Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,43
and changes her diet, she has a very good chance of making a full recovery.”
Ted swayed on his feet.
John grabbed his father-in-law’s arm. “Have a seat.”
Sam hurried across the room and helped her dad sit down. “When will Mom be able to go home?”
Doctor Bloomfield kept a careful eye on Ted. “Elena will stay in the intensive care unit until tomorrow afternoon. It will give us a chance to monitor her closely and make sure she’s responding to the medication we’re giving her. If that goes well, she’ll be transferred to the cardiac ward for about five days. During that time, we’ll discuss a treatment plan with her and make sure she can participate in the health and wellbeing program we run throughout Montana.”
Shelley breathed a sigh of relief. That sounded a lot better than the scenario the doctors had first described to them.
“Can Dad see Mom now?” Sam asked.
“You’re more than welcome to visit Elena. But you can only have two family members in the intensive care unit at once. And you’ll need to limit your visits to ten minutes. Elena is exhausted and needs to rest as much as possible.”
By the time Doctor Bloomfield finished speaking, Ted was on his feet. “Who wants to go with me?”
Shelley looked at her sisters. “What if Sam goes first? It might make Mom feel better seeing Sam and her baby bump.”
Sam looked at Bailey.
“It’s okay with me,” Bailey said. “If Mom asks about the wedding guests, tell her they all send their love, and Aunt Rosa and Aunt Maria made sure they had something to eat.”
Shelley smiled. Food would be the last thing on most people’s mind, but Bailey knew how much it meant to their Mom. “If Mom’s too tired to see anyone else, give her a hug from John and me. We can visit her tomorrow.”
“If you’re ready to visit Elena, I’ll take you to her,” Doctor Bloomfield said.
Caleb helped Sam to her feet. “I’ll come with you and wait outside. Is everyone else staying here?”
John picked up his jacket. “How about we meet you in the hospital cafeteria after you’ve seen Elena? We could have something to eat before we head across to the hotel.”
Sam held onto her dad’s elbow. “That sounds like a great idea. We’ll meet you there.”
Watching her sister and Dad leave the waiting room was hard for Shelley. She desperately wanted to see her mom and make sure she was okay. But with everything that had happened, it was better if Sam saw her first.
“Your mom will be okay,” John said quietly.
“I know, but I’m still worried.”
Bailey picked up her coat and bag. “Let’s get something to eat. Now that I know how Mom is, I feel like an enormous sandwich and a big bowl of fries.”
“You’re easy to please,” Steven said with a smile.
“Only when it comes to food.” Bailey sent her new husband a tired smile. “I might order dessert as well.”
Shelley opened the door. “You won’t be the only one. I’m ordering the biggest, sweetest dessert I can find.” And with the thought of chocolate cake and ice cream sundaes running through her head, Shelley followed Bailey, Steven, and John into the corridor.
She hoped and prayed that nothing changed overnight. That, in the morning, their mom would be back to her normal, cheerful self. Because this afternoon, when she’d seen her mom’s gray, still body, Shelley thought she was dead.
John studied Shelley’s face. Considering all she’d been through over the last twenty-four hours, she seemed remarkably calm. Too calm.
“It’s okay to let go. I’m here for you.”
Shelley looked up from the list she was making. “I’ll be all right. Do you remember if Bailey said she’d packed a tracksuit for Mom? She hates wearing them, but it would be more comfortable than jeans, especially in the hospital.”
“I don’t think your mom will care what she wears.”
“Maybe, but I want her to be happy. I’ll see if they have a Walmart in Polson. I can stop there on the way to the hospital and buy her some comfortable clothes, just in case.” Shelley wrote something on the piece of paper, then placed her pen on the table. “That should be enough for now. If Dad needs anything, I’ll add it to my shopping list.”
“Have you heard from Bailey?” Earlier in the morning, Bailey had driven her dad to the hospital to visit Elena again. Shelley still hadn’t seen her mom and that worried John more than the lists she was making.
“She sent