Page 38 of Hearts to Mend

They’re empty words; we all know it. There is nothing “okay” about having a stroke, but I think hearing Rico’s voice is a comfort to Inez. The words hardly matter; it’s that he’s speaking—without slurring or stuttering—which is important.

Rico reaches his free hand toward me, and I come up beside Inez to take it. His grip is stronger than before, his gaze more focused. It’s clear they’ve already administered the treatment meds, and the meds are working.

With a wink at me, Rico tells Inez, “Dee saved my life, mamá.”

“You weren’t going to die.” I smirk, playing down the drama.

“She saved me,” he insists. “I didn’t know what was happening to me, but she did. She and Drew raced me here.”

The attention on me makes me itchy. I squirm and shuffle from foot to foot. “I can identify most rashes too. That one’s a real party pleaser.”

Inez smiles at me, her face sweet and tearstained. She wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer. It feels like she’s pulling me into their family, adopting me as one of her pack, just like old times.

A doctor with salt-and-pepper hair and a starched white lab coat comes into the room. His name is stitched on his breast pocket, Dr. Thomas, but he introduces himself, then says, “Okay, so as I told Mr. Rodriguez, we believe he’s having an acute stroke. Because you got him to the hospital within four and a half hours of the time when he was last known well, there is a treatment that we administered to him, with his permission, in the CT suite. It’s a powerful clot-busting medicine called Tenecteplase. There is a small chance he could develop bleeding in his brain. But it’s the best option we have for restoring blood flow to the brain.” He pauses, as if leaving room for questions. When none come right away, he continues, “Rico, get comfortable because you’re going to be here a while. You will be under close monitoring for the next twenty-four hours. Then tomorrow, we’ll do another CT scan to see how things are going. Sound like a plan?”

It’s a rhetorical question, but we all nod anyway.

Dr. Thomas claps his hands together. “Great. You’ve got Bailey as your dedicated nurse for the next several hours. Ring her if you need anything or feel any new or unusual sensations. I’ll be back to check on you in the morning.”

Once the doctor leaves, we’re all frozen for a moment, a little shell-shocked. It’s a lot of information to take in. Rico had a stroke…while we were having sex.

Jesus, I could have killed the love of my life with my pussy!

“Where’s Matty?” Rico asks.

His mom and I both glance at him, concerned. Didn’t we just tell him that? Professionally, I know memory issues are common with a stroke. But witnessing it happen with Rico is…difficult.

As calmly as I can, I repeat myself. “He’s at Drew and Chloe’s house. They’re going to have a cat slumber party tonight. They’ll bring him in the morning when you’re feeling better.”

Rico’s brows knit together. “You already told me that didn’t you?”

I smile, and his mom squeezes his hand. I look at my own hands and open the fist that still clutches Rico’s dog tags.

“Here are these back,” I say when I set them gently on his chest.

My hand is too empty without them in my grasp. Which doesn’t make sense. Why would I hold any sentiment for the symbol of the life he lived without me?

“I forget sometimes that I even wear them. Habit. I guess.” Rico touches them, flipping one over and reading them both. “Mamá, do you want to keep them?”

Inez frowns as she looks between us. “But, they’re your identity.”

Rico holds up his wrist, where the plastic hospital wristband hangs askew. “I have new ID now.” He grins at his mom before adding, “And I’m not the guy who needs those, not anymore. But I know you like to hang onto things, so you keep them.”

Inez nods as she pinches her lips between her teeth like she’s fighting the urge to cry and slips the tags into her purse. Watching this shared moment between mother and son makes me feel uneasy, like I’m invading some sacred space where I don’t belong.

Taking a step toward the door, I try not to interrupt too much as I say, “I should go, let you two—”

“No.” Rico practically shouts and tries to sit up, but all the cords and wires tie him down to the bed. “Please don’t leave me, Dee. Please.”

I blink at him, stunned. What a thing to say.

Rico reaches for me, and I clasp his fingers with mine. The grip in his left hand is a little weaker than normal, so I squeeze harder, like maybe I can strengthen this connection between us from my end.

The door opens with a jolt, and I nearly jump out of my skin as Rico’s nurse comes in for his first fifteen-minute check. All thoughts of leaving are gone now. I pull up a chair beside Inez and stay.

CHAPTER 16

RICO

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