“Maybe I am too suspicious,” Luca said. “But it’s kept me alive this far.”
And for everyone’s safety, he needed to find out what Kira was up to.
Kira stood at the end of the hospital bed. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re good to go home.” She looked down at the iPad in her hands and the last set of test results. “Your vitals are good, and your blood work came back clear. But if you have any more lightheadedness, go see your primary care physician. Okay?”
The patient nodded, relief on his face. His wife stood beside his bed, holding on to his arm, a whole lot more worry in her features than in his. She sniffed, brushing hair back from her face with one hand. “You’re sure he’s going to be okay?”
“As long as he’s keeping down food and doesn’t take a fall, you should be good.” Kira looked at the patient. “Just take it easy for a few days and get some rest.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
The wife nodded. “Yes, thank you, Doctor.”
Kira headed out to the nurses’ station and handed the iPad over to Martin. “No partner in crime today?”
He grinned, revealing a cracked tooth in front. “Rebecca went away for the weekend with her sister.”
“Oh boy. I don’t want to know what the two of them are going to get up to.”
Martin tipped his head back and laughed.
“Could you draw up discharge papers for Mr. Salazar, please?”
He nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Anything new come in?”
The last thing she needed after yesterday was a quiet night. But that seemed like what was going to happen, whether she liked it or not. It made her want to take a break, sit and have a discussion with the Lord about what she needed versus what He was giving her.
But maybe that was a bad idea. Not the part where she was being honest with Him about how she felt about her life. The problem was more that she knew God would do what was best for her, which wasn’t always what she wanted, and she’d rather complain about it.
I do want to grow. To build a stronger faith. Even if I don’t like how that happens.
Martin clicked the mouse on his computer. “Dr. Barnett took the new patient that came in. Fifty-seven-year-old male in cardiac distress.”
“Let me know if anyone else comes in.” She had a few patients she could check on, awaiting X-rays or tests. Or simply people they were observing for a little while before they were either admitted or discharged. But it felt a whole lot like doing laps of the same area and expecting to find something different every time she swung by a patient’s bay.
She walked over to check on Dr. Barnett and his patient, but before she even reached the curtain, Destiny Rousseau stepped out. The woman flushed when she saw Kira.
“I’m so glad it’s you.” Destiny rushed over and flung her twiggy arms around Kira. Kira hugged the other woman back, and Destiny said, “It’s Ralph. He just collapsed, saying his arm hurt. I had no idea what to do. Thankfully, an associate of Ralph’s showed up and called an ambulance. I was just so—” She waved her hands in front of her face, the movement almost frantic.
“I understand.” Kira touched Destiny’s shoulders and looked into the bay to see Dr. Barnett talking to the nurse. Kira’s gaze drifted to the monitors, but she couldn’t read the heart rate from this distance. They didn’t need her help. She didn’t need to go in there and take over. She would be of more use talking to Destiny right now.
She said, “Does he have a history of heart problems?”
“The EMTs asked me the same thing. I have no idea! Ralph has always been as healthy as a horse. That’s why he bounced back so fast after those bullies tried to kill him.”
Kira nodded, thinking it might also have been the exorbitant sum they’d paid for top-tier private care in Denver. “It does seem like he got his strength back quickly. That’s good. It could help him recover from this in the same way.”
“Assuming whoever did this to him doesn’t try again.” Destiny pushed back her hair with both hands and touched her cheeks, looking a little shellshocked.
Kira frowned. “Do you think someone did this to him?” She pointed toward Ralph, passed out on the bed.
“Ralph isn’t just going to grab his arm and fall over for no reason. Obviously someone tried to poison him.” Destiny gasped. “It’s because he’s a threat to their business. But he hasn’t told anyone anything!”
“If you suspect this was a personal attack, you should tell the police what you know.” They would be able to reassure Destiny that there was no reason for her to worry. Unless she was right and Ralph had been receiving continued death threats in the months since his capture. Still, from everything Kira could see, this looked more like a run-of-the-mill heart attack. One that had nothing to do with him being shot months ago. “If you believe his life is in danger, perhaps you could seek protection.”
Destiny nodded. “I’m going to tell the police he’s in danger. It’s because they haven’t caught the culprit yet.”