Page 66 of Storm Bound
I searched for Charlie’s last name, and the whole family came up.
Andrew. Charlie. Leo. Lucas. Lucy. Marina. Maya. Melody. Nathan. Nicoletta. Paul. Peter. Summer.
Three names were struck out and marked as deceased. Charlie’s mom and grandad. And I guessed Lucy was Andy’s wife that passed away.
I pulled up the one with the oldest birthdate and looked at Marina Karagiannis’ file.
A heart attack a few years back and an inflammation a few months ago. Her BMI was good, and she didn’t indicate any bad habits like smoking or a sedentary life. Which didn’t really surprise me after all the little things Charlie had mentioned about her.
“All right, Mrs. Karagiannis. Let’s see what you’re made of,” I said to myself and got up.
I pulled the doors to the examination room apart and found Charlie sitting next to his grandmother, an elderly lady with dark brown hair that made her look much younger than her actual age of eighty-one, and although her face was wrinkled, the smile on her lips radiated through to her dark eyes, making her look so kind and warm.
Her smile widened, and as it did, she reminded me of my bubbe, and her absence hit me like a tsunami without a moment’s notice.
“Good morning, Mrs. Karagiannis,” I said and leaned against the examination table.
“Oh, he’s cute,” she said, elbowing her grandson.
Charlie stared at me with pursed lips.
“And you can call me Marina. Everyone does. Or Yaya since you’re part of the family now.”
Charlie slapped his forehead and exhaled with a whine.
I chuckled and focused on the issue at hand.
“Okay then, Marina. It’s nice to meet you. How has your heart been since the last time you saw my uncle?”
Her eyes widened, and she bit the insides of her cheeks for a moment.
“Oh, I’m fine. Enough about me. Where are you from Adam? What made you decide to move here and replace your uncle? He’s a great man, although he was a bit crazy, wasn’t he, Charlie?”
“Yaya!” Charlie exclaimed.
“Well, my uncle is an eccentric man, there’s no point denying that,” I said. “I’m a family doctor from Chicago, but I’m from Michigan. That’s where all my family still lives.”
“Big family?”
Charlie shook his head and looked away. I didn’t know why he was so embarrassed. It was pretty much expected for someone his grandmother’s age to be that interested, especially in a small town, and especially in her new doctor. And in her grandson’s partner.
“Three brothers, my mom and dad,” I said.
“That’s nice. Do you see them often?”
“Well, not since I moved here. I used to go every other weekend when I was back in Chicago.”
“Good man. Family is important,” she said. “I hear you like those comic books like my Charlie. I was hoping you could put some sense into him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t help there. I’m probably a bigger nerd than your grandson.”
Charlie’s eyes slitted, glaring at me. He didn’t like that I called myself nerdier than him.
“What? You don’t run any fan clubs, do you?” I smirked.
“Ass,” he said.
“Language,” Marina said.
