Page 19 of The Next Wife

“Time to wake up, sleepyhead.” I walk toward the couch and notice a foul odor I can’t describe, a smell unlike anything I’ve encountered. “John?” I find him sprawled on the floor, halfway under the coffee table.

“Oh my god.” I run to the kitchen, my stomach lurching, and dial 911 from the landline. They answer immediately.

“What’s your emergency?” the operator asks.

“It’s my husband. He’s passed out on the floor. Unconscious. Something is wrong. He’s vomited all over, and I think wet himself. Oh my god.” I think I’m screaming. I don’t know. This is disgusting. Worse than anything I could have imagined. I’m shaking all over. My voice quavers, “Hurry, please.”

“Help is on the way. The squad will be there in two minutes. You’re at 565 Mountain Village Boulevard. What unit?”

“Penthouse 401. At the Plaza. Oh my god. Please hurry.”

“Ma’am, is your husband breathing?” the operator asks. “You need to try to perform CPR. Do you know how to do that?”

“No. I meant to learn, but I was too busy.” I’m sobbing now. I know she is trying to help, but I can’t go over there, touch him. It’s too awful. I won’t do it. I grab a dish towel and drench it with cold water. I ring it out and hold it on my forehead.

“Keep talking to me and walk to his side. Now!”

I do as I’m told, pinching my nose with my fingers. I can’t see John’s upper torso, it’s under the coffee table. Why is he under the coffee table?

“I’m here. By his side. Oh god.” I pull on John’s arm. On TV they put their finger somewhere on the wrist, right?

“Is he breathing?”

“I don’t know,” I answer. I lean over and wipe his face with my towel, cleaning him up from the mess he’s made.

There’s a loud, hard bang on the door. “Paramedics!”

“Let them in, ma’am.”

I jump up and rush to the door, flinging it open as a team of four medics push past me and invade the living room. Without my directions, they’ve found John and pulled him out from under the table. One man is pushing on his chest while another starts an IV. I watch in horror until a woman emergency worker approaches me.

“Ma’am, your husband is in cardiac arrest. We’re going to have to transport him.” We watch together as John is rolled onto a stretcher.

“I need to go with him. I’m his wife.” I’m chasing after the stretcher when someone grabs me. “Take your hands off me.”

“Ma’am, I’ll drive you to the Telluride Regional Medical Center where they’ll stabilize him before transporting him on. Come with me.” And then he starts the questions: “How long have you been in town? Does he have a heart condition? Did he overdo it yesterday? Activity and altitude increase the risk of a heart attack.”

I’m numb. I don’t have any answers. I don’t want to talk to this stranger. As we step off the elevator, everything starts flashing black and white. I drop to the floor as I hear, “She’s passing out.”

I wake up in the lobby of our condo building, aware there is a crowd gathering around me. I couldn’t have been out for long. I stand up quickly. “Take me to John.”

The EMT doesn’t say anything as he leads me out the door. Once we’re outside, the sunshine is blinding. I blink. He stops and touches my shoulder.

“We need to hurry. What are you doing? I need to get to my husband. Now,” I demand. I love him.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs.Nelson. Your husband died en route to the hospital.”

John’s dead?

My mind goes blank as a tiny thought makes its way through to the surface. Is this real, true?

“I don’t believe you. Take me to John.”

PART 2:

TISH, KATE, AND ASHLYN

CHAPTER 14

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