Page 23 of The Doctor's Promise
Noemi wasn’t unduly worried until she saw her nephew: the young boy’s skin was tinged blue, and when Noemi checked his fingernails, the beds were almost purple.
“Okay,” she said, her calm exterior belying the panic building inside her. “We’re just going to run some tests, slugger.” She smiled at her sister. Leonora was chewing relentlessly on her bottom lip and watching every one of Noemi’s reactions, looking for any clue to her son’s condition.
Unfazed, Jack grinned at his aunt. “Cool.”
“Can you tell me how it felt when you passed out, Jackie?”
“I just got real tired, and my chest felt tight. I didn’t realize I’d passed out until I heard Mom screaming.”
“Drama queen.” Noemi winked at her nephew, who giggled. Leonora sighed.
“Noe, can I talk to you outside?”
In the hallway, Noemi fixed her sister with a steady look. “We’re running tests, Leo. For now, there’s nothing more to think about than that.”
“I saw your face, Noe. Tell me the truth.”
“I don’t know anything until I run the tests, Leo.” Noemi said firmly. “His color is a little concerning, but we’ll figure it out. Come on now, you know I can’t tell you anything until we know for sure. Let’s not make things worse by panicking.”
Finn wasat her side as they performed an echocardiogram; Noemi was glad of it when they saw the problem.
“Oh, Goddamn it.” Noemi looked at the scan of her nephew’s heart. “It looks like ASD.”
Finn nodded. ASD—Atrial Septal Defect—otherwise known as a hole in the heart. He put his hand on Noemi’s shoulder. “Okay, kiddo. First, let’s make sure, and then—I’m sorry, but you’ll have to take a backseat. You know the rules about treating family.”
“Fuck that,” Noemi said, “if Jack needs surgery…”
“I will perform the surgery, Noe. Come on now, don’t make me pull rank. Besides, we don’t know yet whether he’ll need it. Let’s do this step-by-step.”
Noemi felt numb as they went through all the procedures but finally, they all knew. Jack would need surgery and soon. Noemi was incensed when Finn told her she would not even be allowed to assist him, but Leonora calmed her sister down. Noemi shook her head.
“I’m supposed to be the one reassuring you.”
“Finn knows what he is doing. After your accident, he spent a lot of time with us explaining your surgeries. I trust him.”
“And you don’t trust me?” Noemi knew she was being unreasonable. Leo put her arm around her sister.
“Of course I do. But Jack’s sick, and he needs this surgery, and he needs it to be… on autopilot if you like. Emotionless to a certain degree. And I need you here with me. I need you.”
Noemi sighed and hugged her sister. “Of course.”
She went to call Rafa to tell him she wouldn’t be able to make it for dinner. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Please don’t apologize, Noe. I hope Jack is okay.”
Jack’s surgerywas scheduled for that night. “Best to get it done,” Finn said, with a look at Noemi, who nodded.
“Right.”
Noemi and Leonora sat in the Relative’s Room. For a while they didn’t talk, then Noe looked at her sister. “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Go for it.”
“When I was in the accident, you never told me that Rafael Genova sat with me until you all arrived at the hospital.”
Leonora’s face closed up. “Yes, he did. When we got here, I sent him back to his sick fiancée.”
Noemi almost smiled. Here was the judgment she had warned Rafa about. “He was just being a good person, Leo.”
