Part 10 (1/2)
Her voice broke, and the last few hours only became more surreal because Sugar sat in the emergency room, holding Opal McKay's hand.
She would never understand why it was so hard for people to see that love mattered, most of all.
”The waiting's the hardest part,” she murmured to Opal.
”It is, honey. It really is.”
Heather's shocked expression and Maha's continued pacing distracted Sugar from the arrival of a tall woman in green scrubs.
”I'm Dr. Watson, and I was the lead on the team that worked on your people. I'll make a group announcement, since the report is all the same. There was serious smoke inhalation, but all the oxygen levels are on their way back to normal. We want them here for another couple of hours so we can take another blood sample and monitor lung function. Give us a few minutes and you can each go on back. They're all in the same exam area.”
As they gave the doctor a chorus of ”Thank yous,” Captain Johnson, who had been stoically silent and stalwart the whole while, abruptly sat down.
”The waiting's the hardest part,” Opal said to him.
Heather and Maha were murmuring thanks to different deities and Sugar flipped open her phone to call Grannie Fulton.
”My grandmother was worried,” she explained to Opal after the exchange of a few heartening sentences with her grandmother. ”She adores Charlie more than she likes me, I think. She's going to let my sisters know the news.”
”How many sisters do you have?”
”Three. They treat me like a baby, but they call it love.”
”I'm the youngest of five.”
Just like that, they were chatting, and the worry drained out through the soles of Sugar's feet. She felt a little bit numb. And how exactly was she supposed to go forward, all forgiven, with Opal? And Heather? Charlie put up with it because she had the undying fraternal support of her fellow firefighters all the rest of the year. But they'd made life really unpleasant for Sugar the last few years-been mean and cold at birthday parties, pointedly and precisely correct at Judith Perlman's father's funeral with not one fake smile to spare, even stiff and withdrawn at the annual picnics where everyone ended up smeared in watermelon. The whispered fuss they'd made about making sure their kids didn't accidentally have any of the food she and Charlie brought-turning their noses up at Grannie's lasagna, for heaven's sake! But they all had Sugar's cake, slicing up the fire engine after admiring how realistic it was.
What would Grannie Fulton do? She thought it over until a nurse came to tell them they could go in to the back.
When she stood up she said to Opal, ”Thank you.”
It was a start.
Charlie's creased and ash-smeared face was a welcome sight. Sugar thought her heart would burst from relief.
”You're a sight,” she said, brus.h.i.+ng at the ash with her fingertips. Heedless of any of the other wives, she gave Charlie's smiling lips a quick kiss.
”Do you know if the kid is okay?” Charlie's hoa.r.s.e question was underscored by a worry, deep in her eyes.
”What kid? We don't know anything. I suppose Captain Johnson knows.”
”He wasn't there.” Charlie squeezed her hand. ”I'm so glad you're here. Wanted you to hear the doctor. I'm fine.”
”You don't look it.” Sugar traced the line of the IV drip from the back of Charlie's hand to a pouch hanging next to the bed.
”I just need a shower.”
”You need a rest.” Sugar gave her another kiss before straightening up. ”Behave or Grannie Fulton will hear of it.” As her own heart rate finally calmed she was aware that the room reeked of wet, burnt wood. The hospital was going to need a lot of Febreze when they were released.
Charlie pulled a face of mock horror before saying, ”There was a kid-house fire. Got away from his folks and ran in for the cat. We had all taken off our masks, and mine was mostly secure but there was no time-kid didn't know the roof was done. I thought it was Hopkins who got him.”
”He went in the other ambulance, probably to Puget Medical.” Judith Perlman spoke up from the next examination table. ”I was out of it pretty much-didn't see if the kid was with him.”
”Maybe the captain can find out.” Sugar recognized Ray McKay's deep voice. ”Do something useful for once.”
There was laughter until the Captain quelled them with a loudly cleared throat. ”If you're done having your fun, the child is fine. He'll have some burns to show off. And the rest of your team is at Puget Medical, lounging around just like you lot. n.o.body knows anything about the cat.”
The squad burst into laughter again, and when Captain Johnson tried to get their attention, and failed, he p.r.o.nounced them all high on oxygen, which brought on another wave of hooting.
”You're going to pull out your IV,” Sugar warned.
Ray McKay tried to sit up and Opal pushed him right back down. ”Enough of that. Not until the doctor says.”
”Aw, honey, I don't need a doctor to tell me when I'm fine. Chuck,” he called. ”Talk some sense into them.”
Sugar turned her head in time to see Charlie's father, Chuck, take in the scene and visibly relax. He strolled toward Charlie's bed. ”Not on your life. I have a heart condition, remember?”
His glance at Sugar was anything but nonchalant. He was a retired firefighter, and had probably left home moments after Grannie Fulton's first call. She answered his question with her eyes, then followed his s.h.i.+fting gaze to Charlie's face.
There was definitely more pink in her lips now. The skin that Sugar so loved to rest her cheek against, that was a perfect match to her favorite mocha-chocolate cake icing, was less waxen.
Nevertheless, Chuck leaned over his daughter and said, ”You look like h.e.l.l. Do what Sugar tells you.”
Without hesitation, Charlie said, ”This from the world's worst patient-and there are nurses in this very hospital who will attest to that.”
Sugar loved the way Charlie's eyes flooded with affection for her father. Such wonderful expressive eyes.
”Oh go turn those puppy dog eyes on someone else,” Chuck said.
She found herself enveloped in the melting, brown gaze. ”Nope,” Sugar said, though her voice didn't have quite the conviction she'd hoped for. ”Not going to work on me either. You are going to do exactly what the doctor says. And another thing,” she added, her voice rising. ”I would really appreciate it if you tried harder not to scare the living c.r.a.p out of me again.”
Too late she realized that a silence had fallen, and everyone in the room heard her remarks, loud and clear. She felt a blush start in her cheeks, but Opal smacked her husband lightly on the shoulder.
”What Sugar said. You put me through too much.”
”Yeah,” Maha and Tom echoed. Even Heather made some sound of agreement.
Suddenly, they were all in the same pose, arms crossed firmly over their chests, and Sugar finally felt like one of The Wives.
She caught Opal watching her and Charlie with Chuck, then their gazes met. If hers held a plea, she wasn't aware of it, but Opal gave a little nod. Yes, Sugar thought, this really is what it's all about.
A nurse came in to check all the monitors, and the firefighters went back to ribbing Captain Johnson. Sugar wanted to take Charlie home, tuck her in bed and feed her Gran's chicken soup for the next year. But it wasn't time yet, and waiting was the hardest part.
Touchwood.