Chapter Thirty
Oh there s no place like the hospital for the holidays...
Ivy
Takes us about forty-five minutes to get to the front entrance of the hospital in Iowa City. I m glad that Beau drove. Partly because the truck handled the snowy roads better. Mostly because I m not here alone.
Text me his room number once you get it, Beau says. I m going to park and let my parents know we made it.
I nod and shut the door. When I step past the sliding glass doors I see a reception desk. Doesn t take long for the middle-aged woman who looks as thrilled as I am to be here today to track down my brother s location on her computer.
Looks like he s still in surgery, she says, handing me a visitor sticker to put on my sweater. Surgical waiting room is around the corner. They might have more information for you at their check-in desk.
They don t. All they can tell me is, The doctor will be out to give you an update as soon as he can.
I m just taking a seat when a text from my mom pings through. Anything???
I message back. Still in surgery. That s all I know.
Who s Abbey?
Did Mom miss the that s all I know part? I take a deep breath. My mom has a way of bringing out the twitchy side of me on a good day. Considering I m sitting in a surgical waiting room with very little information about my brother s condition on Christmas Day, I wouldn t label this a good day.
I take a few more deep breaths before I respond. I ll let you know as soon as I find out.
When I look up from my phone, a doctor in green scrubs with a black surgical cap covered in little red Santa hats is walking toward me. Are you with Jordan West?
I stand and nod. If he assumes I m this Abbey person, that s on him. I am with Jordan West.
Everything went fine. We were able to fix the breaks without any complications. He ll need some rehab, of course. Lots of physical therapy. But he should almost get full use of his elbow eventually.
Almost? Eventually? Those two words didn t sound promising for a professional hockey player. How s Jordan handling everything?
He s still a bit groggy, but you re welcome to see him now. He s in bay four. Once he s cleared by the anesthesiologist and fully recovered, we can discharge him home.
Home? Home where? Pittsburgh? I still don t even know why Jordan s here at a hospital in Iowa. But the doctor s already walking away. I text Beau a quick message as I find directions to bay four in the postanesthesia care unit.
A nurse is unhooking an empty bag of IV fluids when she spots me and motions me closer past the partially closed curtain surrounding Jordan s stretcher. You can come in.
I step closer to see my brother wearing a giant cast on his left arm. His groggy eyes widen a fraction. Ivy? What in the world are you doing here?
You know how much I love hanging out at hospitals on Christmas. No cheerier place to be.
Did Mom call you?
What do you think?
He closes his eyes with a long sigh. I wouldn t have messaged her if I knew she was going to make such a big deal out of it. You don t have to stay.
Jordan, you re my brother and you just had surgery. Of course I m going to stay. We re family.
He blinks a few times, his lips tugging in an uneven smile.
I know what he s thinking. We re not exactly the type of family that drops everything to rush to each other s side on Christmas.
We re more along the lines of a family that texts Merry Christmas to each other on Christmas—if we re not too busy.
What are you doing in Iowa? How did you break your arm?
I was about to ask you the same thing, he says.
Why? My arm s not broken.
He rolls his eyes, and I fight a small bit of satisfaction that I can still annoy him just like when we were kids. I d rather focus on you, I say, stepping out of the way of the nurse.
Yeah, well, I m pretty sure my coach is going to kill me soon as he can, so I probably don t have a lot of time left on this earth. I d rather spend my final hours hearing more about my sister. What have you been up to?
Not much. Same old thing. Still doing the travel gig.
Is that why you re in Iowa? Nursing job?
Hey, Ivy, sorry to interrupt. It s Beau. He s standing next to the open curtain. They sent me back. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. His eyes dart over to Jordan, then hover on me. You okay?
When I nod, he motions behind him with his head. If you need anything, I ll be out in the waiting room.
Soon as Beau disappears my brother gives an amused smile. I didn t know you had a boyfriend.
Why would you automatically assume he s my boyfriend?
Because he was looking at you like you were his girlfriend.
He was looking at me like anybody with normal vision looks at another person. You re... you re high right now. What did that nurse give you? Whatever it is, she needs to tone it down.
So you re really into him then?
We need a diversion here. Who s Abbey?
That seems to be the perfect diversion. He flinches and adjusts the pillow beneath his casted arm. How d you hear about Abbey?
She s listed as your emergency contact. Who is she?
She s, uh... He shifts again. She s a long story.
Is she here? I m thinking I d like to meet this long story who can paint such a flustered shade of pink on my brother s cheeks.
When a tall slender blonde with a worried expression steps past the curtain and says, I found some ice chips, I have a feeling I m meeting the long story.
Abbey? I say, holding out a hand. I m Jordan s sister, Ivy.
She startles a bit, giving me a quick once-over, then quickly clasps my hand with a brief smile. Nice to meet you. Uh, you know what? These ice chips are already melting. I m going to see if I can track down some better ones.
She no sooner ducks out of the curtain when Jordan s nurse reappears. Did your wife find the water and ice machine okay?
I choke for a second on my own saliva. Wife?
While the nurse assesses Jordan s circulation, motor function, and sensation on his casted arm, I can t seem to stop coughing. Wife?
Does Mom know? I say as soon as the nurse steps away. I don t even bother asking if Dad knows. Dad never knows anything when it comes to this family.
Like I said, long story.
One I m all ears to hear any second now.
Jordan? His nurse pops back around the curtain before Jordan can say a word, let alone a long story. I just got a call from the front desk that your parents are here. Normally we don t let so many visitors back at one time, but it s Christmas, so we ll make a little exception.
Jordan and I share a wide-eyed look. If there s any anesthesia left in Jordan s system, I think that little statement just cleared it out. Our parents? Here? Now?
Do something, Jordan says to me.
Like what? Sneak you out of here in a body bag so Mom and Dad can t meet your wife ? I peek past the curtain.
Yeah, I hear Jordan say behind me. Something like that.
Even if I could, it s too late. Mom s already marching toward the nurses station at a clipped pace with Dad trailing one step behind.
I intercept her before she can reach the station. Mom?
At the sound of my voice, she pivots. There you are. Where s Jordan? What happened? Have you talked to any doctors? Before I can answer, she s already on to the next set of questions. Who was the man out in the waiting room? He said you re together. Why is this the first I m hearing about him?
Jordan broke his elbow. Let s start with that since I m not sure how to explain Beau. His surgery went okay. He s going to be fine. How did you two get here so fast? Hi, Dad.
He steps around Mom to give me a sideways hug. I ve got a couple of pilot friends with private planes. Let s just say they ll be getting season tickets for a very long time now. Good seeing you, kiddo. So Jordan s okay? You ve had a chance to see him?
He s still a little sleepy. You might want to give him a little more time to wake up before seeing him. And meeting his wife. I keep that bit to myself. It s really not my information to give.
Is that guy out in the waiting room the one you were telling me about? Beau?
Dad actually remembered his name? I m impressed.
Mom obviously isn t. You told your father about him, but you didn t tell me?
Of course not. Confiding in my mother is like confiding in a porcupine. Even when she s in a good mood, her natural instinct always leads to some sort of jab. And since I don t want to see Beau or me take any jabs today, I do what any loving sister would do. I throw my brother under the bus.
Actually, now s a great time to see Jordan. He s right there behind the curtain in bay four. And hopefully you ll get a chance to meet Abbey. His wife.