KING'S BAY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The emergency room is abuzz with
all the activity that comes from that strange balance of orderly business
and unwelcome spontaneity. Andy and Maggie are at the center of the storm
as they stand in the middle of the waiting area. When they arrived, Maggie
tried to get Andy to sit, but that only lasted a matter of seconds before
he was on his feet and pacing.
"This isn't good," Andy says, his
gaze fixed firmly on the swinging doors that conceal the behind-the-scenes
action of the hospital. "If he was all right, someone would have come out
and told us by now."
"It hasn't been that long. Besides,
they have to ... they have to get him all patched up, right? I doubt he
got out without a single scrape." Maggie almost sounds as if she's forcing
herself to counter Andy's pessimism.
Andy considers the idea for a moment
but then lets out a heavy sigh. His hands, which have been knotted together
and held up by his mouth, drop to his sides like a pair of anvils suddenly
cut free from whatever restraints were holding them up.
"He's gonna be fine," Maggie says,
taking one of Andy's hands in her own. "You just have to believe that,
Andy. Brent's gonna pull through."
Andy doesn't say anything. He doesn't
even look at her, and Maggie fears that he isn't even acknowledging the
possibility of a happy ending to this situation.
And then suddenly, after almost a
full minute of silence, he rolls his head back slightly. His eyelids slide
closed and his lips begin to move, faint words running along them. Maggie
listens harder and realizes that he's praying.
She bows her head, echoing the sentiments
mentally, and gives Andy's hand an extra squeeze.
"Mr. Fitch?"
The nurse's voice interrupts the
prayer, but the intrusion is all too welcome as far as Andy is concerned.
"Yes?" he asks, hope flooding into
his voice.
"I have a question about Mr. Taylor,"
the nurse says, using a tone that makes it clear all she has for them is
a question.
"Yes?"
"Are there any family members who
need to be notified? It's especially necessary if we need someone to authorize
certain procedures--"
"What procedures? What's wrong?"
"I'm not saying that anything's wrong,"
the nurse answers calmly. "We just need to know if there's anyone we can
contact. A spouse, a parent ..."
"His wife," Andy blurts out, as if
just remembering now that she exists. "Sarah
Taylor."
As he dictates the phone number to
the nurse, Maggie is turning something over in her mind. And even though
this feels like an inappropriate time to inquire, she springs the question
on Andy the moment the nurse disappears.
"Sarah Taylor," she says. "Is that
..."
"Sarah that we had dinner with the
other night," Andy confirms. "Yes."
Maggie wrinkles her brow, angling
her head to give him a bit of a sideways glance. "But I thought she was
... with Matt. That was
their daughter, right?"
"Mm-hmm." Andy offers a prolonged
nod and Maggie can tell that he is thinking. "It's a little bit of a messy
situation," he says finally. "Sarah and Brent are married, but Victoria
is her daughter by Matt. I'll have to explain the whole thing to you sometime
..." He trails off a little raggedly.
Maggie is still digesting the information
when Andy brings up a hand to slap his forehead.
"What?" she asks with sharp concern.
"I wonder if I made a mistake," he
says. "Telling the nurse to phone Sarah, I mean ... I have no idea how
things are between them. I don't even know if Brent would want her here."
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