that her dad was asking for a few minutes alone with her mom. She leaned down and kissed her mom's cheek and then left, jogging to catch up with Blake's fast-paced stride.
"I think the coffee shop is on the 3rd floor," Blake told her. "I remember from when my friend, Isabelle, had her baby here."
"Okay," Maisie said and fell silent. Every part of her was hyper-aware. The lights were too bright, the sounds too loud, the smells too strong. Everything about the hospital was affecting her in a strange way. She wanted to run like hell screaming from the building, but knew that she would never leave her mother's side. "Blake..." she began, but her sister cut her off.
"Don't. We can't freak out until we know what it is we're freaking out about, okay? Let's just get some coffees and hope like hell we have a cute doctors' ass to stare at on the way back to mom's room."
Maisie rolled her eyes. "What happened to Ramsey? I thought you two hit it off?"
"We did, and we actually were supposed to have a date tonight. I better send him a text and let him know I can't make it. Bu
t even though we're going on a date, doesn't mean I can't appreciate fine things. And a nice ass on a hot doctor is definitely one of the finer things."
Walking back into her mom's room with an armload of junk food from one of the vending machines, Blake's suggestion, and the drinks, they both stopped short when they found her dad sitting in the chair next to her, his head on her hand. Caroline was lying still, not moving and eyes closed. Maisie gasped and stepped back, a sob tearing its way up her throat and her dad looked up.
"It's okay, it's okay. She's just sleeping, the pain meds must have knocked her out," he told them in a hurry. Sighing in relief, Maisie closed the door and handed her dad his coffee and change while Blake dumped the snacks on the bedside table.
The quietness in the room was a force. Fear kept Maisie's mouth shut as she stared at her mom, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. They were all doing the same thing, alternating between exchanging glances with each other, to keeping their ever watchful eyes on Caroline, making sure she was still with them.
The resident came in after what seemed liked an endless wait. He was a dark-skinned man of medium height, wearing a white coat and carrying a clipboard. This was it, her mom would get some medication and then they could all go home. Maisie smiled at him in greeting, eager to get the ball rolling.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Dawson. Is this Caroline Pierce?" he asked, nodding to her mom.
"Yes," Neil answer, standing and shaking the doctor's hand. "This is my wife, she's just fallen asleep."
"I'm sorry to say, that we will need to wake for my assessment, I need to ask her some questions." Her dad nodded, and then bent down and gently shook her awake. She seemed a bit dazed at first, but shifted in the bed to greet the doctor with a smile. The English upbringing in her would never allow her to be anything but courteous, even if she was in pain. Manners always took precedence in every scenario.
"My name is Dr. Dawson, Mrs. Pierce. How are you feeling tonight?" he asked.
"Nice to meet you. I'm a little sore."
"Just a little? I need you to be completely honest with me, so that we can get you on the best course of treatment. How would you rate your pain out of ten, ten being the most painful?"
Her mom glanced at the three of them, sadness falling over her features. "If I'm being honest, I'd have to say ten."
Blake sucked in a breath, and Maisie squeezed her eyes shut. Ten. Her mom was in excruciating pain and had never said a word or gave them the chance to help her. Opening her eyes once more, the pain she felt in her chest intensified when she looked at her father. Agony was written all over his features, as he gripped her mom's hand and tried to pay attention to what the doctor was telling them.
He reviewed her medical history and after collecting her medical history, announced that he needed to do a physical exam, and that she might want the room cleared for privacy while he did so. Caroline dismissed that idea, telling him that her family stayed, no matter what.
Dr. Dawson nodded in understanding and after sanitizing his hands and pulling on a fresh pair of gloves, he lifted her gown. Caroline's belly was distended, almost doubling in size. He gently put pressure on the area and her mom nearly leaped off the bed at the slightest touch of his hands.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Pierce," he apologized. She gave a short nod and took deep, calming breaths as she got herself under control.
When he was finished, he drew her gown back down and discarded the gloves, making a few notes in her chart. Maisie couldn't stand it any longer and moved closer to get his attention.
"What do you think the problem is, Dr. Dawson?"
"I'm going to be referring your mother to surgery. It seems to me it could be her gallbladder, but we'll need to run some tests to be accurate. I'll get the referral put in, but since her case isn't emergent, we likely won't see anyone until tomorrow. I'd like to keep her here for the night so that when Dr. Montgomery is available, she can be seen straight away," Dr. Dawson answered.
"Thank you, doctor. Am I able to stay the night with her?" her dad asked, rubbing his thumb over her mom's hand in a soothing motion. She had begun to protest when Dr. Dawson mentioned that she needed to stay the night, but her dad interjected.
"Of course, but only one of you. Hospital policy."
"I understand, thank you."
"My pleasure. Mrs. Pierce, the nurses will be in throughout the night to check on you and do vital signs. Please don't have anything to eat, and only water and ice chips to drink. You'll be needed a scan tomorrow to confirm all of this. Mr. Pierce, I'll try to see about getting an extra stretcher rolled in for you. The department isn't that busy so hopefully we've got one to spare. Nice to meet you all." He left after that, a round of thank you's from them following him.
"Oh, Mom, why didn't you say it was this bad?" Blake whispered after the door was closed. She moved to the foot of the bed and sat down, Maisie doing the same on the opposite side.
"Girls, Neil. I'm sorry, I didn't want to cause a fuss over a little stomach ache. Maybe I should have mentioned it earlier, but we're here now and we'll get it all taken care of. Surgery. Will be the first time for me, I guess I'm experiencing all the new things in my old age," she tried to joke. Her eyelids were getting heavy again, and Maisie could see it was a struggle for her to stay awake. Not wanting her to lose much needed rest just to stay awake to reassure them, they told her to just sleep.
"I love you, Mom," Maisie whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek. Caroline gripped her forearm and smiled a weak smile.
"I love you, sweetheart."
She fell asleep a few minutes after that, and the three were left alone to process the information they'd learned. It was decided that Blake would stay at their parents' house for the night to care for Skipper, and Maisie would go home, all of them coming back first thing in the morning. While Maisie was reluctant to leave, but her dad insisted, reminding them that they needed to be rested in order to be there for her mom after the surgery as the recovery would be a long road.
She wanted to fight and argue, to say that sleep would elude her no matter what, but she remained silent. Gazing down at her mom, the urge to crawl into bed with her and wrap her arms around her, seeking comfort was so strong, she had to physically hold herself back. She was selfish, wanting comfort and reassurance for herself, when her mom was lying there suffering. In the end, it was Blake that convinced her it was best to leave for the night and return in the morning with a clear head to tackle things.
Wrapping her dad in a tight hug, Maisie rested her head on his chest for a few seconds, just to hear his heartbeat. It was a steady thud, thud, strong and true. She squeezed tighter and then stepped back, noticing that she'd stained his shirt with her tears. "I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, sprog. See you in the morning."
Blake embraced him as well and the two whispered a few things to each other that Maisie couldn't hear. They had a close connection, one Maisie had always been a little envious of, but in that moment, she was just grateful that they were all together and would face what was ahead of them as a whole.
"We'll be back at eight a.m., with breakfast," Maisie told them and with a last look at her parents, the two girls walked away, arms wrapped around each other's waists.
The TV was on in the living room when Maisie walked in the house after dropping Blake off. They made a plan for Blake to pick her up at seven-thirty a.m. before saying goodnight, each of them holding back tears.
Brant was sprawled on the couch, an open can of beer beside him. She'd forgotten to check her phone, so had no idea if he'd gotten her message about her mom or not. She went into the kitchen and saw the pizza boxes there, one open and one closed. Peeking inside, she saw one was plain cheese, her favorite. Surprised that he'd thought of her, she grabbed a couple slices, even though her stomach recoiled at the thought of food. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, however, since he'd made the effort.
"Hi," she greeted him, taking a seat on the couch on the other sid
e of the living room.
"How's your mom?" he asked, giving her his attention.
"She's in a lot of pain. They've kept her overnight and referred her to a surgeon for the morning. They think she's going to need her gallbladder removed." She took a small bite of pizza. "Thank you for ordering this."
"Wow. You really had me worried from your message. It sounded like it something much more serious than just a gallbladder issue. I took care of dinner, and that's the reason why? Jesus, Maisie," he shook his head in disgust and went back to watching his TV show about ducks.
Maisie sat there for a few beats. He was a horrible person, there was no denying it any longer. To react that way, and spew those words, he truly did have no heart.
"She's my mother, Brant. Of course I was worried and was going to be there for her. And we aren't sure that the gallbladder is the real issue, we won't know until tomorrow. You didn't see her, she's in a lot of pain," she tried to explain further.
Brant sighed and switched off the TV. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully things work out. Look, I had a long day, I'm going to bed." He rose from the couch and approached her. Maisie stiffened, unprepared and without the energy to attempt to fend off an attack. However, it didn't prove necessary as Brant just leaned down and placed a hard kiss on her lips. "Goodnight." He left her sitting there in the dull light of the lamp, alone with her overwhelming fear and sense of dread.
Arriving back at the hospital the next morning with coffees and bagels, Maisie and Blake were stunned to find their mom's room in the ER empty. The kind nurse from the night prior approached from behind, wearing a jacket and carrying a lunch bag.
"They moved your mom a few hours ago. Dr. Montgomery came on shift early and wanted her to have some tests done. She's in the E Wing, they'll be able to give you the room number up there," she told them.
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