by Barbara Ebel
“I’m okay. Did you fix somebody this morning?”
“Yes, I did, sweetheart. But right now I’m worried about you.”
Melissa lightly shoved her father to look at him. “It’s okay, Daddy. It was just a little cough.”
“She can go home,” the ER doctor said. “We’ll give her an inhaler. But, Sara, make an appointment with the pediatrician. Your daughter will need to take maintenance medications.”
“I will,” she said, “and thank you.”
“Daddy,” Annabel asked. “Mommy said she’ll buy us an ice cream going home. Can you come with us?”
Danny crouched to her eye level. “No. But why don’t we all go fishing this weekend?”
At that, Annabel wrapped her fingers around Nancy’s hands and shook them up and down. “Yes-s,” she exclaimed, then felt her crooked tooth with her tongue. Danny glanced at the Life is Good baseball cap she wore and couldn’t help grinning at her as he straightened up.
___________
Sara pondered over the 2003 calendar on the kitchen counter. Although it was the beginning of October, she already had scribbled things to do in the little squares for November and December. School functions, a 5K charity run, piano lessons for Melissa, soccer practice for Annabel and Nancy, doctor’s appointments. The pediatrician had just prescribed a preventative daily pill for Melissa’s asthma, and he had also announced the disappearance of Annabel’s lingering summer bout with poison ivy.
“Come on girls, everyone will be waiting on us.” Sara yelled up the stairs, swaying her arm although no one could see her. It took her by surprise when all three girls sprang down the steps, in reverse chronologic age. Perhaps there wouldn’t be any eight, ten and twelve year old sibling rivalry today. She picked up a corduroy jacket that matched her skirt and draped it on her arm. She tightened her sandals; until her toes got cold, she refused to put real shoes on. Until then, the only shoes that deserved tying were her running sneakers.
“Is daddy going to be there yet?” Annabel asked. She plucked a light hooded jacket from the closet, but skipped a cap, knowing Danny and her grandfather frowned on wearing hats inside restaurants.
“He’s on the last back of the morning,” Sara said. Every other weekend Bruce, Harold and Danny ran a Saturday morning elective surgery schedule for cases that couldn’t be fit in during the week and had piled up. “We’ll see him there. Casey is meeting us, too.”
Sara relished the occasional Saturday or Sunday lunch gatherings at Downtown Italy, especially since she wouldn’t cook the rest of the day. As the three girls and Sara opened the restaurant door, Angelo put the finishing touch to their table, a vase of carnations and a pitcher of cold water. “Ciao bella,” he said to Nancy, pulling out the chair for her. “Buongiorno,” he said to Melissa and Annabel. “Your Grandpapa is not here yet.”
A few customers came in, and Casey followed. He hastened his step, a full smile crossing his face. “I’m having lunch with the prettiest women I’ve eaten with all week. Is this the right table?”
“Here,” Nancy responded, and pointed to the chair next to her. She giggled, wishing she was older than eight, and felt her hair to make sure it draped over her ears.
“Danny’s on his way. Let’s order,” Sara said. She let the girl’s select their lunch and asked Angelo for a small salad and lasagna.
“Any dates this weekend?” Sara asked Casey.
“Last night, an attorney from Bowling Green. And I have the whole weekend off.” Casey extended his arms and rolled up his shirtsleeves. “I’m playing poker tonight with the guys.”
“Daddy’s here,” Melissa said.
Danny nodded hello to Angelo and sat. “If Gianni made Zuppa Di Minestrone today, I’ll have a cup,” Danny said, “and thanks.”
Danny unfolded his napkin. “Where’s Dad?” he asked Sara. “Is he in the kitchen?”
“No. He must have slept late.”
Danny smiled. “He deserves it. We’ll call him in a little while.”
Sara rose from her chair and swerved around Melissa. She tugged her husband’s shirt collar towards her and puckered her lips.
“Sorry, Sara,” he said, and returned a kiss. “Cases went well this morning and I’m off the hook for the rest of the weekend. Harold is officially on call.”
“How’s it going with Harold and Bruce?” Casey asked.
“I think fine. No complaints.”
Danny and Harold had become partners in The Neurosurgery Group of Middle Tennessee. They had almost as much input into the business and schedule as Bruce, but Bruce still controlled the finances. Danny felt grateful to have fallen in with Bruce to begin with, but now thought he deserved a higher salary.
Sara finished lunch first. “Time’s up for Dad,” she said, reaching for Danny’s cell phone. “I’ll call.” She let the phone ring and ring. “There’s no answer at the house,” she said. “Maybe he’s on his way.”
“Call his cell,” Danny said.
Sara dialed and waited, then left a short message.
“I’ll go by the house when we’re finished … if he’s not here by then,” Danny said, “and you can take the girls home.”
“But I’m going with you,” Casey added. “Both of us can give him grief if he’s been dragging his heels.”
___________
Danny drove into the circular drive and both men got out of the car to bright sunshine almost like a hot summer day. They walked to the house where Danny tried the front door knob. Casey pressed the bell while Danny reached for his keys when his dad didn’t appear.
Danny and Casey walked through the two-story foyer looking in rooms to both sides. The back opened up to an expansive kitchen. Danny sighed. “Not here either.” But then they heard a low sound, like a whimper.
Around the island, Greg sat on the floor in his pajamas, his index finger poking at the tile, as if he was squashing bugs. Danny squatted in front of him. Greg stared at his finger then at Danny. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” His eyes were moist; he started crying.
___________
It was late at night when Danny headed through the lobby. He took his cell phone out of his pocket as the automatic doors opened, and dialed Casey. Danny had insisted that his best friend go home after several hours.
“Stroke, for sure,” Danny said. “They’ll do some more tests tomorrow.”
“You worried about any residual effects?” Casey asked. “You think he’ll be able to go home?” He took a break from the poker game and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
“He needs a nursing home, at least to start, with physical therapy. If he makes progress, maybe he can go home, and if he can’t manage on his own, we’ll hire him some assistance during the day.”
Danny pulled out his car keys. “I’ll be back here in the morning.”
“You told me that you and Sara were taking the girls hiking in the morning.”
“We can’t do that now.”
“Yes you can. Hiking won’t take that long with the girls. I’ll go to the hospital in the morning to stay with Greg. If anything important comes up, I’ll call you. I’ll see you when you finish.”
“Casey, you sure? Don’t you have something else you need to do?”
“I’m positive. I’m free as a bird tomorrow morning.” Casey heard his buddies from the other room. “Two pair, big deal,” one of the players said.
“Okay,” Danny said. “Thanks. I’m going to call my sister in Alaska again. It’s earlier there. She’s thinking of coming home for a while if Dad needs help.”
“Talk to you tomorrow,” Casey said, and went back inside for another hand.
Chapter 6
Sara grinned at her sister-in-law’s trademark gait, a toeing in of her right foot, and wondered if her right leg was shorter than the left. Sara and Mary were just a year apart, Sara thirty-eight, and Mary thirty-seven, but Mary had remained single. Since Mary had her own businesses, the cost and time necessary to visit her family in Tennessee ma
de her visits rare. But when she did, she slid into their lives like she’d never left. She also loved her far-away lifestyle in Sitka, Alaska, where she chartered salmon fishing trips in her gas guzzling boat for the five warm months and painted all winter. Local galleries luring cruise ship tourists would turn her art work over twice a season.
Mary hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and wheeled her luggage away from the carousel. She and Sara hurried out the door to the short term parking garage across the street.
“How were your flights?” Sara asked as they zigzagged between yellow cones placed to help the flow of traffic.
“No problems and no delays,” Mary replied, dragging her black suitcase.
“Kids are in school,” Sara said, “they’ll be so happy to see you. And Danny should be visiting Dad. He’s been seeing him at least once a day.” Sara raised her arm to shoulder level, pointing to their aisle. “Did you board up at home?”
“Not exactly,” Mary said. “A friend is staying there for minimum rent. She’ll pay the utility bills and look after the place. It’s a deal for both of us.”
Sara rummaged in her bag for her car keys. They placed the luggage on the back seat and left Nashville International Airport.
“Let’s stop at your parent’s house and leave your things,” Sara said.
___________
Danny nodded to the therapist, who coached Greg to walk slowly along a wooden plank. Greg inched his hands along the rails and wore a frown as Danny stood close.
Greg scowled at his left ankle, which wouldn’t cooperate. He willed it to straighten and step down like it used to. Under his breath, he cursed the clunky black footwear the nursing home made him wear.
“Dad, I’m so glad to see you,” Mary said, entering the sterile room of machines. Sara trailed her as Danny reached for his sister.
“Your look gorgeous, despite the drag of traveling,” Danny said, giving her a hug. Mary’s long dark red hair hung loosely tied behind her back. She embraced her brother around his white coat and gave Greg a light hug.
“You look fine, Dad,” she said. “You’ll be sampling pasta downtown and fishing before you know it.”
“My girl, from glacier country,” he said. “See, I haven’t lost it.”
“Dad, you’ll never lose anything,” Mary said. She gingerly patted his hand on the railing as moisture accumulated in the corner of her dark blue eyes.
Greg glimpsed down with a wrinkled forehead. “It’s too cold,” he said, referring to the silver handrail. “Do I have to hold onto it?” Confused, he looked at the therapist on his left and began to sob.
“It’ll be fine, Dad,” Danny said.
___________
Rachel felt like precious time was being wasted. The wishes and desires she had conjured up for her future were still just that – only plans. Having patience to get what she wanted, and where she wanted to be, was more difficult than she ever contemplated it would be.
Yet, she reminded herself, good things don’t just drop into people’s laps. If life had taught her anything so far, it was that being conniving and manipulative got her what she desired. Those traits needed to be centered and executed with purpose … like a grand master practicing yoga … and they needed to be done with a smile and “female” charm. She still had a ways to go but, overall, she was getting better at her skills every day.
Elvis’s hometown of Memphis, as well as her lousy job of being a hairdresser, had both served her well. They were in her past and she had been on the move in Tennessee. And to her delightful credit, she had finished the course and training needed to become a surgical OR technician. With some experience under her belt, it was time to hone in on a target. Just a little more research was needed. In essence, she had, of course, done some original homework on the matter, but since that was some time ago, she needed to update what she had read before.
She sat before the cocktail table in her sparsely furnished townhouse with a generic laptop computer in front of her. It wasn’t like she believed in God or angels, but sometimes she thought she had a guardian angel who scrutinized, from her shoulder, what she was up to. The most perfect internet site popped up when she ran a goggle search.
The list she stared at had been updated since the last time she had searched the matter and it was more comprehensive than ever before. Geez, she thought, she didn’t just have a guardian angel, but there may be a God, too. Every single physician specialty was on the list, even subspecialties she had never heard of. Even better than that, medical doctors’ salaries had climbed higher since the last time she’d looked.
She sprang up from the couch and couldn’t contain herself. She danced a happy dance in hopeful anticipation …
Chapter 7
After work, Danny went straight to his father’s house. Annabel and Nancy sat at the kitchen table doing homework while Sara made chili, concocted from ingredients in Greg’s pantry and ground beef that she had brought from home.
Mary changed into casual clothes and pink slippers and brought out a stack of photographs. She pointed to fish and birds, naming them as she went along. Melissa paid attention and leaned over the armrest. Mary’s Kodaks made a pile between her legs, which were crossed and pulled up into the cushiony chair.
“Melissa, I see students on field trips all the time. The University of Alaska has a campus site at Sitka, where you could study for a BS in Biology. Can you imagine leaving your classroom and walking to an ice field?”
Melissa nodded as she imagined the experience … crunching along the tundra in spiked boots, or cramming for a marine biology test while rocking in a boat at sea.
Melissa’s rescue inhaler sat on the end table, a constant reminder that she hadn’t outgrown her asthma. Despite daily meds, she struggled with occasional flare-ups, particularly in the fall and spring, even prompting another visit to the ER for a shot of epinephrine. The injection had magically bronchodilated her breathing passages, causing more oxygen to be absorbed into her bloodstream, providing fuel to her tissues. Even though Danny was a doctor, he had felt useless to help her and only relaxed when her gray color turned neutral again.
Danny glanced out the back window, where leaves fluttered on a breeze, and those caught by the back of the house piled up outside the glass door. His mother’s evergreens held onto their forest and teal shades and he frowned at a withering flower bush in a planter. His father’s patio furniture stayed outside all year; he only brought in vinyl chair cushions and bird feeders that needed emptying and scrubbing. Danny sat on the couch facing his sister and daughter as Mary handed all the pictures to Melissa. Sara slid a lid on the chili pot and perched herself next to Danny.
“What’s the doctor’s update?” Mary asked. “Is Dad going to improve?”
“The neurologist said he has a condition called emotional incontinence.” Danny took Sara’s hand and turned it over, as if looking for Greg’s perfect outcome. “I hate to see him this way, with labile behavior.”
“I don’t understand,” Mary said.
“Dad may seem depressed and he’s going to get frustrated. The stroke damaged an area of the brain controlling the normal expression of emotion. He’s going to cry readily and have outbursts that don’t fit the situation.”
Sara nodded to her sister-in-law. “Danny’s has a good neurologist taking care of him, and his partner, Bruce, is pitching in, especially if he’s going to need any surgery.”
“You know I can stay through the winter,” Mary said. “I can help take care of him after they discharge him from the nursing home and PT program.”
“Let’s plan on that, to keep him home as long as we can,” Danny said. “That’s generous of you, but ask us when you need extra assistance; we’ll get more help if needed.”
“What will you do with the restaurant?” Sara asked them.
“Mary’s in charge of Dad’s finances, if needed. And Mary, you know you get the house if anything happens. But I think right now, he’ll want to sell the restaurant. Yo
u’ll have to talk to him about it. The owner of his other two restaurants will buy, if Dad is ready.”
Mary leaned forward. “Is he capable of making sound decisions with me or us?”
“I think so. If you patiently discuss things with him.”
They heard Annabel as she took off her new fly-fishing cap and thumped it on the table. “Annabel, what’s wrong?” Melissa asked.
“Stupid math.”
Melissa walked over and kneeled on the floor, peering at her sister’s arithmetic problems. “I finished my homework. Want some help?”
Annabel gave her sister a pencil and scratch paper. “I’ve messed up,” she said, pointing. When I multiply my division answer with the denominator, it doesn’t give me the numerator.”
Melissa worked the problem as they huddled together. “I see what you did wrong.”
Nancy stopped reading. She smirked while pulling at the collar of her turtleneck. “Melissa, you always help her,” she said. “Can you read for me?”
“Nancy, that’s not true. Just ask me. Besides, you’re so smart. When did you last get something wrong?”
A small smile formed around Nancy’s mouth. “Well …”
Melissa slid her hand along Nancy’s hair in front of her left ear. “See? You made a mistake, what, a year ago?”
“Come on girls,” Sara said. “Let’s clear some space and set the table.”
The front doorbell rang and Danny sprang up. “It’s open,” he said loudly. Casey sauntered through the hallway, handed Danny a brown bag, and slid off his parka.
“It’s the baguette delivery,” Casey said. He elbow locked Annabel by the head while his other hand patted Melissa’s hair. Mary rose awkwardly.
“Mary,” Casey sang. He gave her a hug and the curves under her sweatshirt pressed against his chest.
“Casey, how are you?”
“Fine. It’s your dad we’re worried about.”
“Dad’s in great hands, even though his son is a doctor.”