Shattered, Dana Sue nodded.
“Sure,” Ronnie said, but his scowl remained firmly in place. “Will she have damage to her heart from this?”
“Not the same kind of damage she’d have if she’d had a heart attack caused by a blockage. That can destroy some of the heart tissue. Right now, the muscle’s simply weak and her electrolytes are all out of whack. Those are things that can be corrected, assuming she deals with the underlying cause—the anorexia.”
Ronnie seemed to be struggling to take it all in. “Can I see her now?”
“We’ve moved her to a room in ICU. You and Mrs. Sullivan can go in for five minutes. Not a second longer,” he told them firmly. “And whatever issues you two have with each other, leave them at the door, understood? She’s asleep right now, but even so, she might hear what you’re saying or be aware of any tension between you. She doesn’t need the added stress.”
Ronnie nodded. His gaze softened slightly as he turned to Dana Sue. “You ready?”
She hesitated for an instant, but then Ronnie held out his hand. Unable to resist, she took it, steeling herself for the jolt of awareness the contact was destined to bring.
Then all that mattered was the strength that seemed to flow through her as they followed the doctor to the elevator. For this one brief moment, it didn’t seem to matter that Ronnie had betrayed her, then left her. All that mattered was Annie and that the two of them were there for her...and for each other.
The instant she felt stronger, though, Dana Sue pulled away and strode on ahead. She could not allow herself to count on Ronnie’s support. The last time she’d trusted him, the last time she’d relied on him for anything, he’d cheated on her. If she needed to remind herself of that a thousand times a day, she would. She would never let herself be in a position to get her heart broken like that again.
* * *
After what he’d just learned in the E.R., Ronnie wished he’d been able to see Annie on his own, but he could hardly deny Dana Sue the right to be there when they’d both been waiting half the night for the chance to see their little girl. At the very least, he wished they’d been able to lean on each other for support, but aside from that one moment of weakness when he’d first arrived, and the brief contact she’d permitted in the elevator, Dana Sue had kept her distance. Even now, she was walking ahead of him as if determined to reach Annie’s side before he did, as if it was some sort of contest.
He had so many questions it took every ounce of restraint he possessed not to let them come pouring out. The doctor was right. There would be time enough for questions and accusations later, once he’d seen Annie and developed a real sense of just how bad things had gotten in his absence.
At the door to Annie’s ICU cubicle, Dr. Lane paused. “Remember what I told you both,” he said sternly. “Five minutes and no arguing.”
Ronnie nodded. “We understand.”
He held the door and Dana Sue walked in ahead of him, then swayed backward. He steadied her with a hand on her waist.
“You okay?” he asked, regarding her with concern.
She squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “Of course,” she said, then moved quickly to Annie’s bedside.
Ronnie was slower to approach. The room had the same antiseptic smell as the emergency room, which was disconcerting enough. But here there was an odd stillness, as well. Annie was never still, never quiet. The silence was broken only by the steady beeping of some monitor and Dana Sue’s barely contained sigh as she sat down beside the bed.
“Hi, sweetie,” she whispered, taking Annie’s hand in hers. “Mom’s here. So is your dad.”
Ronnie finally managed to propel himself forward, but when he caught sight of his daughter’s wan, gaunt face and the IV hooked up to her arm, the oxygen being fed through her nose, he almost stumbled.
“Oh, my God,” he gasped, horrified not just by all the tubes and monitors, but by the teenager who was so thin she barely made a ripple in the sheets.
Dana Sue cast a warning look in his direction and he managed to smother the damning accusations on the tip of his tongue. Instead he moved to the other side of the bed and sat. Since the IV was attached to that hand, he settled for stroking a finger along Annie’s thin, icy arm.
“Hey, angel. You’ve given your mom and me quite a scare, but you’re going to be fine. The doctor says you just need a little rest. Mom and I will be right here, okay? We’ll be in the waiting room right outside. If you need us, all you have to do is tell the nurse and she’ll get us. And we’ll be in to talk to you every time they let us.”
“That’s right,” Dana Sue confirmed. “We’re not going anywhere. All your friends are here, too. Sarah’s mad as heck at you for spoiling the sleepover. She says she’s expecting you to throw another one ASAP. And Raylene says she’ll keep track of all your assignments at school, so you won’t fall behind. I think she said it because she’s jealous you’re going to miss a few classes, and wants to be sure you don’t get out of any of the homework.”
Ronnie couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked as if Dana Sue’s words stirred a faint
