I Gave It All Back to My Sister, Even My Husband novel · Chapter 8 of 24

Chapter 8: Valve

The call came from Simon at nine.

"Bring Cassandra," was all he said. "The doctor wants the family in the corridor."

Gavin put down his crowbar. He had been working beside the crew since dawn, in a ruined shirt, tearing out the crib mounts with his bare hands.

"Come with me," he said.

"I'm not family."

"You're the reason I'm going."

We drove to the hospital in silence.

The same corridor. The same pale floor. The same two nurses at the same desk, except this time they stared at us harder.

Miriam stood outside bay four in a fury of pearls.

Simon leaned against the wall beside her, his glasses in his hand.

"Where were you?" Miriam said to Gavin. "Your brother's wife has been at death's door for three hours."

"Has she?"

"Don't you dare."

The curtain parted, and a doctor came out with a chart tucked under his arm.

He was gray-haired and rumpled, and he looked at Willa's family with the weariness of a man who had seen them often.

"Mrs. Aldercott's tests are back," he said. "Her ECG is normal. Her troponin is normal. Her echocardiogram is normal."

"Then why was she in pain?" said Miriam.

"I'd say anxiety."

"She has a heart condition!"

"She had a valve repaired at nineteen," the doctor said. "It's one of the best repairs I've seen. I did it myself. She hasn't had a cardiac issue since."

I felt Gavin go rigid beside me.

"Say that again," he said.

"The repair held. Her heart is as healthy as yours."

"Then why does she come here so often?"

The doctor flipped open the chart.

"Eleven visits in three years," he said. "Every one of them with normal findings. At some point, Mr. Aldercott, the most honest thing a physician can do is tell the family."

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