At the Hospital

TINA

I stared at my father on the bed. He wore the hospital gown, and his face was covered with a gas mask. Seeing him in this state increased my hatred for hospitals. I had always hated the smell. Nothing good ever happened in a hospital. You just saw people you cared about doing badly. Seeing my dad like this made me hate it even more.

My mom sat by his side with his hand in hers. She looked like she hadn’t slept in ages. Her brown hair, which I inherited from her, was disheveled. She had circles under her eyes, which reflected behind her thick-rimmed glasses. It was so sad to see the woman who was always vibrant look so vulnerable. It was even sadder to see my dad on the bed looking so helpless.

After the call, Alejandro and I had made our way to the other side of the city, which was my dad’s favorite hospital. It wasn’t a long ride, and thankfully there wasn’t much traffic on the way.

I walked over to my mom and placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled appreciatively and put a hand over mine.

Alejandro sat at a distance, beside the door. I could tell he was trying to give us privacy while offering his support. His eyes were trying to hold encouragement while mine reflected despair.

My dad looked so old and frail in the bed. He was asleep, and he was pale.

The door opened, and the doctor stepped in. He shook my hand. “You must be Tina.”

I nodded.

“As I said earlier, your father has been diagnosed with CAD,” the doctor, a dark-haired man with rather large spectacles, said. “Coronary Artery Disease. Fortunately, this is the first stage, and there is still hope.” The doctor looked at my dad. “The fall did some damage, but we’re lucky you came in so we could run a full checkup.”

My mom squeezed my hand. The doctor moved over to the bed and observed the mask.

“Treatment of CAD is not something to be taken lightly. I’ll need him to comply with medications and treatment protocols like diet and exercise. If not done properly, it’s likely to get worse, and the end result if it gets worse could be a heart attack.”

My mother sighed.

“How much will the treatment cost?” I asked.

The doctor adjusted his glasses. “You’ll have to speak to the hospital administration about the fees. It’s a very good hospital. The cost for the medications will depend on your insurance.”

My mom looked at me. I could tell what she was thinking. She was worrying about the cost. I knew they had past-due bills from his other hospital visits from his diabetes and other problems.

“Mom, it’s okay.” I replied. “It’s okay; we can work something out.”

“Tina, I can’t let you help us. You have your own bills to worry about.” My mom grasped my hands and looked at me.

“Mom, it’s fine. I’ll figure something—”

“I’ll pay for it,” Alejandro finally spoke up for the first time.

All eyes landed on him.

“Alejandro, you don’t need to. That’s not why I brought you here.” I shook my head. As much as I loved this newfound selflessness in my billionaire, I didn’t want him to feel obliged. And I definitely didn’t want him to think I was helpless. “I’ll figure it out.”

“No, it’s all right.” He smiled. “Your father’s wellbeing is at stake, and I can do anything to help you. The more time we waste here, the more the risk. He needs to focus on getting better.”

My lips trembled as I looked for words. I couldn’t find any. My mother just stared at Alejandro as if she had seen an angel.

“Will you really do that?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Alejandro nodded at her. “Your husband means a lot to you, and even though I don’t know him, I know he must be a good man.”

“Why do you say so?”

“He raised a wonderful lady.” Alejandro directed his smile at me.

Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but feel warm inside. Alejandro faced the doctor.

“Can you direct me to the hospital administrator who handles payment?” he asked.

“Please.” The doctor beckoned toward the door. He opened it, and the two men made their exit.

All was silent for a while. I thought of Armando covering my hospital bill. I looked to my dad. His eyes were closed. As much as I wanted to concentrate on him, I knew my mom’s eyes were on me. I finally looked at her.

“I know you have some questions,” I said. “Go on and ask.”

“How long?” she asked.

I knew what she meant. We’ve always found a way to communicate fast, ever since I was little.

“About seven months now,” I replied. Had it really been that long? He felt like he was a part of my life now, even though it still felt really new.

She nodded and took a breath.

“Tina, he looks like a good man,” she said. “But I want you to take it easy and listen to your heart. I don’t want what happened with Mike to happen to you again.”

My eyes darkened at the mention of my ex-boyfriend.

“Mom, he’s nothing like Mike.” I gritted my teeth.

“I know, sweetie.” She grabbed my hands and squeezed them tenderly. “I know. I can see something in his eyes that tells a story. But Tina, I can’t stand to see you hurt again. You don’t know how much it saddens me.”

She stared at my dad. “How much it saddens us.”

I leaned my head on hers. “I know. I promise I’ll be careful.”

The door opened and Alejandro walked in. I stood up expectantly.

“Everything is taken care of,” he said.

I walked toward him and hugged him. He flinched at first, probably because of the presence of my mom, but slowly hugged me back.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Anything for you.” He patted my back.

I pulled away from him and smiled at him. He gave a small smile in return and guided me to the seat beside my mom.

“So, Mr. Gonzalez—” my mom said.

“Please.” Alejandro raised a hand. “Call me Alejandro.”

“Okay. Alejandro, it is.” She laughed. “I want to thank you for your generosity.”

“Honestly, ma’am, it was nothing.” He shook his head calmly.

Literally, he was correct. A few thousand bucks, even ten thousand or more, was nothing to a billionaire.

“I also think your gesture has made you a friend of the family.” Mom chuckled. “It’s time we got to know you better.”

“As much as I’m willing to,” he said, “I think it’s best that it happens when Mr. Campbell recovers.”