as I typed out my response. I love you too.
* * * *
I smiled all the way home, packed my bag, and by the time I’d driven up the coast to my mom and dad’s house, I was even more determined to tell them.
I wanted them to know about the person who challenged me, who drove me crazy, who made me laugh. Who loved me.
I wanted them to know. I knew they wouldn’t take the news very well, but Cooper was worth it.
The closer I got to my parents’ house, the more determined I was. But as I pulled into their street, everything changed. Because there were blue and red flashing lights, and an ambulance in their drive.
Chapter Twelve
I pulled up and raced out of the car to the back of the ambulance. My father was lying on the gurney, with an oxygen mask on his face marred by pale puffs of breath. He looked asleep as they loaded him in the back of the vehicle.
Despite my father obviously being unwell, I knew things really weren’t good from the look on my mother’s face. Her soft, ever-smiling face was etched with worry and stained with tears. There was a female paramedic standing beside her.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked, almost running to her. “What happened to Dad?”
Her eyes darted to her husband, then the paramedic gave me a sad smile. “You’re Tom?” the woman asked. “Your mother said you’d be here soon.”
“Yes,” I answered. “Can you tell me what’s going on? What’s wrong with my father?”
“Your father has suffered what we suspect is a massive stroke,” she answered. “We’re taking him to hospital.”
“Okay,” I said rather stupidly, trying to process everything. “Which one?”
“South Hampton,” the paramedic said, and she moved to the back of the ambulance. Another paramedic got out from the back of the ambulance and got into the driver’s side. She looked pointedly at Mom. “We need to go.”
“Mom, you go with Dad in the ambulance,” I said, ushering her towards the van. She seemed unable to move. “I’ll lock the house up and meet you there. You go.”
Mom blinked a few times. The paramedic kindly helped her into the back of the ambulance, the lights started to flash and they left.
And I stood there, staring at where they’d just been.
That wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all.
I stood, lost, stuck, until my mind finally told my body to move. I ran inside, closed and locked windows and doors, grabbed my mother’s handbag and keys and locked the front door behind me.
I don’t remember the drive to the hospital.
When I got to the emergency room, after telling them who I was there to see, I was ushered through the double white doors and found my mother, sitting, waiting, alone.
“They’re working on him now,” she said quietly. “He had another turn in the ambulance.”
Fuck.
I took her hand and held it as tight as I dared.
“He said he was feeling funny this morning,” she whispered. “Said he thought he should have a lie down. I took a cup of tea in to him not long after,” she said, starting to cry. “But he couldn’t move. He just stared at me.”
I pulled my mom against me and held her while she sobbed quietly in my arms. And then a man in scrubs walked out to stand in front of us. “Mrs Elkin,” he said. “We’re taking your husband in for surgery. He’s had scans. There’s considerable swelling on his brain and a blockage. We’ll do everything we can…” His words trailed off.
“But?” I asked.
“But it doesn’t look good,” he replied gently.
My blood ran cold and my stomach knotted. I squeezed my mom’s hand.
“If there’s any other family you need to call…” he suggested, then turned and walked down the hall.
I let his words sink in for a long moment before I took my phone from my pocket. I scrolled through my contacts and hit call.
He picked up on the third ring. “Dad?”
“Yeah, Ryan, it’s me,” I said softly.
* * * *
It was a long, anxious wait sitting beside Mom in the waiting room, waiting
* * * *
I smiled all the way home, packed my bag, and by the time I’d driven up the coast to my mom and dad’s house, I was even more determined to tell them.
I wanted them to know about the person who challenged me, who drove me crazy, who made me laugh. Who loved me.
I wanted them to know. I knew they wouldn’t take the news very well, but Cooper was worth it.
The closer I got to my parents’ house, the more determined I was. But as I pulled into their street, everything changed. Because there were blue and red flashing lights, and an ambulance in their drive.
Chapter Twelve
I pulled up and raced out of the car to the back of the ambulance. My father was lying on the gurney, with an oxygen mask on his face marred by pale puffs of breath. He looked asleep as they loaded him in the back of the vehicle.
Despite my father obviously being unwell, I knew things really weren’t good from the look on my mother’s face. Her soft, ever-smiling face was etched with worry and stained with tears. There was a female paramedic standing beside her.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked, almost running to her. “What happened to Dad?”
Her eyes darted to her husband, then the paramedic gave me a sad smile. “You’re Tom?” the woman asked. “Your mother said you’d be here soon.”
“Yes,” I answered. “Can you tell me what’s going on? What’s wrong with my father?”
“Your father has suffered what we suspect is a massive stroke,” she answered. “We’re taking him to hospital.”
“Okay,” I said rather stupidly, trying to process everything. “Which one?”
“South Hampton,” the paramedic said, and she moved to the back of the ambulance. Another paramedic got out from the back of the ambulance and got into the driver’s side. She looked pointedly at Mom. “We need to go.”
“Mom, you go with Dad in the ambulance,” I said, ushering her towards the van. She seemed unable to move. “I’ll lock the house up and meet you there. You go.”
Mom blinked a few times. The paramedic kindly helped her into the back of the ambulance, the lights started to flash and they left.
And I stood there, staring at where they’d just been.
That wasn’t how it was supposed to go at all.
I stood, lost, stuck, until my mind finally told my body to move. I ran inside, closed and locked windows and doors, grabbed my mother’s handbag and keys and locked the front door behind me.
I don’t remember the drive to the hospital.
When I got to the emergency room, after telling them who I was there to see, I was ushered through the double white doors and found my mother, sitting, waiting, alone.
“They’re working on him now,” she said quietly. “He had another turn in the ambulance.”
Fuck.
I took her hand and held it as tight as I dared.
“He said he was feeling funny this morning,” she whispered. “Said he thought he should have a lie down. I took a cup of tea in to him not long after,” she said, starting to cry. “But he couldn’t move. He just stared at me.”
I pulled my mom against me and held her while she sobbed quietly in my arms. And then a man in scrubs walked out to stand in front of us. “Mrs Elkin,” he said. “We’re taking your husband in for surgery. He’s had scans. There’s considerable swelling on his brain and a blockage. We’ll do everything we can…” His words trailed off.
“But?” I asked.
“But it doesn’t look good,” he replied gently.
My blood ran cold and my stomach knotted. I squeezed my mom’s hand.
“If there’s any other family you need to call…” he suggested, then turned and walked down the hall.
I let his words sink in for a long moment before I took my phone from my pocket. I scrolled through my contacts and hit call.
He picked up on the third ring. “Dad?”
“Yeah, Ryan, it’s me,” I said softly.
* * * *
It was a long, anxious wait sitting beside Mom in the waiting room, waiting
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