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“Why? Is there a problem? Oh my God! Did something happen to my dad?”
“Miss Abruzzi, we need you to be calm. Just get here as soon as you can.”
I don’t realize my hands are trembling until the phone clatters to the floor.
“Oh my God...oh my God...” Tears burn the back of my eyes. I quickly grab every important item on my desk, the case files and my work bag, then I slip my feet into my black stiletto heels, grab my jacket, and hurry out of my office.
“Miss Abruzzi, I have extra assignments...” the intern supervisor, Joan, calls out as I dash past her.
“I’m sorry, Joan, family emergency,” I croak, then hurry outside the building and stop the first taxi I can find. “Take me to the Mount Pleasant Medical Center as fast as you can.”
Hastily climbing into the backseat, I dump all of my items and yell at the man. “Go!”
***
The door to the cab slams shut.
I stuff every item in my arms into my work bag, except for the documents, and run all the way to the front desk of the medical center.
The brunette at the counter directs me to the doctor’s office, and as I make my way there, I’m tempted to sneak myself upstairs and just head straight to Dad’s room, but before I can implement the thought, the doctor finds me.
“Miss Abruzzi, I’m glad you could make it. Come on in,” he says, guiding me to his office.
“Please, have a seat.” He gestures to a chair on the other side of his desk when we enter. I’m not patient enough for his politeness though. In fact, I cannot help but think that he is this nice to me because something terrible has happened to Dad.
“What’s wrong with my father?” I blurt out, without even accepting the seat the doctor has offered.
“Miss Abruzzi…” he seems to hesitate for a moment before releasing his next words in a slow, controlled breath, “someone tried to kill your father.”
“What?!” My heart strikes against my chest as I stare in horror at him.
My knees suddenly feel weak, and I lower myself humbly into the chair closest to me and hold my head in my hands. I can’t control the streams of tears that begin to cloud my vision or the unbearable pain seizing my chest at the moment.
“...someone disguised as one of our nurses went to his room at about 1 p.m. to tamper with his medication...”
I bite my lip to restrain my sob and snap my head up at him. He says nothing more but stares at me with a look of stupid sympathy.
No! Dad has cops protecting him…how could they have fucking missed the culprit?
Tears continue to trickle down my face, but I don’t care. “How’s Dad? I want to see him.” I shoot up from my seat, pinning the doctor with an angry gaze. “I want to fucking see my father.”
He takes another deep breath along with a step that brings him to me. With a solemn look, he places a hand on my shoulder. “Of course, but you need to know your father is in a coma.”
The words echo around my head. I stagger backward, my body starting to feel numb as I slowly start to dissociate from reality.
The rest of the doctor’s words are a blur. He’s saying something about acetaminophen being replaced with an overdose of opioids and them trying to trace the person who was caught on the CCTV, but I can’t comprehend it. The only thing that fills my mind at this moment is Elio.
Still with staggering feet, I find my items, which I’d placed on the chair earlier, and wobble out of the office.
***
“I hear you’ve been blowing up my phones trying to reach me.” Elio’s voice is filled with pride.
My lips lift in a reflex sneer as the unmistakable arrogance in his voice crawls its way into my ears. I would have hung up that instant if it wasn’t a matter of life and death.
I’m too weak to snap at him, so I just say, “I need to see you,” and leave it at that.
“I have a reservation at an Italian restaurant on Madison Avenue. Be there at 4.” With that, the line clicks dead.