Chapter Two
Rose walked quickly through the hospital ward. Rounds were starting soon, and she wanted to check in on her favorite patient before they got underway. Mrs. Winslow was propped up in her bed with the sheet tucked around her legs. Her watery blue eyes struggled to focus as Rose came in, but her smile brightened the room.
“Good morning, Mrs. Winslow,” Rose said as she moved to her bedside. “How are you feeling today?”
“Same as yesterday.” Mrs. Winslow waved a hand over her face. “My eyesight is still poor, but the doctor said tomorrow’s surgery will help.”
“I’ve no doubt about that.” After checking her vitals, Rose pulled up a chair. “Any new gossip since I last saw you?”
“I think Dr. Bryant has the hots for Nurse Claire,” Mrs. Winslow whispered conspiratorially. “They were canoodling just outside my door late last evening.”
Rose laughed. “Oh, that’s old news. They’ve been dating for some time now, though they think they’re being discreet.”
“Well, they need to find a better dark corner because I could see them plain as day from here.” Running a hand through her thinning blond hair, Mrs. Winslow raised an eyebrow. “And what of you and your fiancé? How are the wedding plans coming?”
“Oh, we met with the caterer and made our final choices for the menu,” Rose said, forcing a smile. Her conversation with Steven had done little to assuage her constant worrying about him. Since the estate had finalized, she’d hoped he would have an easier time juggling his work and the wedding, but instead, his caseload had only gotten worse. The circles under his eyes grew darker every time she saw him.
“You don’t seem as excited as I expected you to,” Mrs. Winslow said with a frown.
“I’m excited!” But it sounded fake even to Rose’s ears. “Steven has been a bit preoccupied with work lately. I’m afraid he’s neglecting his health.”
“He’s lucky to have you to care for him.”
Rose bristled, and she worked to keep her temper in check. Nursing was her job, one she preferred to leave at the end of her shift. Of course she would care for Steven if he needed her, but she would prefer him to take preventative measures before he worked himself into an illness.
Stifling a sigh, she stood. “I best get to my rounds.” She patted Mrs. Winslow’s hand. “I’ll check with the doc on whether there’s anything I need to do to prep you for surgery, but hopefully, we’ll have you seeing clearly in no time.”
Mrs. Winslow gave her a grateful smile before leaning back on her pillow and closing her eyes. Rose envied her calm nature. If she was facing complicated eye surgery, she wasn’t sure she would be able to appear so serene.
Rose left the room to begin her rounds, mentally counting down the days until she had some time off for the wedding and honeymoon. The last winter had been rough, and she desperately needed a vacation.
As she picked up the clipboard outside the next patient’s room, she wondered how much different her life would be once she and Steven tied the knot. They’d discussed children, but with their schedules, she didn’t know when they might find the time. And the last thing she wanted to do was add to his stress load by bringing it up.
But she wanted children, at least two and close together. She hoped to start trying for them right away. An only child herself, she had come to the US from South Korea with her parents and had stayed on to finish her nursing degree when her parents returned to take care of her grandparents. Her family was planning to come to the wedding, but part of her worried the travel would prove too expensive. The price of flights had risen substantially in the last year, and she was glad she had locked in their honeymoon tickets when she did.
As much as she loved the McAllisters, relying on them just wasn’t the same as having her own family there. While she had no plan to return to her homeland on a permanent basis, she wanted her children to understand their heritage and culture. Maybe once they were more settled, she and Steven could travel to South Korea for a visit—assuming Steven’s business ever settled. She sighed and entered Mr. Patrones’s room.
He sat up in his bed, staring out the window. The sight of him tugged at her heartstrings. He’d had a mild heart attack a week ago, but no one had been in to visit him. She’d asked about family, but his answers were vague, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
“Good morning, Mr. Patrones. How are we doing today?”
He shifted in his bed, and his sad brown eyes met hers. “Same as yesterday.”
Grimacing, she glanced over his chart. He had improved significantly in the last several days, and they would probably release him soon, not that she expected him to take that as good news.
“Your vitals are looking better.” She tried to keep her tone cheerful. “I don’t think you’ll be with us much longer.”
His eyebrows drew together, and she realized a moment too late how her words could be misconstrued. She moved to his side.
“I meant that you would be discharged soon.”
“Either way, at least I’ll be out of your hair.”
What a very Eeyore thing to say.She checked his fluids and made a few notes on his chart. All the while, she racked her brain for some encouraging words but came up short.
“Any special requests for lunch?” she asked, wishing she could find a way to reach him. Her patients usually raved about her bedside manner, but with Mr. Patrones, she just couldn’t break through the shroud of sadness that engulfed him.
“Does it matter what I request? The diet the doctor has me on hardly allows much wiggle room.”
Rose bit her tongue to avoid saying something she might regret. Most heart attack patients struggled with the recommended dietary restrictions, but the ones who refused to follow the diet were at a higher risk of another attack. That probably wasn’t the best thing to tell Mr. Patrones.
“All right. Well, push the button if you need anything,” she replied, turning on her heel and moving quickly to the hallway.
“Mr. Patrones still as depressing as ever?” a quiet voice asked, making Rose jump.
Rebecca Masters leaned against the wall beside her, clutching a clipboard to her chest. Rose released a breath and nodded.
“He’s doing better physically, but I wonder if we shouldn’t keep him under a seventy-two-hour psych hold.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Dr. Myers will never go for that, especially since Mr. Patrones has never vocalized any suicide ideations. But we should add some recommendations for counseling to his discharge instructions.” She glanced behind Rose. “I don’t suppose we’ve found any family members?”
Rose shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. It’s sad. I can’t imagine how he’s lived alone all this time.”
“Ah, well,” Rebecca said. “I’ll talk to Dr. Myers, but I’m afraid there’s not much else we can do.”
With a dejected nod, Rose went to complete the rest of her rounds. Other than checking on Mr. Patrones a few more times, she continued her shift uneventfully. At her break, she decided to call Steven to take her mind off things.
“Hey, honey, how’s it going?”
“Not bad,” Rose said, choosing not to mention her concerns about Mr. Patrones. “I just wanted to confirm we were still on for dinner tonight.”
When he didn’t immediately respond, her heartbeat quickened. Not again. His late arrival to the caterer had been bad enough, but he knew how important their weekly dates were to her. Her parents had maintained date night throughout their entire marriage, which she believed was the secret to their success. While she would never say it, sometimes she wondered whether Steven’s parents might not have divorced if they had done something similar.
“Listen,” he began.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’ve got a lot of work to finish up tonight.” His voice was defensive, and a part of her wished she hadn’t pushed the issue. After a beat, he sighed. “But we can go out this weekend instead.”
“I work this weekend,” she replied, her tone flat.
“Oh.”
She rubbed her forehead, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It was the beginning of June, and their wedding was set for the end of August. They should be spending more time together, not less. But of course, he had a lot on his plate. Sometimes she wished he had kept his job in the city rather than striking out on his own. Then again, some big-city law firms required eighty hours a week. Such a demanding schedule would likely have contributed to his workaholic nature even more.
“When is your next day off?” he asked, a pleading note in his voice. “Maybe I can leave the office early and take you out for a night on the town.”
What would a night “on the town” in Cedar Haven entail? Karaoke at Seabreeze followed by a plate of pancakes at Bea’s?Not quite on par with the images that phrase brought up. Sometimes she really missed Baltimore.
“I’m off on Tuesday.” She braced herself for what she knew he was going to say.
“Ah… I have court Tuesday.”
Of course he did. Tuesday was child support day at the courthouse, and he always had at least one client on the docket every week. She clenched her fist at her side.
“Can’t you just come out with me for an hour tonight?” She hated begging for his time. Was this what their marriage was going to be like? “The work will still be there tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, babe, but I need to finish this brief. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Empty words. They’d already established that their schedules were both full for the next several days. Oh well, maybe she would have better luck next week, though maintaining their weekly date was becoming increasingly more difficult.
“It’s fine,” she lied, not wanting him to feel worse than he already did. He’d promised things would let up soon, and he’d said he would consider getting a partner. She needed to be patient. “We can just plan for next week.”
“Thanks for understanding, Rose. I really am sorry.”
“Promise me you won’t stay too late at the office. You need to take care of yourself.”
She could almost see him shaking his head, a rueful smile on his lips. Sometimes, despite her best efforts, the line between nurse and fiancée blurred for her, but she couldn’t help it. She’d seen too many patients cause themselves avoidable health issues by working too much.
“I love you,” he said, clearly trying to avoid the same old argument.
“I love you too.”
She disconnected and leaned back against the wall, her head in her hands. How had they gotten there? Even when they’d had opposing schedules of law school and nursing school, they’d managed to find time for each other every week.
“Rose?” Rebecca called from behind her, pulling her from her thoughts.
She turned around and smiled. “Hey, I was headed to finish my rounds. What’s up?”
Rebecca’s forehead creased. “About that. Any chance you could stay on? Lisa called out with a sick child again, and I need someone to cover her shift.”
Ordinarily, Rose would have said no. She rarely worked doubles because she tried to maintain boundaries between her work time and her personal life. But aside from Steven canceling on her, she had other reasons to consider accepting an extra shift. There weren’t many opportunities for advancement at the small rural hospital, but she had her eye on the head nurse position that had just opened. What she lacked in tenure, she hoped to make up for with a strong work ethic.
“Sure, I can stay on.”
“Thanks! I owe you one.” Rebecca turned on her heel and headed down the hall.
Taking a deep breath, Rose shook her head. At least I’ll get overtime.
A few hours later, Rose was standing at the nurses’ station, reviewing a patient’s chart, when Rebecca appeared beside her. Her coworker’s face was pale, and she breathed heavily as she braced a hand against the desk.
“Have you heard?”
Rose raised an eyebrow. “Heard what?”
“There’s been an accident. You need to go to the ICU.”
“What? Why?” Rose shook her head. “Nobody told me I was being pulled.”
“You’re not,” Rebecca said, leading Rose toward the elevators. “But you need to get up there. They’ll explain when you arrive.” She gave Rose’s hand a squeeze before hurrying away.
Bewildered, Rose pressed the button, and the elevator doors opened. She stepped inside, chose the ICU floor, and waited, working to swallow her irritation. What the heck is going on? And why wouldn’t Rebecca just tell me? Worry gnawed at her during the ride up.
The ICU ward was complete chaos as she stepped into the hall. She double-checked that she hadn’t accidentally gone to the ER. Nope, this is the right floor. Rushing to the nurses’ station, she halted when a familiar head of dirty-blond hair rounded the corner on a gurney.
“Steven?” She ran after him only to have someone grab her arm and spin her around.
“Rose, I—”
“Let go of me.” She tried to shake free as she met the gaze of whoever had had the audacity to stop her. But Dr. Myers held firm, his blue eyes filled with concern and his expression grim.
“Come with me,” he said and half dragged her to an empty office.
Once they were inside, he released her, and she staggered across the room to the desk. She whirled around, ready to march right back out that door, but Dr. Myers blocked her path.
“There’s nothing you can do for him right now,” he said. “They’re in the process of determining the damage and hooking up his IV to start administering medication. I only have a moment.”
Her legs gave out, and she sank into the nearest chair. “Oh God. What happened?”
“He was in a car accident, but we think he had a medical emergency that led to the crash.” Dr. Myers glanced at her as if assessing how much to say. “Possibly a heart attack, but I’ll know more once I get in there and run some tests. You stay here, and I’ll get someone to sit with you.”
Like hell. “Need I remind you, Doctor, I’m an RN? I’m coming with you.”
“And need I remind you, Rose, we have a strict policy that prohibits hospital staff from treating family members?” Her five-foot-four stature was no match for Dr. Myers’s six-foot frame when he put a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into the chair. “I’ll send word as soon as I can.”
Without waiting for her response, he spun on his heel and was gone. Rose put her head in her hands. A heart attack? How? Why? Steven was twenty-nine years old and one of the healthiest people she knew. She’d joked he was going to work himself into an early grave, but she’d never expected that.
The door opened, and Marie, the head RN for the ICU, came in. “So he’s told you, then.” She handed Rose a cup of coffee.
Rose took a sip, more out of habit than because she actually wanted or needed the beverage. Marie perched in the chair beside her, taking her free hand. The room was dimly lit with a desk lamp, and Rose found comfort in the darkness.
“It’ll be all right.”
If only she could believe her. But Steven sounded like he was in a bad way. The other half of Dr. Myers’s message finally resonated.
“What did he hit?” she asked.
“What’s that?”
“Dr. Myers said St—” Her throat closed around his name. “Dr. Myers said he was in a car accident. What did he hit?”
“I don’t know the full story,” Marie said. “But I gathered from the little the paramedics shared that he lost control of the car and hit a tree.”
At least no one else was injured. Small favors. She tried to focus on the good news. Steven was in the best hands in the area. She’d seen Dr. Myers work magic on patients in worse shape. And Steven was young. He had a better chance than most.
Still, she couldn’t just sit there and wait. She needed to do something.
“I have to make a call.” Not wanting an audience, she stood and raced out of the room. After glancing up and down the hallway, she ducked into a storage closet across from the office. Her fingers shook as she scrolled to Lanie’s name in her phone.
“Hey, Rose, what’s up?”
“You need to come to the hospital,” Rose said in a rush. “It’s your brother.”
“Steven? What’s wrong? What happened?”
“He was in a car accident.” Rose couldn’t bring herself to tell her the rest, not yet. It still didn’t feel real. Besides, Dr. Myers had said a heart attack was possible but not confirmed. There was no sense in getting her future sister-in-law worked up over the phone.
“Oh no! Let me call my dad, and then I’ll head on over. What floor are you on?”
“The ICU.”
Lanie gasped and promised she would be there as soon as she could, but Rose barely heard her. She disconnected the call and went back to the office. Marie was still there, her eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
“Lanie is on her way, and she’s calling her dad.” Rose slid into her chair. Her coffee sat on the desk behind it, but she couldn’t bring herself to drink it. Instead, she allowed her eyes to take in the details of the room in hopes it would ground her in the moment. A large leather rolling chair was turned to face the dual monitors set up above a docking station on the desk. Mahogany bookshelves towered in the back corner, casting ominous shadows in the soft light of the lamp.
“I’ll stay with you until they arrive.” Marie grasped Rose’s hand again and gave it a squeeze.
Part of Rose wanted to protest, as she imagined Marie had a million other things to do, but she didn’t want to be alone. Her stomach was already in knots, and she feared she would fall to pieces by the time Lanie arrived.
The sounds of machines beeping, muffled footsteps, and whispered prayers wafted into the room as they sat in silence. Rose was literally on the edge of her seat. Her feet ached to move, but her head was spinning, and she feared she would pass out if she tried to stand. With her free hand, she gripped the arm of the chair and stared at the office door, willing it to open with Lanie or Dr. Myers. Though if the latter came right then, it wouldn’t mean good news. Not enough time had passed for Dr. Myers to have completed his assessment of Steven. He would run an EKG and assess for internal bleeding as well as broken bones. It was going to be a long night.
Time stood still, and Rose silently prayed for Steven to be spared. If—no, when—he survived, he would have to take better care of himself. She wouldn’t give him a choice in the matter. Not after that.
Of course, that would all take time, and she hoped she could enlist Lanie and Steven’s staff in determining what needed to be taken care of immediately at the law firm. She wouldn’t allow him to stress over it, not while his health hung in the balance. They would figure things out. After all, they had the rest of their lives to do so. She refused to give in to despair. Steven would live, and they would have a life together. She had to have faith.
A knock sounded at the door, and Rose braced herself, but it was only one of the other nurses leading Lanie and Max into the room. When Rose jumped up to embrace them, Marie slipped quietly from the room.
“You made good time,” Rose said, fighting back tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.
“We broke several laws getting here, but we didn’t get caught.” Lanie cupped Rose’s cheek. “How are you?”
Rose blinked. The fact that Lanie’s first question had been about her and not Steven caught her off guard. Her face likely betrayed how she felt, but she forced herself to respond.
“Trying to stay positive.” She gestured to the door. “There’s no news, but I didn’t expect there to be.”
“He’ll pull through,” Max said, though it sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. “He’s made of stern stuff.”
“And he’s in good hands.” Lanie smiled, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
The same nurse who had brought them to the office returned with two chairs, which she set up in front of the bookshelves. With Marie gone, the chairs weren’t necessary, but Rose appreciated her thoughtfulness. When they were alone again, Max collapsed into one of them. Lanie took the seat closest to Rose.
“Do you have any more details about the accident?” Lanie asked.
“They think he had a medical emergency before he lost control of the car.”
Lanie frowned. “What kind of medical emergency?”
After taking a deep breath, Rose told them everything she knew, which admittedly wasn’t much. And when she mentioned the possible heart attack, their reactions matched her own.
“But he’s not even thirty!” Max leaned forward, disbelief blazing from his eyes.
“Stress can cause a lot of health issues, Dad,” Lanie said, her tone gentle.
But Max just scowled and faced the wall. Rose opened her mouth to respond, but Lanie shook her head, her message clear. Berating him with medical knowledge would be of little use, especially at that moment.
“What are they doing to him?” Lanie asked.
Rose shrugged. “Dr. Myers is a cardiologist. He’s running tests to determine what happened and what damage was done.”
Max stood suddenly and walked toward the door. When he reached it, he turned back, his expression blank.
“I can’t stand all this waiting. I’m going to grab a coffee. Anyone want anything?”
“Sure, I’ll take one,” Lanie said, her eyes wide. Rose assumed she was puzzled by her father’s erratic behavior. “Rose?”
Instead of responding, Rose gestured to the coffee Marie had brought, not trusting herself to speak. Max closed the door behind him, and she couldn’t help the relief that coursed through her at his absence. While he had always been kind to her, something about him intimidated her. She suspected his perpetual bad mood was the cause of her unease.
“He never could handle hospitals,” Lanie murmured, her eyes on the door. When she glanced at Rose, she forced a smile. “But he’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
“I’m sorry to have dragged you both here. Maybe I should have waited until I knew more.”
“Nonsense.” Lanie shook her head. “We want to be here. Besides, you shouldn’t have to go through this alone, not when you’ve got family to help you through it.”
Family.Sometimes Rose forgot what that was like. It had been lonely since her parents moved back to South Korea. But the promise of a future family with Steven had eased the pang. And that was currently in jeopardy. Oh God, what if he doesn’t make it? What will I do without him?
“He wasn’t even supposed to be on the road,” she blurted out.
Lanie blinked. “What do you mean?”
“We had plans for dinner, which he canceled.” Rose put her head in her hands. “If I’d been with him, maybe I could have prevented this. Or at least been there when it happened.”
“Don’t think like that.” Lanie slid an arm around Rose’s shoulders. “He’s been working himself sick these last few months. I’d hoped things would calm down for him once the estate was finalized, but instead, he’s working harder than ever. He needs to take it easy, especially with all the stress you both must be under from the wedding.”
The wedding. Will it even happen now? Depending on his injuries, it could take weeks or even months to recover. There would be rehabilitation, physical therapy, and who knew what else ahead of him. Rose had no idea how that might impact their immediate future, let alone their wedding.
It felt silly to even think about that when his life hung in the balance, but somehow, it was all her mind could handle. Canceling the wedding wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it would be heartbreaking nonetheless. They’d been planning it for well over a year, and she would hate for their hard work to go to waste.
Not to mention that she was ready to marry him. She’d known he was the one for her since that first day they’d met in the library, when she’d accidentally knocked over a stack of books and heard a yelp of pain. She closed her eyes as the memory washed over her.
They had unknowingly chosen to sit at the same table to study. She hadn’t been able to see him over the books in her arms. When she’d heard his cry, she’d rushed over to apologize and met the most interesting pair of eyes she’d ever seen—a delicate mixture of green and brown that she wanted to lose herself in. His frown of discomfort quickly morphed into a smile, and he’d brushed off her concern. He’d introduced himself, and the moment their hands touched, a spark shot through her like nothing she’d ever felt before.
A rueful smile pulled at her lips. Even with such a promising first meeting, it had still taken him months to work up the courage to ask her out. They’d met at the library several times and enjoyed each other’s company while studying quietly. Her smile fell. With their busy schedules, their relationship had never been easy, but once they’d set a date for the wedding, she’d thought things were looking up for them.
“Hey.” Lanie gently shook her arm. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Whether or not we’re going to need to cancel the wedding.” Rose raised her head and met Lanie’s eyes. “I know it’s the least of my worries right now, but I can’t help it.”
“I get it. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on what you can control. But I can’t imagine we would need to. Dad and I can pitch in more to help fill the gap if Steven needs to back off the planning.”
“Assuming he survives this.” Rose bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to voice her deepest fears.
“He will survive it. McAllisters are made of stern stuff,” Lanie said, echoing what her father had said earlier.
Rose nodded mutely. She wanted to believe her future sister-in-law, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do so. And if something happened to Steven… If he didn’t make it, she didn’t know what that would do to her.