She fervently hoped they didn’t expect her to take him home with her. The Pattersons, with their huge home and abundance of money, were far better equipped and could hire whatever care he needed.
She tried to focus on what Rombauer said, but her brain simply shut down. The room spun, the air suddenly like cotton fleece sticking to her. The doctor caught her just before she slipped from the chair to the floor.
* * * *
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, sunlight pouring in through a large window. Apparently the rain had stopped. The room was strange, the bed unusually high. Claire sat in a chair next to her, flipping through a magazine. Brad, Claire’s husband, stood at the window, staring through the open drapes at the brightness of the day.
“Where am I?”
Claire closed the magazine and leaned forward. “Rombauer asked them put you in a vacant hospital room.”
She realized she now wore a hospital gown. “What’s wrong? Am I sick?” She tried to sit up, but the spinning of the room made her nauseous.
“No, just exhausted and emotionally drained. Everyone was quite worried about you.”
“Charles.” The memory stabbed at her. “How is he?”
“Doing fine. He’s being well taken care of.”
“We’re much more concerned with you, Julia.” Brad turned from the window to look at her. “Charles is receiving the finest care his money and his insurance can provide. You have to think about yourself. You have children who need you, now more than ever.”
He was right. It was just so hard to think. Too much. Too many things to deal with.
“What time is it?” Her brain felt fuzzy.
“About three o’clock,” Claire told her. “You took a nice nap. I’m glad. You obviously needed it.”
“I haven’t called Miranda yet.” She sat up, moving slowly. “Can I make calls from here?”
Claire picked up the receiver from the bedside telephone. “I already spoke to her, but I know she’d like to hear from you personally.” She put her ear to the instrument, spoke briefly, and handed it to Julia. “You have a dial tone now. Go ahead. Would you like us to wait in the hall?”
Julia shook her head. “No. Please stay.” She looked at both of them. “I’m not sure I can get through this by myself.”
Brad moved to stand beside her. “We’re here for you, kiddo. Start to finish.”
“I’m so glad to hear your voice.” Miranda’s relief, when she answered the phone, was evident. “You doing okay, Julia?”
“Yes. Fine,” she assured her. “How are Andy and Beth? You sent them to school as we discussed, right?”
“Yes. They just got home but I haven’t said anything yet. I thought it would be better coming from you.”
Another difficult task, but one only she could handle. “I’ll be home later. Before I leave here I should know more about what’s going on.” She hung up the phone and looked at Claire and Brad. “What about Charles’s parents?”
Claire made a face. “They were here this morning. Threw their weight around. Complained about everything. Didn’t seem too happy about your situation. Then they left.”
“Left?” She was stunned.
“Yeah. Howard said Elise is quite delicate, you know.”
“Like a praying mantis.” Brad snorted.
“They’ll be back tonight,” Claire warned. “Are you ready?”
“As much as it’s possible to be.”
“I have your suitcase here.” Claire pointed at it against the wall. “Do you need anything from it?”
“Not now. I need to do something with it, though.”
Brad pulled up the handle. “Since we’ll take you home I’ll go put it in the car.”
“I can take a cab,” she protested. “You guys have done enough.”
Claire hugged her. “That’s what friends are for.”
And wasn’t Julia just damn glad for them now.
She found the clothes she’d been wearing in the narrow closet and took them into the bathroom with her. A long, hot soak sounded like heaven but that would have to wait until she got home. She splashed cold water on her face instead and looked in the mirror. What she saw frightened her. The face staring back at her was familiar, but it was bleached white with dark smudges beneath eyes filled with anguish.
Luke!
No. She mustn’t think of him now. If she hadn’t let herself…
Let herself what? Be a human being for a change? Respond to a man who made her feel like a woman? Intellectually, she knew neither her impending divorce nor her connection with Luke bore any relation to Charles’s heart attack. But the enormous guilt gene Charles fed throughout their marriage smacked at her. It cracked its whip and jammed her back into the dutiful wife mode.
Somehow the fact the final divorce papers weren’t signed appeared as some kind of omen to her, a sign her penance for pleasure was to stand by Charles during this terrible situation. Nausea bubbled up in her throat. With a heavy heart, she pushed away thoughts of Luke and headed back to the CICU.
She checked in with the nurse before beginning her allotted five minute visitation. Again, she tried to coax a reaction from him but he lay wax-like in the bed, unresponsive, his chest slowly rising and falling as the machines beeped and dinged. When she left the room Claire led her to the CICU lounge where Brad waited, holding a cup of hot tea for her. She clutched it with hands not quite steady, grateful for the warm liquid as it seeped through her still frozen body.
The elder Pattersons chose that moment to arrive, taking in the little tableau with barely concealed scorn.
“I hold you responsible for this, Julia.” Howard delivered his opening salvo. “If you spent your time taking better care of Charles instead of running God knows where around the country, this wouldn’t have happened. Rest assured we will see that you pay for this. You have no idea the power of this family or our connections.”
“We expect you to stand by Charles in this,” Elise sniffed.
