Page 75 of The Sound of Us

“Noah Cornell. He’s the station manager at WJPK radio. What happened? Is he okay?”

“He needs to take a trip to the hospital. Are you family…?”

“He’s my boss. I was just visiting his tenant who lives in the apartment above the garage. I’ll give him a call.”

“No.” Noah’s voice was barely a whisper. “Don’t call Dante.”

“He’ll be worried,” I said. “He would want to know.”

“No.” Noah shook his head again, so I let it go.

“Is there anything you need me to do before they take you to the hospital?” I asked as the paramedic hooked him up to an IV. “Do you need your phone or your wallet? Should I lock up your house?”

“Pets. Wallet. Keys.”

“I’ll be right back.” I went in the back door and was instantly greeted by three wet noses and wagging tails. Growing up, I’d had a Border Collie named Maya who had been my constant companion until she passed away when I was thirteen, and I was able to give them the assurance they needed given all the commotion outside. I checked their food and water and grabbed Noah’s belongings from the kitchen table along with the six bottles of pills on the counter in case he needed them.

By the time I was back outside, the paramedics were loading Noah into the ambulance. His eyes were half-closed, and he had a nasty gash on his forehead.

“Do you want me to come with you to the hospital?” I asked. “I can help with the insurance, call someone…”

Noah nodded. “Call my sister, Bella. And the pet sitter, Lisa. Where’s my phone?”

“I’ve got it.” The paramedic handed it to me as I climbed into the ambulance. “Good thing you had it on you and could call for help.”

Noah gave me the code and I called his sister and pet sitter as the ambulance raced through the streets.

“My idiot brother is supposed to be resting, not taking out the trash or going to work,” Bella grumbled over the phone after I told her the situation. “I told him this would happen if he pushed himself. I told him to take the treatment. But no. Stubborn ass wouldn’t do it. Tell him I’ll be there in a few hours.”

I relayed her message and gave Noah’s hand a squeeze. “What happened? Did you fall, or…”

“Pancreatic cancer.” He swallowed hard. “It’s terminal. It’s getting more challenging to manage.”

My breath left me in a rush. “Noah, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you say anything? We could have done more to help you. All the meetings and the running around you’ve had to do…” And then it hit me—the reason he didn’t want me to call Dante.

“Dante doesn’t know, does he?”

“No, and you can’t tell him. He’s already lost too many people.”

I felt dizzy, my knees going weak, and I was glad for the benchthey’d cleared for me to sit. “You can’t keep this from him, Noah. He’s going to wonder where you are.”

“Meetings.” He forced out the words as his eyes closed and his face twisted in a grimace. “Tell him I’m on a road trip.”

I stared at him aghast. “I can’t lie to him. Not about something like this.”

“I’m going to give you something for the pain,” the paramedic said to Noah. “It will knock you out for a bit. Is there anything else you need to tell her? Anyone else she needs to call?”

“Not Dante.” His words faded. “Not yet.”

With Noah’s wallet in hand, I was able to handle the insurance and paperwork. It was clear he’d been at the hospital many times and had made an impression on the staff because so many of them came to see him while I waited for his sister to arrive.

By midafternoon, Noah had adjusted to the pain medication and was able to sit up in bed. His first words after he woke were about Dante.

“Tell me you didn’t call.”

“I didn’t, but it’s not fair to keep this from him.” I had been tempted to call Dante anyway. I couldn’t imagine how he would feel if he found out Noah had been there for hours and no one had called to let him know.

“He’s not ready.”

---