Chapter 43
|
The miracle arrived just past noon. A tired-looking doctor in blue scrubs pushed through the swinging double doors, looking for Robert and Emily.
"Family of Katherine Whitmore?" the doctor asked softly.
Emily and Robert stood up simultaneously, their hearts hammering in their chests.
"She is stable," the doctor announced, offering a reassuring, exhausted smile. "It was a minor ischemic stroke, caught very early thanks to Mr. Robert finding her so quickly. There is some localized weakness on her left side, but her cognitive functions are completely intact. She is awake, and she is demanding to see you both, very loudly."
Emily let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob, collapsing against Nathan’s chest in pure, overwhelming relief. Robert wiped his eyes, a radiant smile breaking across his weathered face.
They were led into a private recovery room. Katherine was lying in the hospital bed, looking pale and fragile amidst the tangle of wires and monitors, but her eyes—sharp, intelligent, and fiercely independent—were exactly the same.
"Oh, stop crying, the both of you," Katherine scolded gently as Emily and Robert rushed to her bedside. Her speech was slightly slurred, but her spirit was entirely unbroken. "I simply needed a nap in the garden, and Robert had to go and overreact by calling an ambulance."
"You terrified me, Mom," Emily whispered, kissing her mother's forehead, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm perfectly fine, darling," Katherine smiled, reaching out with her strong right hand to squeeze Emily's fingers. She looked over at Robert, her eyes softening with a deep, profound affection. "Thank you, Robert. For always watching over me."
May you like
Robert took her hand, pressing it gently to his cheek. "I will always watch over you, Katherine. For as long as you'll let me."
Emily stepped back, leaning into Nathan's embrace, watching the two older people share a quiet, beautiful moment of devotion. Life was incredibly fragile, constantly shifting and changing, but standing in that hospital room, Emily knew that love was the only thing that truly endured.
