The Best of Everything (8 page)

A
s soon as they all arrived at the south suburban hospital and walked into the ER waiting area, Mom Katherine rushed over and hugged Phillip. “Honey, what am I going to do if something happens to your father?”

Phillip led her over to one of the long settees and tried calming her down. “It won’t, Mom. So, please don’t talk that way.”

Mom Katherine was a nervous wreck, and Alicia could tell she’d been crying for the last couple of hours.

“Mom, what happened? What was Dad doing?”

“Nothing. We’d just finished eating some sandwiches I’d made for lunch and were laughing at some sitcom and the next thing I knew, your father was grabbing his chest and starting to keel over. So, I went over to him and then quickly called 911. And now, he’s in surgery having a quadruple bypass because four of his arteries are blocked,” Mom Katherine explained. Then she started crying again, and Phillip pulled her into his arms.

Alicia rubbed her husband’s back, trying to console him, because she knew exactly how he felt. She was sorry for him and couldn’t imagine what it would be like if her own father had a massive heart attack. But she knew it would be devastating because she remembered how hard it had been on her years ago
when one of her father’s ex-mistresses had shot him right while he was standing in the church pulpit. She’d been so shaken up and so terrified she was going to lose him, she’d prayed she would never have to experience anything like that ever again.

Mom Katherine lifted her head and stood up. “I just don’t know what’ll I do if he doesn’t make it.”

“Mom, please don’t do this. What we have to do now is keep our faith as strong as possible.”

Charlotte walked over and hugged her.

Alicia’s dad followed behind. “That’s right, Katherine. Faith is what we have to focus on and as a matter of fact, let’s join hands so we can have a word of prayer.”

There were other people in the waiting area, but Alicia knew her father didn’t care where he was or who was around when he thought group prayer was necessary.

“Dear Heavenly Father, we come right now just thanking You for what You’ve already done for each of us, thanking You for the knowledge and skill You’ve given the doctors who are now performing surgery on Brother Phil, and we thank You for bringing him through it. We know that when everything is all said and done, the final decision always rests with You and that You never, ever make any mistakes. We know that everything is for a reason, good or bad, even if only to draw us closer to You. Then, Lord, give Sister Katherine the strength and understanding that she needs during this difficult time. These and all blessings, I ask in Your son Jesus’ name, Amen.”

They all sat down again, but no one said anything. Alicia prayed that her father-in-law was going to be all right. She understood that sickness and death were a natural part of life, but she didn’t understand why things like this happened to good people because her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband were three of the kindest people she knew. Good, decent people
and it bothered her because it seemed like bad people, say like the thief who’d robbed her at gunpoint, seemed to get away with whatever they wanted. They did fine in life, for the most part, and that confused Alicia.

After another five hours passed, the surgeon finally walked out and asked if they were the Sullivan family. He introduced himself as Dr. Nicholson and directed them into a nearby consultation room.

He sighed and then pulled off his surgical hat. “Mrs. Sullivan, your husband is a very sick man, but the surgery went a lot better than I expected it to and that has me very hopeful.”

“Will he be okay?” she asked.

“Right now, he’s in critical condition and we’re sending him to the intensive care unit, but we won’t have a better idea until maybe forty-eight hours from now.”

“How did my dad end up with four blocked arteries? He’s not even overweight.”

“It’s hard to say, but the good news is that your mom was there with him when this happened and was able to call the paramedics as soon as she did. Mrs. Sullivan, you helped save your husband’s life.”

Mom Katherine nodded and tried to force a smile but didn’t say anything. Alicia’s dad and Charlotte looked on sympathetically.

But then Mom Katherine asked, “When can I see him?”

“In a little while. He’s in recovery and then once they get him up to coronary ICU, they’ll need some time to get him situated. But after that, you can see him. You won’t be able stay in with him long, but you can visit for a few minutes.”

Everyone looked back and forth at each other and then at the doctor again.

“Well, unless you have other questions, I think that’s all I have for now.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor,” Mom Katherine told him.

“You’re quite welcome. We’re going to do everything we can for your husband. That I can promise you.”

“Thanks again.”

Phillip stood up and shook Dr. Nicholson’s hand. “Yes, thank you, Doctor.”

When he left, the rest of them stayed seated.

“Mom, I’m going to spend the night here, but I think you should go home and get some rest,” said Phillip.

“And I can go with you,” Charlotte offered.

“No. I’m not leaving my husband. I can’t do that.”

“But, Mom, you look tired and you’re going to need all your strength as we go through the next few days or so.”

“That’s fine, but I’m not leaving here.”

Finally, when Phillip saw that his mother wasn’t going to change her mind, he relented.

Alicia’s father slid back from the table. “Katherine, is there anything we can do? Anything we can get for you?”

“No, just your being here, both of you, is more than enough.”

Charlotte got up and went around to where Mom Katherine was and hugged her.

“We’ll definitely be back over tomorrow, once the elder board meeting is over, but if you need anything before then, we’re only a phone call away.”

“I know that and thank you.”

Alicia looked at Phillip. “Honey, since we all rode in Daddy’s car, I should go back with them so I can pick up one of our vehicles.”

“That’ll be fine and why don’t you just sleep at home tonight and then just come back in the morning.”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t mind driving back if you want me to. I really want to be here for you, anyway.”

“No, Mom will be here, so we’ll just see you in the morning.”

Alicia hated leaving him, especially since she could tell how sad and worried he was, but it was getting pretty late and it probably was best for her to rest at home and then just plan on driving back over and spending the entire day here at the hospital tomorrow. So, they all left the consultation room and said their good-byes.

Alicia hugged Phillip, and they held each other longer than usual. “I love you, and call me on my cell once you go in and see your dad.”

“I will.”

Alicia’s father and Charlotte hugged Phillip and Mom Katherine, and then the three of them headed out of the hospital.

Inside the intensive care unit, Phillip slowly walked toward the bed his father was lying in and, without warning, broke down like a child. He’d told himself he wouldn’t do this because he needed to be strong for his mom, but he couldn’t help the way he felt. He’d held things together for as long as he could, but now that he’d given in to the terrible pain that was eating at him, he was glad his mother was back out in the waiting area. She was already upset herself, but if she found out he was just as distraught, she’d feel even worse. She’d lose hope, faith, and everything else she needed to deal with the situation.

He stood over his father’s bed, observing every tube, monitor, and sound and shook his head in disbelief. If he hadn’t seen all of this for himself, he would have refused to believe that
his
father was fighting for his life. Not the man that meant everything to him. Not the man who, when Phillip was a small boy, took his only child just about everywhere he went. Not the man who had worked as hard as he could, making sure
Phillip and his mom had everything they needed, yet still found time to come to every one of his son’s baseball games. Not the man who’d found and worked a part-time job just so his son could attend an out-of-state, private university. It was true that Phillip had gotten a partial scholarship all four years, but his father and mother had done whatever they had to in order to make up the difference, something that couldn’t have been easy.

“Oh, God, please don’t take my father,” he whispered. “Please make him well.”

Phillip caressed his dad’s forehead, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and then stood watching him for a few more minutes.

Finally, he went back out and sat next to his mother.

She held her son’s hand. “He doesn’t look good, does he?”

“He’s been through a lot. A quadruple bypass is very serious.”

“My mother used to say how we can be up one day and down the next, and she was right.”

“Has he been complaining about any chest pains or saying he doesn’t feel good?”

“No, you saw how well he was all weekend. He was fine.”

“I just don’t understand it. Maybe he needs more exercise.”

“Maybe, because I’ve been telling you how he doesn’t like to do much except sit around the house. And that’s not good for anybody.”

“Well, after this, he’s going to have to make some changes. He’s going to have to join a health club and even though he doesn’t have a weight problem, he’s going to have to start eating a much stricter diet.”

“I agree, but he won’t like it. He loves high-fat, high-calorie food and because he can eat what he wants without gaining a lot of weight, he doesn’t see any problems with it.”

“I remember the last time I was over. He ate a big bag of pork skins and drank two cans of soda and never thought twice about it.”

“His metabolism is very high, but now we know that even thin people who don’t eat right or move their bodies on a regular basis can be unhealthy.”

“This is true, and Dad’s heart attack has me thinking about the things I eat as well. I work out every single morning except on Sunday, but I don’t necessarily watch what I eat when it comes to fatty foods. I love steak, I love anything cooked in butter, and I love dessert.”

“It’s definitely a wake-up call and, sweetheart, I’m really scared. Your father and I have been together for thirty-five years, and he’s the only man I’ve ever loved. We were only twenty years old when we married, and I’d just graduated from the community college. He’s all I know, and I’m all he knows.”

“I know, Mom, and I’ve always been very proud of how happy you and Dad have always been with each other.”

“Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our share of problems the same as anyone else, but for the most part, we really have had a very happy marriage.”

“I’d always hoped to have the same thing when I got married, too, but, lately, I don’t know.”

He wasn’t sure why he was burdening his mom with any of this right now, but he needed to tell someone the truth about his relationship.

“Is everything okay with you and Alicia?”

“Sometimes, yes, sometimes no. It just depends.”

“Your father and I talked about you and Alicia on the way home yesterday because we could tell you weren’t happy about something. But I just figured you’d had your first argument or something, and that it was probably nothing.”

“Mom, Alicia spends money like a person who has unlimited access inside the Federal Reserve.”

“Well, most women like to shop, so maybe this is just some little phase she’s going through.”

“No, I don’t think so. She buys things that millionaire wives can afford.”

“Oh come on, Phillip, it can’t be that bad.”

“It is. Mom, I found a sixteen-hundred-dollar St. John suit in her closet.”

“A St. Who?”

Phillip chuckled. “St. John. It’s an expensive designer that anyone in their right mind would know we can’t afford. Actually, the only reason
I
know some of these names is because of Alicia.”

“But sixteen hundred dollars? You must be mistaken.”

“No. I checked the price online.”

“I just can’t believe that. For one outfit?”

“Yes. And she buys all sorts of jewelry, purses, shoes, suits, dresses, and just like you saw this weekend, she even buys expensive stuff for the house.”

“I will admit, she does have high-class taste when it comes to decorating.”

“And you know that comforter set you couldn’t stop talking about on Saturday?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Well, in all total, including the bathroom towels and other accessories, she paid nearly twelve hundred dollars for it.”

“No, Phillip. There’s no way.”

“It’s true. She thought the other one was too cheap and that you and Dad deserved a lot better than that. We argued all night on Friday and we barely spoke on Saturday morning, and that’s why I wasn’t myself by the time you and Dad got there.”

“Son, I am so sorry.”

Phillip sighed in a defeated manner. “I just don’t know what I can do to make her stop. And actually the more I’ve thought about it over the last few days, I don’t think I can because Alicia has always been used to getting whatever she wants since she was a child. Curtis always earned good money, even before he became as wealthy as he is now, so all my wife has ever known is brand-name clothing and fine jewelry. She thinks it’s a crime to even look at costume jewelry or sterling silver unless it’s designed by John Hardy or Judith Ripka, which are both very expensive.”

“Have you talked to her—not just while arguing, but seriously?”

“Until I’m blue in the face, but that doesn’t even faze her. She still does whatever she wants to do, and she resents me for talking about it. She says I’m trying to control her.”

“Maybe it’s time the two of you went to see a marriage counselor, because if you allow this problem to get worse, you might not be able to fix it or save your marriage.”

“I agree, because if Alicia continues spending money the way she has been, we’ll be drowning in debt in no time.”

“You need to find a counselor and make an appointment as soon as possible.”