Stevie
Today is the day.
My pace is brisk as I walk down the hallway towards the waiting room where Liam and the rest of Karen's family are waiting, hoping for good news, which I will deliver. The surgery was supposed to take two hours, but since Dr. Harris is incredibly precise yet works with haste, it took an hour and a half.
Karen was also the perfect patient as well. Not for a single second did her heart rate flutter or change. This was an absolutely perfect surgery, everyone was relaxed, except for me. The entire time I was standing there I was freaking out internally, constantly checking her vitals as if she could die any second. There was no doubt in my mind that if I even noticed the slightest spike of her temperature or heart rate, I would've injected her with dantrolene.
As soon as I round the corner, Geoff seems to have been watching anxiously, since he immediately stands. This causes Liam's, Nicola's, and Ruth's heads to snap up in my direction to see what their father is looking at. It's hard to suppress the smile begging to take over my features, which wins the fight the closer I get to them. Instantly, bright smiles take over their features as Geoff sticks out his hand towards me to shake it.
"Dr. Harris was just finishing up the surgery when she told me to come and tell you the news. It went as smoothly as possible. We are moving her up to the Cardiac ICU as we speak, I can take you up to her room if you'd like?" I ask and they all nod, grinning as bright as ever at me. As soon as I let go of Geoff's hand, Nicola steps forward, wrapping her arms around me.
The embrace is sweet and kind, filled with warmth and words she cannot speak. Hugging has never been one of my favorite things along with physical contact, but in the situation, it's hard to not want to. Once I drop my arms from her body she steps back, and Ruth immediately engulfs me. Anxiety bubbles up inside me, which I do my best to suppress as I wrap my arms around her figure.
When she steps back, it's Liam's turn. In contrast to his two sisters, he's more gentle when wraps his arms around me. I don't believe I made a face when either of his sister's hugged me, but maybe he sensed my discomfort. It's surprising to me that as soon as I wrap my arms around him, I don't feel as uncomfortable as I normally do when new people touch me. Relaxation is like a gentle wave, crashing over my body and as it retreats back into the waters, taking my anxiety with it.
A coldness comes over my body as soon as Liam pulls away, almost causing me to step back into his embrace. Instead, I offer a smile to the family and turn on my heel, heading to the elevators. In sync, they follow at my side
"Just letting you know, she will probably sleep for at least an hour after the surgery," I explain and they all nod as the elevator doors open. Once we pile inside, I hit the button for the seventh floor, then the button for the doors to shut.
"How long will she have to stay in the hospital for?" Geoff questions, causing me to turn to face him.
"I would imagine two days, but if she does really well today, she may be discharged sometime tomorrow. Dr. Harris will be able to inform of a specific time after we see how she progresses later today. She should be in to discuss post-op care with you in a little while." They all nod at me happily, seeming pleased with the recovery time. The surgery is pretty simple and not too serious, so most people require quite well from it.
"Thank you, you truly were and are a light." My lips part to speak, but no words come out to thank him for his kind words. It's not often someone says something so very sweet to you like this.
"Thank you," I mutter as the doors of the elevator open. With that, we begin to descend down the hallway, walking past the quiet rooms. The only sounds coming out are the constant beeping of the heart rate monitors, but any nurse or doctor that has been worked in the cardiac ICU knows this is simply the calm before the storm.
