did about medical matters. She w as always right, I told myself… Except about Olivia… A nd probably Yuri.
I studied Doctor Permala skeptically, noticing how she clutched her clipboard tightly, and twisted a pen in her hand with nervous fingers. “I’ll just go check on Dad,” I announced, leaving the room.
Boris had transferred my father to his new hospital bed, and was busy showing him how to operate the controls. I left them to it, retreating to my room to call Ethan.
“Where are you? Are you at the airport? What’s going on?” he started in with a barrage of questions, finally complaining, “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a couple of days.”
“We just got back home,” I said, “I had my phone turned off in the plane… What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’ve been worried… Every time I call you I get that Paul guy… It just sounds like… He acts like you don’t want to talk to me… He seems to think –”
“Paul can be kind of blunt,” I explained, recalling his no-nonsense attitude. “But I don’t know what we would have done without him. He’s been a huge help. ”
He was quiet for a minute, “When are you coming home?”
“Oh Ethan…” I sighed, “I miss you, but I can’t leave my dad like this. I think I should stay at least for a couple of days to make sure he’s gonna be okay.”
“Can I come up?”
“I was hoping you would! You need to meet my dad.”
“Did you tell him about us?” He sounded anxious.
“No, I thought we planned on doing it together.”
“Good,” he said with relief, “How about I come up right now?”
I frowned, “I’m afraid he’s kind of tired from the travel… I was thinking maybe the three of us could have dinner together as soon as he’s up to it.”
“When do you think that will be?”
“I don’t know… But I want him to be awake when you meet. He’s taking a lot of pain killers and they pretty much wipe him out. He’s not really himself yet.”
“Don’t you miss me?”
“Of course I do!”
He sighed, “There always seems to be something keeping us apart.”
“I know,” I said, “But it won’t be much longer. I’m just so relieved we finally got him home.”
“It’s even worse knowing that you’re only a couple of hours away,” he groaned, “I get so lonely when you’re not around.”
“What about Stumpy?”
“He reminds me of you .”
“I promise I’ll be home soon,” I told him firmly, “And then we can get my studio moved in... and finally be together.”
He sighed a defeated sigh, “Tell me as soon as he’s better … okay?”
“I can’t wait,” I said.
“Funny,” he said, “That’s all I ever do.”
~
C hapter F ive
ROSA
~
The next morning I tiptoed into the kitchen, expecting my father to still be sleeping. I heard the low sound of voices and rounded the corner to see Doctor Permala ministering to his arm. She was cutting the gauze away with surgical scissors, and as she peeled back the dressing I could see fresh blood. I winced, bringing my hand to my mouth.
I could tell it was painful from across the room, but her voice was calm and steady as she described the extent of the damage to him. She seemed incredibly cold blooded and clinical to me, but he listened to her with a scientist’s curiosity, and I could see that her approach was drawing him out of his reflexive melancholy.
He needed something to focus on. He was always restless until he engrossed himself in something challenging; burying himself in the world of measurable facts to avoid engaging in the world of people. Without a work project to hide behind my father was cut adrift, and completely out of his element. I figured his recovery would be a worthy project for him to turn his attention to.
“Good morning,” I called out, walking past them to the kitchen.
They both looked up, but only my father smiled,
I studied Doctor Permala skeptically, noticing how she clutched her clipboard tightly, and twisted a pen in her hand with nervous fingers. “I’ll just go check on Dad,” I announced, leaving the room.
Boris had transferred my father to his new hospital bed, and was busy showing him how to operate the controls. I left them to it, retreating to my room to call Ethan.
“Where are you? Are you at the airport? What’s going on?” he started in with a barrage of questions, finally complaining, “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a couple of days.”
“We just got back home,” I said, “I had my phone turned off in the plane… What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’ve been worried… Every time I call you I get that Paul guy… It just sounds like… He acts like you don’t want to talk to me… He seems to think –”
“Paul can be kind of blunt,” I explained, recalling his no-nonsense attitude. “But I don’t know what we would have done without him. He’s been a huge help. ”
He was quiet for a minute, “When are you coming home?”
“Oh Ethan…” I sighed, “I miss you, but I can’t leave my dad like this. I think I should stay at least for a couple of days to make sure he’s gonna be okay.”
“Can I come up?”
“I was hoping you would! You need to meet my dad.”
“Did you tell him about us?” He sounded anxious.
“No, I thought we planned on doing it together.”
“Good,” he said with relief, “How about I come up right now?”
I frowned, “I’m afraid he’s kind of tired from the travel… I was thinking maybe the three of us could have dinner together as soon as he’s up to it.”
“When do you think that will be?”
“I don’t know… But I want him to be awake when you meet. He’s taking a lot of pain killers and they pretty much wipe him out. He’s not really himself yet.”
“Don’t you miss me?”
“Of course I do!”
He sighed, “There always seems to be something keeping us apart.”
“I know,” I said, “But it won’t be much longer. I’m just so relieved we finally got him home.”
“It’s even worse knowing that you’re only a couple of hours away,” he groaned, “I get so lonely when you’re not around.”
“What about Stumpy?”
“He reminds me of you .”
“I promise I’ll be home soon,” I told him firmly, “And then we can get my studio moved in... and finally be together.”
He sighed a defeated sigh, “Tell me as soon as he’s better … okay?”
“I can’t wait,” I said.
“Funny,” he said, “That’s all I ever do.”
~
C hapter F ive
ROSA
~
The next morning I tiptoed into the kitchen, expecting my father to still be sleeping. I heard the low sound of voices and rounded the corner to see Doctor Permala ministering to his arm. She was cutting the gauze away with surgical scissors, and as she peeled back the dressing I could see fresh blood. I winced, bringing my hand to my mouth.
I could tell it was painful from across the room, but her voice was calm and steady as she described the extent of the damage to him. She seemed incredibly cold blooded and clinical to me, but he listened to her with a scientist’s curiosity, and I could see that her approach was drawing him out of his reflexive melancholy.
He needed something to focus on. He was always restless until he engrossed himself in something challenging; burying himself in the world of measurable facts to avoid engaging in the world of people. Without a work project to hide behind my father was cut adrift, and completely out of his element. I figured his recovery would be a worthy project for him to turn his attention to.
“Good morning,” I called out, walking past them to the kitchen.
They both looked up, but only my father smiled,
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