CHAPTER 52
Piper offered Birdie her arm, and Birdie took it as they hurried through the emergency room doors. “David Snow?” Birdie said in a voice choked with emotion.
The receptionist looked up. “I’m sorry . . . what was the name?”
“David Snow,” Piper said more slowly and clearly.
The receptionist looked at her computer screen. “Hmm . . . Snow . . . here he is. He just came in—cardiac arrest, right?” She looked up for confirmation and Birdie nodded. “It looks like he’s having some tests done. If you’d like to wait in the waiting room,” she said, pointing over their shoulders, “someone will come out and talk to you.”
“So, he’s still . . . alive?” Birdie asked in thankful disbelief.
The receptionist nodded and smiled. “Yes, he’s still alive.”
“Thank the Lord,” Birdie said, leaning heavily on Piper.
Piper guided Birdie to the waiting room, and moments later, Nat came in from parking the car and sat down next to them. “Any news?” he asked.
“They’re running some tests,” Piper said.
Nat nodded and squeezed her hand. “I called Elias but his phone went right to voice mail, so he must have it turned off to save the battery.”
“Probably,” Piper murmured. She watched Birdie pull a tissue out of her purse and dab her eyes, and for the first time in her life, she saw her sister as a stranger might see her. Usually, Birdie was very pulled together and classy, but tonight she looked like an old woman—worn and weary, as if life had gotten the best of her . . . as if the burden of another ounce of heartache would crush her. Piper put her arm around her sister and kissed the top of her head. “He’s going to be okay.”
Birdie nodded, mustering a feeble smile, and then looked out the window into the darkness. It was all her fault. She had, once again, brought tragedy upon them with her selfishness and lack of humility. To think she’d decided she’d had enough of being married . . . enough of David. Now she’d give anything just to have him back. A new hand had been dealt, she thought miserably, and all she could do was wait and pray.
It was almost eleven when Sailor peered around the doorway of the waiting room. “Oh my goodness. I’ve been trying to call you! How come you didn’t answer?”
Piper pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at it. “Because there’s no service in here,” she said, standing to give her sister a hug.
Sailor looked around. “Is David okay? Where’s Birdie?”
“She just went to the ladies’ room. He’s alive—that’s all we know—we haven’t had an update. They were doing some tests but that was hours ago. We were hoping to hear something by now, but it’s been so busy—I think an ambulance pulls in every ten minutes!”
“Did Nat come, too?”
“He did but we never had supper so he just went out to get something.”
“I wish I’d known. I could’ve brought you something.”
“That’s okay. He’s bringing food back.”
She looked around again. “Do they have coffee here?”
Piper eyed her sister and frowned. “Have you been drinking?”
“Why?” she whispered. “Can you smell it?”
“Well, ye-ah . . . you smell like a winery.”
“Damn,” Sailor murmured. “Do you have a mint?”
“No, I ran out of the house with just my phone. Why were you drinking alone? Is Birdie rubbing off on you?”
“I always drink alone, but tonight I had a little more than usual because I talked to Frank.”
“You talked to Frank?”
“Yes. What a mistake that was.”
“Why? What happened?”
“He has invited the kids to Maine for the weekend.”
“This weekend?”
“No, next.”
“The Fourth?!”
“Yes . . . and I can’t believe they said yes. They know we always get together at your house.”
“Did you call Merry?”
“No, but I will. I just hate the idea of having to split up all the holidays now.”
Birdie emerged from the ladies’ room and when Sailor turned to give her a hug, she frowned. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yes, which is why I need a cup of coffee.”
“There’s a Keurig,” Birdie said, pointing to a small countertop with a coffeemaker and some cups.
“Perfect,” Sailor said and then turned back to search her sister’s face. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m holding, but I wish we’d hear something.” As she said this, there was a commotion in the lobby and two EMTs rushed through with a little boy on a stretcher. “Seven-year-old. Male. Near-drowning,” one of the EMTs called.
“Oh no,” Birdie whispered, catching her breath.
Sailor squeezed her hand reassuringly. “He will be okay,” she said, but Birdie didn’t seem to hear. “Birdie, look at me,” she said and Birdie turned from watching the stretcher that had just whisked by. “That boy will be okay,” Sailor repeated softly, nodding toward the now closed doors.
Birdie searched her sister’s eyes. “How do you know?”
“Because they said near-drowning.”
Birdie nodded, and although she was still shaking, she sat down, her thoughts returning to David.
It was midnight before the young doctor walked into the waiting room and looked around, his eyes stopping on Birdie. “Mrs. Snow?” he asked.
“Yes?” Birdie said, her heart suddenly pounding.
“I’m Dr. Hart,” he said, walking over to extend his hand.
“That’s a good name for a doctor,” Birdie said, standing up to shake his hand.
He smiled. “It’s not spelled the same way, but it serves me well.”
Birdie eyed the handsome young doctor’s smooth cheeks. “You don’t look old enough to shave, never mind be a doctor.” She felt a sudden jab in her side and looked over at Piper. “What? Does he look old enough to you?”
“How’s David?” Piper asked. “I’m Piper—his sister-in-law,” she said, extending her hand. “And this is Sailor—one of his other sisters-in-law.”
Dr. Hart shook both their hands and then turned back to Birdie. “Your husband has had a major coronary event caused by myocardial infarction . . . which, in layman’s terms, means he suffered a heart attack because he has blockage in one of the arteries and it’s preventing blood from flowing easily to his heart.”
“Will he be okay?” Birdie asked anxiously.
“He’s being prepped for surgery right now and the surgeon will be out to explain the procedure which will clear the blockage and insert a stent in the artery. It’s a very common procedure, and I expect your husband will come through it without any problems. Do you know if he has any allergies?”
Birdie shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
He nodded, jotting it on his chart.
“Any medications?”
“No,” Birdie said, hesitating. “But he did take something earlier this evening that he’s never taken before.”
The doctor looked up. “What was that?”
“Cialis,” Birdie said softly, hoping no one else would hear, but immediately, Piper raised her eyebrows and looked over Birdie’s head at Sailor.
The doctor nodded and jotted it on his chart.
“Do you think it’s related?” Birdie asked hesitantly.
“It’s hard to say. Cialis does increase blood flow, so it may’ve gotten things moving a little more in there, but sometimes a blockage is so imperceptible it goes undiagnosed for years, so finding it now because of the increased blood flow—although frightening—is actually a blessing. Especially since you were there.” He looked up. “Are you the one who gave him CPR?”
She nodded. “I tried.”
“You did a great job,” he said with a smile. “You probably saved his life.”