Bronagh Chapter 7 #2
The door opened. Cathal got out before me.
I was tucked under his left shoulder immediately after I was out.
Eamon nodded and then shut the door. It was a brisk walk into the hospital.
Even though we came in through the back, we passed people inside.
Of course, all gazes focused on us. I kept scanning the area, but I returned smiles when someone smiled at me.
It wasn’t until we were on the elevator with Eamon that I got an answer.
“Yes, since this is our hometown and hospital, we built the special, private wing for whenever any of us need care. The staff are those who have passed our rigorous background checks and signed nondisclosure agreements. They’re top-notch professionals.
If they’re not needed, they’re free to work anywhere else, either here or within the city.
If one of us comes in, the necessary ones are notified,” Cathal explained.
“And they’re just allowed to drop whatever they’re doing to come? What if it’s three in the morning and they’re home with their families?” I asked.
“They get free as soon as they can if working. Their employers know the drill. No one abandons patients without someone to take their place. As for being home and it’s the middle of the night, yes.
They agree to be available, except when they go on vacation or have an emergency.
We have backups. And I promise you, we pay them handsomely to be available like that.
We can’t be too careful. What’s it like for your family?
How do they deal with medical needs?” Cathal asked.
By then, the elevator stopped, and when the door opened, Eamon took the lead.
He stood in the elevator entry and checked the area before moving.
I stayed glued to Cathal’s side. We didn’t go far before we were in front of closed double doors.
Overhead, a sign read Private Area. Eamon pressed his thumb to the screen.
The red light turned green, and it clicked.
Walking into the unit, you sensed the change. The tension was different. It went from alert tension to excitement. The wing was much larger than I imagined. I heard multiple voices ahead. Eamon kept walking, but Cathal stopped us and spoke.
“We’ll be in the waiting room. It’s big enough to hold all of us and then some.
Guards will be scattered around here, as you can see.
And others are outside, like Troi. We made sure this area is not only secure but also has food and drink available at all times.
If you need something, ask. There are six private rooms with their own bathrooms, a nurses’ station, a pre-op/post-op area, and an operating room.
There’s nothing they can’t do in here that they can do out in the main hospital, not even a CT or MRI scan. What’s it like for your family?”
“Well, it’s vastly disappointing compared to this.
They post bodyguards all over, inside and out.
They’re treated in whichever area is needed, such as the ER or ICU.
They’re accompanied to testing areas if the equipment can’t be brought to them.
Assigned guards stand outside their room.
I don’t believe they have special staff.
What happens if you’re out of the area and need medical care?
” I asked. I was overwhelmed by how far they went with their safety, but impressed, too.
“We then have to do what your family does, except if it’s long-term, we call or bring Dr. K to at least consult.
You spent all those years in boarding school and then in college.
Did they send guards to you when you needed care?
I know you wouldn’t keep them near you, but were they stationed nearby? ” he asked.
“I was never in need of serious care, so I was treated by the nurse or doctor who was employed by the school or went to student medical in college, but I rarely went. As for the guards, they were recalled when I was a teenager, and I kept escaping them. It actually helped that I didn’t have any because I blended in as a nobody, a scholarship student rather than the daughter of someone with money. I didn’t use my actual name there.”
“What name did you use?” he asked as we slowly resumed walking.
“I used my middle name and my mom’s maiden last name, so everyone knew me as Sorcha Cary. The administration knew who I was, but the students and other faculty did not. When I went to college, I did the same thing. It was a relief to graduate and be able to use my true name,” I confessed.
“And now you’ll be changing it, but you’ll keep Bronagh. I love your name,” Cathal told me a moment before we stepped into the waiting room.
It was huge and over half full. The volume increased when they saw us and welcomed us.
And once again, I was absorbed into the middle of the family.
I didn’t know a lot about babies, but I knew it took hours to have one.
We would be lucky to leave before morning.
I was shown to a very comfy seat, not a hard chair that made your ass and back hurt five minutes after you sat in it.
I was sucked into a conversation in no time.