Chapter Twenty-Three
Steven stayed later than he intended at work. Lanie had been right about the influx of new clients. Whether it was because the community needed a local firm or because they knew he was in dire straits, he appreciated that they were bringing him business. And Sandra’s detailed notes from the initial client interviews she’d done made him think the new wills and estates wouldn’t be terribly taxing. Most of them were simple and could be handled without a lot of extra research or effort.
A knock sounded at his door, and he glanced up and did a double take. “Michael? What are you still doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.” Michael stared at the floor, fidgeting with his hands.
“Sure.” Steven’s stomach dropped. Something about Michael’s demeanor told Steven it wasn’t going to be good news. “Have a seat.” After waiting for what seemed like ages, Steven cleared his throat. “So, um, what can I help you with?”
Finally, Michael lifted his head. His brown eyes were wary. “I got a call today from a law firm in DC.”
“Oh?” Steven’s palms began to sweat. “What did they want?”
“To offer me a job.”
It felt like Steven’s throat was closing. He attempted to clear it, but it did no good. Is this it, then? Am I back to square one with my law practice? Michael had just begun to get into the swing of things. Steven couldn’t imagine starting over with someone new, not to mention how much time and energy interviews would take.
“And what did you say?”
“I-I told them I would give them an answer by the end of the week.” Michael ran a hand through his hair. “But I don’t want to leave here if I can help it.”
“Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?”
“In my interview, Lanie mentioned I might be able to be brought on full-time. And I’ve heard you might be looking for a partner…”
Steven shook his head. “I’m not ready for that yet.”
Michael nodded. “I figured. It’s just, well, the DC law firm has a clear partner track, which is rare. And they have openings in areas of law I’m interested in, like environmental and small business.”
“It sounds like you’ve decided,” Steven said as his heart pounded. The news was quite literally the last thing he needed right then. Shadows swam before his eyes, and he put his head on his desk. He was vaguely aware of Michael calling his name, then everything went dark.
The next thing Steven knew, a hand was violently shaking him. As he opened his eyes, it took him a moment to realize what had happened and why he was on the floor.
“Steven! Can you hear me?” His sister’s hazel eyes, filled with worry, swam into his vision.
“Yes,” he croaked. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down.
“Don’t move. You might have had another heart attack. I’ve called 911, and they’re on their way.”
Another heart attack? No, it couldn’t be. He swallowed and pressed his hand to his chest. It didn’t hurt, but that might not mean anything.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“I was on my way to pick you up when Michael called me.” She closed her eyes as if trying to shake the memory of what she’d seen from her mind. “We both called to you, but you were shaking, and then you fell on the floor.” Her eyes opened, and she grabbed his hand. “I’ve never been so scared.”
Before he could respond, someone banged on the front door. Lanie squeezed his hand again before hurrying away to let the paramedics in.
He lay there staring at the ceiling and listened as his sister quietly explained the situation. A moment later, a grim face appeared above him.
“Mr. McAllister, can you hear me?”
Steven nodded and made to sit up, but a firm hand grasped his shoulder and held him down. “Don’t move, sir, until we assess you.”
A small light shone in one of his eyes, and he grimaced but made an effort not to flinch. It felt different that time. While he didn’t remember falling to the floor, he was pretty sure he hadn’t been unconscious for nearly as long as before.
The man who’d been examining him asked a series of rapid-fire questions. It took a lot of effort to keep up, but Steven did. When the man was finished, he stepped back and held out his hand, which Steven accepted.
“It looks like he might have fainted or had a seizure, but it doesn’t appear to be another heart attack.” The man turned to Lanie. “Still, we should get him to the hospital so they can run some tests to rule out anything more serious.”
Steven squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to dwell on how much the incident would set him back. All those new clients Sandra had found weren’t going to make a lick of difference if he couldn’t perform the work for which they’d hired him.
“Sir? Are you still with me?”
Apparently, shutting one’s eyes and grimacing wasn’t the best choice of facial expressions after a possible seizure. Steven opened his eyes and faked a smile to put everyone in the room at ease. But inside, he was a mess.
After Steven arrived at the hospital, Dr. Myers had him admitted and started a series of tests, by the end of which Steven felt like a human pincushion. He winced as the orderlies rolled him into his room and bumped into the doorframe. When they left, he took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he struggled to turn his brain off.
A knock at the door startled him, and he braced for yet another test. Rose stood in the doorway—or “clung to it” would be more accurate. Her brown eyes were wide and wary, and she stared at him as if waiting for permission to enter.
“Rose.” For once, his voice didn’t sound like a croaking frog’s.
“Lanie called me,” she replied, and the coolness in her tone caught him off guard.
“I’m sorry we’re meeting like this again,” Steven said in a poor attempt at a joke. “They think I had a seizure and—”
She held up a hand. “I know. I spoke with Dr. Myers.”
“But I’m okay,” he hurried on. “I mean, at least it wasn’t another heart attack.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Her mouth twisted before it set in a grim line. She stepped into the room but only so far that she could lean back against the wall next to the door. She crossed her arms.
“Rose? What’s wrong?”
Her eyes flashed, and he shrank against his pillow. Maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words, but why is she mad at me? It wasn’t like he wanted to be back at the hospital.
“‘What’s wrong?’” Her voice was incredulous. “Are you kidding?”
“I mean, this looks bad, but—”
“No, Steven, it doesn’t just look bad. It is bad.” The rage simmered off her like steam from a pot that threatened to boil over. “I told you. I warned you.” Her eyes narrowed with barely repressed rage. “I said if you didn’t take care of yourself, you would end up back in the hospital.” She gestured wildly. “And I was right.”
“But it’s not as bad as last time,” he protested, though it sounded stupid and pathetic even before the words left his mouth.
“So? Does it matter what brought you here?”
“Dr. Myers said it’s common to have seizures after a heart attack.”
“And did he also tell you excess stress can induce seizures?”
“Not in so many words.” Dr. Myers had told him he needed to take it easy, multiple times, but doctors always said things like that. Besides, being a doctor was one of the most stressful jobs there was. If they can’t take their own advice, how can they expect their patients to?
Of course, Steven said none of those things out loud. One look at the murderous expression on Rose’s face convinced him to tread lightly.
“I’m sorry,” he said instead, though he imagined that to her, that phrase sounded repetitive and empty. “You were right. I should have taken more time for my health.”
She sighed. “At least that’s something, though it doesn’t change anything.”
The muscles along his spine spasmed as he sat up straighter. Something about her tone and the way she had dropped her gaze to the floor told him that whatever she meant by that statement couldn’t be good.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before she could respond, Dr. Myers came in.
“I suppose it’s good that you’re here, since it means I only have to say this once.”