The noisy and bustling emergency room. “It’s only Tuesday,” he said to the woman walking them in.
She laughed. “Yeah, we’re slow.”
Brooke moved close. “At least we get to come back. When he had his stroke, that wouldn’t have happened.”
They were brought to Joe’s room. There were two people at his bedside, and he was hooked up to an IV, a monitor, and oxygen.
“Hi, Daddy,” Brooke said when he looked up.
Luca stopped at the door to give everyone room.
“Hi, baby.”
She walked over and took his hand briefly. “What’s going on?” she asked the staff.
“He was complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. His blood pressure is high, but his EKG isn’t showing an acute MI. Heart attack. We’re running some tests to see what’s going on.”
“Okay.”
“He did respond to the nitroglycerine. He’s bought himself a few hours in the ER. I’m Dr. Mahoney. We’ll know more in a little bit.”
Luca saw Brooke visibly relax as the doctor left the room.
“How are you feeling now, Mr. Turner?” the nurse asked.
“Sh-shitty.”
“Dad!” Brooke looked at the nurse apologetically.
“How about on a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain in your chest now?”
“Same.”
The nurse looked at Brooke and started asking questions about her father’s medical history.
Luca sat back and watched as she recited nearly everything, down to his prostate exam. None of it written down, all of it in her head . . . and a lot of it.
Once the nurse left the room, Brooke pulled up a chair beside her dad.
“Here we are again.”
Joe smiled briefly, then his gaze traveled to Luca. “Nice to have company this time.”
“It sure is.”
For the next few minutes they gave Joe crap about his hospital fashion choices and perfect middle-of-the-night timing. All of it to get a smile out of the man, which it did.
He looked tired and uncomfortable . . . and older than he had only weeks before when he’d visited for their family dinner.
One of the ER staff poked their head in the room. “There’s family outside. We can’t have more people coming back.”
Luca tapped the side of the gurney. “I’ll go fill them in.”
He walked through the ER and out the doors. Past the lobby he found his mother, brother, and sister outside.
“How is he?” his mama asked first.
“They’re running tests. The doctor is not convinced it’s a heart attack.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“How is Brooke?” Chloe asked.
“She is amazing. She has this whole hospital thing down.”
Gio patted his shoulder. “We’re here if you need anything.”
“They won’t let you back.”
“We know,” Mari said. “We have food.”
“Mama, it’s one in the morning.”
She frowned. “Not for you, amore mio, for the staff.”
Luca shook his head. His mother’s answer to everything was food.
He followed his brother to the car and removed two catering trays he recognized from the restaurant kitchen. They were warm.
The receptionist took one look at them as they walked up with the food, heard it was for the staff, and let them both back without question.
They were directed to leave it in a break room and were thanked by the passing staff.
Before walking out, Giovanni poked his head in the room where Joe was resting. “Hi, Joe, nice to see you’re keeping everyone on their toes.”
“Doing m-my job.”
Brooke stood and kissed Gio’s cheek. “You guys didn’t need to come.”
“Of course we did.”
Dr. Mahoney came around the corner. “Thanks for the food. That’s really nice of you.”
“Our pleasure,” Luca told him.
The doctor walked on by.
“You brought food?”
“We’re Italian. Food is life.”
Gio placed his thumb in the air. “We’re right outside.”
Luca slapped a palm on his brother’s shoulder, gave it a squeeze. “Thank you.”
Thirty minutes passed before they saw the doctor again.
“The good news is, you’re not going to the cath lab tonight.”
“What does that mean?” Luca asked.
“He’s not currently having a heart attack. But with his history and his blood pressure, which is having a hard time coming down, I’ve asked a cardiologist to see him. We need to keep him overnight, if not a couple of days.”
“I hope your f-food is better than the l-last joint.” Joe yawned as the words left his mouth.
Dr. Mahoney shook his head. “Yeah, it’s not.”
Luca laughed at the same time the phone in his pocket buzzed.
He pulled it out, thinking it was his family outside checking on them.
Franny’s smiling face stared at him, and he froze.
It was almost two in the morning.
He couldn’t answer the call fast enough. “Franny?”
“I want to come home, Papa.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
Brooke moved to his side.
Luca tilted the phone so Brooke could hear the conversation.
“Zia Rosa and Antonia got into a big fight. Rosa left and I don’t want to be here. Come get me, Papa.” Franny was crying.
Brooke turned away. “We’ve got to go. Something is wrong with Franny.”
“Go, honey,” Joe said.
“We’ll take care of your dad,” the doctor said, concern on his face.
Luca was already walking out the door, Brooke on his heels. “We’re on our way, tesorina. But we’re not home. Brooke’s papa had to go to the hospital.”
Franny cried harder. “Hurry, Papa. I don’t want to be here.”
They rushed out the doors of the ER and found the others taking up space on a bench outside.
Giovanni jumped up when he saw them. “What is it?”
“It’s Franny.” Luca spoke into the phone to his crying little girl. “I’m going to hand the phone to Brooke. We’re on our way.”
Brooke took the phone and spoke in a calm voice. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s going on?”
Luca didn’t stop, headed straight to his car.
Gio jogged to catch up.
Mari and Chloe close behind.
“Franny’s crying and wants to come home,” Luca said.
Mari reached in her purse. “I’ll call Rosa.”
“Apparently she left.”
“What?”
“Should we stay here for Joe?” Chloe asked.
Luca shook his head. “They’re admitting him. No point in sleeping in the parking lot.”
“We’ll meet you at home.”
“Luca?” His mother stopped him. “Drive carefully. You’re no use to anyone dead.”
He kissed his mother as he and Brooke jumped into his car.
“Okay. That’s fine. We’re on our way.”
Brooke put the phone in her lap.
“She hung up?” Luca asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“The phone was on five percent and she forgot the charger in her room. She was afraid it was going to die.”