Page 61 of His

Thirty-Nine

Sabine

It’s midnight by the time we arrive back at the beach house.

Cillian opens the door as we rush up the walkway. The worry on his face is jarring.

“Tell me everything,” Astor says.

I close the door behind us and look down the hallway. The master bedroom door is closed.

“The night you left, Valerie fell while the nurse was helping her to the bathroom, and had a lot of trouble getting up off the floor, even with Brittney’s help. I was nearby, heard the commotion and came in, and literally had to pick her up off the floor. She was ghostly pale.”

Hearing us, the master bedroom door opens and Jackie rushes out, Brittney close on her heels. Brittney is pale, too, wringing her hands in worry.

“I’m glad you’re back, Mr. Stone,” Jackie says quietly, meeting us by the front door. “I just got her to sleep, can we talk somewhere else?”

Cillian leads us to the kitchen where we stand awkwardly in a circle in the middle.

“I just told them about the fall,” Cillian says.

Jackie nods. “Over the course of the last twenty-four hours, Valerie’s health has deteriorated significantly. Dr. Squire has requested she be brought to the hospital tomorrow for testing.”

“What do you mean deteriorated significantly?”

“She’s having trouble balancing, she’s having severe nausea, and appears to have visual disturbances. She’s confused. It’s as if trying to figure out who I am and why I’m there.”

“That’s how she’s been recently.”

“But worse now.” Cillian confirms.

“Mr. Stone, I think it’s possible that Valerie has had one or multiple silent strokes over the two weeks.”

“Strokes?” He and I exclaim simultaneously.

The nurse nods. “Silent stroke symptoms match everything you’ve mentioned and that I’m seeing tonight: confusion, slurred speech, visual confusion, hallucinations, disorientation. Also, people with schizophrenia have a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In fact, they are three times more likely to experience sudden death from a heart attack than normal people.”

“So what do we need to do?”

“I’ll stay here tonight and tomorrow they’ll run a litany of tests at the hospital. Dr. Squire took blood work when he was here last, so those results should be in soon. If she does have heart disease, there are many options to explore like medication, and even surgery.”

Astor scrubs his hands over his face.

“How was she before she fell asleep tonight?” I ask.

“Lucid. Good. Much better than earlier today.”

“Can I see her?” Astor asks.

“I’d let her sleep for as long as she can, but once she wakes, I can come get you, if you’d like.”

“Yes, please.”

Jackie nods, then motions Brittney to follow her back to the master bedroom.

“Are you good?” Cillian rests his hand on Astor’s shoulder.

“Yeah . . . yeah. Go to the hotel, get some sleep. How are you? Everything okay?”

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