Chapter 37 Know The Difference
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said.
They were at Tuft’s in the waiting room. Norris had been brought in thirty minutes ago. Him without his car, as it was faster for them to walk the less than a mile than call an Uber or even grab his father’s car.
Nora was staring at the wall in front of them, not talking, not even moving.
He nudged her arm and she glanced at him. “What?”
“I said I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She wasn’t even angry now. He wasn’t sure what she was feeling and just wished she’d open up.
“For losing my temper earlier. With your father, with you. Jesus, do you think he had a heart attack? Do you think I caused it?”
Once he’d laid Norris on the floor, he hadn’t felt a pulse but then maybe missed it in the excitement. Norris was breathing, he knew that much. After a few chest compressions he finally felt the bump under his fingers and shared that with the EMTs when they came in.
He’d never seen the man so pale, so fragile before.
Not something he wanted to see again either.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know anything about his health.
It’s not something he’s talked about. I made a comment about him looking thin and he said he didn’t have much of an appetite lately.
He admitted he’s tired by the end of the day, but he’s in his early sixties and still works long days. ”
“I know it’s not the time,” he said. “But I am sorry I talked to you that way. He triggered me. You didn’t deserve what he said. Neither of us did.”
He remembered the conversation with his mother a month ago. Stand with Nora for support, not to fix. To know the difference. He didn’t listen well it seemed.
“No,” she said, looking at him, her eyes almost seeing through him and not focusing. “We didn’t. I didn’t. And I was in his office giving it to him just the same when he grabbed his chest and keeled over.”
Which meant she was going to live with that guilt if something happened.
Hell, he was feeling a part of it too, so he could only imagine what she was going through.
“Don’t put it on yourself,” he said. “We don’t know what is going on.”
“No.”
He pulled her under his arm, and she placed her head against his chest.
She didn’t normally allow herself to be this vulnerable in public.
The panic he felt she was going to leave him was still lingering in his chest.
That he’d pushed her away when he was trying to pull her close.
Her words that his mother would side with her hit home.
Janet Bond most definitely would do that.
If they could get past another hurdle in their way. Because the last thing he needed or wanted was for them to take steps back when they were finally moving forward.
“I know it’s not the time. I probably overreacted, but all I saw was how he was talking to you. Talking about us and what we have. It’s not like that. I hope you don’t see it that way.”
“No,” she whispered against his chest. “And I was telling him that when it happened. Explaining what it was and how he made me feel. I’ve never done that before. Never stood up to him.”
She sniffled and he ran his hand down her arm, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”
At least he hoped that was the case.
She nodded as if she believed him. Or maybe wanted to believe him.
All the money in the world couldn’t make this situation go any faster.
“Eleanor Jones?”
She stood up. “That’s me.”
“If you’ll come this way,” the nurse said. “Your father is awake. They are still running tests, but he’s asking for you.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Ethan asked. “Or should I stay here?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “Come with me. I need you here with me. Maybe he needs to see it too.”
He stood with her and they followed the nurse to a room, Norris sitting on the bed awake, pale, but alert.
“Dad, are you okay?”
She was looking at the devices all hooked up, an IV, heart and pulse monitors, things beeping and numbers flashing.
His heart rate was 176. Pretty damn high.
Norris looked at Ethan, but he wasn’t budging and even pulled Nora under his arm to give her support.
“I’ll be fine,” Norris said.
“Did you have a heart attack?” she asked.
Norris looked at him, then back to Nora. “I’ve got Afib. I’m having an episode.”
“What?” she asked, tensing next to him. “How long have you had this? And why haven’t you said anything?”
“It’s been about a year. I haven’t said anything because I had it under control. Or thought I did. Stress doesn’t help and there are other things going on that you aren’t aware of.”
“Like what?” she asked. “It seems there is a lot I don’t know if you didn’t tell me this.”
“I can leave if you want,” Ethan said.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You can stay. Dad, this isn’t a passing thing. And I’m sorry if you think that. I love Ethan. We love each other. If you need help, it’s going to be me to give it to you and Ethan should also.”
“This isn’t a matter that needs to be addressed with work.”
“I’m not here as an employer,” Ethan said. “I’m here as your daughter’s boyfriend. But if you want me to leave, then I will.”
He wasn’t going to stress the guy out anymore even if Nora wanted him there.
She looked at him, then back to her father and nodded her head for him to leave.
“I’ll come get you in a few minutes.”
As much as he didn’t want to walk away, he knew it was for the best. For both of them.
He returned to the waiting room just as his phone rang. He pulled it out to see his father calling and answered.
“Any updates?”
“Nora is talking to him now,” he said. He didn’t want to go into details just yet. “Seems like he might be fine. No answers yet, but he’s talking and alert, so that is good.”
“I’m glad,” his father said. “Do you know what happened?”
He sighed, glad he was alone in the room.
“Norris walked into her office while she was hugging me. Mildly put, he flipped out, said some harsh things to her, causing me to say much harsher things to him. He stormed out, she followed him after she handed my ass to me.”
“Ethan,” his father said. “What did I tell you about this happening in the office?”
“I know. I should have just walked away, but I couldn’t. I can’t. You’d never let anyone talk to Mom the way Norris did Nora.”
It still boiled his blood.
Nothing excused that kind of behavior. That kind of treatment of your child.
Just the thought of Nora having to deal with that her whole life made him want to storm back in there and lay it out to the man once again, hospital bed or not.
“No, I wouldn’t. But there is a time and a place to handle those things.”
“I get it. It wasn’t there, but I can’t change it. Nora went to talk to her father, and from what she said, she was defending our relationship when he grabbed his chest.”
“I can’t believe the thought of her dating you caused that much of a stir,” his father said. “I know for someone like him, he might not be happy, but that’s pushing it too far.”
He didn’t want to admit what Norris had just confessed. “I’m sure there is more to it and Nora is getting those facts.”
“How are things with you two?” his father asked. “We haven’t talked all that much about it.”
“I thought they were good.”
“Thought?”
“Maybe I’m pushing more than I should.” If he hadn’t pulled her into his arms, then Norris wouldn’t have caught them. Her father would have just opened the door and seen them talking, nothing more.
“I’m not surprised. You always do when you want something. You’re used to being in control and calling the shots.”
“Nora isn’t so much a fan of that trait. We’ve dealt with it before and I thought it was getting better. Maybe I shouldn’t have threatened to fire Norris if he continued to talk to Nora that way. Or about us.”
His father sighed. “Ethan.”
“I know. Legal and all that bullshit. I’ll make it right. I promise. This is what you meant about things getting messy.”
“Keep me posted.”
“I will.”
He hung up and sat down, Nora returning ten minutes later.
She walked over and sat next to him, her face pale, her fists clenched.
“What did he say to you?” he asked, his voice not as calm as it was with his father.
He just couldn’t sit around and let her be shit on anymore.
“He’s got prostate cancer. Very early stages. He found out right about the time he asked me to move here.”
“Shit,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“It feels like a slap in the face that it was the only reason he did. On top of it, he’s not even going through treatment.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know enough about it, but I’ll find out.
He assured me he’s got the best doctors and they all agreed it’s so early and slow moving that it was fine for him to watch and wait.
It’s called active surveillance. With the Afib diagnosis and high blood pressure that he takes meds for, they felt there was no reason to stress him more. ”
“Sounds as if it’s not working,” he said.
“I said that too, but he disagreed. He claims that this is the calmest he’s felt in a long time. Said it has to do with me being here.”
“Do you believe that?”
“I don’t know what to believe. But the doctor came in while I was there and they said they are keeping him overnight. They are positive it’s an Afib episode. It could last minutes, hours, days. He’s had them before but never felt as sharp or as bad as that.”
“I didn’t know your father wasn’t feeling well. I don’t keep track of him or others if he was out of the office or not.”
And maybe worked from home if they had other things going on.
“I think he hid it well. I had no idea either. I’m going to talk to him more tonight, get him some clothes soon. It will be a while before they get him a room.”
“I’ll go with you,” he said. “Or do you need more space?”
“I don’t need space,” she said. “We need to talk more, make no mistake, but right now, I’m just happy not to be doing this alone.”