Mr. Billionaire, I'm Back!

Chapter 57: Outside The ER

When Joanna woke up, she was in the hospital. Brian was on her left, and there was a doctor on her right. When Brian saw that she was awake, he began to cry. "I was so worried about you," he said. Then he turned to the doctor and asked him if she'd be okay.

The doctor gave him a comforting smile and said, "She'll have a goose egg on the back of her head, but she'll be fine." Brian was relieved, and he thanked the doctor, who smiled and left.

Brian sat beside the bed and held Joanna's hand tightly. He sighed and said, "Joanna, my little fool..."

Joanna smiled, closed her eyes, and fell back asleep. After a minute, Brian climbed in beside her, and before long, he too was asleep.

When Brian woke up, it was nearly dark outside the windows. His phone was ringing. He frowned and pulled it out of his pocket, and upon checking the caller ID, he saw that Elaine was the one calling him. He accepted the call. "What's up?" he asked.

Elaine sounded anxious: "Brian, come to the hospital. Grandpa's had an accident, and he is in the Emergency Room!"

"What?" Brian climbed out of bed and said, "I'll come right away. Which hospital is she at?"

Elaine: "Central."

Brian: "Okay."

Central Hospital was far from the hospital that Joanna was in, and Brian was worried about Joanna. He had to go, though, so he asked the nurse to take good care of her and call him if anything happened.

***

When Brian arrived at Central Hospital, Elaine saw him, and she threw herself into his arms. "Brian," she cried. "You came finally." Tears were streaming down her face, but when she hugged Brian, she scrunched up her nose. She could smell a woman on him, and her ire began to rise.

Brian rubbed Elaine's back, and when they separated, he said, "Well, how is Grandpa holding up?"

Elaine wiped the tears out of her eyes. "He has been in the ER for about an hour," she replied. "So far, we haven't gotten any updates."

Elain started to cry again, and Brian held her. "What happened, anyway?" he asked.

"He fell down the stairs," Elaine replied. "When I arrived, he was lying on the landing in a horrible condition. His body was contorted, and he was bleeding. He was unconscious, and I have no way of knowing how long he'd been there…"

"Have you informed Portor?" Brian asked. Portor Jones was Brian's younger brother by three years.

Elaine nodded and said, "He should be here soon."

Brian began to feel uncomfortable about Elaine being in his arms, so he pushed her away and said, "Let's sit down."

Elaine frowned. She wondered why he didn't want to be close to her, and if it had something to do with the woman she'd smelled on him. If so, she hated her – whoever she was.

Before long, Portor arrived. Portor was 24 years old, and he was the general manager of The Jones Corporation. When he arrived, the first thing that he saw was Elaine leaning on Brian's shoulder, and he couldn't help but clench his fists. It was painful for him to see them like this. He forced himself to smile and said, "Elaine, after seventeen years, you still can't let go of your childhood crush; how cute. Anyway, how's Grandpa?"

"He has been in there for a while," Brian replied, answering for Elaine. "We'll just have to wait and see. Would you mind sitting with Elain while I make a phone call?"

"Of course," Portor replied.

Elain frowned as Brian got up so that Portor could take his place, and she watched in dismay as Brian disappeared around the corner.

Brian quickly found the designated smoking area. He pulled a fag from a pack in his shirt pocket, lit the tip, and took a long drag. He held the smoke in for a thirty count, and then he slowly let it out. Finally, he took out his phone and dialed up the nurse that was caring for Joanna. When she answered, he said, "Hello, Miss. I want to know how Joanna is doing?"

The nurse sighed and said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but she's fallen into a coma. Try not to worry, though. Everything is fine."

Brian thanked the nurse and hung up, then he returned to the Waiting Room. A half-hour passed, and a doctor finally approached them. "I have good news for you," he said. "The operation was successful. Your Grandfather is still in some danger, but he is strong, and if he makes it through the night, I am sure he will be fine. You can see him once he's been transferred to a Recovery Room. Do any of you have any questions?"

Brian's lower lip began to tremble, and he was surprised to discover that he was crying. He was sure that he had a million questions, but none came to mind. He couldn't believe this was happening. After all, his Grandfather had always seemed so energetic and full of life.

He remembered how his Grandfather had taken care of him after his parents' death. He'd been ten years old, and they'd been walking down the sidewalk when a truck lost control. It had come at them full throttle, but his Mother had managed to push him out of the way at the last minute. Of the trio, he'd been the only one to live, and he still remembered the sight of the blood… there had been so much of it.

Why am I thinking about that? – wondered Brian, and it suddenly occurred to him that his Grandfather was no longer a young man. He was in his sixties, and if he didn't die today, he likely didn't have many years left – and what will I do when he's gone?

Brian wished that he had his little fool by his side. He looked at the doctor and said, "I think we're good. Thank you, though. For everything. I imagine we will all be staying here overnight."

The doctor nodded, and then he left them.

***

The three of them slept on the chairs in the Recovery Room, and when they woke up, they were all hungry. Portor offered to make a breakfast run. While he was gone, Brian went to the washroom, leaving Elaine alone with Mr. Jones.

Brian hadn't been gone long when his phone began to ring. It was in his jacket pocket, which was hung over the chair he'd slept in. Elain smiled and pulled it out of his pocket. She turned it on and checked the Caller ID. "Little Fool," she muttered. "What a curious nickname…"