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THE HOSPITAL GLARED white when they entered the facility. Maybe the clean vibe would inspire hope in the Chan family. Winston looked around the expansive space, trying to figure out where to go or who to ask.
Gaffey was one step ahead of him, already approaching what looked like an information desk. Fort must have seen the policeman, too, because he soon joined the cop. At the desk, Fort started talking, but the receptionist appeared flustered.
Except for Fort, the other Chans seemed confused and uncertain about what to do. A few of them moved closer to Winston, while others roamed the lobby. He guessed a hospital visit wasn’t on the checklist for their work retreat.
Suddenly, an annoying sharp whistle sounded, and Winston looked around to find the source. Covering his ears, he noticed Gaffey pulling his fingers away from his mouth. None of the other patients and visitors dared comment on the cop’s behavior, probably because they saw his uniform.
Gaffey called out, “Come on.” He beckoned to the Chan family.
“You, too, driver,” he said to Winston.
They followed Gaffey to a set of elevators and crowded inside a lift. Once they arrived at the appropriate floor, they filed into a small waiting room.
The walls were gray, and the painted prints on them uninspired. The chairs were empty except for Orchid sitting in the corner, crying. Mascara ran down her face, although she tried to wipe away the mess when she noticed them.
She stood up and looked at Gaffey. “Officer, what are you doing here?”
“Call me Mark,” he said. “I escorted your family to the hospital. I knew it’d be quicker with my patrol car leading the way.”
She blinked at him. “How do you even know about my husband’s fall?”
“Ah, I got called to the shack on account of a noise disturbance. A woman screaming.”
Orchid swiped at her eyes. “My husband, he fell down the stairs. Too terrible.”
Orchid’s biological children moved in and fluttered around her, but Winston noticed her stepkids kept their distance. The odd family dynamics made the hair on the back of his neck rise, but he shook away the icy feeling.
After her kids ministered to Orchid, she calmed down. She turned to Winston. “Why aren’t you at your wedding rehearsal?”
“My fiancée asked me to help your family, so I drove the van.” Winston gave himself a mental pat on the back. He made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the Chan children. “Nobody could agree on who should drive.”
A hint of irritation crept into Orchid’s voice. “Figures,” she said, giving Fort a disgusted look. “Second in command, and you can’t even lead.”
Fort balled his hands into fists, moving to tower over his stepmother. “I’m not here for your criticism. How is Ba doing?”
“He’s . . .” Orchid sighed and sat back down in her chair. She slumped.
Evan whispered a few mantras to her. Sandy went over to the nearby water cooler and filled up a thin paper cup. Lyle tried to place his arm around Orchid’s shoulder without bumping his camera into her. Viv sat down next to Orchid and held her mother’s hands.
Winston wanted to jump in and say something empathetic. He moved near Orchid and spoke in a soft voice. “This must be hard for you. I understand Ming was going to retire soon.”
Instead of calming her, his words made Orchid burst into tears. She dropped Viv’s hand and covered her face with her palms. Viv stared at her rejected fingers, her hand perched awkwardly on the chair’s armrest.
“Why’d you say that to her?” Tal whispered to Winston, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to Orchid.
While she blew her nose, Gaffey raised his eyebrows at Winston. The cop pointed at Winston’s shoe and then Winston’s lips. Winston’s face grew hot.
Winston needed to heal Orchid’s mood, help her feel better. “I’m sure it’ll turn out all right in the end,” he said. “Before you know it, you’ll be going on your senior cruises and travels after he recovers.”
Orchid sniffed. “I hope so. We did want to do one of those China tours—the ones where you wake up bright and early each day.”
The super deals where you go off to the major sights, crammed with buying “opportunities” throughout the trip. Winston got flyers in the mail from those tour companies all the time.
Orchid blew her nose with one big honk on the handkerchief. “The doctor will come out soon. They didn’t tell me much in the beginning. Or maybe I couldn’t understand. Too much information being thrown at me.”
Gaffey remained standing, but Winston and the others decided to sit down. On the hard, plastic chairs. He thought the hospital could have afforded better furniture, knowing that family members and friends might be sitting for a long time. He looked around at the Chan children to see how they were coping with the uncomfortable seats.
Some of them seemed frozen: Fort overflowed in his chair, Bright appeared a grim statue, Evan achieved a Zen state, and Sandy perched cross-legged. The others kept fidgeting: Tal pulled a mini-massager out of his murse, Lyle flipped through photos on his camera, and Viv blew giant bubbles with her gum.
Finally, the doctor came. He looked weary as he entered and made a straight line to Orchid. “Your husband’s still unconscious and in critical condition, Mrs. Chan.” The doctor rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “You’ll have to wait some more, I’m afraid.”
Orchid’s voice cracked. “How much longer?”
“I’m not sure.” The doctor glanced at the wall clock. “But I advise getting some food in your stomach.”
That’s when Winston’s phone rang: “Chances Are.” His special ringtone for Kristy. The doctor wagged his finger at Winston before he headed out, pointing at a sign that read, “Silence your cell phones.” Oops.
Winston moved over to the side of the room for a bit of privacy. “Everything okay?”
“Lovely. Your sister’s gone to the store to buy extra balloons. What about on your end?”
“Sadly, Mr. Chan’s in critical condition. No word on how long of a wait. In fact, the doctor told Mrs. Chan she should probably get something to eat—”
“Perfect. That’s what we’ll do then,” Kristy said.
“Huh?”
“Invite them to our rehearsal dinner. Marcy can drive your car while you take the Chans. I’ll call the restaurant right now. I’m sure they won’t mind more customers.”
“But our budget . . .” Winston tried to calculate the figures in his head, but Kristy was better with finances.
“Don’t worry, it’ll work out,” she said. “Which hospital are you at?”
“San Jose Central.”
“Great, that’s close to Sambal. Feeding them is the least we can do during their time of difficulty.”
Winston sucked air in through his teeth. “Okay, so that will be an extra eight people.”
“Nine,” she said.
“I think you miscounted. Mr. Chan needs to stay in the hospital.”
“No, there’s someone else. Go and invite—”
“Uh-uh. I don’t think so.”
“Mark deserves it. He was so kind to them.”
Winston glanced over at the cop who hovered nearby. Gaffey must have overheard the conversation because his face erupted in a huge grin. Winston couldn’t back out now and show tension in his relationship with Kristy. “Fine.”
“Thank you, Winston.” She made a smooching noise.
Winston hoped the phone kiss would fortify him for the upcoming crazy dinner.