Page 47 of The Temptation
I nodded. That made sense. Of course, my brain argued that if it wasn’t serious, why had she been taken to the hospital in the first place?
Simon had driven us across town and parked before I reached my father, who stated that he was waiting for us in the emergency room.
“How do you know this hospital so well?” I asked as Simon maneuvered us through the parking garage to the emergency room.
He flashed me a crooked smile, still holding tight to my hand. “During rehearsal a few months back, one of the flutists passed out and was taken to the hospital. She had a history of heart issues. I offered to drive several of my coworkers to the hospital to visit her.”
“That was nice of you. Is she okay now?”
He nodded. “She was out for a couple of weeks, but she’s doing much better now.”
The emergency room was large and brightly lit, making it more than a little rough on the senses. It was half-filled with people in plain gray chairs. Not surprisingly, no one looked comfortable. A TV was on, playing the news, but no one was watching it. They all had their eyes locked on their phones or tablets as they waited to be called.
I scanned the room, searching for my father but didn’t spot him immediately. Were we in the right place? As I was about to call him again, a pair of double doors opened and he stepped out. He appeared haggard, with his dark hair slightly mussed asif he’d been running his fingers through it. He was missing his usual tie and jacket. His face softened as his eyes met mine.
“She’s fine,” he stated before I could say a single word. “She’s fine.” He reached my side, grabbed my arms, and squeezed. It was enough to cut through the panic that had been building since Marie had announced that my mother was in the hospital.
“What happened?”
“She woke up feeling off this morning. As the day wore on, she started complaining of tightness in her chest and lightheadedness. I brought her to the hospital as a precaution. They’re still running some tests, but they have confirmed that it wasn’t a heart attack. They want to keep her overnight for observation and to wait for the test results. A room is being arranged for her.” He sighed heavily and shook his head. “Your mother is not happy with me right now.”
No, she wouldn’t be. My mother hated hospitals. Even more, she hated being what she called “a burden” on anyone. She was the type who only wanted to go to the hospital if she was sure she was dying and even then, she’d argue that she didn’t want to be a bother.
“Have you talked to Archer yet?”
My father released me and stepped back. “I’ll call him soon. You go sit with your mother. I’m going to get some coffee.”
“Would you like me to fetch it for you?” Simon offered. “That way, you and Pierce can sit with Mrs. Sutton.”
Dad’s expression relaxed even more as he looked at Simon. “No, no. I need some air and to stretch my legs. You stick with Pierce.” He lowered his voice a bit, as if he were sharing a secret that I wasn’t supposed to hear. “He doesn’t handle illness and hospitals all that well. It’s better if you stay with him.”
I wasn’t about to argue. He was right. Ever since Sawyer’s death, I’d struggled to deal with any illness in a friend or family member that was bad enough to send them to the hospital.These moments, while rare, sent me straight into a panic, leaving me overwhelmed and frozen.
He gave us some directions to where Mom was resting, and Simon led the way.
When we found the bed, numerous wires were running from her, hooking her up to various blinking and beeping machines. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were frighteningly pale. Someone had pulled a curtain around to give her a small bit of privacy in the busy emergency department.
“Oh, baby,” she cooed the second she saw me and stretched out her arms toward me. “I’m going to kick your father for scaring you like this.”
“I’m fine. The important thing is that we find out what’s wrong with you.” I released Simon’s hand at last and gently hugged her, trying to be mindful of the wires so I didn’t inadvertently pull anything loose.
“It’s nothing. Just a little flutter. It’s probably time to change my medication. That’s all.”
As I released my mother and stepped back, I also stomped down my frustration at hearing her try to make it sound like it wasn’t a big deal. Sure, she was trying to comfort me, but I didn’t want her brushing aside her health.
Yet, before I could find the right thing to say, Mother had already focused on Simon, who leaned forward to brush a kiss to her cheek.
“Oh, Simon. I must appear a fright.”
“Pfft. You’re the best-looking woman here. I’d make a pass at you if I weren’t gay,” he teased, and my mother giggled.
Within a few minutes, Simon had my mother chatting about shopping and other nonsense, making it seem as if they were anywhere else in the world other than a hospital emergency room. I grabbed Simon’s hand again and threaded my fingers through his. I was such a fucking hypocrite, and I hated myselfas I stood there, clinging to him. He was my anchor, holding me tied to the shore when I wanted to drift out to sea on violent waves of fear and doubt.
Yet, it was more than being at the hospital with him. Everything he’d said while we’d been arguing in my office was right. I wanted to be with him, wanted to explore a relationship with him, but I was scared that I’d never be able to forgive myself if I went down this road. I didn’t know what to do next.
We remained at the hospital for a couple of hours, keeping my parents company and distracted from the stressful chaos around us. It was only as they were moving my mom to her room that we left, with my mom admonishing Simon to keep me from returning to the office. There wasn’t much point. It was almost four now, and Marie would have cleared my schedule after I’d left for the hospital. In truth, I was too drained to even think about work.
A cold wind swept through the parking garage as we approached his car. The sky was growing darker as the sun sank toward the horizon. The snow had yet to fall and probably wouldn’t, preferring to hold on to its load until it reached New England.
