Chapter 2. The News

Amelie’s POV

This.

Can not.

Be.

Happening.

Someone, please wake me up from this awful nightmare. I have been at the hospital for 3 hours now, and still no word on what is going on. It was driving me crazy. I felt nauseated. Just then, Tiffany ran into the waiting room.

“Ame! Oh my gosh! I heard, and I had to come and see you,” Tiffany said as she hugged me, “Is Zander ok?”

“I don’t know, Tiff. I honestly don’t know.” I burst into tears.

“Shhhh, he’s going to be ok. Your love will pull him through.” She wiped my tears away and hugged me for what felt like an eternity. It was exactly what I needed.

Man, I loved Tiff. She was the best friend anyone could ever have. For the past 5 years, she has been my rock, comfort, and umbrella to weather any storm. We always joked that we should just get married and forget about men. Then Tiff messed up our plans and found the most amazing boyfriend, Peter. You could tell their love for each other just by looking at them. Honestly, Peter was a god among men for the way he treated her and the way he loved her so deeply. He had the purest heart, and it showed in everything he did. I just hoped that someday, I would find that kind of love.

Tiff hugged me again, “I hate to leave you, but I’m already late for work. I told Darcy about your brother, and she covered your shift at the coffee shop for tomorrow morning.”

“What would I do without you, Tiff?”

“Probably lose your mind?” We both laughed at her comment. It was true; she held me together for more days than I’d like to admit.

“I love you, Tiff. I promise to text you when I find something out.” I watched as she walked down the hall and faded into the distance.

 I spotted the doctor walking towards me.

“Ms. Cavanaugh?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I blurted out as I stood.

“I’m Dr. Carrera.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “Can you follow me to my office?”

“I’m sorry about the delay. We needed to run a battery of tests on your brother to determine what was happening. Were you aware he has a heart condition?” Dr. Carrera preguntó.

“No, a heart condition?” I gasped in shock.

“Yes, he has a small hole in his heart called a Ventricular septal defect. Normally, the smaller holes close independently in childhood or have no symptoms.”

“What does this mean?”

“Since it is not closing on its own, we need to do surgery,” he stated, “Don’t worry, most medical insurance coverages will cover this type of surgery. If you would just reach out to your parents….”

“We don’t have parents, and we don’t have insurance.” The tears welled up in my eyes.

“Oh.” Dr. Carrera spoke.

“If he doesn’t have the surgery?” I whispered.

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if he is kept from activities and looked after, you could postpone it for a while. He must have the surgery as soon as possible.”

Zander couldn’t be held down. He was a free-spirited 17-year-old boy. He was the star quarterback for his football team and on the swim team. How was I supposed to tell him he had to give up everything he loved?

“How much is the surgery?” I felt the panic start to overtake my breathing.

“Well, I’m sure we can apply for some assistance for you, but it would probably be about $100,000.”

My heart was in my throat. I stood up, and a wave of panic overtook me. How was I supposed to get that type of money? That was the last thought I had before everything went black.

“Ms. Cavanaugh? Ms. Cavanaugh?” I woke up to Dr. Carrera leaning over me.

“What happened?”

“You fainted, Ms. Cavanaugh.” He stated.

“I’m sorry,” I blushed.

“Understandable, news like this can be quite shocking. When’s the last time you drank or ate something?”

“Yesterday,” I said.

“You need to get some food and fluids in your system, " he chided. I will have one of the nurses walk you to the café in the lobby. After that, you can visit your brother. He is stabilized now and will be moved to a room soon.”

“Thank you, Dr. Carrera.”

Nathan’s POV

Oh, shut up! I thought to myself. Why do they need to keep going on about the “potential” the company has? I don’t care. I’m buying the company to break it up. As of tomorrow, Blake Industries will be no more. Don’t people understand that’s what I do? I swear if I hear the word potential one more time…

“Dr. Michaels,” my PA spoke, “Are you in agreement?” He slowly and inconspicuously nodded his head.

“Yes,” I responded. “It was nice doing business with you, gentlemen.” We shook hands. Thank God that was over.

Samuel, my PA, followed me out the door. He advised me of all the upcoming appointments for tomorrow.

“I’ve cleared your schedule for the rest of this afternoon. Mr. Michaels is asking for your presence at the hospital.”

I sighed, “Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour.”

My grandfather’s requests were never to be ignored. Even in his old age, he demanded respect from everyone around him. He was a powerhouse, and everyone in the finance sector and beyond knew it.

 I wonder what he wants this time. I thought to myself as I climbed into the backseat of my limo. It was probably to scold me again about not being married. Honestly, I was only 25 years old; what was the rush? I was single and having fun, lots of fun. I had only ever had one serious relationship, but I was young and unprepared for commitment. Why would I shackle myself to one woman when there was a smorgasbord of flavors to taste, and boy, did I have a huge appetite? I smirked, thinking about the brunette I had left at the hotel last night. She had the perkiest round tits of any woman I’ve ever been with. She was the type of girl, I was almost willing to break my rule over…. almost. I never slept with the same woman twice. It saved the hassle of them getting attached or needy. I didn’t want my life to get messy.

Marcus, my driver, pulled me out of my thoughts by announcing we were at the hospital.

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour, Marcus. I’ll message you if I’m going to be longer.”

“Yes, sir. See you in an hour.”