Page 39 of Sinful Seduction
“She’s back.” Cato continues past, smirking and winking when our eyes meet. Then he keeps going, around the corner and toward the rest of our crowd. “How long till a doctor comes up here and tells us what the fuck is going on with Steve? Don’t they know who we are? Malones don’t wait.”
ARCHER
“Myocardial infarction.” Whether strings were pulled or mere coincidence, Doctor Cleary—Nicki—stands by the door in dirty scrubs and with blood on her shoes. Her hair is messy, her scrub cap bundled in her hand. But her eyes are alight, bright and energetic, though surely she must be tired. “Mr. Morris was severely dehydrated, which led to distress on all of his organs. His kidney function has been impacted, but his heart was simply too stressed and weak to continue working. Once Doctor Fielder and I opened him up, we discovered a partial blockage in the left coronary artery.”
Minka stands by Steve’s bed, his hand trapped between hers, and her eyes, right there on his chest. She pictures the arteries Nicki speaks of. She understands the things I don’t.
“He was heading toward this outcome, regardless. Maybe not today. Perhaps not this month. But the blockage was significant and should have been picked up during regular physicals.”
Cato scoffs, pressing his back to the wall and his foot, just one, lifted to rest beneath his butt. “Bet the old geezer hasn’t had a physical since Vietnam. He’s one of thoseI’ll be alrighttypes. More worried about his residents than he is about himself.”
“The heat exacerbated his condition, and dehydration forced him over the line.” Nicki drops her hands by her side and studies the side of Minka’s face. She says nothing of the woman whose eyes burn red. Whosehands shake, even if it’s just a little. “I hazard to assume Mr. Morris probably sweated his way through last night and didn’t keep up with his fluids today. This is just one of those things that happens, but we caught him in time.” She looks right, stopping on Cato. “I heard you’re a hero.”
His cheeks burn bright red. “I’m just the dude who annoyed him so much, he chose to die instead of finishing a conversation.”
“He performed CPR,” Minka murmurs. Carefully, she peels the front of Steve’s gown down just enough to look beneath. “He was with him when it mattered. Breathed for him till we arrived.”
“That’s a hero in my books.” Nicki taps Cato’s arm. “Bet you didn’t wake up this morning thinking you’d do something that cool.”
“Prognosis, Doctor Cleary?” Minka peeks this way. “Is he out of the woods?”
“A handful of days in that bed, then five to six weeks in his bed at home. Physiotherapy. A change of diet. His age and physical health prior to this matters, both of which will slow things down. But I have no reason to doubt a full and swift recovery.”
Cato draws a long, shuddering breath, clamping his lips shut like he thinks that’ll stop me from noticing the worry he carries.
“Follow-up surgery?” Minka murmurs. “Did you clear the blockage?”
“Cleared it right out and repaired the damage. Doctor Fielder, our cardiothoracic surgeon, took the lead and did wonderful work, but she had to rush into another surgery, so she gave me her blessing to update the family.” She stops and smirks. “Youare his family, after all. Doctor Fielder is confident we won’t run into further complications.”
“When do you expect him to wake?” I ask. “Tonight? Tomorrow?”
“Because of his age, we’ve left Mr. Morris in a medically induced coma for now. But we intend to bring him out of it tomorrow sometime. Figured you could do with a full night’s sleep before we revisit this. I heard about your other patient on this floor, and I know you were awake until the sun came up this morning.”
“That was only today?” Minka blinks, blinks, blinks, slow and sluggish. Then, with a deep frown marking her forehead, she meets my eyes. “The roof was just today?”
I spy the clock on the wall, and the hour hand,alllllmostat the twelve. “Longest day in history.”
“Go home,” Nicki orders. “Get a full eight hours, then come back in the morning and we’ll discuss next steps. If anything changes overnight—though I don’t expect it to—I’ll call you right away.”
“Thanks, Nicki.” I move to her and press a kiss to her cheek. Just atouch, a single moment in time for the friend I’ve known longer than I’ve known my own wife. Then I back up and head to Minka. “We’re going home, babe.”
“But—”
“We’re not negotiating. You’re medicated and exhausted. You’ve bled today, and I’d bet my left artery you’re flirting with dehydration, too. We’re going home, going to bed, and when we wake up tomorrow, we’re eating a full, proper meal bursting with protein and the good sugars.ThenI’ll bring you back.” I take her hand and gently tug her away. One step. Then another. She stumbles in her effort to be stubborn, then hisses when her knee rejects the movement. Her eyes linger on Steve, on the machines that beep and the monitors that prove he’s alive.
But she walks, at least. Slowly.
“Nice dress, Chief Mayet.” Nicki takes a step back to clear the doorway, then she nods toward a silent Aubree, still in white. “Fun day.”
“I told you dress fittings were a bad idea.” Minka leans against my side, almost dozing and clinging to my arm. “I said we shouldn’t do it. But Emeri insisted.”
“We’ll try again in a day or two,” Aubree counters. “Probably should go back to Lori’s and pay for these. Don’t think we can return them in this condition.”
“Can you get the cat?” I meet Tim’s eyes, holding for a long beat. “Just for tonight. It’s too hot to stay in the apartment, and Minka’s not gonna last another trip that way before bed.”
“I’m fine?—”
“I got it.” He drapes his arm over Aubree’s shoulders and drags her against his side. “I’ll take her to the house.”
