a sad smile. “I should have put my foot down. Made her see the doctor sooner, but she insisted it was a little sore throat, a little tickle, from allergies. From being outside, talking to so many people all day. And the excitement.” He scrubbed his hands across his face. “And it’s Sunday. She wouldn’t bother anyone on a weekend. I made her promise if she didn’t feel better tomorrow, she’d make an appointment with the doctor. I shouldn’t have given in.”
Justin sat on the other side of Sam, fists clenched in his lap. He stared into the distance, looking as guilty as she felt. Spending time with each other instead of with Rose and Sam. Why hadn’t she noticed there was something wrong with Rose? Too caught up in her own feelings to see what should have been obvious. She should have suspected something when Rose wasn’t up early this morning. But no, she was too busy thinking about Justin.
“Mr. Kretzer?” A woman in scrubs came through the double doors from the clinic’s exam rooms. A surgical mask dangled around her neck.
Sam got to his feet. Slowly, Megan noticed. She couldn’t tell if it was simply the stiffness of age, after sitting for over an hour, or if he was afraid to hear what the woman had to say. Megan went to his side. She tried to interpret the woman’s expression, but it was like trying to read a blank page. As if she’d delivered the lines she was about to give countless times before, and there was no reason to engage her emotions.
“I’m Dr. Cantwell,” the woman said.
What a terrible name for a doctor, was Megan’s immediate thought. She forced herself to pay attention over the ringing in her ears. Her knees shook, and sweat filmed her palms. A strong, warm arm wrapped around her. Justin. She knew him by his touch, but was afraid to look away from the doctor.
The doctor’s attention was aimed at Sam. “Right now, we can’t be sure what’s causing her symptoms. I think it’s the flu, but we’re going to run a few more tests.”
“I want to see her,” Sam said.
“No visitors allowed while we’re evaluating her. Why don’t you all go have something to eat? I’m sure we’ll have some preliminary results back by then.” Doctor Cantwell’s name came over the loudspeaker. She frowned, pivoted, and shoved through the double doors.
“She doesn’t get any points for her bedside manner,” Justin said. He strode to the doors and peered through the glass panes. “You want me to see if I can find someone with a little more sympathy?”
“No,” Sam said. “The doctors need to do their work. And Rose wouldn’t like us pushing our way in.”
“I don’t know about you,” Megan said, “but I’m not going to get something to eat.” She plopped into her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m waiting right here until they tell us we can see Rose.”
Sam returned to his seat. His focus seemed fixed on the doors separating him from his wife, as if he could summon up the power that would bring her through them. The clenching of his jaw belied his outwardly calm demeanor.
Justin switched to the chair beside Megan and rested his hand on her thigh. “As long as she’s doing her job with her patients, I suppose we should be willing to accept that she can’t relate to those of us on the outside.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Megan muttered.
Seconds later, Angie barreled into the room. “Megan. What happened? Is Rose all right?” She leaned down and wrapped Megan in a warm embrace.
Justin scooted down one seat and offered his vacated one to Angie. “She collapsed. They think it’s the flu. But they’re running tests. We’re waiting for results.”
“The flu isn’t that horrible, is it?” Angie said. “I mean, people get the flu all the time.” She shifted in her seat and took Sam’s hands. “She’s going to be fine. I can feel it.”
Right now, Megan would take Angie’s feelings over the doctor’s brusque dismissal. She
Justin sat on the other side of Sam, fists clenched in his lap. He stared into the distance, looking as guilty as she felt. Spending time with each other instead of with Rose and Sam. Why hadn’t she noticed there was something wrong with Rose? Too caught up in her own feelings to see what should have been obvious. She should have suspected something when Rose wasn’t up early this morning. But no, she was too busy thinking about Justin.
“Mr. Kretzer?” A woman in scrubs came through the double doors from the clinic’s exam rooms. A surgical mask dangled around her neck.
Sam got to his feet. Slowly, Megan noticed. She couldn’t tell if it was simply the stiffness of age, after sitting for over an hour, or if he was afraid to hear what the woman had to say. Megan went to his side. She tried to interpret the woman’s expression, but it was like trying to read a blank page. As if she’d delivered the lines she was about to give countless times before, and there was no reason to engage her emotions.
“I’m Dr. Cantwell,” the woman said.
What a terrible name for a doctor, was Megan’s immediate thought. She forced herself to pay attention over the ringing in her ears. Her knees shook, and sweat filmed her palms. A strong, warm arm wrapped around her. Justin. She knew him by his touch, but was afraid to look away from the doctor.
The doctor’s attention was aimed at Sam. “Right now, we can’t be sure what’s causing her symptoms. I think it’s the flu, but we’re going to run a few more tests.”
“I want to see her,” Sam said.
“No visitors allowed while we’re evaluating her. Why don’t you all go have something to eat? I’m sure we’ll have some preliminary results back by then.” Doctor Cantwell’s name came over the loudspeaker. She frowned, pivoted, and shoved through the double doors.
“She doesn’t get any points for her bedside manner,” Justin said. He strode to the doors and peered through the glass panes. “You want me to see if I can find someone with a little more sympathy?”
“No,” Sam said. “The doctors need to do their work. And Rose wouldn’t like us pushing our way in.”
“I don’t know about you,” Megan said, “but I’m not going to get something to eat.” She plopped into her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m waiting right here until they tell us we can see Rose.”
Sam returned to his seat. His focus seemed fixed on the doors separating him from his wife, as if he could summon up the power that would bring her through them. The clenching of his jaw belied his outwardly calm demeanor.
Justin switched to the chair beside Megan and rested his hand on her thigh. “As long as she’s doing her job with her patients, I suppose we should be willing to accept that she can’t relate to those of us on the outside.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Megan muttered.
Seconds later, Angie barreled into the room. “Megan. What happened? Is Rose all right?” She leaned down and wrapped Megan in a warm embrace.
Justin scooted down one seat and offered his vacated one to Angie. “She collapsed. They think it’s the flu. But they’re running tests. We’re waiting for results.”
“The flu isn’t that horrible, is it?” Angie said. “I mean, people get the flu all the time.” She shifted in her seat and took Sam’s hands. “She’s going to be fine. I can feel it.”
Right now, Megan would take Angie’s feelings over the doctor’s brusque dismissal. She
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