His "Emergency" Was Her Father

Chapter 3

I sat down to fill out the monitoring chart the doctor had given me. Then Daniel called.

"Laura, why do you keep pushing me to come back? I'll be there tomorrow morning. Do you have to count every hour?"

I looked at the chart without putting my pen to the paper.

"Mom might develop a fever."

"There are nurses at the hospital."

"The doctor said someone needs to stay with her overnight."

"Then you stay with her."

He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Even so, I asked, "What time will you get here tomorrow?"

"In the afternoon."

"Didn't you just say the morning?"

"The morning train's sold out."

"You could fly."

"There you go again."

Daniel sounded tired.

"I've already promised to be back on the 4th. Isn't that enough?"

"Will you definitely be back tomorrow?" I asked.

He fell silent.

Then I heard Megan call his name. He answered her before turning back to me.

"And stop letting your mother hear us argue. She's not well."

I looked at my mother in bed.

"I'm not arguing."

"Fine. Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up.

Late that night, my mother's forehead was burning. I changed the damp towel as the doctor had instructed, then went to the nurses' station to get a fever reducer.

When I returned, Daniel was standing outside her room.

"What are you doing here?"

He handed me a paper bag.

"Megan and I came to pick up some medication her father left in his room. I thought I'd stop by and see Mom."

The bag bore the name of the very hospital where my mother was staying.

"You thought you'd stop by?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He stepped past me, went to my mother's bedside, and asked how she was feeling.

She struggled to open her eyes.

"Danny, you're finally here."

"Mom, I have something to do early tomorrow. I can't stay long."

Her smile faded.

"Didn't you promise to stay the night?"

"Something came up at work. I have to get back."

I laid the damp towel on her forehead. Daniel reached out and took the basin from me.

"Don't put your hands in the cold water. Let me do it."

Megan soon appeared in the doorway with his coat in her hand.

"Danny, I've called a cab."

My mother looked at her.

"Who are you?"

"Hello. I'm Megan."

My mother's gaze lingered on the two of them.

"Daniel, come outside with me," I said.

He followed me out.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Aren't you two in a hurry?"

He was about to say something when Megan urged him softly, "Danny, the driver's calling. We need to go."

Daniel answered her over his shoulder, then turned back to me.

"Megan and I are leaving. Thanks for looking after Mom."

He lifted a hand as though to stroke my hair. In the end, he only patted my shoulder.

They disappeared into the elevator.

When I walked back in alone, my mother asked, "Have they gone?"

"Yes."

"You should have seen him off. You're married. You need to talk things through."

I looked at the monitoring chart beside her bed just as the nurse brought in a new temperature chart.

"I need to be here for your follow-up tests tomorrow morning."

At 4 a.m., a nurse woke me and told me my mother needed to be moved to the observation unit.