“I’ll think of something, Mom. Get some rest,” she said, and got off the phone.
* * *
The next day, Madison was grabbing a salad from the cold case at the law school café when her phone buzzed. As her mother’s number flashed across the screen, the guilt hit. She had nothing new to report. Sighing, she swiped to answer.
“Hello?”
“Is this Madison?” a woman’s voice asked.
It wasn’t her mother.
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“My name is Regina. I work with your mom at the nursing home.”
She put the salad down. “Is something wrong?”
“Yolanda’s in the ER. She was having chest pains. I came with her. They’re examining her now.”
“Oh my God. Where? Which hospital?”
“Mass General.”
“I’ll be right there.”
She was running, trying to order an Uber on her phone, when she nearly crashed into Ty coming into the café.
“Whoa, slow down there,” he said, steadying her. “Where you running off to? The law review meeting’s not for half an hour.”
“I forgot about that. I can’t make it today. Will you let them know?”
“Not a good idea to miss meetings unless you want to give me a clear shot at president.”
Great, just what she needed—a reminder that she was falling behind. Exams started next week also, and she was having a hard time concentrating on studying.
“I have to go,” she said, trying to push past him.
“Wait, I have a question,” he said, blocking her way. “I heard you haven’t slept at the dorm the past few nights.”
Anger flared. “Oh, are you keeping tabs on me now?”
“You can tell me if you’re seeing someone. I’ve been open about my relationship with Chloe.”
“Yes. You have. Now, get out my way. I have to be somewhere.”
She got an Uber, hit bad traffic on the bridge into Boston, got out and ran for blocks and blocks. Breathless and sweaty, nearly in tears, she plunged through the sliding glass doors of the ER and hurried to the reception window, where she gave her mother’s name.
“Your relationship to the patient?”
“I’m her daughter.”
“She’s being examined. Take a seat.”
“Can I see her?”
“I said to take a seat, please. We’ll call you,” the woman snapped.
“Madison?”
A woman in a puffer coat beckoned to her from a row of plastic chairs. Madison ran over to her.
“Are you Regina?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for bringing her here. What happened? Did she collapse?”
“Nothing like that. She just felt funny, said her chest felt tight. Our staff nurse said better safe than sorry, so we came here. They’re doing tests to confirm if it was a heart attack, but the—”
“Heart attack. Oh my God.”
“I don’t want to alarm you. It could be the stress. I’m sure you know, she’s beside herself over your brother.”
“She said that?”
“Oh, honey. He’s all she talks about. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll get back to work. We’re short-staffed.”
“Of course.”
“Here’s her phone and her pocketbook. She gave it to me for safekeeping.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
She hugged Regina then sat down to wait. Flicking on her mother’s phone, she saw that the screensaver was a picture of Danny as a little boy. Those ears, that goofy grin, the big, dark eyes. He was adorable.
She put it back in the bag.
An hour passed. She went up to the window several times, but got nowhere. Eventually, a different clerk came on duty. The next time she asked for information, he simply gave her Mom’s room number and buzzed her through. She located her mother lying on an examination table with her eyes closed, in a room cordoned off by thick curtains.
“Mom?”
Yolanda’s eyes shot open. There were dark circles under them. Her cheeks were hollow. She looked old and frail.
“I didn’t know if you would come,” she said, her voice weak.
“Of course I came. I’ve been here for hours. They just let me back now. How are you feeling?”
Madison pulled over a rolling chair and sat down, taking her mother’s hand. It was small and cold to the touch, the hospital wristband flopping around on it. Her heart turned over. What if Danny never came home? What if her mother died? She’d be all alone in the world. She had to do more to find him and fix this situation.