Suddenly Mine, page 19
His father looked up at him and something was—off. Joseph was looking at him, but Christian could tell that he really wasn’t focused. And it wasn’t because of the alcohol—he’d seen his father after a few drinks. This was different. Very different. He looked at his mother and then at Sophie. She must have seen his concern because her attention immediately went to his father.
“Mr. Montgomery?” she asked softly and waited for him to look at her. Very gently, she took one of Joseph’s hands in hers. “How are you feeling?”
Joseph winced at her words as if she’d shouted them, but Sophie’s inquiry had been quiet.
“Maybe we should go back to the room,” Eliza said, worry lacing her voice. “It’s just a migraine. He’s been getting them more and more lately and—”
“Mom…”
But Sophie wasn’t paying attention to either of them. She was studying his father’s face and he watched as she casually took his pulse, then felt his forehead. Her actions didn’t surprise him as much as his father’s did.
Joseph sat there and let her touch him—in the middle of the hotel bar—without uttering a word of protest. Christian could remember his father losing his patience if his mother so much as wiped a piece of lint from his suit!
For several minutes, Sophie asked his father questions and got him to do simple tasks like follow her finger, squeeze her hand, or even try to hold his hands out. Just when he thought she was done and everything was all right, his father took his drink and it instantly fell from his hand and crashed to the floor.
His mother gasped and immediately called their waitress over, but Christian looked to Sophie.
“I think we need to get him to the hospital,” she said in a low voice, for his ears only. “I can’t say with any great certainty, but I think he may have had a stroke.”
Christian’s gut clenched and he quickly came to his feet. Stepping around the table to his father, he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dad, I think we should go,” he said slowly, cautiously.
“He’s probably tired,” Eliza said nervously as she helped her husband to his feet.
“Mom, we need to get him to the hospital. Something’s wrong. Trust me.” He met his mother’s worried gaze and was relieved when she nodded.
So many times in his life, Christian had hated being compared to his father, but right now, he could honestly say that he knew how Joseph was feeling. With Christian on one side and his mother on the other, they slowly led Joseph from the bar as Sophie ran over to pay their tab. She caught up to them a minute later, walking right past them and out the front door to get the valet to bring the car up. Part of him worried that they should call for an ambulance, but the hospital was five minutes away and he knew he could get them there faster.
It amazed him how calm he felt. He kept up a running dialogue with his parents as they made their way out to the car, but he wasn’t sure if it was for their sake or his own.
“I’ll sit with him,” Sophie said as they helped Joseph into the car.
No one argued.
Pulling away from the hotel, Christian reached for his mother’s hand and held it tight as he made the quick drive. Behind him, Sophie was softly talking to his father and he heard the slurred—almost incoherent—responses he was giving her.
That can’t be good, he thought.
“I need to call Megan and Carter,” Eliza said, and he heard the tremble in her voice. “They should know what’s going on.”
“Not yet, Mom. Let’s get to the hospital and see what the doctors have to say before we get everyone all upset.”
She nodded, turning to look at her husband.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said quietly, giving her hand another squeeze. Although if he were honest, he wasn’t quite so sure.
* * *
“Here you go, Eliza,” Sophie said quietly, handing her a cup of coffee. They’d been at the hospital for over two hours and Joseph was still undergoing testing—they knew no more than they had when they arrived.
“Thank you, dear.”
Looking across the room, Sophie saw Christian standing with his back to them and his phone to his ear. No doubt he was finally calling his siblings. He and Eliza had been talking about that before she left to go to the cafeteria for coffee, so she figured they’d come to the decision that it was time to start making calls.
“I hate this,” Eliza said, her voice low but firm. “I understand that they need time to examine him and run tests, but the waiting is awful.” She sighed. “I knew something was wrong.”
Sophie studied her for a moment. “What do you mean? Earlier? Before you came down to the bar?”
Eliza didn’t say anything for a long moment before she shook her head. “Before that. This morning, actually. I almost canceled our flight, but I just figured it was Joseph being Joseph.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “My husband never admits to being sick or to feeling any pain. I’ve watched him work while he had pneumonia or the flu. He used to get migraines and yet he always worked through them. And when he found out—” Stopping abruptly, she shook her head. “But this morning he was different, and I chose to attribute it to the issues he and Christian were having. If I had just canceled the trip…”
Reaching for her hand, Sophie said, “Then you would have been dealing with this back in New York, Eliza. And maybe there would be a little more comfort because you were home and with your own doctors, but this was still going to happen.” She could have kicked herself. That wasn’t the most encouraging thing to say to someone, was it? “I mean…”
“No, you’re right. I would be alone or maybe have some friends with me. At least now I have Christian and you.” She gave Sophie a small smile right before her eyes welled with tears. “You knew something was wrong and you acted so quickly. I would have just kept waiting for him to tell me he needed help, and then who knows what would have happened.”
“I know what to look for. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t sure at first. Since I’d never met Joseph before, I had no idea if his behavior or speech was normal. And he didn’t have the usual symptoms. It wasn’t until I saw the look on Christian’s face that I knew something was up.” She gave Eliza’s hand a squeeze. “I’m glad he was agreeable to my helping him.”
Eliza sniffled. “He looked scared,” she whispered and choked back a sob. “I’ve never seen him look like that.”
Unsure of how to respond, Sophie simply nodded.
“I should call Joseph’s personal doctor. He’ll need to know about this.”
Sophie was about to respond when Christian walked over and crouched down in front of his mother. “Megan’s going to fly in tonight and Carter’s coming in tomorrow.” He looked solemnly at Sophie and then at his mother. “I’ll call Uncle William and Uncle Robert next if you want me to.”
She looked at him as she cupped his cheek. “Thank you, but…I think I’ll make those calls. It will give me something to do.”
“Mom, you don’t have to. I’m here. I can help.”
“I know.” Her smile was sad. “But I need to do it or I’ll go crazy. Why don’t you take Sophie and get something to eat in the cafeteria? Coffee isn’t a proper dinner.”
“We’re fine,” Sophie said, “but how about we get you something to eat?” Again, she could have kicked herself for not thinking of it earlier when she went to get coffee.
“I don’t think I could eat, but I want the two of you to get something. I’m going to make the calls and hopefully we’ll have some answers soon.”
“Mom, I don’t want to leave you alone here. What if the doctors come out while I’m gone? I think—”
“Christian,” Eliza said, sounding stronger than she had in hours. “Go. I will call you if anyone comes out to talk to me and I won’t let them say anything until you’re back.” When he made to argue, she said, “Go.”
He gave a curt nod and held his hand out to Sophie.
Together they walked in silence down the long corridor and to the cafeteria. The food selection wasn’t great, but they each picked a salad and grabbed a couple of bottles of water. After they paid and sat, Christian made no attempt to eat.
She looked at him sympathetically. “Christian, this could be a long night. You need to eat.”
But he shook his head and wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I was mocking him.”
“What?”
“While we were in the bar and he was rubbing his temple and slurring his words, I thought he was drunk. I was so angry, because I thought he’d come down to meet you that way. I was about to say something to him when you stepped in.” He shook his head again. “I’m so ashamed.”
“Christian—”
“It’s true,” he quickly interrupted, finally looking at her. “If something happens to him, that’s what I’m going to remember—the fact that he was struggling and suffering from…from a stroke, most likely, and I sat there thinking he was drunk and being pissed at him!” He let out a long breath and raked a hand through his hair. They sat in silence for several long moments before he seemed to calm down. “Do you think that’s what it is? A stroke?”
Wordlessly, she nodded.
With a curse, he shifted in his chair. “Is it possible to catch it before it gets worse or does any damage?”
And this was the part she hated. Strokes weren’t something to take lightly and there was no way of knowing what lasting effects they might have—which was what she said to him. “The good news is that he was still responsive when we brought him in and he was able to speak. There was no paralysis and no drooping of his face. Those are good signs.”
“But…?”
Straightening in her seat, she did her best to sort of detach herself from the situation and speak to Christian as she would any family member of a patient. “Okay, how much do you know about strokes?”
“Honestly? Not much.”
“Okay, then let me give you a quick explanation.”
He nodded.
Sophie explained to him what happened to the body when a stroke occurred. He asked questions and she answered as best she could. When she was done, Christian let out a slow whoosh of breath and nodded as he took it all in.
“Could it happen again?”
Solemnly, she nodded.
“The good news is that they’re going to monitor him, Christian. They’ll know when it happens and hopefully treat him before there is any damage. If he were home or asleep and it happened, time would be lost and damage would set in. So for now, the fact that he’s here is a good thing.”
Sophie looked at their salads. “We should eat. By now your mother is probably done with her calls.”
She could tell he was thinking about everything she’d said.
“What time is Megan getting in? Do you want me to pick her up at the airport?”
“No,” he said, his voice low and fairly devoid of emotion. “She’s going to rent a car so she can get around easier while she’s here.”
“That makes sense.” She took the lid off her salad, opened the dressing, and poured it on. “Will Alex be with her?” Christian smiled at her question. “What? What did I say?”
“You remembered.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Remembered what?”
“It’s just…” He paused, shaking his head and chuckling. “You remembered my family.”
“Of course I remember your family. Why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged and looked away, embarrassed. Opening his own salad, he said, “I guess I can’t remember a time when I was involved with someone who took the time to remember things like that.”
“Or maybe you didn’t share that part of yourself,” she said lightly. Reaching out, she took one of his hands. “Either way, I’m thankful you took the time to share with me all about your family.”
He let out a small snort. “Right. This must be great for you. First you save me from what we thought was a heart attack and then you help my dad while he’s possibly having a stroke. At this rate, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to meet any other Montgomerys.”
While he was saying it lightly and trying to play it off like it was a joke, she had a feeling there were some real doubts there. “Believe it or not, I feel blessed to have been there for both of those events.” He began to protest, but she stopped him. “I know now that you were fine, but I was still glad I was there because that’s just one of the things that got us here.” She twined their fingers together and smiled. “And I don’t mean here at the hospital—although that’s true too—but I mean here as in this relationship. I have loved the time we’ve spent together, learning all about you, and I want to keep learning about you. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do,” he said hoarsely. “I’m very thankful for you, Sophie, and I want you to know that I—” He stopped when his phone rang. Frantically, he released her hand and picked up the phone. “Mom?”
And even without listening, she knew they had to get back to the waiting room. Sophie closed up their salads and asked the cashier for a bag to pack it all up in, and then quickly picked up a bottle of water and a prepackaged turkey sandwich for Eliza. By the time she was done, Christian was sliding his phone into his pocket.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“A nurse let her know someone would be out to talk to us soon, so…”
Sophie packed up the food as he spoke. When she was done, she looked at him and said, “Whatever the news is, we’re going to get through it, right?”
He nodded, but he didn’t look like he felt too confident about what they were going to find out. And honestly, she wasn’t feeling too confident either.
Taking her hand, Christian led her out of the cafeteria and back to the waiting room. They sat on either side of Eliza and simply awaited the news.
* * *
It was almost midnight when Christian stood next to his father’s hospital bed. So many emotions threatened to overwhelm him, but he did the only thing he could—breathe.
The man, the giant of a man who had made him into the person he was today, suddenly looked small and frail. It scared the hell out of him. His sister took his hand.
“C’mon, we should go,” Megan whispered.
“Someone should stay here.”
Megan let out a slow breath. “Chris, he’s stabilized and sedated and he’s going to stay that way until morning. We’re no help to anyone if we’re exhausted. I’m going to take Mom back to the hotel and stay with her. You and Sophie should go and we’ll all meet back here in the morning.”
He knew she was right, but it still felt wrong to leave. She gently tugged him away from the bed and reluctantly, he followed her out the door. The sight before him stopped him short—his mother was asleep on the sofa with her head on Sophie’s shoulder and it looked as if she was asleep too.
His heart ached.
“I like her,” Megan said softly. “I mean, I know I only got to talk to her for maybe ten minutes, but I feel like we’d be friends.” She smiled at him.
And he couldn’t believe it, but he smiled back. “You will be. Sophie’s amazing.”
“Good for you.” Releasing his hand, Megan walked over to the sofa and carefully woke both women up.
Within minutes they were in the elevator and riding down to the lobby, quietly making plans to meet back there in the morning. He kissed his mother and sister on the cheek and watched as Sophie did the same. It didn’t take long for them to get to his car and start the drive home.
Neither spoke.
Christian knew why he wasn’t talking—there were too many thoughts in his mind that he was trying to come to grips with. Right now he appreciated Sophie’s silence, because…well, he just needed it right now. As usual, she seemed to understand.
He didn’t offer to take her home, but instead drove straight to his place. Together they walked inside where he didn’t turn on any lights and simply led the way to his bedroom.
And still neither spoke.
Exhaustion—both mental and physical—had him going through the motions of stripping down to his boxers, tossing back the bedding, and sliding in. And Sophie was there right beside him two minutes later after slipping her dress off and grabbing one of his T-shirts to sleep in—a habit she’d taken up that he found adorable.
She pressed up against his side as he wrapped an arm around her to hold her close. Christian was certain he’d be able to close his eyes and instantly fall asleep, but that wasn’t the case. He stared up at the ceiling for several minutes before he finally spoke.
“What do you think tomorrow will be like?” he asked, knowing that Sophie was still awake. There was a good chance she’d say something just to make him feel better but he had a feeling her need for honesty would win out.
“I wish I knew,” she said after a moment. “They can do all kinds of scans to see if there’s any damage to the brain, but until a patient is awake and they’re able to evaluate them and speak to them, it’s anybody’s guess.” She paused. “The good news is that he’s stable.”
It was an incredibly neutral response at best.
“Was it normal for them to sedate him?”
She nodded against his shoulder. “The doctor said your father was getting agitated at one point, so sedating him was really for his benefit.” She paused. “There’s a good chance that he’ll wake up tomorrow, and other than maybe feeling a little weak, he’ll be fine. He’ll be monitored and put on medication like antiplatelets and anticoagulants and be able to go home in a couple of days.” She raised her head and looked at him. “You’ll be able to help him, since you recently experienced something similar. You can encourage him on how to eat better and exercise more.”
Chuckling, Christian kissed her softly before guiding her head back down to his shoulder. “I can’t even imagine anyone convincing Joseph Montgomery to change his life that much.”
“He won’t have a choice.”
