Page 113 of Corkscrew You
“Yup?” I haven’t the strength for anything more.
“Dad’s in the hospital—”
I’m on my feet immediately. “Shit. OK, I’m—”
“No, no, shut up! Listen!” Ava orders. “He’s having the procedure! To put the IC-thingy in!”
My head is swimming, and it’s not all due to lack of a key mineral. I sink back down in my chair again.
“He’s … did he have another attack?”
“No, he went in voluntarily!” Ava is as astonished as I am. “Apparently Doc had booked in a surgery date ages ago, hoping to have convinced him by then. When he rang Dad to remind him, assuming he would cancel, Dad did the opposite!”
“Butwhy? Why the sudden change of heart? Excuse the choice of words.”
“I think you should ask your girlfriend,” says Ava. “Anyway, gotta go. Dad’s just gone in, and we’re going to wait at the hospital till it’s over, which is in about three hours, if you want to hang with us.”
Seriously, I don’t know which way is up anymore. I blink at my phone screen until I realize that both Cam and Shelby are staring at me, one looking a lot more anxious than the other.
“What did you say to Dad last night?” I have to ask her. “He’s getting treatment.”
Her face lights up. “That’s fantastic! And, I didn’t say anything, really. Just told him how much I missed my own dad…”
My plan. It actually worked. Well, that’sonegamble that paid off, at least.
Now, if only—
“What a pair we are.” Shelby’s smiling at me. “Do you think it’ll be easier from now on?”
“We forgot to use the codeword,” I remind her. “The one to stop us being dicks.”
“That’s right! We forgot to use ‘cookie’!”
“Cookie?” Cam glances between us.
“I could do with a cookie right now,” says Shelby. “More than one, in fact.”
“We could pick some up on the way,” I suggest. “I want to be at the hospital with my family until Dad’s procedure’s over. Do you want to come with me?”
Shelby hesitates.
“I’ll feed the animals,” offers Cam.
Can’t imagine why I resented him before. Now, I love him like a brother.
The love dies a little when Shelby runs around to hug him.
“I owe youbigtime,” she says. “I’ll bring you back a cookie.”
I’m still in the chair, thinking about getting up, when Shelby takes my hand.
“Come on.” She pulls me out of the chair with her mighty grip. “I’ll drive.”
“Thanks,” I say to Cam, as we head out the door.
“Anytime.” He gets to his feet, starts to clear away the coffee mugs.
Man is a prince. I won’t hear a bad word said against him.
