4. Gabriella
Gabriella
T he coffee in my paper cup quivered in my grasp as Damien, Dani, and I stepped from the elevator. The echo of voices was our first clue that Marsha wasn’t alone in the waiting room. There was a man in blue scrubs standing before her. I reached for Damien’s arm.
Am I offering him my support or am I seeking his?
Both.
That was what a true partnership was about.
Dani rushed ahead, standing at Marsha’s side as Damien and I grew close enough to hear the doctor.
“…the next twenty-four hours are critical. A second heart attack in such a short period of time was not something we wanted to see. The good news was that Derek was here when it occurred. He received immediate care…”
Tears slid down Marsha’s cheeks as Dani reached for her mother’s hand.
The doctor looked around the room and feigned a smile. “Derek has a loving support system here with all of you. We plan to keep him intubated and unconscious for the next twelve to twenty-four hours. As you can imagine, the opening of the chest once is painful. Twice is excruciating. Right now, he can’t feel the pain. Once he can, that pain can cause an increase in blood pressure.
“Our goal is to ease him back to consciousness while managing the pain. It’s not unusual for patients to wake frightened, irritable, or confused. As I said after his first surgery, Derek’s initial response upon waking is not indicative of his permanent mental state. At this time, our focus is on regulating his medications, monitoring his vitals, and finding the combination of medications and treatments that will work best for him.
“Currently, he is on anticoagulants to thin his blood, making it easier for his heart to pump. These medications can lead to other problems.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Your husband” —he looked around— “and father has a long road to full recovery.”
“He has a road,” Damien said. “He will recover.”
The doctor nodded. “Statistically, he should. I’m not God. I can’t relieve every fear you’re experiencing or alleviate the worries you’ll have if you research his condition online.”
“How long will he be hospitalized?” Marsha asked.
“If all goes well, he should be moved to the rehab floor in a few days.”
As the doctor spoke, I held tightly to Damien’s arm. Beneath my touch, his muscles flexed. My thoughts went back through the years to when Damien and I were together. I recalled Derek from the office and also in more personal settings—dinners, celebrations, and visits.
Marsha nodded. “Thank you.”
I must have missed the end of the conversation.
Marsha took Dani’s hand in hers and reached for Damien’s. “I’m glad you’re both here. I know you both have work to do, and your dad knows that.” She squeezed Damien’s hand and stared up at her son before turning to me.
Her gaze went to the band on my left hand and up to my face. Before I could speak, a smile curled her lips and moisture came to her light-blue stare. “Congratulations. I’m sorry I missed your wedding.”
Holding my ring finger on my left hand with my other hand, I nodded. “You and Derek will be present for the real ceremony.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed. “I’m having trouble thinking beyond the here and now. Ella, Damien needs you and you’re here. That’s what matters to me.” She turned to her son. “Regarding Sinclair Pharmaceuticals, do what you need to do. I don’t want your dad dealing with any more stress than necessary. Finalize the CEO status and stop Darius in his tracks. I know you can do it especially with Ella at your side.”
A lump of emotion formed in my throat as I swallowed. “He won’t be alone.”
Damien’s deep voice came strong and assuredly. “I’ll take care of Sinclair, Mom. You and Dad don’t need to worry.”
Marsha nodded.
“And Dani,” Marsha said, “I’ve spoken with Stephen. Tomorrow he’ll have papers for me to sign, temporarily giving you your father’s and my voting power. I’m not leaving his side, but I want you to go back to Indianapolis with Damien and Ella. We are a family and” —she took a ragged breath— “we will not be seen as weak or wounded. Your father would never forgive himself.”
“Mom,” Dani said, “if I go, you’ll be alone.”
Marsha shook her head. “I’ll be with your father.”
Dani wrapped her mother in an embrace as tears blurred my vision.
Before I knew it, I was holding Damien’s torso and his arms were around me. Beneath my ear, his heart beat a steady and strong cadence. I’d venture to guess that Marsha had heard the same thing in Derek’s chest not too long ago. I peered upward and took in Damien’s features—his furrowed forehead, prominent cheekbones, firm lips, and chiseled jaw.
With a sigh, I laid my head on my husband’s chest.
Derek was alive.
He’d survived the second surgery.
Darius and Amber had started a full-out coup, an attempt to steal Sinclair Pharmaceuticals from Damien and ultimately from Derek’s second family. The weight of all of the above washed over me as I closed my eyes. The coffee I’d drunk did very little to slow the exhaustion circulating through my veins.
Damien’s words vibrated in his chest. “I want to see him before we leave.”
I didn’t need to open my eyes to know the conflict Marsha was enduring. Her husband was near death for the second time. The company he’d run for most of his life was being used as a pawn in a sick game of power, and she wanted her children happy.
After Marsha promised to do her best to get both Dani and Damien back to Derek’s room, Damien led me to chairs where we’d been seated hours ago.
Hours.
My tired mind couldn’t compute.
Days had passed or weeks.
“We’ll get a hotel,” Damien’s voice was a rumbling whisper. “That way we can get some sleep and come back to the hospital before flying back to Indy.”
“Not too far away.”
“I’ll text the driver.”
“All our luggage is back in the plane,” I said, aware that Damien’s proclamation for his come on my thighs was my current situation.
He nodded as he typed into his phone. After a few minutes, his phone buzzed. Tipping his head toward mine, he said, “The driver has our suitcases and will be here in less than half an hour. Johnathon secured us a suite nearby.”
“What about Dani?” I asked, seeing she was still across the room with Marsha.
“She’s been here since his first surgery. She has a room.”
Nodding, I whispered, “I don’t recall ever being this tired.”
A quick look at my watch told me that we’d awakened twenty hours ago in Ashland, Wisconsin. The reaffirmation of our long day added weight to my arms and legs as we stood.
“Mom,” Damien said, garnering her attention. “Ella and I are going to get some sleep. We’re not returning to Indianapolis until after we come back, and I see Dad.”
“If you see your brother, please tell him to do the same.” She looked at her daughter. “I want Dani to do the same. I’m going to your dad’s room once I’m given the go-ahead. There’s no sense in any of you staying here.”
“If you want Darius gone,” Damien offered, “I’ll make sure he’s gone.”
Marsha’s lips pressed together and her nostrils flared. “There’s nothing good he can do at this time. I want your dad excluded from the talk of CEO.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“He did.” She took a ragged breath. “Darius called Derek yesterday evening.” Marsha had all of our attention. “Your dad was agitated, and it wasn’t long after the call that the alarms began to sound.”
Beneath my touch, a tenseness returned to Damien’s body.
My husband’s voice cooled. “I spoke to Stephen a little while ago. This farce is done. If Darius calls, intercept the call or text.”
Marsha tilted her head. “Thank you.”
After a quick goodbye to Dani, Damien and I walked to the elevators hand in hand. It wasn’t until the doors closed that I looked up at him. “Nothing about your dad’s health is your fault. If anything, it sounds like it was Darius.”