Chapter 81 Loretta
L ORETTA
‘Signora?’
Loretta startles at the tap on her knee. She squints at the young nurse in front of her.
‘Signora, you can see him now.’
‘What time is it?’ Loretta rubs her eyes.
‘Five in the morning.’ The nurse has a kind face, his voice gentle.
She pushes herself up off the couch in the visitor’s lounge. Two hours ago, Luca came to find her with the news that Alberto had survived the operation of a cardiac defibrillator being inserted into his chest.
‘I’ve tested it, it’s working well. If he stops smoking, he has a lot of life left in him yet.’ Luca smiled.
Now, Loretta follows the nurse towards Alberto’s room in the ICU. ‘Is he awake?’ she asks him.
‘Si, signora. He asked for you as soon as he opened his eyes.’ He leads her up the sterile white hallway. ‘Just so you know, there are some wires and tubes attached to him. But he’s doing very well, so try not to worry when you see him. Here we are.’ He nudges the door open and indicates for her to enter.
The top half of Alberto’s bed is tilted to a forty-five-degree angle, facing the doorway, and she makes eye contact with him as soon as she steps into the room. The nurse was right to warn her. Alberto looks so fragile, so old, it’s hard for her not to gasp.
‘Loretta,’ he whispers. ‘You’re here.’
‘Of course I’m here, caro.’ She rushes to his bedside. ‘Where else would I be?’
The hospital gown is loose, exposing the left side of his chest, which is shaved and covered with a large patch of white gauze under his collarbone.
‘Does it hurt?’ She strokes the top of his head, where his hair is long gone.
‘A little.’ He pulls the prongs from his nose. ‘This annoys me.’
The matronly looking nurse stationed by his bedside clicks her tongue as she readjusts the prongs. ‘You need this, signore. I already told you, it’s the oxygen. Stop pulling it out. And I told you to keep that left arm still for another couple of hours, remember?’
‘Can you hear that?’ Alberto’s voice is hoarse as he addresses the nurse. ‘They’re paging you. You better go see what they want. Quick, go.’
The nurse snorts a laugh. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I feel ready for a cigarette.’ He grins at her.
The nurse rolls her eyes at Loretta. ‘Is he always this much trouble?’
Loretta looks at Alberto with great affection, hardly believing her luck that God has given them a chance to start over again together. ‘Always.’