Page 2 of When the Leaves Fall

LUCA

I hear my dad cough from the other room, clearing his throat before he calls out for me. “Luca! I need water.”

“Be there in a sec, Dad,” I reply.

I finish placing the last few dishes into the dishwasher, add soap, and start it before filling up a plastic hospital mug with crushed ice and water.

As I enter the room, I notice Dad has slipped down the bed quite a bit again.

After placing the water on the bedside table, I start removing the blankets and pillows that are tangled up around his body, putting them on the couch so I can adjust him in his bed.

I’m small for a twelve-year-old, so adjusting him on my own is no easy task. But I’ve done it enough now that I have it down to a science. I gently climb on the bed and squat above his body, bringing my forearms under his armpits, and carefully lift him toward the top of the bed.

Once he’s adjusted, I place the pillows in his favorite spots: one behind his head, one under his right knee, and one to help prop him up slightly on his side. I fluff each pillow and make sure he’s as comfortable as he can be before laying the blanket back over him.

I wipe the sweat from my brow before it drips into my eyes— my God, it’s hot in here— and then bring his cup over to him. I bend the top of the straw toward his mouth, placing it gently on his bottom lip.

“Here you go, Dad. Here’s your water.”

His eyes never open, but he slowly turns his head a tad toward the sound of my voice and barely parts his lips. I slide the straw into his mouth and wait for him to finish sipping the liquid.

L ooking at Sandra, I can’t help but have flashbacks to after my dad had his stroke when I was just a kid.

Seeing her lie in a hospital bed, basically lifeless at this point, breaks my heart.

But my experience with caring for my dad is a huge part of why I’m here today.

And, even though working in the Critical Care Unit is stressful, draining, and many times, sad, I still thoroughly enjoy the work I do.

I get to help people and call it a living.

Not only do I get to help the patients I work with, but I’m also a part of their larger story.

I can be there for the loved ones who are just trying to get through each day.

Loved ones who are worried about their family member, but also need to navigate medical decisions, insurance changes, and so much more.

If I can make one small part of someone’s day easier or brighter, then this job is worth every little bit of job-related stress.

I look over at Drew, who is frantically typing away on her computer. I can tell she hasn’t gotten any real sleep in days. Her hair is a bit frazzled, and she has dark circles under her eyes.

“Did you want any pillows or blankets, and we can make the couch a bit more comfortable so you can get some sleep?” I ask.

Her typing stops abruptly, but she doesn’t look up at me before she replies. “I’m fine, but thanks.”

“You sure?” I continue. “That couch looks super uncomfortable.”

She meets my gaze, and a slight smirk appears. “Oh? What gave it away?”

The ends of my lips curl, but I bite my bottom lip slightly to hold back a full-on smile. “You look like you could use some sleep.”

Her mouth opens, but I interrupt before she can say anything.

“And no.” I lift my hand. “That’s not in any way a dig on you or saying how horrible you look. Don’t even go there.”

Her smile broadens, and she closes her laptop. “I guess a pillow wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. If nothing else, I can use it to prop up my laptop. ”

“Your wish is my command.”

I step out into the hall before I let the smile take over my face.

Drew is spunky, and I get a kick out of that.

I grab two pillows and a blanket from the closet and head back to the room, surprised to see Drew’s laptop is not only still closed, but also placed to the side.

She’s standing in front of the window, stretching her arms to the ceiling.

She’s so beautiful. She tilts her body a little to the right, stretching her side. My eyes follow the gentle curves of her body for only a moment before I catch myself.

I clear my throat to alert her that I’m back before placing the pillows and blanket on the couch. She turns to face me, and I can’t help but notice how, even though she realizes I brought more than she requested, she doesn’t mention it.

“Thanks,” she replies before reaching her arms down to her toes to stretch her back.

Her dark blonde hair cascades around her face, and all I want to do is run my fingers through it.

I shake the images of her flying through my mind as I walk over to the computer to check for any updates that might have come in.

Sandra had testing done today, and I know Drew is anxious to get those results.

I have a feeling she won’t even try to sleep until we know more.

I scan Sandra’s medical records, but nothing new has come in. I decide not to give Drew an update until there’s one to give, but she must sense what I’m thinking.

“No results yet, then?” It’s not really a question .

“Unfortunately, no,” I reply. “But if you want to get some rest, I can wake you if anything comes up.”

She shakes her head slowly. “I appreciate the offer, but there’s absolutely no way I’m getting any sleep on that couch, especially without those test results.”

“Noted. I’ll definitely keep you posted.”

She nods and then sits down on the couch, pulling her laptop closer and tapping her fingers across the top.

“Working on something big or…”

“What?” she looks at me, confused.

I nod toward the laptop, and she follows my gaze. “Oh.” She lets out a soft sigh. “Just catching up on a work project. We had just gotten back from New York when all of this happened, so I’m a little behind.”

I sit back in my chair and prop my feet up on a stool. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m the social media manager for a local travel business,” she replies.

“Ahh, so was New York a work trip?”

“Actually, no. My mom and I take a yearly mother/daughter trip.” Her smile fades slightly as she glances at her mom lying on the bed.

“I see.” I sit back up and lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

“I just…” she starts, her voice cracking. She slowly blows out a breath. “I just don’t understand what or how this happened. Everything was fine. We had a great time on our trip. ”

She looks back at her mom. “She was fine, and the doctors haven’t found anything. So why?”

I can see she’s holding back tears. I know I don’t have any words that’ll truly comfort her at this time. The only thing that could bring some relief is her mom waking up.

As if I brought these thoughts into the real world, her mom stirs, catching both of our attention. Our gaze snaps to Sandra, whose eyes slowly flutter open. Her head doesn’t move, but her eyes dart around the room briefly before closing again.

“Mom!” Drew is up and next to the bed, holding her mom’s hand within seconds. “Oh my God, Mom.”

I also jump into action and send out a call to the charge nurse before checking Sandra’s vitals.

“Mom, can you hear me?” Drew is leaning down next to Sandra’s head, stroking her hair.

Sandra’s eyes open again, and this time, she looks right at Drew.