Tory started the first day of March with the flu. Alec called just after 9:00 to say that the school had tracked him down to say that she had been sick in the bathroom. Alec called to see if Sophie had the van that day; she did not. He then told her that he would be leaving the work site right then and bringing Tory home.
Sophie didn’t know how long they would be, but she did not waste any time. She prepared Tory’s room, turning down the bed and using a heating pad to warm the sheets. She also brought a bucket from the laundry room. Alec brought Tory in just 15 minutes later and Sophie, who met them in the kitchen, took the child in her arms. The kind act brought on tears.
“I feel awful, Sophie,” she cried.
“I know, my Tory. Come up to bed and Sophie will make you comfort.”
Alec’s heart melted at her tenderness and the gentle way she divested Tory of her outer garments. Alec’s hands came forward to take the coat, mittens, and hat. When Sophie led her away, he hung them in the laundry room.
By the time he got upstairs, Tory was sick again in the bathroom. Sophie stood outside the door, looking uncertain, but Alec went right in. When they exited, Alec helped Tory into her nightgown and Sophie stood back. With Tory comfortably under the covers, Alec stepped back into the hall, gently catching Sophie’s elbow and taking her with him.
“Does vomiting bother you, Sophie? I mean, it’s not a problem for me to stay if you’d rather not clean up after her.”
“No, no,” Sophie assured him. “When I am sick I do not want company, so I did not go in the bathroom.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes. We will be fine.” Sophie smiled at him, and Alec gave her arm a little squeeze.
“All right. I’ll go and say good-bye and check in with you later.”
Alec was gone ten minutes after that, and Sophie did her best to make Tory comfortable. She was sick throughout the morning, but by afternoon was holding down clear fluids. She slept most of the day and through the night, but the next day she still had no color in her face.
“Am I going to school?” she asked her father, who had stayed home that morning to check on her.
“No. It’s already Friday, and I don’t see any reason to push it.” He stopped talking and just looked at her face against the pillow. “You’re white as a sheet.”
Tory reached up and touched her cheek. “I haven’t thrown up for a long time. Do you think I could lie in front of the TV downstairs?”
Alec nodded. “Let me check with Sophie.”
Sophie had no problem with the idea, so when everyone else went off for the day, Tory could be found in the family room ensconced in pillows and blankets, and Sophie stood in front of the shelf reading the titles of videos. Tory picked one after several suggestions and Sophie went to work, but not before she had agreed to come back in time to watch “The Price is Right.”
In fact, Sophie was back and forth many times. But when the music began and the first four contestants were called down to play, Sophie was at the end of the sofa with Tory’s feet in her lap.
“We’re going to win big today, Tory,” she predicted and earned a sleepy smile.
The action was fast for the first few players, but Sophie was fairly quiet, her sick patient in mind. However, when the last contestant came up, Sophie jumped in with both feet.
“Go for the car,” she encouraged the woman on the TV. “Go for the car! She is not going to do it, Tory.”
Tory who had spent more time watching Sophie’s animated profile than the show, only grinned.
“Maybe the money would be best,” she suggested.
“No.” Sophie was adamant. “She should go for the car. Look! Her husband is telling her, too. Listen to him,” Sophie shouted at the TV, and Alec chose that moment to come home. He came silently into the room, took a chair, and just watched his housekeeper. Sophie had seen him, but was too busy advising the woman, Bob Barker, and even the cameraman.
“Oh, no! Look, Tory. It is as I told you. She took the money, and the last letter was C. She could have had the car.” She flopped back in disgust, and then noticed Alec’s scrutiny. That he found her amusing was more than obvious, and Sophie had to smile at herself. She shrugged helplessly.
“She could have taken the car.”
“So you said.” His deep voice was nice. “How are you, Tory?”
“I’m better. I had some toast and apple juice.”
“Good.”
“I think is 24-hour fly,” Sophie announced then, and Alec only stared at her. Her brow furrowed. “Is called flu fly,” Sophie explained. “I think this is what Rita said.”
Alec didn’t even try to hold his laughter. Even Tory’s shoulders shook silently.
“I think you’re trying to say flu bug,” Alec explained, and Sophie frowned.
“English is so different.”
“Don’t you have odd phrases in Czechoslovakia?”
“Yes, but here is worse. Here bag and sack are same thing, but not always. I tell Craig that I see football and watch quarterback bag. He laughs at me and says is not bag, but sack, quarterback sack. So, you see, is worse here.” She gave an elaborate shrug, and Alec’s eyes glinted with merriment.
You’re not one in a million, Sophie Velikonja, you’re one in ten trillion, Alec thought tenderly. She’s been right here under my nose since last fall, but I never saw her. You don’t mess around, do you, Alec? he now asked himself. When you fall, you go hard and all the way. Alec shook his head slightly when he realized that he wanted to marry this woman. He didn’t know how he could be thinking this when he still missed Vanessa, but it was there.
A moment later the end of the show came back on. Both Sophie and Tory turned back to the TV without a care, since none of Alec’s thoughts had shown on his face. He looked at the TV as well, but in actuality was asking the Lord how long he was going to have to wait before he could safely declare his feelings.
For the most part he was a patient man, but surreptitiously watching Sophie as he was doing now, seeing her so lovely and natural in his home, made Alec believe that his patience was about to be tested to the limit. All he could do was pray for strength, which was exactly what he did as he grabbed a bite of lunch and went back to work.
Three days later, Sophie, gasping with pain, collapsed onto the sofa again. She had just been sick in the downstairs bathroom. It was the fifth time since noon, and her compassion for Tory, who had gone back to school that morning, tripled.
The only difference was that Tory had not complained of a side ache. Sophie had a horrible pain in her side—one that had made it impossible even to climb the stairs to her own apartment. She trembled from head to foot as she pulled a quilt over her and prayed that she would know what to do. The thought of the children coming home and finding her like this was so upsetting. Maybe if she slept for a time, she could try the stairs again. If only they weren’t so icy.
“Sophie?” The quiet calling of her name woke her, and she stared with blurry eyes up into Rita’s face.
“Oh, Rita. I am not feel well.”
“You must have Tory’s flu,” the girl said. “Has it been awful?”
“Yes. My side hurts, too.”
“Oh, Sophie.”
“Did you want anything, Sophie?” Craig asked when he came to Rita’s side.
“No, Craig. Thank—” The word was cut off because she was going to be sick again. The kids moved from her path when she rose. While she was still in the bathroom, the doorbell rang. Rita answered it and found Gladys on the stoop.
“Hello, Mrs. Nickelberry.” The kids all knew she was their eye doctor’s mother and Sophie’s friend.
“Hello. You must be Rita.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to barge in Rita, but is Sophie around?”
“Well, she’s here, but she’s not feeling well.”
“Oh. Is she up at her apartment? I can go around there.”
“No, she’s here, but my sister had the flu, and now she has it.”
Gladys looked at her face. “I think I’ll come in and see how she’s doing. Would that be all right?”
“Sure,” Rita said and held the door wide open.
By the time Rita and Gladys got to the family room, Sophie was back on the sofa. She shivered as Gladys bent over to speak to her.
“Pretty bad, Sophie?”
“Yes. My side hurts so much.”
Gladys tensed, but Sophie didn’t notice. “Which side, Sophie?”
“What?”
“Which side hurts you?”
“The right.”
“A sharp pain?”
“Yes, is awful.”
“Here, Sophie,” Gladys became businesslike. “Let me look.”
She allowed Gladys to take the quilt away and literally cried out in pain when the older woman began to probe. The quilt was replaced then, and Sophie was unaware of Gladys even leaving and taking Rita with her. Craig, who had been watching, followed.
“Where’s your phone, Rita?”
“Right here.” Rita pointed.
Gladys picked it up and dialed. “Write your street name and house number on this paper—quickly. Yes, hello. I need an ambulance at 615 Holly Court. I am a registered nurse, and I have a woman here who I believe is suffering from acute appendicitis.”
Rita and Craig listened in shock to Gladys, barely aware of the way Sophie weaved past them, hunched over and headed to the bathroom once again. Gladys gave more information and hung up a few minutes later.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you, but there is no time. Rita, you might want to ride in the ambulance since Sophie will be upset. Craig, you can come with me. Where’s Tory?”
“She’s at a friend’s.”
“Call and make sure she stays there.”
Rita did as she was told—so thankful that someone else had taken charge. Rita made the call and tried her best to explain. When she hung up, she admitted that she didn’t think she could go in the ambulance.
“I’ll go,” Craig offered and walked back into the living room behind Sophie who was just returning. He waited until she was laying down and then helped her with the quilt.
“You’ve got to go to the hospital, Sophie,” he told her.
“Oh, no, Craig,” she said weakly.
“It’s serious, Sophie. Mrs. Nickelberry has already called an ambulance.”
“Oh, no, Craig. What about you?”
“I’m going with you, and Rita will come with Mrs. Nickelberry.”
“Tory. I have not seen Tory.” Panic filled her voice.
“She’s with a friend and she’s going to stay there.”
“Is just flu,” Sophie tried again, but Craig didn’t answer.
Rita was in the kitchen trying to reach her father but with little success. She ended up leaving a message for him with his answering service and was writing a note to leave on the table when the ambulance arrived.
The next minutes were a blur for everyone. Sophie was whisked away, Craig at her side. Rita and Gladys followed in the car. Rita was praying that her father would be at the hospital waiting for them, but he was not. In fact, Sophie had been to surgery and was in recovery before he arrived. Rita and Craig were still sitting with Gladys in the waiting room. The moment she saw her father, Rita burst into tears.
Alec, who could well understand her emotions, took her in his arms.
“I was so stupid, Dad. I mean, she was in so much pain, and all I could do was stand there. Craig and Mrs. Nickelberry had to take charge.”
“It’s all right, Rita. Where’s Sophie now?”
“In recovery,” Craig told him. “The doctor said they got the appendix out in time, but it was close. He also said she did well under anesthetic and that we can see her in about 20 more minutes.”
Alec took a seat, his arm still around his daughter.
“Where’s Tory?”
“At Crystal’s. Rita called but didn’t tell what had happened, and Mrs. Calkins said she would keep her.”
“Good. Hello, Mrs. Nickelberry,” Alec finally greeted her.
“Hello, Alec. How have you been?”
“Fine. I appreciate your being here.”
“Certainly. Your children, as well as Sophie, naturally thought she had the flu.”
Alec nodded. “Tory was just sick.”
“They told me. Rita has been too hard on herself. She did very well, and Craig actually rode in the ambulance with Sophie. You have much to be proud of here, Alec.”
He smiled at her in appreciation and then at Craig, who was looking shy over the attention.
The next half hour seemed to drag for Alec. As soon as they were invited, they all sprang up and walked to Sophie’s room. She looked very pale and was sound asleep, but Alec felt as if his heart could beat again. It had stopped when he had called his service and been told that they had taken her to Meriter Hospital.
“Sophie,” Gladys called softly to her, and her eyelids fluttered, but did not open.
Rita touched her hand where it lay on the covers and found it cold. Like a mother with her baby, she gently tucked Sophie’s hand back inside.
“It was cold,” she said to Craig who was watching her, and he nodded.
“It doesn’t look like she’s going to wake up and talk to us,” Alec commented softly, but his deep voice got through. Sophie’s eyes opened, and she turned her head toward him.
“I do not have Tory,” she croaked as she frantically moved her hand out from under the covers.
“It’s all right, Sophie,” Alec came close to look down into her face. “She’s at Crystal’s, and Crystal’s mom is taking good care of her. I’ll go in a little while and tell her what’s happened. Then tomorrow after school I’ll bring her to see you.”
“I must stay?” Her voice was still rusty.
“Yes, for a while.”
“I don’t want to stay.”
“I know, but it won’t be long.”
They all heard her sigh. “I am sleepy.”
“Then go back to sleep.” Alec’s voice was gentle.
Sophie nodded, her eyes on his face for a moment. “Tell children I will be home soon.”
“All right.”
Sophie’s eyes slid shut then, and her hand fluttered on the covers. Alec reached without thought and took it in his own. She grasped it lightly for less than a minute. When he felt it go slack, he knew she was back to sleep. By unspoken agreement they all quietly exited.
“She didn’t even know we were there,” Craig said in the hall.
“You feel very odd after you’ve been under anesthetic,” Gladys explained.
“I want to go get Tory,” Rita said. “Sophie seems so worried about her, and I just want to go get her.”
“All right,” Alec agreed, fighting the impulse to go back into Sophie’s room, pick up her hand again, and sit with her for hours.
“I’m going to stay awhile,” Gladys told them. “If she wakes up and asks for anyone, I can always call you.”
“Thank you,” Alec said and nearly bid her good-bye, but Gladys asked to speak to him. Rita and Craig wandered down the hall, but Gladys and Alec put their heads together for several minutes. There was a great deal of nodding on Alec’s part, and then Gladys said something that made him smile. He left a moment later, and Gladys watched him depart.
I wondered if he might not fall in love with her somewhere along the line, she told the Lord. Now I wonder how long it will be before Sophie knows.