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“Don’t move her if you can help it,” the operator advises. “An ambulance is on its way. Are you on your own there?”
I nod before I remember that she can’t see me. “Uh, yes. Yeah.”
“Okay. Stay on the scene and stay calm until the ambulance arrives. Try to keep her comfortable.”
I take in the operator’s instructions, reaching out to take Nora’s hand. Even if she doesn’t fully know what’s going on, she seems frightened.
And hell, I’m frightened. Silently, I pray that the ambulance comes quickly. It feels like a decade passes before I finally see the red-and-blue flash of the lights outside.
Chapter 49
Declan
The seven o’clock meeting doesn’t prove any more fruitful than the half dozen before it. My legal team and I emerge from the conference room as frustrated as ever, pigeonholed and unable to move forward.
As of right now, there are no good options. My father didn’t leave any available, of course.
I pull out my phone as I walk, intending to at least text Sophie. I’m still kicking myself for missing her call earlier.
When I illuminate the screen, I come to a halt in the middle of the hallway. I have three missed calls from my grandmother, and four from Sophie.
Immediately, my heart drops to my stomach. This isn’t normal. Normally, if either one of them wanted to reach me, they’d call once—maybe text afterwards, when I didn’t answer. Instead, both of them have left messages.
I start to listen to my voicemail. The first one is from my grandmother.
“Hello, Declan,” she says, her voice faint in the recording. “I’m so sorry to bother you. I know that you’ve had a very busy week, and I don’t want to add to it. I’ve just had a bit of a fall, and I wanted to see if you were available to come by.”
I grip the phone tightly as I click on the next voicemail—a message from Sophie.
“Declan?” She sounds frightened. “I’m sorry, I know you’re probably in a meeting. I just—I’m on my way over to check on Nora. I got a call from her earlier, and I think something’s wrong.”
I exhale, at least somewhat relieved that someone is with my grandmother. If I couldn’t be there, I’m glad it’s Sophie.
As I’m about to click the next message, my phone vibrates with a call. I don’t recognize the number, but given the circumstances, I answer it immediately.
“Mr. Wright?” There’s a woman’s voice on the other end of the phone that is professional and unfamiliar. “This is St. Mercy Teaching Hospital. You were listed as the emergency contact for your grandmother, Nora Wright. Is that correct?”
I clear my throat, my heart racing. My grandmother’s fall must have been worse than she let on in her message. “Yes, that’s right.”
“She was brought to the emergency room this evening. It appears that she had a hemorrhagic stroke, and was brought over by ambulance. The doctors are—”
“I’m on my way over,” I say immediately, cutting her off. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hang up the phone and brush past a few members of my legal team on my way to the elevator. As I’m on my way out of the building, more than a few people try to get my attention, but I ignore them completely. My eyes are glued to my phone as I text my driver, asking him to bring a car around to the front of the building.
It’s waiting on the street, hazards flashing, as I exit the front doors. I slide into the back seat, and my driver gives me a curious look over his shoulder.
“Everything okay, Mr. Wright?”
I don’t bother with any small talk, even though I would usually greet the driver at the end of the day if I was traveling alone. Today, all I can think about is the distance that separates me from the hospital. “St. Mercy’s,” I say hoarsely. “Take me to the Emergency Room. And floor it.”
When I arrive at the hospital, I burst through the emergency room doors. The waiting room is relatively quiet and empty, but I see Sophie sitting in the far corner, her face tense and anxious.
“Sophie!” I rush over to her.
She looks up, pale and drawn. “You made it.”
“What’s going on? Where is she?”
